Stephen, a deacon of the early church, became the first martyr of the first century. He was the vanguard of faithful Christians who through the centuries would die for the cause of Christ.

Stephen was honest, capable and Spirit-filled. He was bold in his faith. He was "full of faith and power, [and] did great wonders and miracles among the people." (Acts 6:8). He taught the scriptures with authority and became a fearless messenger of the Gospel.

The Jewish leaders eventually arrested Stephen, put him on trial, and indicted him on two counts: they accused him of attacking the scriptures and the sanctuary. His spoken defense is one of the great sermons in the book of Acts. It ranks alongside Peter's sermon at Pentecost, Paul's sermon in Pisidian Antioch and his message on Mars Hill.

In his defense, Stephen said God had given the Jews saviors like Joseph and Moses, but Israel had rejected them. He said God had given Israel the scriptures, but the people and their leaders had broken the law. He said God had given Israel sanctuaries: first a tabernacle and then a temple. Stephen also accused the Jewish leaders of resisting the Holy Spirit, of slaying the Son of God, of breaking the law.

Having spoken God's truth, Stephen turned away from his accusers. Luke wrote, "He, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:55-56). And Stephen instantly bore witness to what he saw.

A mob of scribes and Sadducees, rulers and rabbis, priests and Pharisees reacted with rage. Hatred was in their eyes and death was in their hands. They exploded with fury and violence. The mob seized Stephen and dragged him from the chamber into the sunshine. They marched him through the streets, taking him to the foot of a skull-shaped hill, and prepared the assault.

Saul of Tarsus cheered the mob on. He held their coats as the stones began to fly at Stephen. Luke wrote: "And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (Acts 7:59-60)

When the stoning of Stephen was over, devout men picked up the battered body of the first Christian martyr. They washed and wrapped it, and gave it a decent burial. They then met to decide what to do. It was evident that savage persecution would now be let loose on the church. They had seen the face of Stephen, but they had also seen the face of Saul--his hatred, his zeal, and his determination to persecute followers of Christ.