Bible Characters. 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 was an extremely righteous man who was appointed by the early Church to feed the widows. Stephen is known for being the first Christian martyr. Quick Facts Stephen was a Greek-speaking Jew, called a Hellenist, and had ample knowledge about the Scriptures. Learn Religions. 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. [2] The full Bible has been translated into 532 languages. More than 400 of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer's Digest to Keys for Kids. It meant Christianity was not just another Jewish sect but something entirely different: a New Covenant from God, replacing the Old. If you like what you're reading, you can get free daily updates through the RSS feed here. They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. 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. 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. Still others interpret them as deliberate choices making theological points. The disciples chose Stephen, and six others, and prayed over them as they began their ministry. 3:12 ). [Acts 6:914] Stephen is said to have been unperturbed, his face looking like "that of an angel". Stephen is stated to have been full of faith and the Holy Spirit and to have performed miracles among the people. There are four different men named Philip mentioned in the Bible. Throughout the 21st century, 27 December Julian will continue to fall on 9 January in the Gregorian calendar, and that is the date on which they observe the feast. 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. He did not fear the consequences and decided to speak boldly against the failure of Israel to recognize their Messiah. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, 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. As Christ had been drawn into controversy with Pharisees and scribes on account of these freer views, and as His word about the temple was used to frame the accusation against Him in His trial, so also in the case of Stephen. https://www.learnreligions.com/stephen-in-the-bible-first-christian-martyr-4074068 (accessed April 18, 2023). We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content. Answer. Man can only kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul. They responded by conspiring to lie about him in an effort to stir up the people and members of the local synagogue. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. His sacrifice and sufferings taught us a very important lesson about the cost of faith. 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. Covenants are the backbone of the biblical story. The Arrest of Stephen 7 So the word of God continued to spread. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability. [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. In accordance with the accusation against him, his defense was a twofold one: personal defense and defense of his teaching. Eventually, Stephen told how Jesus was the one who came as the fulfillment of God's promises. Why did Stephen become the first martyr for the Christian faith, and what can the church today learn about this saint from the first century? Read them in the archive below. 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. [6] Stephen faced two accusations: that he had declared that Jesus would destroy the Temple in Jerusalem and that he had changed the customs of Moses. This does not influence our choices. Members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen argued with Stephen. 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. As his name and his relations in the church at Jerusalem seem to imply (Acts 6:3ff), he was a Hellenist, i.e. Her column "Hope's Hacks," tips and tricks to avoid writer's block, reaches 6,000+ readers weekly and is featured monthly on Cyle Young's blog, which receives 63,000+ monthly hits. However, Stephen did not back down. Stephen's speech before the Sanhedrin is the longest speech in Acts. Stephen's death sentence was rolled out by the Sanhedrin members, who couldn't tolerate the words of this gifted preacher. St. Stephen Catholic Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Election and Ordination of Deacons. According to Act seven where he is seen to apologize to the Jewish Council, the Sanhedrin, his Hellenistic dialect also had a Hebrew note to it, which gives us the idea that he was raised out of Jerusalem and was a foreign-born Jew just like many others. [13] Another possibility is that the discrepancies come from an ancient Jewish tradition which was not included in the scriptures or may have been popular among people of Jerusalem who were not scribes. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/stephen-in-the-bible-first-christian-martyr-4074068. "[Acts 7:5153], Thus castigated, the account is that the crowd could contain their anger no longer. [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. He concluded by charging them with the murder and betrayal of the Just One, or Messiah. 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 . 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. 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. Dr. Michael L. Williams
(Unfortunately, today, most churches continue to neglect widows that are the responsibility of the church. 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. Stephen died as he had lived, a faithful witness to his Master whom he acknowledged as such amid the rain of stones hurled at him, loudly calling upon His name, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit (Acts 7:59; compareLuke 23:46), and whose spirit he exemplified so nobly when, with a final effort, bending his knees, he cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge (Acts 7:60; compareLuke 23:34). Ksiki | mikka okadka. [Acts 6:9] Members of these synagogues had challenged Stephen's teachings, but Stephen had bested them in debate. Using the God given wisdom provided by the Holy Spirit, Stephen was able to cut through their weak arguments. St. Stephen Protomartyr Catholic Church and Parish in St. Louis, Missouri. Stephen was the first martyr of the church. Scholars think these men were freed slaves from various parts of the Roman empire. Pope Benedict XVI stated in 2012 that St. Stephen appealed to the Jewish scriptures to prove how the laws of Moses were not subverted by Jesus but, instead, were being fulfilled. [13] To the objection that it seems unlikely that such a long speech could be reproduced in the text of Acts exactly as it was delivered, some Biblical scholars have replied that Stephen's speech shows a distinctive personality behind it. Stephen had both a Hellenistic and Jewish background. Father: Zebedee Mother: Salome Brother: John Hometown: He lived in Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. Check your inbox for your latest news from us. Photo credit:Wikimedia Commons-Public Domain/Annibale Carracci. If you liked reading this article, then don't forget to check out the facts about David in the Bible and facts about Esther from the Bible, here on Kidadl. When the counsel and others heard this they were furious and offended and began screaming and insulting him. The gospel spread far and wide as a result. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong. Dr. Mike holds under-graduate through post graduate degrees in Christian Education and formerly worked as a nurse. 1. When Stephen preached these things, the Jews accused him of blasphemy and brought him before their Council, the Sanhedrin (Acts 6:12-15). Gender: Male. Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. 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). Stephen was mentioned for the first time in Act 6:5 of the Bible. 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. 1,000 Trivia Facts About the Bible?is a fun, informative, and entertaining way to see how well you know the Good Book. No matter how many challenges come in the course of our life, we must not lose hope in fate. 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. This language is important. I want to draw four lessons from Stephen's death: 1. He was likely Jewish: Jews, from an early age, memorized portions of the Old Testament. This church was destroyed in the 12th century. 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. 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). He has a short introduction in Acts 6:5 and becomes the first martyr for the Christian faith just one chapter later. Stephen explained how God fulfilled the promises He had made to Abraham through the events in history. In defending his preaching, Stephen gave an outline of Israels history, his aim being to demonstrate two main points. Typically Jesus was described as sitting on his heavenly throne, indicating his work was finished. Thus, Stephen's execution sparked the spread of Christianity. "Stephen in the Bible Was the First Christian Martyr." Nevertheless, the Israelites turned to other gods. During this inquisition, false witnesses were set up. The Bible's. Acts 8:1-2. Thanks for stopping by! [14] That Jacob's body was carried to a final resting place in Shechem is not recorded in Genesis, though it does not exclude the possibility that his bones were transferred to Shechem for a final burial place, as was done with the bones of Jacob's son Joseph, as described in Joshua 24:32 Other scholars consider them as errors. 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. of an enthusiastic faith and of a deep spirituality, and his activity was not restricted to the functions of his office; in fact while nothing is said of the manner in which he fulfilled the duties of his office, though without doubt he fulfilled them faithfully, the record makes it very clear that the importance of Stephen lay in his activity as a preacher, a witness for Christ; it is this activity which has given him the place he holds in history (Acts 22:20). 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 Catholic churches, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Anglican, Lutheran, and Oriental Orthodox churches refer to Stephen as a saint who is much closer to God than the high priest, and therefore, he is often regarded as Saint Stephen. Stephen (Greek: Stphanos, meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity. Kidadl is supported by you, the reader. Focus of love and hatred. Devout men carried him to his grave ( 8:2 ). 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. What Do We Learn from Reading Jesus Genealogy? Eventually, Stephen told how Jesus was the one who came as the fulfillment of Gods promises. This allowed him to speak to both Jewish and Gentile audiences. Read full chapter. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Not to impiety or frivolity in Stephen, but to some other cause, must be due therefore the difference between him and his opponents. Acts 6. It has been partially translated into 2,883 languages. [27] The feasts of both 26 December and 3 August have been used in dating clauses in historical documents produced in England. (2022, January 4). Copyright 2010-2023 Telling Ministries LLC. 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. 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. Furthermore, Stephen spoke about Abraham, the supreme patriarch, who was led by the Almighty to Israel from a pagan land. St. Stephen the martyr church, Renton, Washington. Although Scripture doesnt specify how long Stephens ministry lasted, it appears he receives opposition very soon into the journey. Saint Stephen is also commemorated on 4 January (Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles) in the Eastern Orthodox Church. [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. 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