Thursday 26 December 2024
While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died. (vs 59-60)
Background
Today the Church remembers Stephen, who holds a double distinction in Christian history as the first deacon of the young Church and the first martyr. Everything we know about him is found in chapter 6 and 7 of the Acts of the Apostles.
Stephen was one of seven men chosen by the followers of Jesus at the invitation of the apostles to care for people in need (often described as 'widows' they probably also included a number of other groups of vulnerable people). The Early Church was growing rapidly and the task to care for its people was beyond the capacity of the early apostles. The apostles therefore laid their hands on these seven men after their selection and appointed them deacons ('those who serve') to work alongside them in a growing and expanding Church. The pattern of different orders of ministry in the Church emerges at his point and continues today.
Stephen is described as a passionate, bold and confident preacher to the people and his preaching clearly disturbed some and made the religious authorities anxious as he spoke confidently about the life and ministry of Jesus. He was condemned by the religious authorities for blasphemy and was subsequently stoned to death by a violent mob in around AD 34. What seemed to enrage the authorities the most was Stephen’s claim of a vision where he saw the glory of God with Jesus standing at God’s right hand.
Those who stoned Stephen to death first laid their coats at the feet of a young man called Saul, who, it is said, approved of their actions against Stephen. This young man was, much later, to have a dramatic encounter of his own on the road to Damascus when he had a vision of the risen Jesus which led to his own conversion to Christianity and a new identity as the apostle Paul. The story of Stephen is a reminder that faithful witness can be dangerous and make great demands. It also reminds us that change is always possible.
To Ponder:
- Why do you think Stephen’s preaching and account of his vision was so provocative and unsettling for some?
- Have you ever changed your mind so completely as Saul (Paul) did? If so, why?
Bible notes author: The Revd Helen Cameron
Helen Cameron is a presbyter of the Methodist Church and currently serves as President of the Methodist Conference.