Could You Be Like Stephen?

We talk a lot about martyrs in the Church. We are encouraged to be martyrs to our friends and neighbors for Christ. Sometimes we are even called to die, like martyrs, for the faith. My question today isn’t if you are willing to be a martyr. Are you able to be a martyr?

Today is the Feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr and archdeacon of the Church. He sort of gets the ‘short stick’ this time of year because we are all tired from Christmas. He deserves our attention more today than ever before, not because his died, but because he witnessed to Christ.

Take a moment and read his story as described in today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles. When he was challenged about Christ, he did more than ‘just live’ his faith. He taught his faith from his knowledge of the scriptures.

It is the teaching part that inspires my challenge today. As modern Orthodox, we like to read volumes and volumes of elder prophecies, but we neglect the Holy Scriptures. When he was challenged to defend his miracles, he didn’t prophecy. He taught from the Scriptures. See for yourself.

In those days, Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated men, who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. And the high priest said, “Is this so?” And Stephen said: “Brethren and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Depart from your land and from your kindred and go into the land which I will show you.’ Then he departed from the land of the Chaldeans, and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living; yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him in possession and to his posterity after him, though he had no child. “But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands; as the prophet says, ‘Heaven is my throne, and earth my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?’ “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth against him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 6:8-15; 7:1-5, 47-60

It is high time we know the Holy Scriptures enough to defend our faith, not just quote a mountain elder about the ‘end times’ and Church polity. It won’t matter what twentieth century elder said about Roman Catholic and Orthodox unity, if we can’t teach from the Scriptures.

Here’s the thing. The Church Fathers in the ancient Church knew the Holy Scriptures and used them to defend the Truth of Christ. Prophets are important. I won’t deny that, but they also knew the Scriptures. The Prophets, old and new, defended the truth found in the Holy Scriptures.

As this year winds down, I challenge you to take more seriously your reading and internalizing the Holy Scriptures. Read them daily. Pray them often. Force yourself to use the Scriptures FIRST to defend the faith.

Then use the Fathers and elders to reinforce the Scriptures, not the other way around. Then we will be more like Saint Stephen, who was found worthy to become the first martyr. He was more than willing. He was able to witness the faith. I only hope we will be found so worthy.