Stephen the Martyr

My name is Stephen, and I am being stoned to death… I see the Lord standing at the right hand of God welcoming me home into His heavenly Kingdom. All at once, I am reminded of where I came from and what God has done through me in this life!

I am a Jew by birth. It matters not how or when I became a Christian; it just matters that I am. I was honored to be called into my Lord’s service as one of the First Archdeacons of the church. The apostles requested seven who were full of the Spirit and wisdom of God to be chosen by their peers to assist in the work of the church, as she was continuing to grow in large numbers (praise God!) I was able, with God’s Grace and Power, to do many wonders and miracles.

However, some became angered by my teachings. They challenged me in arguments, but could not throw down the logic of my teachings. They challenged me in arguments, but could not throw down the truth and power of the teachings and the preachings the Lord has given me. So they bribed some of the people to accuse me of speaking blasphemy against Moses and against God. They stirred up the people against me and brought me before the Sanhedrin. They charged me with speaking  against the Temple and change the ways that Moses handed down to us all those years ago. But I was not afraid because I knew that my Lord was with me. (He knew they were all false accusations!) Some even said that I had the face of an Angel.

So when they asked me to answer to these charges, I repeated the story of my Lord’s mercies and love to Israel, His chosen people, and of the Israelites’ ungratefulness to her God. They were on the edge of their seats, listening to the truth. When I spoke of this present peoples, however, as resisting the Holy Spirit and murdering Jesus… that angered them. That is also when I looked up and saw heaven open and I saw the son of man, my Jesus, STANDING at the right hand of God.

The people began yelling when I spoke of this and grabbed me and dragged me out of the city and began stonning me here. And look, there’s Saul, laughing and urging them on, holding their clothes while they throw rocks at me. I forgive them for what they are doing and God I ask you to forgive them! I have finished what I was called to do……… (with a deep groan he said)

“Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit. Uhhhhhhhhh!”

And with that prayer, Stephen died. The year was 35 A.D. Nothing is said about Stephen in the Bible until he was chosen to work in the church. His story is told in the Bible in the Book of Acts chapeter 6:1 through chapter 8:1. He is known for defending his faith before the Sanhedrin, which was the Jewish governing council at that time, and was the first Christian martyr. Stephen was a Christian leader who, with his followers, believed in the commission of Jesus (Acts 1:8) to take the gospel of Jesus to the whole world. After his death, the believers fled Jerusalem to avoid the persecution, taking the story of the gospel with them.

The story of Moses can be found continuously in the Bible in the book of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. An interesting fact to note about Saul, mentioned above, who persecuted many Christians: he later became the Christian missionary Paul, and wrote many of the books of the Bible. The story of Saul’s coversion is in Acts 9:1-28.