Book of Ancient Saints: Volume 1

Saint Stephen

Stephen was born 5 AD during the Roman Empire. The name "Stephen" in Greek, Stéphanos, means "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor."He appeared only in Chapter 6, 7, and 8 in the Book of Acts of the Apostles. 

The Need for Assistants

(Acts 6:1-7)

In those days, as the number of disciples grew, the so-called Hellenists complained against the so-called Hebrews, because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. So the Twelve summoned the whole body of disciples together and said, "It is not right that we should neglect the word of God to serve at tables. So, friends, choose from among yourselves seven respected men full of Spirit and wisdom, that we appoint them to this task. As for us, we shall give ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word."

The whole community agreed and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and Holy Spirit; Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenus, and Nicolaus of Antioch who was a proselyte. They presented these men to the apostles who first prayed over them and then laid hands upon them.

The Word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly and even many priests accepted the faith.

Accusation against Stephen

(Acts 6:8-15)

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Some persons then came forward, who belonged to the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia and Asia. They argued with Stephen but they could not match the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. As they were unable to to face the truth, they bribed some men to say, "We heard him speak against Moses and against God."

So they stirred up the people, the elders and the teachers of the Law; they took him by surprise, seized him and brought him before the Jewish Council. Then they produced false witnesses who said, "This man never stops speaking against our Holy Place and the Law. We even heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy our Holy Place and change our customs which Moses handed down to us." And all who sat in the Council fixed their eyes on him, and his face appeared to them like the face of an angel.

Stephen's Discourses

(Acts 7:1-60)

So the High Priest, Annas, asked him: "Is it true?" He answered, "Brothers and Fathers, listen to me.

The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he went to live in Haran. And he said to him: 'Leave your land and your relatives and go to the land which I will show you.' So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God made him move to this land in which you now dwell. And there he did not give him anything that was his own, not even the smallest portion of land to put his foot on, but promised to give it to him in possession and to his descendants, though he had no child. So God spoke: 'Your descendants shall live in a strange land, they shall be enslaved and maltreated for four hundred  years. So I shall call the nation which they serve as slaves to render an account for it. They will come out and worship me in this place.

He made with him the covenant of circumcision. And so, at the birth of his son Isaac, Abraham circumcised. And so, at the birth of his son Isaac, Abraham circumcised him on the eighth day. Isaac did the same to Jacob, and Jacob to the twelve patriarchs.