The apostles addressed this need by tasking the local church members to choose seven men that could be appointed over the business of caring for the widows. All rights reserved. It has been partially translated into 2,883 languages. Following Stephen's death, the early Church mourned with great sadness its very first martyr. In the same way, the Jews had refused to listen to Jesus during his ministry on earth and, instead, killed him when they could no longer stand his words. He performed miracles. If you liked our suggestions for facts about Stephen in the Bible then why not take a look at facts about Gideon in the Bible, or Abraham facts. 11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.". What seems like a tragedy can somehow be part of God's great plan. Reaching the destination isn't important, but we must focus on the journey first. He continued by telling them what he was seeing, which enraged them so much they attacked him. All Rights Reserved. Second, no matter where we come from, God can use our past to shape our testimony and witness. Both, before dying, commended their souls to God: Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit. Lord Jesus, receive my soul! [17]. Christs words regarding the temple (John 4:20-24;Mark 13:2) not only led Stephen to see that the true worship of God was not confined to the temple, but opened his eyes as to the purely formal character of this worship in that day, which, far from being true worship, had become a mere ceremonialism (Mark 7:6), and in the words of Christ (John 2:19) he saw an intimation of the new temple which was to take the place of the old. . It was false as an implied insinuation that he impugned the divine origin and character of the temple and the Mosaic Law, but it was true as far as he conceived both to be only of a temporary nature and serving a merely provisional purpose, which, as we have seen, constituted the peculiarity of his teaching. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. Though it marks the beginning of the first great persecution of Christians, the death of the first Christian martyr resulted in the greatest acquisition Christianity has probably ever made, the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. He contributed majorly to the growth of the church and also helped the apostles in their work of spreading the Almighty's words, just like the patron saint. Uncovering of his relics (relics of the saints: Nicodemus, Gamaliel and Abibas son of Gamaliel were also found in Saint Stephen's tomb) took place in 415, Gamaliel appeared to presbyter Lucian[ru] and he told him to go to Jerusalem and inform Bishop John about relics of Saint Stephen. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. In those churches, then, the date the feast is observed is generally known as 27 December. It harkens back to times when God's presence was visibly manifest before His people in the Old Testament. Stephen tried to reach the masses with the message of attaining ultimate salvation. As devout Jews, they would have been horrified at Stephen's claim that Jesus Christ was the much-awaited Messiah. Due to his honesty and wisdom, he was chosen as one of the seven deacons by the young church members of early Christianity. Dr. Michael L. Williams By joining Kidadl you agree to Kidadls Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receiving marketing communications from Kidadl. This revolutionary message got Stephen hauled before the Sanhedrin, the same Jewish council that had condemned Jesus to death for blasphemy. He was condemned for committing blasphemy against the . [5] As another deacon, Nicholas of Antioch, is specifically stated to have been a convert to Judaism, it may be assumed that Stephen was born Jewish, but nothing more is known about his previous life. a Greek-speaking Jew. "He fell asleep" with a prayer for his persecutors on his lips ( 7:60 ). [8] However, Stephen looked up and cried, "Look! He proclaimed the gospel after Jesus' resurrection and was the first apostle to be martyred for his faith. Known best as the proto-martyr of the Christian church, introducing the heroic period of persecutions. Stephen was a Jew who had lived outside of Israel. Stephen's preachings were of utmost importance to society, which led to a revolutionary consequence for the early Christians. I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God!" The Roman Empire persecuted members of The Way, as early Christianity was called, for the next 300 years, finally ending with the conversion of Emperor Constantine I, who adopted the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., allowing Christians religious freedom. Stephen was mentioned for the first time in Act 6:5 of the Bible. But Stephen, ansported with enthusiasm and inspiration, was vouchsafed a vision of the glory of God, which he had mentioned in the beginning of his speech (Acts 7:2), and of Jesus, whose cause he had so gallantly defended (Acts 7:55). 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! [Acts 6:914] Stephen is said to have been unperturbed, his face looking like "that of an angel". Psalm 82:3 New Living Translation (NLT) 3 "Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. They had killed the prophets who had protested against the dead ritualism of the temple-worship and raised their voice in behalf of a true spiritual worship as that of the tabernacle had been (Acts 7:44-50,Acts 7:52). The courteous and at once endearing terms in Stephens address (Acts 7:2) to the council, and the terms our fathers and our race inActs 7:2,Acts 7:19by which he closely associates himself with his hearers, his declaration of the divine majesty of Yahweh with which the speech opens (Acts 7:2), of the providential leading of the patriarchs (Acts 7:8,Acts 7:10), his recognition of the Old Testament institutions as divinely decreed (Acts 7:8), his reference to the divine sanction of the Law and its condemnation of those who had not kept it (Acts 7:53), at the close of his speech, show clearly his reverence, not only for the past history of the Jewish race, but as well for its Sacred Writings and all of its religious institutions. Enroll in Online Course. [2] The reason for the appointment of the deacons is stated to have been dissatisfaction among Hellenistic (that is, Greek-influenced and Greek-speaking) Jews that their widows were being slighted in preference to Hebraic ones in the daily distribution of food. He did not fear the consequences and decided to speak boldly against the failure of Israel to recognize their Messiah. There are four different men named Philip mentioned in the Bible. Although Scripture doesnt specify how long Stephens ministry lasted, it appears he receives opposition very soon into the journey. Proud member We see multiple examples throughout Scripture of how God uses ones upbringing to shape their testimony and how they speak to various audiences. [7] Previous post: How Does The Bible Define Wickedness? In the way he lived and died, Stephen catapulted the early Christian church from its local Jerusalem roots to a cause that spread across the entire world. In defending his preaching, Stephen gave an outline of Israels history, his aim being to demonstrate two main points. Instead, under the power of the Holy Spirit, he looked up into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at Gods right hand. As an aside, this might not have been Saul's first encounter with Jesus, as some scholars suggest that young Saul might have known of Jesus and that he might have actually witnessed His death. The contents of his speech are a recital of the most marked phases of Jewish history in the past, but as read from the point of view of its out-workings in the present old facts interpreted by a spirit-filled disciple of Christ. It makes evident beyond doubt how not grounded the accusation of blasphemy against him was. Local churches were beginning to be established and there arose some problems with Greek widows being neglected in their care. The charge of blasphemy against God and contempt of the Law is implicitly repudiated by the tenor of the whole speech. Even before his death, he asked for forgiveness of his murderers, just like Jesus. There was no blasphemy on the part of Stephen, save by perversion of his words. He relied on the Holy Spirit who showed him the right path. The Bible's. He deserves as well to be called the first great apologist for Christianity, since it was this that brought on his death as a martyr (circa 36 or 37 AD). Even though he was appointed by the Twelve, Stephen was a full-fledged prophet, filled with the Holy Spirit. We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. Likewise, he contented for the faith with those who were ultra-liberal in their beliefs. When Stephen performs great signs and wonders, he draws opposition from a group called the Synagogue of the Freedmen. Stephen then told how they, being set in their stiff-necked unbelieving ways, resisted the Holy Spirits conviction just as their fathers before them had resisted the preaching of the prophets who told of Jesus coming. The number of disciples in Jerusalem grew rapidly, and a great number of priests became obedient to the faith. (2022, January 4). Stephen now represents those that Jesus had prophesied would be told what to say when they stood before the authorities. The first thing to note is that Acts 7:55 does not say that Stephen saw "the Father" or even that he "saw God.". Many churches and other places commemorate Stephen. He applied these two points to the Jews of his time by saying that they were mistaken in thinking God dwelt in the Jerusalem temple, and that their rejection of Christ was in keeping with the stubbornness of their forefathers (Acts 7:48-53). Of the seven men, all Hellenists, elected to this office at the occasion of a grievance of the Hellenistic Christians in the Jerusalem church against the Hebrew Christians, to the effect that in the distribution of alms their widows were being discriminated against, Stephen, who heads the list, is by far the most distinguished. Many early Christians were martyred in the time after Christ. Of his conversion to Christianity we know nothing, though there is a tradition that he was among the Seventy. He also was one of the first deacons of the church. This day is also called the "Third Day of the Nativity" because it is the third day of the Christmas season. God loves each of us as if there were only one of us"- Augustine. Satan does not sit idly by when his realm is challenged. If you like what you're reading, you can get free daily updates through the RSS feed here. In 415, a priest named Lucian purportedly had a dream that revealed the location of Stephen's remains at Beit Jimal. Saul of Tarsus, later known as Paul, a Pharisee and Roman citizen who would later become a Christian apostle, participated in Stephen's martyrdom. The Jews of the Roman empire always questioned God's grace in terms of Christianity and whenever they failed to produce an argument, oppositions and false claims were put forth by them. He accepted Christianity and became one of the seven deacons chosen by the disciples to take care of the widows and the needy people in Jerusalem (Acts 6:1-5). Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit and when he looked up into heaven, Stephen saw 'the glory of God' (no one is permitted to see God) and on the right side of God, Jesus was standing! This recourse to lynch law may have been connived at by the Roman authorities, since the act was without political significance. Acts 6:8:Stephen performs various wonders and signs. The reliquary is likely a 9th-century creation. This disposition of disobedience so characteristic of the race in its whole history, because, in spite of the divine revelation received, they remained unregenerate (Acts 7:51), reached its culmination in that awful crime of betrayal and murder committed by the present generation upon the Righteous One whose coming the prophets had predicted the rejection of Jesus of Nazareth, by which the Jews doomed not only their national existence, but also their temple-worship and the reign of the Law to destruction (Acts 6:14). Dr. Mike holds under-graduate through post graduate degrees in Christian Education and formerly worked as a nurse. Stephen was the first Christian who was murdered for spreading the words of Christ. [4] Artistic representations often show Stephen with a crown symbolising martyrdom, three stones, martyr's palm frond, censer, and often holding a miniature church building. The result, however, was that Christianity spread throughout the region, as the expelled Christians preached the gospel wherever they went (Acts 8:4;Acts 11:19). and graduate of Taylor University's professional writing program. Best Known For: Saint Stephen is recognized as a saint and the first martyr in Christian theology. R. J. Knowling, Acts in Expositors Greek Testament ., 2 (1900); Feine, PRE 3 , 19 (1907); Pahncke in Studien u. Krit . (1912), I. Stephen saw before any other man in the church saw, that the gospel of Christ was not for Jews only, but was for all men; that all men might be saved if they would believe in Jesus; and this great truth Stephen began to preach with all his power. Photo credit:Wikimedia Commons-Public Domain/Annibale Carracci. With his profound teachings, Stephen successfully managed to convert many of them into followers of Christ by engaging them in religious discussions. of As in Stephens's case, the full impact of our lives may not be felt until decades after our death. One, claimed by noted French archaeologists Louis-Hugues Vincent (18721960) and Flix-Marie Abel (18781953) to be ancient, places the event at Jerusalem's northern gate, while another one, dated by Vincent and Abel to the Middle Ages and no earlier than the 12th century, locates it at the eastern gate. Thus the aim of Stephen was to point out to his hearers the true meaning of Jewish history and Jewish Law in reference to the present, i.e. Saint Stephen is also commemorated on 4 January (Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles) in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Among the most notable are the two sites in Jerusalem held by different traditions to be the place of his martyrdom, the Salesian monastery of Beit Jimal in Israel held to be the place where his remains were miraculously found, and the church of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura in Rome, where the saint's remains are said to be buried. Take the encounter Israel . A young man watching the murder was Saul of Tarsus. [23][24][25][26][dubious discuss]. St. Stephen, (died 36 ce, Jerusalem; feast day December 26), Christian deacon in Jerusalem and the first Christian martyr, whose apology before the Sanhedrin (Acts of the Apostles 7) points to a distinct strand of belief in early Christianity. In this sense the speech of Stephen is a grand apology for the Christian cause which he represented, inasmuch as it shows clearly that the new religion was only the divinely-ordered development of the old, and not in opposition to it. The world-renowned Amazing Facts Bible school will help you know God's Word better than ever. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents. Eventually, Stephen told how Jesus was the one who came as the fulfillment of God's promises. Devout men lovingly took away the body of Stephen and expressed their grief with "great lamentation" (RSV). It is not so much a plea in self-defence as a grand apology for the cause which Stephen represents. Their knowledge of Jewish history and Jewish religion as he would convey it to them would compel them to clear him of the accusation against him as blasphemer and false teacher. [27] The feasts of both 26 December and 3 August have been used in dating clauses in historical documents produced in England. Here is something else you might like to read: Top 7 Bible Verses About Sowing And Reaping, 25 Encouraging Bible Verses About Strength, Words of Encouragement: 30 Uplifting Quotes, Why Your Church Needs Vacation Bible School, Gods Amazing Conversions Through Dreams and Visions Part Three, Gods Amazing Conversions Through Dreams and Visions Part Two, Gods Amazing Conversions Through Dreams and Visions Part One, 7 Powerful Bible Verses About the Resurrection, 7 Bible Verses to Read When You Feel Like Giving Up, A Bible Study With Commentary on Romans One, Ice Dragon: Legend of the Blue Daisies Movie Review, Phoenix Wilder And The Great Elephant Adventure Movie Review, The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island Movie Review, The fact that Stephen was chosen to be a deacon speaks to his public testimony as a man that was a believer that lived his faith openly: Acts 6:5, Stephen took the humble position of a deacon waiting on widows and used it as an opportunity to demonstrate the power of God to do great things: Acts 6:8, Stephen demonstrated that he was well versed in Gods Word and could argue its truth with the wisdom that only the Holy Spirit could provide: Acts 6:9-10, Stephen did not back down when confronted by those who disagreed with the truth of Gods Word: Acts 6:11-15, Stephen used the spectacle of the public inquisition to share the truth with a much wider audience: Acts 7, Stephen received the strength he needed through faith to stand firm under the most extreme persecution one could suffer as a Christian: Acts 7:54-60, Stephen, like Jesus just before He died, pleaded for the forgiveness of those who were killing him: Acts 6:60. It is a significant fact that Stephen was not arraigned before the Sanhedrin as being a Nazarene though at bottom it was the real cause of his arraignment. [7] Stephen denounces his listeners[6] as "stiff-necked" people who, just as their ancestors had done, resist the Holy Spirit. Stephen had both a Hellenistic and Jewish background. QUICK FACTS. It meant Christianity was not just another Jewish sect but something entirely different: a New Covenant from God, replacing the Old. Historically, the "Invention of the Relics of Saint Stephen" (i.e., their reputed discovery) was commemorated on 3 August. St. Stephen the Martyr Church, Omaha, Nebraska, Saint Stephen is one of the sculptures on the side of the, Saint Stephen is featured as the eponymous subject of a song by the, This page was last edited on 30 March 2023, at 12:57. These freer views of Stephen, though possibly attributable to his Hellenic culture, were certainly not of Hellenistic origin, for just their promulgation is what brought him into controversy with the Hellenistic synagogues of Jerusalem. Before he died, Stephen said two things very similar to Jesus' last words from the cross: But Stephen's influence was even stronger after his death. Before he converted, however, Saul would persecute other Christians in the name of the Sanhedrin, causing early church members to flee Jerusalem, taking the gospel wherever they went. [2] The full Bible has been translated into 532 languages. 8 Now Stephen, who was full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. Accordingly, Stephen was taken outside the city (Leviticus 24:14; compareLuke 4:29); the witnesses threw the first stone at him (compareDeuteronomy 17:7) after taking off their upper garments and laying them at the feet of a young man named Saul (Acts 7:58) afterward Paul, now about 30 years old who evidently had charge of the whole proceedings. These are some of the lessons Stephen's life left people with. Being a Greek-speaking Jew himself, Stephen went to the synagogue for Greek-speaking Jews in Jerusalem to try to turn his fellow Jews to Christ. The Glory of God. Stephen in the Bible is known as the first Christian martyr. [Acts 6:5, 8], It seems to have been among synagogues of Hellenistic Jews that he performed his teachings and "signs and wonders" since it is said that he aroused the opposition of the "Synagogue of the Freedmen", and "of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them that were of Cilicia and Asia". [6], There are at least five places where Stephen's re-telling of the stories of Israelite history diverges from the scriptures where these stories originated; for instance, Stephen says that Jacob's tomb was in Shechem,[Acts 7:16] but Genesis 50:13[Genesis 50:13] says Jacob's body was carried and buried in a cave in Machpelah at Hebron. This also has the effect of pushing the Feast of the Holy Innocents to the 29 December. The emotional appeal lies in the reverential and feeling manner in which he handles the history sacred to them all. Stephen's death had the unexpected consequence of forcing Christians to flee persecution in Jerusalem. Beginning by mentioning the God of glory and ending with a vision of that glory itself, the speech is a wonderful apotheosis of the humble cause of the Nazarene, the enthusiastic tribute of its first great martyr delivered in the face of death. At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. Contrary to Roman law and order they took Stephen, and without awaiting sentence against him, amid a tumultuous scene, stoned him to death, the punishment prescribed in Mosaic Law for a blasphemer (Deuteronomy 17:7;Leviticus 24:14-16). Thanks for stopping by! Through the life and work of Jesus, everything had changed. Find out more about her here. Preachers often will speak about Stephen because he was the first Christian to die for his beliefs. Customs of Moses (Acts 6:14) were the institutions that distinguished the Jews and that were derived from Moses. The Imperial Regalia of the Holy Roman Empire includes a relic known as St. Stephen's Purse which is an elaborate gold and jewel-encrusted box believed to contain soil soaked with the blood of St. Stephen. The other two Philips in the Bible were servants of Christ and instrumental in the early church: Philip the disciple and apostle of Christ, and Philip the . As Stephen by his life and work marks a period of transition in the development of the early Christian church, so his name is connected with an important new departure within the organization of the church itself, namely, the institution of the office of the Seven (Acts 6:1ff), who were entrusted with the administration of the work of relief in the church at Jerusalem the foundation of the diaconate. The Crusaders initially called the main northern gate of Jerusalem "Saint Stephen's Gate" (in Latin, Porta Sancti Stephani), highlighting its proximity to the site of martyrdom of Saint Stephen, marked by the church and monastery built by Empress Eudocia. They dragged him to appear before the Sanhedrin, the supreme legal court of Jewish elders, accusing him of preaching against the Temple and the Mosaic Law. 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