THE FIRST MARTYR of Christianity is Christ himself, Jesus, who died on the cross at Calvary on a hill visible at the Holy City, and also metaphorically on a promontory high above all the geographical landscape of the earth overlooking the sea of mankind. The first martyr of the Christian church is Steven, the first-named of the seven deacons established by the Apostles (Acts 6:5) and affirmed by the nascent church. Deacons are not named in Paul’s description of Christ’s designation of the leadership roles in the church. “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service.” (Eph. 4:11-12) Instead, they are a revelation from the first Apostles. (cf. Acts 6:2-6)
No sooner is Steven named in the Book of Acts than is his story of suffering for his faith set as an example for all who follow Christ to consider. A group of Jews from the Synagogue of the Freedmen cannot contend against Stephen’s arguments in favor of Jesus as Messiah. “They could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke. Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, ‘We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.’” (Acts 6:10:11)
Stephen is brought before the Sanhedrin council to face charges of heresy, where he gives a lengthy and impassioned interpretation of the scriptures across the history of the Jews from Abraham to this moment, ending with this indictment: “You stiff-necked people! You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” (Acts 7:51-53) The immediate result of this is Stephen’s execution for heresy; he is stoned to death, but not before two things of note. First, he is faithful to the Lord to the very end. “Look,” he says, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” And the immediate response of the assembled crowd follows: “They covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.” (Acts 7:56-58)
A second thing of note seems almost an afterthought, but it has both immediate and future eschatological portent for the young church of this new and strange religion. “And Saul approved of their killing him.” (Acts 8:1) Next in the powerful flow of events in the Book of Acts, this last statement introduces a significant movement of the Holy Spirit.
Immediately, Saul of Tarsus becomes a major figure in the development of the church of Jesus Christ, first in a very ominous way. We will leave the rest of his story for later, when he so miraculously becomes a follower of Jesus. Here, scripture says, “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.” (Acts 8:1-3) Just this suddenly, the followers of Jesus went from being curiosities and outcasts with strange thoughts and beliefs, to hunted heretics existing outside of approved societal and religious and cultural norms, deemed and approved as rightfully subject to imprisonment and death. Christians became an enemy of the state and all that was normal and decent. It became very dangerous to be a follower of Jesus.
The story then gains a new direction in the force of momentum. No longer does the previous story told by the gospels continue towards a center in Jerusalem. Instead, exactly what Jesus had foretold begins. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) God drew the conclusion of the Covenant of the Law to a close with the revelation of the resurrection, and the Covenant of Love begins, strangely, with torture and murder. Redemption, grace, and mercy are born in the cauldron of fury and hatred. And against odds that seem impossible, faith withstands an all-out assault, not just by the religious and cultural powers of the Jewish theocracy, but more so by the powers and principalities of the god of the darkened world, Satan. Not Saul, but the same man transformed into Paul, will later say “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Cor. 4:4)
Immediately, the response by these early Christians to the all-out persecution of the church becomes the visceral spiritual force that propels the gospel story of Jesus out into the surrounding cultures and countries. This good news for all mankind becomes, reminiscent of Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seed, the planting of the crop of the kingdom of heaven. “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.” (Acts 8:4)
With the advantage of historical perspective and objectivity, we see these harried outcasts, running from persecution, literally running for their lives, spreading in all directions out from Jerusalem. They flee north to Lebanon and Syria, south to Moab and Egypt, east to Assyria and Babylon, and north to Alexandria, Greece, and Turkey. And with them, they take the incredible story of the good news of Jesus Christ wherever they go.
Here, as that great initial persecution breaks out, we are told of the first expansion of the gospel. It is through the second-named deacon of the early church. “Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:5-9) The gospel is no longer held to a story centered in Jerusalem. It has broken out of that walled citadel, and gone past the borders of Judea. Now it has reached Samaria, the heretical half-brothers of Judaism, and is received there with joy. It is poised to spread to the ends of the earth.
What are we to make of this? How is it applicable to our times, and our lives? First, we note that in the pivotal event of the stoning of Stephen, it is not attributed to the spiritual leaders of the church, but to the servants of the church, who were first and foremost selected to be “men full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 6:5) This is not meant to detract from the church leaders, for they were also commissioned by Jesus and fully empowered by him. “He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” (John 20:22) They too would be persecuted.
Similarly, you and I are equally commissioned and empowered by, even as these heroes of the faith and martyrs of the early church. “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” (John 17:20-21) We are all called to the same evangelical mission, that is, to be bold proclaimers of the gospel.
Next, and this again from a historical perspective, we must consider the cost of discipleship. At all times in the history of the spread of Christianity, it has come into conflict with the surrounding cultures. In every age since the birth of the church of Jesus Christ, there have been martyrs who have given their lives unflinchingly for this greatest of all truths. It is true of our age as well; in fact, the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have seen the greatest death of martyrs. Perhaps we are blessed if we live in a first-world country, where such depth of persecution is rare—but, disturbingly, maybe this is not true. Consider C. S. Lewis’ statement, shortly after the end of WWII: *“Western evangelical Christianity has become the spoiled brat of Christianity.”
And finally, following these sobering thoughts, though this is not all, we must consider what price we have paid, are paying, and are willing to pay for this great good news that comes from the one who paid the price for all. If we are lulled to false comfort in our faith because the cost has been so low, is there then a consideration we must give to the value of our faith and our works? Jesus’ words may, and should, strike heavily at such complacency. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” (Matt. 16:24-25) To follow Jesus is to follow in the footsteps of the faithful who have gone before. Just as their testimony is witness to us, so our testimony must also be a witness.
Q. Have I paid any price to be a follower of Jesus?
*C. S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity” – 1952.