Stephen, Full of Grace and Power, Bold Witness, First Christian Martyr

“And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people  Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen.  But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking…And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council…And he said,’Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’  But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.  Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.  And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord do not hold this sin against them.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” –Acts 6:8-10, 12; 7:56-60 (ESV.  Read Acts 6:8-7:60).

Stephen was one of the seven ordained deacons with the job of distributing to the Hellenistic converts who were in need of daily distribution of food.  When his name was first listed in Acts 6:5, he was described as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.”  As Luke continues the story of Stephen, the first of the Christian witnesses martyred for the faith, he devotes a long passage in Acts 6:8 through 7:60 to Stephen. From Acts 6:9 we learn that Stephen was preaching in the synagogue in Jerusalem known as “the synagogue of the Freedmen,” where Jews who had returned to Jerusalem from the Diaspora worshiped.  The names of countries where they had gone (and returned from) were also listed.  They disagreed with some of Stephen’s preaching and reported him to the council. The longest discourse in Acts was delivered by Stephen before the Sanhedrin, beginning in Acts 7:1 and continuing through 7:53.  In this marvelous sermon Stephen gives a summary history of the Hebrew nation citing the major leaders and their contributions.  But all the while Stephen kept uppermost the will and leadership of God and how the people often failed to live up to God’s expectations.  For an excellent thumbnail account of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and the apostasy of the children as they rebelled against God and became a “stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,..always resist(ing) the Holy Spirit,” (7:51), take time to read and study Stephen’s sermon.  As Stephen spoke in his own defense before the council that was accusing him, we are told that “his face was like the face of an angel” (Acts. 6:15).  The Sprit of the Lord overpowered him as he spoke with clarity, truth and persuasion.  A glow was upon his face, a physical manifestation of the presence of the Lord.  The theme of Stephen’s sermon as he gives a history of the Hebrew nation is the Israelites’ repeated rejection of God’s will.  Always that is what stands between the sinner and forgiveness:  his rejection of God’s provision of grace through Jesus Christ.  And in the climax of Stephen’s sermon, he declared that they had rejected the Righteous One of God and murdered him (7:58).

The council and the mob became incensed at Stephen’s sermon.  One of our good country-preacher friends would have said Stephen got to the place “where the water hit the wheel.”  The guilt of Stephen’s hearers turned them against him.  They did not wait for the usual permission from the Roman authorities. They turned upon Stephen, acted in anger and stoned Stephen outside the city gates.  Mob violence  brought about Stephen’s death.  And there, consenting to his death and guarding the garments of some who were casting the stones was Saul, our first introduction to this man who would later be converted and become such a strong witness for Christ.  Stephen died with two prayers on his lips:  Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”  “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” In manner of life, in service, in teaching and preaching, and in death, Stephen is an example of the Lord Christ, faithful to the end, faithful in suffering. His example has been emulated by many through the centuries.

Church Chooses Seven of Good Report and Full of the Spirit to Serve

“Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.  And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.  But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.  And what they said pleased the whole gathering , and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.  These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.  And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” –Acts 6:1-7 (ESV).

Choosing and ordaining seven men to be deacons began with a definite need of the early church.  It is true that they were not called deacons here, but the verb to serve as translated in 6:2 is from the Greek word diakoneo (noun form, diakonos).  A challenge arose.  Since early Christians were from both Hebrew and Hellenistic backgrounds, a language barrier existed, and in the common effort to assist all who needed help, those who were Hellenists were (or felt) neglected.  Hellenists were people of Jewish descent but who, because of the Diaspora—scattering of the Jews—had lived in areas of the Empire where Greek was the main language. Another noteworthy explanation of this challenge is also seen by the Hebrew practice of  taking care of the needy.  The early Christian church seems to have continued the Hebrew practice of alms, Kuppa (Basket) and Tamhui (Tray).  Briefly explained, alms were collected to help those who needed help.  We see this in the early church by believers bringing their offerings and “having all things in common.”  The Basket was the fund that assured every family in need had fourteen meals in a week’s time.  The Tray was the family-to-family distribution on a daily basis for those with pressing needs.  Acts 6:1 notes that dissatisfaction arose because Hellenistic widows were being “neglected in the daily distribution.” And the apostles were so busy teaching and preaching that they could not attend to all the people’s needs and see that everyone was cared for in an acceptable manner.  Seven men of good report, and full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, were selected and set apart for this task.  And thus was born the practice of deacons to assist with the work and ministry of the church.

To serve is a worthy calling.  Of the seven whose names are listed as the first deacons, we have later accounts of Stephen and Phillip who preached the word as well.  Stephen became the first Christian martyr.  Early historical accounts hold that Prochorus was secretary of John the Beloved who wrote the Revelation and that he was martyred at Syria in Antioch. Because these men were willing to step up when a definite need for service was present in the early church set an example for succeeding church practice.  Persons thus set aside may not always be called “deacons” in every denomination, but in almost every church there are those who willingly and with wisdom and under the Holy Spirit’s leadership attend to the matters of church ministry, business and polity so that the whole burden will not be upon the pastor.  A great concern of the early Christian church was to put the teachings of Jesus into practice to care for the poor, the needy and the sick.  The ministry of service to others is a result of knowing Christ and having the spirit of love and caring.  What results came in the early church after deacons were set apart to relieve the preachers of some of the daily tasks of caring for others?  “The number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great number of the priests became obedient to the truth” (Acts 6:7.  Let us pray for and support those who serve Christ as ordained lay leaders.  They are important in the Lord’s work.