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司提反被称为“大有信心、圣灵充满的人”，（参徒 6:5）他是被初期教会拣选出来、协助供应众人食物和其他需要的一位领袖。司提反也被形容为“满得恩惠能力”，他“以智慧和圣灵说话，”反对初期教会的犹太宗教领袖们都“抵挡不住”他的论辩。（参徒 6:8、10）

那些领袖们憎恨司提反到了一个地步，以致他们捉拿了他，控告他有罪。当被人审问他被控的罪名时，司提反详尽地陈述，尽管以色列民时常都不忠心，信实的神如何在历史中仍然藉着祂的先知来作工。神甚至差遣祂的儿子耶稣，成为那义者弥赛亚，然而，正是这些领袖们，把祂杀害了。（参徒 7:1-35）

司提反说完这番话，宗教领袖们就极其恼怒，他们把他推到城外，用石头打死；但司提反却举目望天，看见耶稣在天上，他这样说道：“求主耶稣接收我的灵魂。”随后他又祈求：“主啊，不要将这罪归于他们。”

司提反因着对耶稣的信心而罹难死亡。他虽然被杀，但他立下的榜样却感动了很多人起来为基督发言，也为基督而活。藉着圣灵的能力和智慧，主已经建立了祂的教会去影响世界，服侍众人，好使她能在今天向世人传讲同一个信息，就是神爱世人，并施行拯救的信息。

Stephen was known "as a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5). He was one of the first leaders chosen in the early church to help with providing food and other needs for others. Stephen is also described as "a man full of God's grace and power," and the religious leaders who opposed the early church "could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke" (Acts 6:8, 10).

Those leaders hated Stephen so much that they had him arrested and put on trial. Then, when he was asked about the charges against him, Stephen gave a long speech about God's faithful work in history through his prophets, even though the people of Israel were often unfaithful. God even sent his Son, Jesus, to be the Righteous One, the Messiah, but these very leaders had murdered him (Acts 7:1-53).

When Stephen said that, the religious leaders became furious, and they dragged him out to stone him to death. But Stephen looked up and saw Jesus in heaven, and he said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he asked, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

Stephen suffered and died for his faith in Jesus. And although he was killed, his example inspired many others to speak out and live for Christ. And by the power and wisdom of the Spirit, the Lord has built his church to reach out and serve people so that it brings the same saving message of God's love to the world today.