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St. Stephen was an otherwise unknown martyr mentioned only in Acts of the Apostles. Chapter 6 describes his arrest on allegations of blasphemy. However, this does not suggest that the intention was necessarily to execute him - after all, Peter, James, John and all the other disciples seem to have been left more or less in peace.
Stephen went to trial. In his speech to the council, Stephen made no attempt to defend himself, or even talk about his Christian faith as later martyrs are said to have done. He merely began an elementary lecture on Jewish history, a speech so totally inappropriate to Stephen's predicament that it was in no way relevant to his defence. The speech could only have been written by Luke himself to set the scene for what was about to occur. While Stephen was thus lecturing the Jews, supposedly in his own defence, he looked up and saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God. Having already infuriated the court with his elementary lecture, he then told of his vision in the sky. Acts does not record Stephen as being found guilty of the original charge, which was by now irrelevant. The priests cast him out of the city and had him stoned for the blasphemy he had presumably just committed. In modern times, they would probably have dismissed all charges on the grounds of mental incapacity.
Some scholars consider the scene involving Stephen's trial and death as significant, not only because Stephen is the first Christian martyr, but also because the death of Stephen in Acts matches so closely the death of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, by the same author. Both accounts speak of the Son of Man at the right hand of God (Luke 22:69; Acts 7:56); both have a prayer for the forgiveness of those who are effecting this execution ( Luke 23:34a; Acts 7:60); both have the dying figure commend his spirit heavenward (Luke 23:46; Acts 7:59). In the figure of Peter, Acts has shown continuity with Jesus' ministry of healing and preaching; in the figure of Stephen Acts has shown continuity with Jesus' death.
Raymond E. Brown (An Introduction to the New Testament) says that we can never verify the existence and martyrdom of Stephen.
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How did Saint Stephen become a saint?
Saint Stephen was one of the first deacons of the early Christian Church. He was known for his faith, preaching, and miracles. He was martyred for his beliefs and became the first Christian martyr, which contributed to his recognition as a saint in the Catholic Church.
How many years did Saint Stephen live?
Saint Stephen is believed to have been martyred in 34 AD, so it is assumed he lived until his early 30s, making his lifespan around 30-33 years.
What was Saint Stephen's life?
Saint Stephen was an early Christian martyr who is believed to have been one of the first deacons in the Christian Church. He was known for his preaching and defense of the faith, which ultimately led to his stoning to death. His story is recorded in the New Testament in the Book of Acts.
How did Saint Stephen follow Jesus?
Saint Stephen is considered one of the first deacons in the Christian Church. He was chosen to serve the early community of believers in Jerusalem and is known for his strong faith and preaching about Jesus. Stephen was martyred for his beliefs, becoming the first Christian martyr, as described in the Acts of the Apostles.
Who was the only apostle not martyred?
The apostle John is believed to be the only one among the twelve apostles who was not martyred. He died of natural causes and is often referred to as the beloved disciple in the Bible.
How old was Stephen when he was martyred?
The Bible is silent in regards the age of Stephen when he was stoned.
How did Saint Stephen become a saint?
Saint Stephen was one of the first deacons of the early Christian Church. He was known for his faith, preaching, and miracles. He was martyred for his beliefs and became the first Christian martyr, which contributed to his recognition as a saint in the Catholic Church.
Where was Saint Stephen martyred?
He was stoned to death in or near Jerusalem.
Which disciple died as a traditional martyr?
Stephen was the first disciple to be martyred. He was stoned to death. All the apostles but John were martyred.
When was St. Stephen martyred?
He was stoned to death about the year AD33 or 34.
Which one of Jesus deciples was the last to die?
Stephen is the first to be martyred for Christ, I believe it was James that was the first of the 12 apostles to be martyred.
How was Saint Stephen the Protomartyr martyred?
Stoned to death in front of Saul before his conversion.
When was Stephen named a saint?
Since Stephen was martyred, he was probably named a saint by the early Christian community soon after he was killed about 33-35 AD.
What future Christian watched Stephen be martyred?
Saul of Tarsus, later known as the apostle Paul, was a future Christian who watched Stephen being martyred. This event deeply impacted Paul, eventually leading to his conversion to Christianity on the road to Damascus.
What was Saint Stephen's life?
Saint Stephen was an early Christian martyr who is believed to have been one of the first deacons in the Christian Church. He was known for his preaching and defense of the faith, which ultimately led to his stoning to death. His story is recorded in the New Testament in the Book of Acts.
What did Saint Stephen do at an early age?
There is virtually no information recorded about Saint Stephen's life. The only thing we know is that he was chosen as one of the first deacons of the early Church and was martyred soon after.
When is Paul first mentioned in Acts?
When Stephen was martyred in ch8... However, he was known as Saul then; becoming Paul after his conversion on the road to Damascus.
