It has been partially translated into 2,883 languages. 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. Dr. Michael L. Williams 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. Throughout the history of the early church, various charismatic gifts such as healing, belonged to several followers of Christ. Quick Facts The material world is nothing in comparison to the afterlife. His sacrifice and sufferings taught us a very important lesson about the cost of faith. 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. Stephen is often shown as a young, beardless man with a tonsure, wearing a deacon's vestments. Since the name "Stephanos" is Greek, it has been assumed that he was one of these Hellenistic Jews. The Old Testament is the first section of the Bible, covering the creation of Earth through Noah and the flood, Moses and more, finishing with the Jews being expelled to Babylon. This article contains incorrect information, This article doesnt have the information Im looking for. And when he had said this, he fell asleep (Acts 7:60; compare1 Cor 15). They were interred alongside the relics of Saint Lawrence, whose tomb is enshrined within the church. 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. As they couldn't fabricate any counterargument to Stephen's vision, they produced false witnesses against him. In 415, a priest named Lucian purportedly had a dream that revealed the location of Stephen's remains at Beit Jimal. 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. Using the God given wisdom provided by the Holy Spirit, Stephen was able to cut through their weak arguments. As an Amazon Associate, Kidadl earns from qualifying purchases. Nevertheless, the Israelites turned to other gods. 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. The article above also shows how his Hellenistic and Hebrew upbringing influenced the Apology-like speech he gives to the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council. Eventually, Stephen told how Jesus was the one who came as the fulfillment of Gods promises. Even Philo characterizes the Law of Moses in distinction from the laws of other nations, as stedfast, immovable and unchangeable, placing it on a level with the laws of Nature. The first thing to note is that Acts 7:55 does not say that Stephen saw "the Father" or even that he "saw God.". 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. He has a short introduction in Acts 6:5 and becomes the first martyr for the Christian faith just one chapter later. 6. Father: Zebedee Mother: Salome Brother: John Hometown: He lived in Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. Hope Bolingeris a literary agent at C.Y.L.E. No matter how many challenges come in the course of our life, we must not lose hope in fate. Bible References: Stephen's story is told in chapters 6 and 7 of the book of Acts. Luke for Everyone - N. T. Wright 2004-01-01 Enroll in Online Course. https://www.learnreligions.com/stephen-in-the-bible-first-christian-martyr-4074068 (accessed April 18, 2023). Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. 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. Stephen is known for being the first Christian martyr. Copyright 2010-2023 Telling Ministries LLC. He performed great wonders and miraculous signs, was known for his wisdom, and spoke with power (Acts 6:3-10). Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. He was a deacon and is introduced in the Bible as a faithful man of God. In accordance with the accusation against him, his defense was a twofold one: personal defense and defense of his teaching. Answer. He was deeply influenced by Christianity and shared a strong connection with God himself. 1. Well send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out. 11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.". Thus he belonged to that class of Jews usually residing outside of Palestine who, though distinguished from the orthodox Palestinian Jew by a broader outlook on life due to a more liberal education, were Jews none the less, the original Jewish element predominating in their character, and who might be true Israelites indeed, as Stephen was. God's work is constantly unfolding and goes forth on his timetable. This also has the effect of pushing the Feast of the Holy Innocents to the 29 December. Martyrdom of Stephen. But Stephen was especially qualified for this high work, having been endued by the Holy Spirit with apostolical gifts, not only that of preaching, but also that of working miracles (Acts 6:8). It harkens back to times when God's presence was visibly manifest before His people in the Old Testament. As they attacked him, they drug him outside the city and stoned him to death. That idea threatened long-held beliefs. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published. What it is Stephen himself shows unmistakenly in the second part of his defense. 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. [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. 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. Therefore, we cannot call Stephen an apostle. 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). Many Jews grew up outside of Jerusalem due to an event known as the Diaspora. Likewise, he contented for the faith with those who were ultra-liberal in their beliefs. Learn Religions, Jan. 4, 2022, learnreligions.com/stephen-in-the-bible-first-christian-martyr-4074068. As seen during Jesus ministry, whenever someone performs signs in Gods name, opposition often arises. 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. 1. As devout Jews, they would have been horrified at Stephen's claim that Jesus Christ was the much-awaited Messiah. [8] However, Stephen looked up and cried, "Look! 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. Both, when dying, prayed for their enemies: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Lay not this sin to their charge. 4. 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. 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. [1] According to the Acts of the Apostles, he was a deacon in the early Church at Jerusalem who angered members of various synagogues by his teachings. A 20th-century French Catholic church, Saint-tienne, was built in its place, while another, the Greek Orthodox Church of St Stephen, was built outside the eastern gate of the city,[18] which a second tradition holds to be the site of his martyrdom, rather than the northern location outside Damascus Gate (for the two traditions see here). Rajnandini is an art lover and enthusiastically likes to spread her knowledge. Read them in the archive below. We see multiple examples throughout Scripture of how God uses ones upbringing to shape their testimony and how they speak to various audiences. It may seem odd that a man who receives mention and dies within two chapters of the Bible has a great impact on believers today, but Christians can glean a lot of information from this saint. He uses very Jewish examples, but his argument follows a Greek-like argument, similar to the ones used by Plato and Socrates. of QUICK FACTS. [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. The name Stephen is taken from a Greek word, Stphanos, which means 'wreath, crown'. God loves each of us as if there were only one of us"- Augustine. For instance, Paul was a Jew with a Roman citizenship. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, creative tips and more. 9 But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and . Known best as the proto-martyr of the Christian church, introducing the heroic period of persecutions. All rights reserved. At his trial, after he reviewed the truthful history of Israel, Stephen condemned the Jewish leaders for not keeping the law and for killing the prophets and the Just One. 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