Stephen, One of the Seven Deacons of the Church at Jerusalem

Stephen, which in Greek means a crown, was one of the seven deacons of the church at Jerusalem, a man full of faith and of the wisdom of God. Acts 6, verse 5.

He was well versed in the holy Scriptures of the Old Testament, and very eloquent. It happened that some of the sect of the Libertines, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and some of those from Cilicia and from Asia rose up and argued with Stephen; and they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke. Then they bribed a few men to say: We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and seized him, and brought him to the council, and set up false witnesses to say, This man never stops speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses handed down to us. And all who sat in the council, looking intently at him, saw his face as though it were the face of an angel. Acts 6, verses 9 to 15.

Then the high priest said to him, Are these things so? Then this God-fearing man explained himself and answered with many reasons; he brought forward besides, as if with a heavenly tongue, and with reasons that could not be refuted, many scriptures of the Old Testament, to show that Christ is the true Messiah, and that the Gospel is true. Acts 7, verses 1 to 53.

But when he began to speak with great warmth, and to set before the eyes of his accusers their bloodthirstiness, their anger was kindled the more against him, for these things cut them to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. Verse 54.

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Verses 55 and 56.

But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears, and rushed at him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man whose name was Saul. Verses 57 and 58.

In the meantime he called out and said, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. He knelt down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, do not lay this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Verses 59 and 60.

Such was the end of this upright man Stephen, to whom the honor of Jesus Christ was dearer than his own life. It is said to have taken place in the year thirty-four after the birth of Christ, in the nineteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, which was the thirty-eighth year of his age. It happened in the seventh year after the baptism of Christ. Nic. book 2, chapter 3. [n99-1]

This having occurred, some God-fearing men attended to the body, and carried it to the grave, greatly lamenting this pious martyr. The stones were to him as rivers of sweetness. August. chapter 22. Sold. [n99-2]