The First Christian Martyr

When Stephen turned from preaching to application, undoubtedly his aim was to bring his accusers to awareness of their sins and to repentance. It turns out that the word Stephen preached provoked rage in their hearts rather than repentance and they took up stones for execution. As Stephen faced down the audience and the prospect of his own mortality, he looked up to heaven and gained strength from Christ at the right hand and thus committed his soul to the Lord and sought forgiveness for his murderers.