Stephen

Events of Stephen’s Life

Seven Deacons Are Chosen Acts 6:1–6

Stephen Is Arrested Acts 6:8–15

Stephen Gives a Speech Before the Sanhedrin Acts 7:1–53

Stephen is stoned to Death Acts 7:54–8:1

Deuteronomy 17:5–7 NIV

take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death. On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person to death, and then the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from among you.

The first Christian martyr. His life and ministry is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:5 (NIV)

This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

Acts 6:8 NIV

Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.

Acts 6:15 NIV

All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

7:1–60;

Acts 8:2 NIV

Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.

Acts 11:19 NIV

Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews.

Acts 22:20 NIV

And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

Stephen is the first named member of the Hellenists in Acts 6:1 who brought cultural diversity to the Church. This kind of diversity represented obedience to Jesus’ mandate to preach to the nations (Acts 1:8; 11:19–20). Stephen is also the first nonapostle to defend the faith before the Sanhedrin (Acts 6:12) and was the first to be martyred for the faith (Acts 7:57–60).

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Hellenists)

HELLENISTS (Ἑλληνίστης, Hellēnistēs). Derived from ἔλλην (ellēn), meaning “Greek” (see, e.g., John 12:20; 1 Cor 1:22). Generally refers to one who speaks Greek, but came to refer to those of non-Greek origin, especially Jews, who adopted the Greek language and customs.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Stephen as One of the Hellenists (Acts 6:1–7)

Stephen and his cohorts were most likely Hellenized, Greek-speaking Jews who became followers of Jesus early in the history of the church (Scroggs, “The Earliest Christian Communities as Sectarian Movement,” 8). All of the Hellenists have Greek names, but Nicolaus is explicitly said to be a proselyte to Judaism (Acts 6:5).

Acts 6:1 (NIV)

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.