Stephen was the first martyr for the Church and one of seven men chosen by the apostles to help lead the Church in Jerusalem. He was a righteous man who taught the Gospel to many people.
The Bible is rich in stories of great men and women who testified to the love and passion for God. That is the case of Esteban, a young man full of Holy Spirit who expressed his beliefs in an extraordinary way.
Every believer is called to proclaim the gospel, win souls for Christ and defend their faith in such a way that the name of the Lord is glorified and exalted. That is exactly what Stephen did and it led to a shocking death.
Related: The Story of the Apostle Paul: Who was Paul of Tarsus?
Stephen’s story
Stephen was a member of the local Jerusalem Church and is mentioned in the Bible in the book of Acts. The name Stephen means “crown” from the Greek. stephanos. The origin of Esteban is not exactly known. However, some believe that he was a Scattered Jew who grew up outside of Palestine and spoke Greek.
Others suggest that Stephen was a Jew from Palestine. Even other people maintain that he was a Samaritan.
In any case, the seven men chosen as deacons had Greek names. Even about the last of them, Nicholas of Antioch, the biblical text explicitly claims to be a proselyte.
Related: Who was Barnabas in the Bible? The Story of Barnabas
Election of Stephen as a deacon in Jerusalem
In acts chapter 6 is the process by which the Apostles instituted the deacons of the Early Church. The Bible narrates the increase of the believers in the Lord and the neglect that apparently occurred with the widows of the Greek Jews, who were not receiving the daily distribution of food (Acts 6:1-4).
Related: What is an Apostle, do they exist today?
Therefore, the twelve apostles (with Matthias already included) met, called the Christian community and ordered the election of seven men of good testimony, full of the Lord and wisdom to oversee the distribution of food. The chosen ones were: Esteban, Felipe, Prócoro, Nicanor, Timón, Parmenas, and Nicolás.
Important: Esteban is described as a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.
Stephen’s Ministry
Esteban’s ministry was incredible, he surpassed his diaconate with a testimony that continues to this day. Esteban, in addition to fulfilling his responsibilities with the Church, was a great preacher of the Word, even surprising Saul of Tarsus who wished for his death.
The Bible presents Stephen as a man full of grace and power who did great signs and wonders among the people (Acts 6:8); which led him to confront the religious system of the time.
Esteban’s preaching raised great detractors. Which aroused the ire of the members of the Jewish synagogue. Achieving with tricks, bribing witnesses who accused him of blasphemy (Acts 6:11).
It may interest you: Who was Titus in the Bible? The Story of Titus
Stephen’s preaching
Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian Church, was accused of blasphemy. He was then brought before the Sanhedrin. There, false witnesses testified against him, accusing him of preaching against temple worship and the law (Acts 6:13).
The Bible says that when the members of the Sanhedrin looked at Stephen, “… like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:15); they could not resist his wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke (Acts 6:10).
In a kind of trial, the Sanhedrin asked Stephen to defend himself. His defense, without a doubt, was one of the most brilliant preachings ever known in the entire history of the Church. His preaching was an authentic exposition of the Scriptures.
In his extraordinary exhibition, I express God’s relationship with Israel, revealing the failure of Old Testament Israel and pointing to the hope that can only be found in Christ. He also spoke about the patriarchal era; the days of Moses, the desert; and on the Tabernacle and the Temple.
Read here: What is the Church?
Speech before the Sanhedrin before dying
In his sermon, Stephen spoke of Abraham’s calling and explained how the patriarch demonstrated faith and obedience in the Lord’s promises. Besides, He rejected the envy that the patriarchs had over Joseph, who was betrayed and sold as a slave (Acts 7:2-16).
Speaking about Moses, he pointed out how the leader was rejected by the people. Furthermore, Stephen declared that Moses was an ancestor of Christ himself (Acts 7:17-43).
Stephen also spoke of the Tabernacle, from the time of its use in the wilderness, and when it was carried into the Promised Land, down to the days of David; emphasizing David’s frustrated desire to build the temple, which Solomon ultimately accomplished. Calling attention that the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands (Acts 7:48).
Related: The Story of King David
Finally, Esteban denounced the spiritual rebellion of the people. Showing that many had not been regenerated and implying that those who accused him were acting in the same way as their own idolatrous ancestors who rebelled against God.
In this way, Stephen demonstrated that just as their ancestors had killed and persecuted the prophets, now they themselves had betrayed and murdered Christ himself.
See also: What was the Early Church like? Study on its History
Stephen’s martyrdom
Hearing all these serious accusations caused the anger of the people who heard him. So they took Stephen, led him out of the city, and stoned him. Just at that moment, Esteban makes a statement that would live on in the pages of the Bible. He said: “Behold, I see the heavens open, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:56).
Stephen knew that Jesus was his lawyer. This did not mean that he would be released from death, but that God’s justice would vindicate not only his blood, but the blood of all martyrs (Revelation 6: 10-11).
See here: The seven seals of the Apocalypse
Note: After stoning and killing him, the passage found in the Bible is that of a young man named Saul, who consented to the death of Stephen (Acts 7:58,60).
Stephen’s example
The mention of Stephen in the Bible is very short, however, it is enough to show what kind of a prophet this man was. When we look at his testimony, we realize that he was a tremendous man of God who loved his Master’s life more than his own life.
The similarity of Stephen’s death to the death of the Lord Jesus (cf. Matt. 26:59-61; Mark 14:58) is undeniable. In the same way that Jesus was accused, Stephen received false accusations that led to his death.
In the same way that the Lord prayed at the moment of the crucifixion asking God to forgive his executioners, Esteban did the same. He prayed saying: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them. And having said this, he slept. » (Acts 7:60).
Note: Jesus gave up his spirit to the Father (Luke 23:46). Stephen, gave up his spirit to Jesus (Acts 7:59). This is one of the declarations of the deity of Christ.
Related: The Trinity in the Bible
Stephen died and the church moved on
Stephen died and a great persecution of Christians broke out. This caused all the Christians to start spreading everywhere, making the gospel advance greatly. Nothing could stop the preaching of the Gospel!
The power of the preaching of the word continued to advance with such power that that young man named Tarsus who consented to the death of Stephen received the Lord and became the most important leader of Christianity: the apostle Paul (Acts 9). The greatest of persecutors had now become the greatest preacher of the Gospel.
That is what the grace of God does. It transforms the persecutor into the persecuted so that the glory and power of God may be manifested in the work of Christ. Like Stephen, Paul was also martyred, as were thousands upon thousands of other Christians. But the Church still stands, because death cannot prevail against the children of God. Hallelujah!
If you want to learn more about Esteban’s life, we recommend the following video.