Who was the first apostle to be martyred in the bible?

Answer 1

In The Bible, Stephen is listed as the first Christian martyr.

---BUT--- that does not necessarily mean that he actually was 'the first'.

The word 'martyr' in the original Greek Bible, did NOT mean what it means today in English.

This word has had some development over the early years. Everyone thinks the word refers to someone who 'gives up his life for his Christian faith'. That's how the religions have confused the real Bible word. And so the original concept has completely escaped the flock.

The word is in the Bible in Acts 22:20, regarding Stephen. (It is not found in Acts 7)

The English word 'martyr' is derived from the Greek term 'martys', meaning "witness". Namely one who 'sees something, a deed or event'. He witnesses it.

But that original word means MORE. It is in the 'active' tense. States one Greek Lexicon, that they are "called upon to TELL what they've seen or heard", to proclaim what they heard or know of.

A 'witness' in court does not just stand there and make the one-word STATEMENT: "Yes" I saw, or "Yes" I heard.

Being an 'active' term, it means they actually present their own verbal statements of WHAT they saw, or WHAT they heard. They 'witness' extensively towards it; all the information they know about it.

This is the ORIGINAL meaning of the term. Many religions have not taught their members this original Bible meaning. This has been a disservice to mankind, since it has a direct effect on whether they're out there 'witnessing' or not. Jehovah's Witnesses are aware of this meaning; and have applied the term to themselves. But really, all Christians have an obligation to BEAR WITNESS to what they know about God and his purposes.

BUT admittedly, in English, the word has taken on an ADDITIONAL meaning over the years.

Due to the fact that many early Christians did all this 'witnessing', they were often persecuted, arrested, beat, and even killed. Thus from as early as the 2nd century, 'martyr' ALSO came to signify 'one who suffers such consequences rather than renounce his faith'. So yes, Stephen can also be termed a 'martyr' in that sense also. But it doesn't change the Fact that a person in the Bible setting, was considered a martyr because he WITNESSED, NOT because he died.

Answer 2

Stephen is listed in Acts 7 as the first Christian martyr.

Answer 3

Stephen was a deacon, and held as the first martyr; in Acts 12 Herod has James, brother of John, executed - so he was likely to have been the first of the 12 to have been martyred.