Saint Stephen – St. Mary & St. Joseph Coptic Orthodox Church

Saint Stephen

Protomartyr and Protoarchdeacon

“And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.”

(Acts 6:8)

The Story In Summary

The Protomartyr

The name Stephen derives from the Greek name Stefanous, which means “crown”. Saint Stephen was an archdeacon and the first martyr, that is the protomartyr. The word “martyr” means witness. As Christians, we are called to be witnesses to Christ in all that we do. It is therefore a calling which takes many forms, the most profound of which is the shedding of blood. We believe that the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.

Saint Stephen's Service

Saint Stephen was chosen among six other deacons full of faith and wisdom for the diaconate service and the ministry of the poor. Saint Luke testified about him in the Acts of the Apostles, saying, “Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5), and “a man full of faith and power, who did great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). His ministry incited the envy and resistance of the Hellenistic Jews, who disputed with him. Despite their jealousy, “They were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke” (Acts 6:10).

Their envy caused them to incite false witnesses who accused him of blasphemy, and stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, who seized Saint Stephen and brought him to the council. Again, despite their jealousy and malicious intention, all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at Saint Stephen, “saw his face as the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15). When the council questioned him, Saint Stephen began to preach and explain the Scriptures, from the time of Abraham up to the time of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Word of God dwelt so richly in his heart that he was able to recite it by memory with complete accuracy in the face of his accusers and the council.

Just as the gospel of Saint Mark recounts, “when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:11). Truly being filled with the Holy Spirit, Saint Stephen spoke with all grace, wisdom, and truth. Standing before the men of the council, he exposed their continued resistance of the Holy Spirit, saying, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so did you” (Acts 7:51).
At this, they yelled, ran at him, cast him out of the city, and stoned him. But Saint Stephen, being filled with the Holy Spirit, only had to gaze into the heavens to magnify the peace that was already within himself and witness the glory of the Father, with the Son of Man standing at His right hand (Acts 7:54). The people stoned him, all the while he called on God, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59) and in his final cry, imitating our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, he prayed, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” (Acts 7:60). When he said this, his soul departed in peace. Devout men carried Saint Stephen’s pure body and buried him with great veneration.

Lessons from the Life of Saint Stephen

Saint Stephen is to us a model of how to live and act as witnesses to Christ. Below are a few meditations on lessons we can learn from the life of Saint Stephen, according to HG Bishop Gregory of Texas, and HE Metropolitan Youssef of the Southern United States:

1. Be filled with the Holy Spirit

In order to be witnesses to Christ, we must let the Holy Spirit be enflamed within us. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will always be able to maintain inner peace, in the same way that Saint Stephen did amidst his trials. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, our very expressions will give peace to others, and our works will be guided by wisdom and faith. The face of Saint Stephen being seen as that of an angel reflects his life of holiness and prayers.

2. Share the Word of God

Saint Stephen was able to share the Scriptures with complete accuracy when facing his accusers and the council because he let the Word of God dwell richly within him. Similarly, we must also meditate on His Word, and be doers of the Word through our actions and the way that we speak to others in order to witness to Christ.

3. Seek His Kingdom

Being full of the Holy Spirit, Saint Stephen received his power from the Lord. He had only to look up to the heaven to see the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. We too, must learn to look to Him to seek strength and peace, especially during our trials.

His Martyrdom

The Church celebrates the martyrdom of Saint Stephen on January 9, the first day of the blessed Coptic month of Tobe.

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References

Synaxarium- Coptic Reader App

Lessons from the life of St Stephen - sermon by HE Metropolitan Youssef

What to learn from the life of St Stephen - sermon by HG Bishop Gregory

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