STEPHEN THE MARTYR

 

St. Stephen was one of the first seven deacons selected and specially ordained by the Apostles to take care of the temporal relief of the poorer members of the community.

The Apostles appointed the deacons as they were Dissatisfied with the distribution of alms from the community's fund.

Stephen's life prior to his appointment is something of a mystery in is believed as his name is Greek that he was a Hellenist, which means he was a Jew who had been born in a foreign land and his native tongue was Greek.

However it is believed that the Aramaic form of the name Stephen, Kelil was inscribed on a slab found in his tomb which may indicate that was his original name.

Other evidence suggests that Stephen was not a proselyte (a stranger, a comer to Palestine or a sojourner in the land) in fact  Nicolas is the only one of the seven referred to as such indicating that the other six were Jews by birth.

It is unclear under what circumstances he became a Christian but he was obviously suited to his calling in order that the apostles should select him.

He spent much of his ministry as deacon among the Hellenist converts which is where he came into conflict meeting opposition from the synagogues of the "Libertines" the “Cyrenians, the “Alexandrians”, and those from Cilicia and Asia.

He was regarded as a good character and as a man of good reputation, a man full of faith, and full of grace and fortitude.

A great speaker capable of causing the most vehement opponent to doubt his own convictions.

It was after such an incident when cavilers of the various synagogues, Libertines, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, Cilician’s and Asian’s, had challenged Stephen to a dispute.

After Stephen had defeated all their arguments and twisted their own words back them the cavilers came out with the pride wounded and with such hatred in their hearts they bore false witnesses against him claiming to have heard him speak words of blasphemy against Moses and God.

The ancients and the scribes had long been waiting for a chance to stop Stephens preaching and had him arrested and taken before the Sanhedrin.

 He was accused of many blasphemies his clever words now fired back at him like arrows each wounding him.

Finally he said: "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God"

No other words could have angered the mob more they violently set upon him and dragged him outside the city and stoned him to death in 33 AD.

Stephen's funeral was a large affair and many made great mourning over him.

However for centuries the location of St. Stephen's tomb was lost until in 415 AD a priest named Lucian learned by revelation that the sacred body was in Caphar Gamala, some distance to the north of Jerusalem.

St Stephens’s relics were then exhumed and carried first to the church of Mount Sion and then, in 460AD, to the basilica erected by Eudocia on the spot where, according to tradition, the stoning had taken place outside the Damascus Gate.