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[ 58And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. 59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. ]

And after the Judas situation the Apostles determined to appoint another Apostle to take Judas place (matthias).. The Holy Spirit had other ideas.. and chose Saul.. One who knew the official Jews and Judaizers intimately and was also a Roman.. Schooled in several languages in the sematics and law of the time and the Talmud.. (a very educated man)...

The other Apostles were just uneducated teenagers unschooled in the ways of this world.. Saul/Paul was the Holy Spirits gift to the Church and the Bible.. Peter was known for doing the wrong thing.. No doubt Paul schooled Peter in many things beyond what scripture tells us.. and the other Apostles besides.. Stephans diatribe prepared Saul for this to happen, I believe.. Could be why that particular event was included in Acts(Stephan).. and not the murder of many many other unmentioned Saints/Martyrs.. of the Rabbis and Jewish officials appointed by the Romans at that time..

Yes the Holy Spirt was in charge.. even of those martyrs..
What a story, a plan, a message.... that nobody really dies..
That martyrdom was a GOOD THING...

And defeated the Romans and spread the church like wildfire.. among the conquered gentiles and Romans also..