Archdeacon
The holy Apostle, Protomartyr, and Archdeacon Stephen was the senior among the seven deacons appointed by the apostles themselves, and for this reason he is called the Archdeacon. He was the first Christian martyr and suffered for Christ at about thirty years of age. In the words of Asterius, he was “the firstfruit of the martyrs, the teacher of suffering for Christ, the foundation of a good confession,” for before Stephen no one had shed his blood for the Gospel.
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Saint Stephen boldly and convincingly preached the Christian teaching and overcame the Jewish teachers of the Law in disputes. For this reason the Jews slandered Stephen, accusing him of blaspheming God and Moses. With this charge Saint Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin and the high priest. He delivered a fiery speech in which he set forth the history of the Jewish people and fearlessly reproached the Jews for persecuting the prophets and for the murder of the Messiah whom they had awaited, Jesus Christ. During his speech Saint Stephen suddenly saw heaven opened and Jesus Christ in glory, standing at the right hand of God. He proclaimed this aloud. Then the Jews, covering their ears, rushed upon him, dragged him out of the city, and stoned him, while the holy martyr prayed for his murderers. At a distance, on a hill, stood the Mother of God with the holy Apostle John the Theologian, fervently praying for the martyr. Before his death Stephen said: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit; Lord, do not hold this sin against them,” and then joyfully surrendered his pure soul to Christ. The body of the holy Protomartyr Stephen, left to be devoured by beasts, was secretly taken by the renowned Jewish teacher Gamaliel together with his son Aviv and buried on his estate. Later, both of them believed in Christ and received Holy Baptism.
