第一位殉道的信徒
使徒行传六章8至15节
8司提反满得恩惠能力，在民间行了大奇事和神迹。
9当时有称利百地拿会堂的几个人，并有古利奈、亚历山太、基利家、亚西亚各处会堂的几个人，都起来和司提反辩论。
10司提反是以智慧和圣灵说话，众人敌挡不住，
11就买出人来说：“我们听见他说谤讟摩西和神的话。”
12他们又耸动了百姓、长老并文士，就忽然来捉拿他，把他带到公会去，
13设下假见证说：“这个人说话不住地糟践圣所和律法，
14我们曾听见他说，这拿撒勒人耶稣要毁坏此地，也要改变摩西所交给我们的规条。”
15在公会里坐着的人都定睛看他，见他的面貌好像天使的面貌。
信息分享
司提反第一个被选出，一点儿也不令人惊讶。任何一间教会若有一个像司提反的信徒，都必然大大感恩。司提反一定是个不同寻常的人，他不仅尽责地履行执事的工作，且热心传扬福音，勇敢无惧地向人见证基督。
从故事的发展看来，在被选出的七位执事中，神至少要使用其中两人——司提反和腓利——作更重要的工作。至于其余五个人，我们只能留待将来在天家细问了。
司提反尝试向会堂的人传福音，他们却拒绝接受，而且还将他捉拿到公会——犹太人的最高法院——受审。就是曾经将基督定罪的公会。
今天的经文描述非常细腻，第15节形容司提反的面貌，好像天使的面貌。公会里的人不断诬陷他，但他的面容却洋溢着生命与爱，并基督内住的喜乐。
司提反的申辩信息涵盖第七章，结尾是他因基督的缘故被人用石头打死。他是基督教史上第一位殉道者。他死前说出的最后一句话，却是一句宽恕的话：「主啊，不要将这罪归于他们。」正如有人说过：「被逼迫的圣徒，比生活顺遂的圣徒更加宽宏大量。」
经文说他睡了。多么美丽的笔法描写这暴力下的死亡！正切合了司提反灵魂的安息，也合乎初期教会对死亡的看法。
当天还有一个人在场。司提反死前所说的话，正好被站在附近的那位年轻人扫罗听进耳中。当时对基督教满怀敌意的扫罗，一直未能忘记当日看见的情景。不久之后，他终于认识了复活的基督，而且，还将自己的生命奉献给司提反所认识并深爱的同一位救主。
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.