Holy Apostle, Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen (+34)

The holy Apostle, Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen. After the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, the word of the Lord spread rapidly and the number of believers grew every day. The everyday needs of the Christian community were provided for, since those who had houses or lands sold them and “laid them down at the apostles’ feet”, and the latter distributed “unto every man according as he had need” (Acts 4:33–35).

Little by little disagreements arose among people of different nations: the Greek-speaking Jews complained that their widows were given too small a share of the support. This reached the ears of the apostles. They did not wish to take on the care of the practical affairs of the Christian community at the price of leaving off preaching, and so they chose seven men from among the disciples to appoint “over this business”, and ordained them deacons. Saint Stephen, “a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost”, was ordained archdeacon.

In Jerusalem “the word of God increased”, and the number of the disciples grew more and more; many Jewish priests too were converted to the faith of Christ. Stephen also contributed to this by his grace-filled preaching and his miracles. The irritated Jews tried to defeat the Lord’s chosen one in debate, but when they could do nothing, they denounced him, saying that he blasphemed God and Moses. On this charge the blessed one stood before the Sanhedrin and the high priest. His face was seen “as it had been the face of an angel”.

Saint Stephen told those gathered the history of the Jewish people, and denounced the Jews for persecuting the prophets and for murdering the Messiah who had become man, Jesus Christ. During his preaching the saint “looked up into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God”. When he declared this vision, the crowd, stopping their ears, rushed upon the blessed one with a roar, dragged him out of the city and stoned him. At a distance, on a hill, stood the Theotokos with John the Theologian, commending the martyr to God, while Stephen prayed fervently for his enemies. His last words were: “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge”; “and when he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 6–7).

Saint Stephen was the first Christian to die a martyr’s death. He died at the age of thirty.

The blessed one’s body, thrown out to be torn by wild beasts, was secretly carried away and committed to the earth by the famous teacher of the law Gamaliel and his son Abibus. Later both of them believed in Christ and were baptised.

In 415, after a divine vision, the incorrupt relics of Stephen the Protomartyr were uncovered and translated to Jerusalem, to the Church of Sion.