Saint Stephen

Saint Stephen

The Protomartyr

Saint Stephen, also known as Stephanos, was the first follower of Christ to suffer martyrdom in the first century, a deacon and protomartyr of Christianity. His life is documented in the Acts of the Apostles:6-8. He was chosen by the Apostles as the first among seven deacons to look after the distribution of food and alms to the faithful, especially the widows, and to help in preaching. Saint Stephen, a man full of faith and God's grace and power, performed great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. The Jews envied him. Around the Passover, which followed that of the Lord's crucifixion and ascension, opposition arose from members of the synagogue. They seized him and brought him to trial. They set false witnesses against him for blasphemy because he preached that the temple and the law are superseded by Jesus Christ and that God does not dwell in a temple built by man.

Stephen was learned in the scripture and the history of Judaism from Abraham to Moses besides being an eloquent and powerful speaker. The core of his defense of Christianity was that God does not depend on the temple or the Mosaic Law, which are temporary institutions, and which are destined to be fulfilled and superseded by Christ, who was the Messiah whom the Jewish people had so long awaited. He attacked his hearers boldly for resisting the Spirit and for killing the Christ as their fathers had killed the prophet. When they heard these things, they were infuriated, but Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the Glory of God and Jesus standing at God's right hand: "Look, I can see heaven thrown open," he said, " and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God." All the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands and gnashed at him with their teeth. They ran toward him with one accord, and they cast him out of the city and stoned him in a fearful place. The witnesses placed their clothes at the feet of Saul (Paul) who consented to his death. As they were stoning him, Stephen was calling on God and saying "Lord Jesus receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, "Lord do not charge them with this sin." Then, he fell asleep.

His relics were translated first to Constantinople and then to Rome with some dismemberment and some stones allegedly used at this martyrdom said to account for local cures, all mentioned by Saint Augustine in his last book, ( The City of God )

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"He mentions the cause of his angelic appearance: `But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And when he said, `I see the heavens opened, they stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord.' And yet in what respect are these things deserving of accusation? `Upon him,' the man who has wrought such miracles, the man who has prevailed over all in speech, the man who can hold such discourse! As if they had got the very thing they wanted, they straightway gave full scope to their rage. `And the witnesses,' he says, `laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul. Observe how particularly he relates what concerns Paul, to show thee that the Power which wrought in him was of God. But after all these things, not only did he not believe, but also aimed at Him with a thousand hands: for this is why it says, `And Saul was consenting unto his death.' - And this blessed man does not simply pray, but does it with earnestness: `having kneeled down.' Mark his divine death! So long only the Lord permitted the soul to remain in him `And having said this, he fell asleep.'"

St. John Chrysostom

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