Stephen explained that he was a messenger of God and that he stood at the right hand of God. He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen to death and saw the victorious way Stephen died. 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). It has been partially translated into 2,883 languages. He used his role to minister both personally in ways that not only help the apostles, but was directly responsible for the growth in the church. 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). 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. He showed firstly that God had never limited himself to one location (Acts 7:2;Acts 7:9;Acts 7:30;Acts 7:44;Acts 7:48), and secondly that the people of Israel had always rejected Gods messengers (Acts 7:9;Acts 7:25;Acts 7:35;Acts 7:40). 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. They resisted the purpose of God by obstinately and stiff-neckedly opposing those through whom God worked. Father: Zebedee Mother: Salome Brother: John Hometown: He lived in Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. 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. We met Stephen in our last study, where he was picked as one of the seven men to help distribute food to the Hellenistic widows in a fair manner. [31][32][33], In 428 (when Saint Theodosius II the Younger Roman Emperor) relics of saint: Stephen, Nicodemus, Gamaliel and Abibas were translated from Jerusalem to Constantinople and relics have been placed in Saint Lawrence church, and after preparations were made relics were moved to specially prepared Saint Stephen church in Constantinople, this event took place on 2 August.[34][32][33]. 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. 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). When Stephen preached these things, the Jews accused him of blasphemy and brought him before their Council, the Sanhedrin (Acts 6:12-15). Stephen was a Greek-speaking Jew, called a Hellenist, and had ample knowledge about the Scriptures. 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Whether we live in a country full of religious freedoms or in a restricted area, we may find ourselves in situations where we have the choice to renounce our faith or die for it. Luke for Everyone - N. T. Wright 2004-01-01 By joining Kidadl you agree to Kidadls Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receiving marketing communications from Kidadl. Answer. [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. But, as the record says, his opponents were not able to withstand the wisdom, i.e. 3 Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. What Do We Learn from Reading Jesus Genealogy? And when he had said this, he fell asleep (Acts 7:60; compare1 Cor 15). [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. [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. Due to his honesty and wisdom, he was chosen as one of the seven deacons by the young church members of early Christianity. 6. Stephen was able to heal others and therefore, many people regard him as a Saint. Who was this man who has such a brief mention? Stephen's death had the unexpected consequence of forcing Christians to flee persecution in Jerusalem. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, a parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow", "Translation of the relics of the Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen from Jerusalem to Constantinople", "Frequently asked questions: Big Ben and Elizabeth Tower", St. Stephen Protomartyr Catholic Church, St. Louis, Missouri, St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Church, Omaha, NE, Benedict XVI, "Reflection on the Life and Death of Saint Stephen", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saint_Stephen&oldid=1147360833. Find out more about her here. [9], The criticism of traditional Jewish belief and practice in Stephen's speech is very strong when he says God does not live in a dwelling "made by human hands", referring to the Temple, he is using an expression often employed by Biblical texts to describe idols. He did not hesitate to preach his views, choosing the Hellenistic synagogues for this purpose, and soon became engaged in controversies there. ", "LXXXVIII. [Acts 11:1920][11], The exact site of Stephen's stoning is not mentioned in Acts; instead there are two different traditions. God's work is constantly unfolding and goes forth on his timetable. [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. Important churches and sites dedicated to Saint Stephen are: This article is about Deacon Stephen, the first martyred saint. Dr Michael L has written 155 articles on What Christians Want To Know! 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. 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? Stephen stood by the words of Jesus Christ, and so he was opposed by the Synagogue of the Freedmen, which involved the Alexandrians and the Cyrenians. The emotional appeal lies in the reverential and feeling manner in which he handles the history sacred to them all. [27] The feasts of both 26 December and 3 August have been used in dating clauses in historical documents produced in England. Prejudiced and enraged as they were, the unanswerable arguments of Stephen, based on their own Scriptures, made them mad with fury, and doubtless through their demonstrations they stopped the speech. A young man watching the murder was Saul of Tarsus. Join with us in offering this prayer, written by Deacon Keith Fournier, seeking his intercession: As Paul later put it, "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" ( 2 Tim. 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. Email. Read full chapter Acts 6 Acts 8 New International Version (NIV) In the eucharistic celebration on this feast day, it is traditional for all deacons serving at the altar to wear a liturgical crown (Armenian: khooyr), which is one of the vestments worn only by priests on all other days of the year, the crown being in this instance a symbol of martyrdom. [23][24][25][26][dubious discuss]. Customs of Moses (Acts 6:14) were the institutions that distinguished the Jews and that were derived from Moses. Many early Christians were martyred in the time after Christ. The Bible says that Stephen spoke with such spiritual wisdom that his Jewish opponents were unable to refute him (Acts 6:10). 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. Furious at Stephens words, the Jews rushed upon him, dragged him out of the city and stoned him to death (Acts 7:54-60). As they couldn't fabricate any counterargument to Stephen's vision, they produced false witnesses against him. Though the name of Jesus was not uttered by Stephen in his speech and does not occur until in his dying prayer, his hearers could not fail to notice the hidden reference to Him throughout the entire speech and to draw parallels intended by Stephen: As Joseph and Moses, types of the Messiah, had been rejected, scorned and illtreated (Acts 7:9,Acts 7:27,Acts 7:39), before being raised to be ruler and deliverer, so Jesus had also been repulsed by them. [6], Some people have laid the charge of anti-Judaism against the speech, for instance the priest and scholar of comparative religion S. G. F. Brandon, who states: "The anti-Jewish polemic of this speech reflects the attitude of the author of Acts."[16]. Acts 8:1-2. Salem Media Group. Stephen the First Martyr", "Golden Legend Invention of Saint Stephen, Protomartyr", "Translation of the Relics of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr", " - ", " - ", " (415)", "Finding of the relics of Saint Gamaliel", "Uncovering of the relics of the Holy Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen", "THE TRANSFER FROM JERUSALEM TO CONSTANTINOPLE OF THE RELICS OF THE HOLY FIRSTMARTYR STEPHEN", "Orthodox Calendar. Acts 7:55 in all English translations. This church was destroyed in the 12th century. Read them in the archive below. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. 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 . 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. What seems like a tragedy can somehow be part of God's great plan. 3. He uses very Jewish examples, but his argument follows a Greek-like argument, similar to the ones used by Plato and Socrates. [15], Numerous parallels between the accounts of Stephen in Acts and the Jesus of the Gospels they both perform miracles, they are both tried by the Sanhedrin, they both pray for forgiveness for their killers, for instance have led to suspicions that the author of Acts has emphasised in order to show the recipient that people become holy when they follow the example of Christ or invented some (or all) of these. [2] Stephen is mentioned in Acts 6 as one of the Greek-speaking Hellenistic Jews selected to participate in a fairer distribution of welfare to the Greek-speaking widows.[3]. LITERATURE. Stephen had both a Hellenistic and Jewish background. 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. Furthermore, Stephen spoke about Abraham, the supreme patriarch, who was led by the Almighty to Israel from a pagan land. For instance, Paul was a Jew with a Roman citizenship. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, creative tips and more. 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. Known best as the proto-martyr of the Christian church, introducing the heroic period of persecutions. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. 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. With a Master of Arts in English, she has worked as a private tutor and, in the past few years, has moved into content writing for companies such as Writer's Zone. St. Stephen Protomartyr Catholic Church and Parish in St. Louis, Missouri. In itself that is not surprising, for in the early Christian church every Christian was at once a witness for Christ, and lay-preaching was common. (compareMark 14:58;Mark 13:2;Mark 15:29). They responded by conspiring to lie about him in an effort to stir up the people and members of the local synagogue. St. Stephen's Church, Thope, is one of the parishes of the first diocese of India, Kollam. 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). He was likely Jewish: Jews, from an early age, memorized portions of the Old Testament. 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. 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. This resulted in the number of new disciples in Jerusalem increasing along with a large number of priests being saved. He was a man full of the Holy Spirit, strong in faith, gifted in the working of miracles and brilliant in debating with the opponents of Christianity (Acts 6:1-10). Stephen is stated to have been full of faith and the Holy Spirit and to have performed miracles among the people. Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. Stephen is often shown as a young, beardless man with a tonsure, wearing a deacon's vestments. She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. Only a few people were known to possess charismatic powers like the Lord Jesus Christ and Saint Stephen was one of them. Stephen was an evangelist. In accordance with the accusation against him, his defense was a twofold one: personal defense and defense of his teaching. The Jewish laws, ceremonies, temple and priesthood had fulfilled their purpose and were no longer necessary. 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. Thus, Stephen's execution sparked the spread of Christianity. Acts 7 is a beautiful example of telling the story of the whole Bible and tying it to Christ. 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