第一位殉道的信徒
使徒行傳六章8至15節
8司提反滿得恩惠能力，在民間行了大奇事和神蹟。
9當時有稱利百地拿會堂的幾個人，並有古利奈、亞歷山太、基利家、亞西亞各處會堂的幾個人，都起來和司提反辯論。
10司提反是以智慧和聖靈說話，眾人敵擋不住，
11就買出人來說：“我們聽見他說謗讟摩西和神的話。”
12他們又聳動了百姓、長老並文士，就忽然來捉拿他，把他帶到公會去，
13設下假見證說：“這個人說話不住地糟踐聖所和律法，
14我們曾聽見他說，這拿撒勒人耶穌要毀壞此地，也要改變摩西所交給我們的規條。”
15在公會裡坐著的人都定睛看他，見他的面貌好像天使的面貌。
信息分享
司提反第一個被選出，一點兒也不令人驚訝。任何一間教會若有一個像司提反的信徒，都必然大大感恩。司提反一定是個不同尋常的人，他不僅盡責地履行執事的工作，且熱心傳揚福音，勇敢無懼地向人見證基督。
從故事的發展看來，在被選出的七位執事中，神至少要使用其中兩人——司提反和腓利——作更重要的工作。至於其餘五個人，我們只能留待將來在天家細問了。
司提反嘗試向會堂的人傳福音，他們卻拒絕接受，而且還將他捉拿到公會——猶太人的最高法院——受審。就是曾經將基督定罪的公會。
今天的經文描述非常細膩，第15節形容司提反的面貌，好像天使的面貌。公會裡的人不斷誣陷他，但他的面容卻洋溢著生命與愛，並基督內住的喜樂。
司提反的申辯信息涵蓋第七章，結尾是他因基督的緣故被人用石頭打死。他是基督教史上第一位殉道者。他死前說出的最後一句話，卻是一句寬恕的話：「主啊，不要將這罪歸於他們。」正如有人說過：「被逼迫的聖徒，比生活順遂的聖徒更加寬宏大量。」
經文說他睡了。多麼美麗的筆法描寫這暴力下的死亡！正切合了司提反靈魂的安息，也合乎初期教會對死亡的看法。
當天還有一個人在場。司提反死前所說的話，正好被站在附近的那位年輕人掃羅聽進耳中。當時對基督教滿懷敵意的掃羅，一直未能忘記當日看見的情景。不久之後，他終於認識了復活的基督，而且，還將自己的生命奉獻給司提反所認識並深愛的同一位救主。
THE FIRST MARTYR
Acts 6: 8-15
8 And Stephen, full of faith[b] and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen.
10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.
11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.
13 They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous[c] words against this holy place and the law;
14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”
15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.
Message
There wasn't any doubt about the first one to be elected. It was Stephen. A church can be very thankful when there is a Stephen in the congregation. He must have been an unusual man who not only did what he was elected to do but found time to preach the Gospel and witness fearlessly to others about Christ.
From the stories which follow, it is obvious God had greater ministry in mind for at least two of these seven men, Stephen and Philip. We would like to know more of the other five too. We will when we get home to Glory.
Stephen tackled one particular group - the Synagogue of Freedmen. But they resisted his preaching and brought him before the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish Council. It was the same Council which had condemned Christ.
The last words of our reading are very descriptive - Stephen's face was like that of an angel. Men had just lied about him, but his face showed only life and love and the indwelling of Christ himself.
His message covers most of the seventh chapter and ends with his being stoned to death for the sake of Christ. He was the first Christian martyr. But his last words were words of forgiveness. “Lord lay not this sin to their charge.” As someone has said, “Persecuted saints are more apt to be pardoning saints, than are prosperous saints.”
We are told he fell asleep. What a beautiful way to describe such a violent death! Yet it fits the spirit of Stephen and the view of death held by the early church.
There was someone else there that day. The suffering Stephen spoke unconsciously to that young man standing nearby, the sneering, cynical Saul. He could never forget that sight. One day he too found the reality of the living Christ and even gave his life for the same Saviour whom Stephen knew and loved.