Stephen’s story reminds us of the challenges of discipleship, things we often tend to forget or ignore. It shows us that we are called to testify in all things and through all things to God’s love. It also reminds us to not forget that Christ was crucified for speaking truth to love and grace, and as his disciples, we cannot expect different treatment.
May 18, 2025
Fifty Days of Easter
“Stephen’s Witness”
Acts 6:1 – 7:2a, 44-60
Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl
Acts 6:1 – 7:2a, 44-60
Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Therefore, brothers and sisters, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert of Antioch. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. 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), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. They set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops saying things 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 that Moses handed on to us.” And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Then the high priest asked him, “Are these things so?” And Stephen replied: Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,…
“Our ancestors had the tent of testimony in the wilderness, as God directed when he spoke to Moses, ordering him to make it according to the pattern he had seen. Our ancestors in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the peoples whom God drove out before our ancestors. And it was there until the time of David, who found favor with God and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands; as the prophet says, ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of 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 are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. You are the ones who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it.” When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.
Stephen’s Witness Acts 6:1 – 7:2a, 44-60
This Sunday, we shift from the immediate post Easter stories to the stories of the early church. If we remember, at the beginning of the book of Acts, the author tells us that: After his suffering, meaning Jesus, he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” These verses are followed by the story of Jesus ascending into heaven.
The next big event in the Book of Acts timeline is Pentecost which is 50 days after Easter. Again, if we remember from the beginning of the books of Acts, we are told that on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes and fills the disciples, almost as if there are tongues of fire upon them. After this, Peter gives an awe-inspiring speech and the Church is born. With the help of the Holy Spirit, it is now up to the disciples to begin the work of forming the Body of Christ here on Earth through the organization known as THE CHURCH.
The author of Acts tells us that all of this happened in Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 in just a matter of days and weeks. Just think about that…in a short span of time, the disciples have experienced Holy Week, Easter, Jesus’ ascension and the gift of the Holy Spirit. They have seen it all. They have done it all. In this short span of time, at the beginning of the Books of Acts, there is such hope. There is such an inspiring vision for this organization known as the Church. In this short span of time, everything seems to be working out for the disciples and for the new followers of Jesus Christ. And yet, by Chapter 6, which is not quite a 3-month span since Easter morning, not a really long period of time when we think of it, we see and we read that the Church is already struggling.
In this short span of time since Easter morning, we see and we read that this church is “contentious, overwhelmed, and confronting great loss.” It is also an organization which is making up the rules as it goes. And what do we humans do in situations like that? We call in reinforcements! And that is exactly what the twelve disciples did. They realized that they could not do everything, and that they needed help! They call together this group of people who are invited to help serve, to literally wait on tables. (This is where we get our word for deacon). The disciples call in reinforcements to handle the busyness of the church, you know waiting on tables, feeding the masses, being God’s hands and hearts in this world while they handle the business of the Church…spreading the word of God. All of this sounds like a sound plan…except we jump from the busyness and business of the Church to later discovering that a person in this group, Stephen, becomes the church’s first martyr. So how do we go from serving tables to martyrdom?
Well, first and foremost, it’s unfortunate that all we really remember Stephen by is the fact that he was the Church’s first martyr when in reality, he is so much more than that. His witness changed the trajectory of the Church’s mission and identity. His witness framed the story of the people of God, joining together what God had done in the past and inviting people to open themselves up to what God was doing in their midst in that moment. Stephen’s witness invites us as people of faith to dream and imagine what God can do, what God will do when God draws us together in community.
Stephen’s witness comes to us in the form of his speech which he gives to the council in Chapter 7. And we should notice that his speech to the council takes up a whole chapter in the Book of Acts. Even the stories of Jesus’ Ascension and the Day of Pentecost do not have as much space within the Book of Acts. They are limited to about 10 verses each. But Stephen’s witness is over 50 verses. And as you have heard me say on more than one occasion, if something is getting a lot of attention within our sacred story, we as people of faith need to pay attention to what is happening and should probably take notes.
In Stephen’s witness, he lays out this vision of how God has been at work in the world, how God continues to be at work in this world, and how God is calling us to embrace the open possibilities of new life which are all around the people of God. Stephen’s witness reminds us that how God spreads the Gospel message is beyond our control, meaning we don’t get to pick and choose where God will and does bring healing and wholeness. What does happen is that as people of faith, as the Church, we are invited to use our gifts, our times and talents to build up the Beloved Community in our midst, and that most of the time, okay… all the time, this invitation to be the people of God moves us beyond the limitations and labels others put upon us.
This is what we miss when we only focus on Stephen’s death, when we only focus on Stephen being the first martyr. We miss his great witness. You see, Stephen’s greatest witness was not just shared in front of the council that day. It also was shared with the person known as Saul who would later become known as the apostle Paul. Saul was there when Stephen spoke, when he was stoned. In fact, he was holding everyone’s coats. And yes, after the stoning, Saul started a campaign to persecute the new Church. But we know…we know in another short period of time, just three chapters later, something changes for Saul. He experiences the Risen Christ, and he was transformed into the apostle Paul.
You see, it was Stephen’s witness which planted the seeds in Saul/Paul’s heart, seeds which the Risen Christ transformed into a love for all of God’s people, seeds which grew and fueled Paul’s ministry for years to come. Stephen’s great witness, beyond his death, beyond the fact that he was the church’s first martyr is that for all time, Stephen’s witness stands as a reminder to us as people of faith that we never know how our words of love and grace, how our testimonies of faith, how our gifts when used to build up the Beloved Community in our midst, do and will bring about change, not only for ourselves but for all of God’s people.
Stephen’s great witness is a call not to remember him for his death. But to remember him for his faith, for his testimony, fo his love of God which came through in all he said and did during his ministry as one who was invited to serve. Like Stephen, we are called to be witnesses here and now to how God’s Spirit is moving in and among, bringing healing and wholeness for all of God’s people. Like Stephen, we are called to be witnesses by planting seeds of hope and love, seeds which the Risen Christ will transform into a love of God for the people of God, seeds which will fuel our ministry and mission as the Church, as people of faith for years to come. May it be so. Amen.
See also: Theology Tuesday for Sunday, May 18, 2025 – Stephen’s Witness Acts 6:1 – 7:2a, 44-60.
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