Stephen - The First Christian
Martyr
by Pastor Ronald Boelte
Stephen's personal name means "crown." He was to become the
first Christian martyr.
We see him and other young men chosen to help bring peace to a quarreling
church (Acts 6:1-7). We are told that he was so mighty in the Scriptures
that his Jewish opponents could not refute him (Acts 6:10) and he argued
with them about Jesus being the long awaited Messiah that they crucified
and then was raised from the dead by God.
Saul of Tarsus was in the crowd that heard Stephen's speech to the
Jewish Sanhedrin. Stephen accused the Jewish leaders of rejecting God's
way just like their forefathers had (Acts 6:12-7:53). Saul did not throw
any stones, but he did hold the clothes of those who would stone Stephen
to death. Saul saw him die a victorious death. It is possible that
Stephen's death may have been the human agency that God used to bring Saul
to his knees, and who would become the great Christian missionary of the
early church.
Stephen was one of those who saw Christianity as much more than a
Jewish sect. He took seriously the commission of Jesus and carried the
gospel to all who would listen. He was one who led to the founding of the
whole world mission movement that was to take place in the early church.
They would take the Gospel to the whole Roman Empire in the first century.
After his death most of the believers had to flee Jerusalem to try to
escape the persecution of the Jews. The apostles would alone remained in
Jerusalem (Acts 8:1).
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