The holy archdeacon Stephen was an apostle of seventy. He lived outside the Holy Land, although he came from Jews. In ancient times, such people were called Hellenists, since they were brought up on the Greek culture, which then dominated the Roman Empire.
Here, this term does not mean those Hellenic idolaters who are indicated in the Holy Scriptures. The pagans at that time did not even have access to faith in Christ; they did not know the word about salvation.
First christian
Even after the painful death of Archdeacon Stephen, the pagans will not yet be allowed to the meeting of the righteous.
The first Christian among the Gentiles will be Cornelius Sotnik. As soon as St. Peter baptized him, Christians from the Jews who had been circumcised were angry with the apostle, because he went to those who did not pass this rite. They began to grumble at him until he told them about his vision and about the descent of the shroud from heaven. Only then did they calm down and give praise to the Lord, deciding that God also gave repentance to the Gentiles in life.
The first Gentile Christian
After the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ, Christianity began to spread rapidly throughout the area.
At this point, there is a need to patronize and care for the poor people - orphans, widows, and those who have received Holy Baptism. For this work, the holy apostles decided to choose among the Christians worthy husbands - seven people.
Such people were found. They were immediately dedicated to assistants and ministers (deacons). They immediately became good helpers of the apostles.
Seven Deacons
Even during the life of the holy archdeacon Stephen, the Greeks murmured against Jews who were not pagans, but were people who lived according to the laws of Moses, but were separated by twelve tribes. Knowing the Hellenic language, but not having mastered faith and mores, Jews lived in Jerusalem and its district. Even as Jews, they spoke Greek.
Discontent arose between the Greek Hellenes-Christians and the Jews of Jerusalem, since the widows of the first were assigned lower work, worse food and clothing. However, they soon calmed down, stopped complaining and complaining.
It was then that seven deacons were chosen - Phillip, Nikanor, Prokhor, Timon, Parmen, Stefan and Nikolai of Antioch. Their names indicate that they were from Hellenic countries, for their names are not Jewish. Stefan was a relative of Saul, who came from the city of Tarsus (Cilicia).
He could, like the apostles, lay hands on the sick and heal them. He was beautiful in face, but whiter than handsome in soul.
The Life of Archdeacon Stephen
The young deacon significantly stood out from the chosen seven with his strong faith. He had good oratorical skills and was an excellent preacher. Therefore, he was called the first deacon - the archdeacon. After some time, all the elect began to participate in divine services and prayers.
Archdeacon Stephen had the gift to carry the word among the masses, he preached the word of God in Jerusalem. At the same time, he could work miracles and reinforced his words with signs. He was loved by the people, he enjoyed success and respect. However, this aroused envy and hatred against him among the Pharisees - zealots of the law of Moses. Then they decided to judge him in the highest court of the Jews - the Sanhedrin, having convinced false witnesses who unanimously claimed that he insulted God and the prophet Moses in his sermons. Then the legalists seized Stephen.
Pharisee rage
He tried to justify himself before the Sanhedrin and told them the story of the Jewish people, giving vivid examples confirming how the Jews constantly opposed God, killing the prophets. They crucified even the long-awaited Messiah - Jesus Christ himself. In his very long speech, Stefan said that "the Most High does not live in man-made temples." In those days, the word man-made meant pagan. This epithet greatly offended Jewish judges.
They also did not like Stephen’s prophecies that there would come a time when God would be glorified throughout the world, and not just in Jerusalem.
The members of the Sanhedrin were incredibly angry; their faces distorted their anger and desire to end this stupid preacher. It was at this time that Archdeacon Stephen suddenly saw the sky open before him. Then he enthusiastically shouted: "I see the Heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
The Pharisees became furious. Covering their ears, they rushed at Stephen with fists and dragged him into the city.
Those who testified against him were the first to throw stones at him. This event was attended by a young man named Saul, who was entrusted with the task of protecting the clothes of those false witnesses who stoned Stephen, as he was in their team.
A hail of stones fell asleep to the poor archdeacon, who before his death, turned to God with a prayer: "Lord Jesus, accept my spirit." Kneeling, Stephen requested that He do not impute sin to those who killed him.
The murder of a holy ascetic
Nearby stood the Virgin Mary with the Apostle John (The Theologian). Turning their eyes to heaven, they earnestly prayed to His Lord for the archdeacon Stephen, so that He would strengthen his servant in patience and take his soul into his hands. In the rain of stones, bleeding with blood, gradually weakening in strength, Stephen grieved with his heart, but not about himself, but about those who killed him.
With prayer on his lips, he betrayed his pure soul to the Lord. So the great ascetic died. As if crowned with crimson flowers, he entered the opening sky to the Almighty.
First Martyr for Christ
All these events are described in the book of the Evangelist Luke, “The Acts of the Apostles.” In the year 34 after R.Kh. Stephen became the very first Christian martyr. At that time he was only 30 years old. It was from the archdeacon Stephen the First Martyr that the persecution of Christians in Jerusalem began. They were forced to disperse into different parts of the Holy Land and leave for other countries.
Thus, Christianity began to spread in different territories of the Roman Empire. But the blood of the First Martyr Stephen was not shed in vain. Soon the same Saul, the guardian of the clothes of false witnesses, believed in Christ and was baptized. He became the famous apostle Paul, who began to preach Christianity among the Gentiles.
A few years later he visited Jerusalem. An angry mob nearly killed him with stones. However, he reminded the people of the martyr Stephen and how he himself was a participant in these sad events.
Burial
The bloodied body of the holy First Martyr Archdeacon Stephen was left to be eaten by beasts and lay unburied for 24 hours. Only the other night, the Jewish law teacher Gamaliel, along with his son Aviv, sent loyal people who secretly took the body and buried it with honor and great cry in their estate in Kafargamal. They themselves then received Holy Baptism.
The holy relics of the Apostle the First Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen
Many years have passed since then. Once the pious Evdokia - the wife of Theodosius the Younger (emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire), arrived at the place where Stephen was stoned, and built a magnificent church in his name and in honor of Jesus Christ. This event occurred in 415.
The whole story was described by a priest from Palestine by Lucian in his ancient manuscript "Message to all Churches on the discovery of the relics of the martyr Stephen." In his work, he mentions that the place of burial of the martyr indicated him in the night visions of Gamaliel. According to Lukinian, when the coffin was opened, the air was filled with paradise fragrance, in the district 73 people received healing from the disease of obsession.
The found relics were immediately sent to Jerusalem in the Zion Church. Part of the relics later appeared on Menorca in Uzalis, a North African city, and later in other settlements.
Memory days
Currently, it is known that the index finger of the saint is kept in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra in the Assumption Cathedral. He was brought from the Romanian Nyametsky monastery in 1717.
In the XIX century, the relics were placed in a specially made silver crayfish, weighing 150 kg. On its cover was depicted Stefan in full growth. The holy relic was placed in place of the hand. Today, this large crayfish stands in the cathedral on the right side of the altar, where on Sunday and public holidays, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine serves.
In the Moscow region in the Holy Trinity Monastery, founded by St. Sergius of Radonezh, there is the right hand of St. Stephen. Parishioners claim that near the crayfish of the saint, a benevolent energy response and revelation are shocking, feelings are overwhelming, emotions are going through the roof. A subtle delicate fragrance is felt.
Divine services in memory of Stephen are performed on such days and dates:
- August 15 is the day of the transfer of relics to Constantinople from Jerusalem.
- September 28 - gaining relics.
- January 9 and 17 - Council of the Seventy Apostles.
In these holiday services, archdeacon Stefan reads an akathist, prayers, troparia and canons.