Stephen, The First Martyr

AD 34

Book of Acts

~ Before Stephen’s death, believers still met publicly in the temple courts, and although the Apostles were beaten and imprisoned, the persecution had not yet spread beyond Jerusalem.

Stephen, full of faith and the Holy Spirit, became the Church’s first martyr when he fearlessly proclaimed Christ before the Sanhedrin (Acts 6–7). As stones rained down upon him, he lifted his eyes to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. With his final breath, Stephen declared forgiveness for his killers: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60).

His death was not in vain—Stephen’s courage ignited boldness in the early church, scattering believers to spread the Gospel beyond Jerusalem.

~ After Stephen’s death, persecution intensified dramatically, scattering the Church and fulfilling Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8. "…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Significance

• According to research from organizations like Open Doors, Pew Research, and the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, about 70 million Christians are estimated to have been martyred in total over the past 2,000 years. Shockingly, more than half of these—over 35 million—are believed to have died in just the 20th century, due to wars, totalitarian regimes, and anti-Christian persecution (especially under Communist and fascist governments). Today, it is estimated that several thousand Christians are killed each year for their faith, especially in regions of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
• The Greek word μάρτυς (martys) means witness. At first, it simply meant someone who testified to what they had seen or experienced. But very early in the life of the church, witness and martyrdom became inseparably linked, because bearing witness of Christ often meant facing death. By the second century, Christians were already using martyr in the sense we use it today—a person who dies because of their testimony for Jesus.
• Are we prepared to give our lives for Jesus?