Saint Stephen came from Jews who lived abroad, i.e. outside the Holy Land. Such Jews were called Hellenists, as they were influenced by the Greek culture that dominated the Roman Empire. After the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, the Church began to grow rapidly, and it became necessary to take care of orphans, widows, and the poor in general who had been baptized. The apostles suggested that Christians allocate seven worthy husbands to take care of those in need. Having ordained these seven people as deacons (which means assistants, ministers), the apostles made them their closest assistants. Among the deacons, the young Stephen, called archdeacon, i.e. the first deacon, stood out for his strong faith and gift of speech. Soon, deacons, in addition to helping the poor, began to take an active part in prayers and divine services.
Stephen preached the word of God in Jerusalem, confirming the truth of his words with signs and wonders. His success was very great, and this aroused against him the hatred of the zealots of the law of Moses, the Pharisees. They seized him and dragged him to the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court. Here the Pharisees presented false witnesses who claimed that he insulted God and the prophet Moses in his sermons. In his defense, St. Stephen presented the history of the Jewish people before the Sanhedrin, showing by vivid examples how Jews always resisted God and killed the prophets sent by Him. The members of the Sanhedrin, listening to him, became increasingly angry.
At that time, Stephen saw the sky open above him, and he exclaimed, "I see the heavens open, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56). When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were greatly enraged. Covering their ears, they rushed at Stefan and dragged him out of the city. Here, as the law commanded, the witnesses, who were the first to accuse Stephen, were the first to stone him. There was a young man named Saul who was charged with guarding the clothes of the stoners. He approved of Stefan's murder. Falling under a hail of stones, Stephen exclaimed: "Lord Jesus! Do not impute this sin to them, and receive my spirit." This event and Stephen's speech at the Sanhedrin were described by the evangelist Luke in the book of Acts, chapters 6-8.
This is how Archdeacon Stephen became the first martyr for Christ in 34 A.D. After that, the persecution of Christians began in Jerusalem, from which they were forced to flee to different parts of the Holy Land and neighboring countries. This is how the Christian faith began to spread in different parts of the Roman Empire. The blood of the First Martyr Stephen was not shed in vain. Soon, Saul, who approved of this murder, believed, was baptized, and became the famous Paul, one of the most successful preachers of the gospel. Many years later, Paul, visiting Jerusalem, was also captured by an angry crowd of Jews who wanted to stone him. In his conversation with them, he recalled Stephen's innocent death and his involvement in it (Acts 22).
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The transfer of the relics of the holy First Martyr Archdeacon Stephen from Jerusalem to Constantinople took place around the year 428. After the holy First Martyr Archdeacon Stephen was stoned by the Jews, his holy body was thrown without burial to be devoured by animals and birds. However, on the second night, the famous Jewish law teacher Gamaliel, who began to lean towards faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah and defended the apostles in the Sanhedrin (Acts 1:16).5:34-40), sent people devoted to him to take the body of the first martyr. Gamaliel buried him in his own land, in a cave near Jerusalem. When the secret disciple of the Lord, Nicodemus, who came to Him at night, died (Jn.3:1-21,7:50-52,19:38-42), Gamaliel also buried him near the tomb of Archdeacon Stephen. Then Gamaliel himself, who received Holy Baptism together with his son Aviv, was buried at the tomb of the First Martyr Stephen and St. Nicodemus. In 415, the relics of the saints were miraculously found and solemnly transferred to Jerusalem by Archbishop John, along with Bishops Eleutherius of Sebaste and Eleutherius of Jericho. From that time on, healings began to be performed from the relics.
Subsequently, under Saint Theodosius the Younger (408-450), the relics of the Holy First Martyr Stephen were transported from Jerusalem to Constantinople and placed in the church in honor of Saint Lawrence the Deacon, and after the creation of the church in honor of the First Martyr Stephen, they were transferred there on August 2. The right hand of the First Martyr is kept in the Serapion Chamber of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.