Bible Character Explorer
New Testament • d. c. AD 34-35
Stephen
The First MartyrThe Spirit-filled deacon whose bold witness cost him his life and helped scatter the gospel abroad
"And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
Acts 7:59 (KJV)
Overview
Stephen was one of the seven men chosen by the early Jerusalem church to oversee the daily distribution of food to widows, freeing the apostles to focus on prayer and the ministry of the word. Described as a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, he performed great wonders and signs among the people and engaged in unanswerable debate with members of the synagogue, which led to false accusations, a trial before the Sanhedrin, and his execution by stoning, becoming the first Christian martyr and a catalyst for the gospel's spread beyond Jerusalem.
Gospel Connection
Stephen's death mirrors Jesus's own crucifixion in striking detail: both prayed for the forgiveness of their killers, both committed their spirit to God in their final words, and both were falsely accused before a religious council. Stephen's willingness to die exactly as his Lord had died, trusting fully in the resurrection and the presence of Jesus at God's right hand, testifies to the transforming power of the gospel to conquer even the fear of death, and his martyrdom directly set in motion the scattering of believers that spread the gospel far beyond Jerusalem, including eventually through the very man who watched him die.
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See how this life points to Christ in the Gospel Connection section above.
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