Stephen was the first martyr of the church. God loves each of us as if there were only one of us"- Augustine. Stephen tried to make people understand that Christianity is a completely different sect and God's new covenant. The Catholic, Anglican, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, and Lutheran churches and the Church of the East view Stephen as a saint. 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! [19] A different tradition is documented from the end of the Crusader period, after the disappearance of the Byzantine church: as Christian pilgrims were prohibited from approaching the militarily exposed northern city wall, the name "Saint Stephen's Gate" was transferred to the still accessible eastern gate, which bears this name until this day. Friedrich Justus Knecht lists the similarities of the martyrdom of Stephen to Jesus' death on the cross: 1. As devout Jews, they would have been horrified at Stephen's claim that Jesus Christ was the much-awaited Messiah. The council members refused to listen to him, and even then, he kept his calm and said with a smiling face that he could see heaven open for the man standing on the right hand of God. (1912), I. These words which mark the climax, though probably not the close of the speech, pointed the moral in terms of the most cutting rebuke, and were at once prophetical as to the effect the speech would have upon his hearers and for him. Not too long after, Saul would be converted by Jesus and become the great Christian missionary and apostle Paul. He preached the teachings of Christ to the Greek-speaking Jews. Read them in the archive below. 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 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). Customs of Moses (Acts 6:14) were the institutions that distinguished the Jews and that were derived from Moses. Email. Some Orthodox churches, particularly in the west, follow a modified Julian calendar that places date names identically with the standard Gregorian calendar of widespread civil usage. Stephens new role did not stop with the daily routine of helping elderly widows, he used his role to demonstrate wonders and miracles among the people. In 439, the relics were translated to a new church north of the Damascus Gate built by the empress Aelia Eudocia in honor of Saint Stephen. It is noteworthy, however, that the Jewish legal forms were observed, as if to give to the violence the appearance of legality. 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. It is 216 years old and the patron of this parish is St. Stephen, the first Martyr of the Church and it is situated beside Kollam Beach. It is a public holiday in many nations that are of historic Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran traditions, including Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Poland, Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Catalonia and the Balearic Isles. For the first king of Hungary, see, Marian Wolniewicz as the translator of the Book of Acts from: The Millennium Holy Bible; Warsaw, 1980, numerous other places named Saint tienne, St. Stephen's School (ICSE/ISC), Sonarpur, Kolkata, St. Stephen's Orthodox Cathedral, Kudassanad, Pandalam, Kerala, Basilica Papale di San Paolo fuori le Mura, "Article XXI (IX) Of the Invocation of the Saints", "St. Stephen's death shows importance of Scripture, Pope says", "Stephen's Speech: A Theology of Errors? (b) The Jews to whom these revelations were granted, so far from being thankful at all stages of their history, had been slow to believe and understand them because they would not be obedient (Acts 7:39,Acts 7:57). Acts 8:1-2. Stephen was able to heal others and therefore, many people regard him as a Saint. He brought out the topic of Moses and their journey of meeting with God in a burning bush amidst the wilderness of Midian. They responded by conspiring to lie about him in an effort to stir up the people and members of the local synagogue. Although he was just one of seven men chosen to make sure food was fairly distributed to the Grecian widows, Stephen soon began to stand out: Exactly what those wonders and miracles were, we are not told, but Stephen was empowered to do them by the Holy Spirit. The first thing to note is that Acts 7:55 does not say that Stephen saw "the Father" or even that he "saw God.". What Stephen's Name Means. Saint Stephen was the first Christian martyr. Acts 6:1-7:As the Apostles numbers grew, because of the size, certain people became overlooked, such as the Gentile widows (opposed to the Hebraic widows). Hope Bolingeris a literary agent at C.Y.L.E. He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen to death and saw the victorious way Stephen died. Little is known about Stephen in the Bible before he was ordained a deacon in the young church, as described in Acts 6:1-6. His sacrifice and sufferings taught us a very important lesson about the cost of faith. He was one of the first to conceive of the fact that Christianity represented a new order of things and as such would inevitably supersede the old order. creative tips and more. Stephen more than met the requirements of the office to which he was elected (Acts 6:3); the record characterizes him as a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5), i.e. Though the Hellenist dispensed himself from keeping all of the Pharisaic additions to the Law, he always regarded the Law of Moses and the temple at Jerusalem as highly as the Palestinian Jew. Therefore, we cannot call Stephen an apostle. better understanding, convincing knowledge, and the Spirit, i.e. Acts 6:8: Stephen performs various wonders and signs. During this inquisition, false witnesses were set up. The name Stephen is taken from a Greek word, Stphanos, which means 'wreath, crown'. They resisted the purpose of God by obstinately and stiff-neckedly opposing those through whom God worked. The Seven from the first were occupied with essentially spiritual work, as also the later diaconate was engaged in something far different from mere charity organization. This revelation coupled with the splendid personality of Stephen, the testimony of his righteous life and the noble bravery of his sublime death, and above all his dying prayer, fell upon the honest soul of Saul with an irresistible force and inevitably brought on the Damascus event, as Augustine clearly recognized: Si Stephanus non orasset, ecclesia Paulum non habuisset. Judged by his teaching, Stephen may be called the forerunner of Paul. Photo credit:Wikimedia Commons-Public Domain/Annibale Carracci. 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. Stephen's death taught us to speak boldly for our religion and not fear death, for it is the ultimate destination for all living souls. In addition, Stephen was also the first martyr of the church. Stephen [N] [H] [S] one of the seven deacons, who became a preacher of the gospel. The disciples chose Stephen, and six others, and prayed over them as they began their ministry. Although we have only this two-chapter narrative of Stephens life, he has left a legacy that serves as something to consider by believers today. [7] His story is wholly contained in two chapters in the book of Acts, but it provides a glimpse into life in the early church and serves as an example of how our faith in Christ can lead to great things. in such a way that they might better understand and judge the present and adjust their conduct to it accordingly. [Acts 8:1][6] Some theologians argue that these may not be discrepancies, but rather a condensing of historical events for people who were already familiar with them. Stephen was a man of godly character. First, Stephen shows believers they can have a powerful impact for the kingdom, if even for a short period of time. Acts 6. In dioceses of the Armenian Church which use the Julian Calendar, Saint Stephen's Day falls on 7 January and Nativity/Theophany on 19 January (for the remainder of the 21st century Julian). In those churches, then, the date the feast is observed is generally known as 27 December. As they attacked him, they drug him outside the city and stoned him to death. 3 Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Kidadl is supported by you, the reader. Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. After that, the relics of the protomartyr were taken in procession to the Church of Hagia Sion on 26 December 415, making it the date for the feast of Saint Stephen. It is generally believed that this. The vision of the risen and exalted Jesus vouchsafed to the dying Stephen presented Christianity to Saul of Tarsus in a new light, tending to remove what had been its greatest stumbling-block to him in the Crucified One. He came out of nowhere but was, however, an extremely righteous man. [2], In a long speech to the Sanhedrin comprising almost the whole of Acts chapter 7, Stephen presents his view of the history of Israel. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. (Unfortunately, today, most churches continue to neglect widows that are the responsibility of the church. Even though he was appointed by the Twelve, Stephen was a full-fledged prophet, filled with the Holy Spirit. 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. Stephen is first mentioned in Acts 6:5 as part of a group of men that were chosen to be deacons. Seeing a need to delegate roles, the disciples elected the first seven deacons known to the Christian faith. Enroll in Correspondence Course. This helped him to preach to multiple audiences. He uses very Jewish examples, but his argument follows a Greek-like argument, similar to the ones used by Plato and Socrates. This day is also called the "Third Day of the Nativity" because it is the third day of the Christmas season. Salem Media Group. Acts 8:2[Acts 8:2] says "Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him," but the location where he was buried is not specified. Thus also his conception of the transitory nature of the Mosaic Law may be traced to Christs teaching as to the Sabbath, the laws of purifying, the fulfillment of the Law and Jewish customs of the day (Matthew 5:20) and of a better righteousness than that of the Pharisees and scribes (Matthew 9:16). Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong. Stephen Howard. We see multiple examples throughout Scripture of how God uses ones upbringing to shape their testimony and how they speak to various audiences. Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum have argued that the covenants advance the storyline of the Bible in their book Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants, and they are on target. Once the selection was completed, the newly chosen deacons were set before the apostles who laid their hands on them and prayed over them. https://www.learnreligions.com/stephen-in-the-bible-first-christian-martyr-4074068 (accessed April 18, 2023). Stephen's preachings were of utmost importance to society, which led to a revolutionary consequence for the early Christians. Outside work, her interests include music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading. [Acts 11:1920][11], The exact site of Stephen's stoning is not mentioned in Acts; instead there are two different traditions. It is said that Stephen's life and death served as a catalyst in the spread of Christianity both directly and indirectly. Bible scholars are divided on Stephen's vision of Jesus standing by his throne. She is fond of classic British literature. His personal character and history are recorded in Acts 6 . They had a strong knowledge of the Scriptures, as seen in Stephens speech featured in Acts 7. He performed miracles. 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 fundamental differences between Stephen and his opponents, as is evident from the whole tone and drift and purpose of his speech, lay in that he judged Old Testament history from the prophetical point of view, to which Jesus had also allied Himself, while his opponents represented the legalistic point of view, so characteristic of the Jewish thought of that day. Typically Jesus was described as sitting on his heavenly throne, indicating his work was finished. Known best as the proto-martyr of the Christian church, introducing the heroic period of persecutions. He also had Hellenistic roots: This articlefrom Encyclopedia Britannica says he was a Hellenistic Jew (a foreign-born Jew), which would make sense why the apostles would place him in charge of the distribution of food to the Hellenistic widows. He followed the Lord's path and just like Him, he pleaded for forgiveness for his murderers right before his death. 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 . Man can only kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul. Many people who are familiar with the Bible are not familiar with Stephen who was one of the first deacons in the Bible. He asked for forgiveness as he fell asleep in his death. Stephen also used his popularity to reach a broader base of people with the message of salvation. "[Acts 8:1] In the aftermath of Stephen's death, the remaining disciples except for the apostles fled to distant lands, many to Antioch. We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. The Bible says that Stephen spoke with such spiritual wisdom that his Jewish opponents were unable to refute him (Acts 6:10). Stephen was an evangelist. Stephen's claim that Jesus stood by him and gave him the power to endure the hardships tells us the fact that he was a true believer in God. "Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? 6. In the Armenian Apostolic and Armenian Catholic Churches, Saint Stephen's Day falls on 25 December the day on which the feast of the Nativity of Jesus (Christmas) falls in all other churches. He was an extremely righteous man who was appointed by the early Church to feed the widows. Bible References: Stephen's story is told in chapters 6 and 7 of the book of Acts. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, creative tips and more. In accordance with the accusation against him, his defense was a twofold one: personal defense and defense of his teaching. This also has the effect of pushing the Feast of the Holy Innocents to the 29 December. The soul remains immortal and therefore, we must choose to stick to our faiths and beliefs. Support this pod Stephen Bohr: Secrets Unsealed: Happily Ever After: 2:00 AM: Last Sunday's Episode: Doug Batchelor and Jan Ross: Bible Answers LIVE- AF: RERUN Bible Answers Live: 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. St. Stephen the martyr church, Renton, Washington. 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