Stephen's Crown

In Acts 7:58, one man among Stephen's persecutors is prominently named: Saul (of Tarsus). Saul would later on become the 13th Apostle. But before looking into that, let's take first take a look at the dark side of Stephen's Persecutor.

Saul was born in Tarsus in Cilicia around A.D. 1–5 in a province in the southeastern corner of modern day Tersous, Turkey. He was of Benjaminite lineage and Hebrew ancestry. His parents were Pharisees—fervent Jewish nationalists who adhered strictly to the Law of Moses—who sought to protect their children from “contamination” from the Gentiles. Anything Greek was despised in Saul’s household, yet he could speak Greek and passable Latin. His household spoke Aramaic, a derivative of Hebrew, which was the official language of Judea. Saul’s family were Roman citizens but viewed Jerusalem as a truly sacred and holy city.

Acts 7 records the preaching of Deacon Stephen. In this chapter, Stephen reminds the Jews of their faithful patriarch, Abraham, and how God had led him from a pagan land into the land of Israel, where He made a covenant with him that was still in effect. He preached of the journey of his people, through Joseph’s sojourn in Egypt to their deliverance by Moses 400 years later. He brought to mind how Moses had met God in the wilderness of Midian in a burning bush, and Deacon Stephen explained how God had empowered Moses to lead His people from idolatry and slavery to freedom and times of refreshing in the Promised Land. Throughout Deacon Stephen's preaching, he repeatedly reminded the Jews of their continual rebellion and idolatry, in spite of the mighty works of God to which they were eyewitnesses. Instead of returning to God, the Jews, who were blinded by their arrogance, got so irritated to the point where they were now accusing Deacon Stephen of blasphemy.

There have been faithful Christians whose love for and commitment to the Lord make their light shine through so greatly that others around them take notice--Stephen was such a man. Nothing is known about Stephen’s personal life. Nothing about his parents nor and if he had any siblings, wife, or children; however, what is known about him is what is truly important. Acts 6:5 introduces Stephen as "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit." He was the first deacon to be chosen by the twelve Apostles because he was faithful, even when faced with certain death.