Introduction
The Book of Acts, in general, shows the progression
of gospel from the Jewish Jews of Jerusalem into Judean countryside, then to
Samaritans, and to Hellenized Jews, proceed on to the Gentiles at Antioch, and
finally to the multiple cultures of Roman empire and beyond, the world.[1]
One can observe, “the progressive openness to foreigners” as Todd Penner has
puts it.[2]
It also reveals, opines T. Swami Raju, that the Apostles and the early
Christians showed positively an openness towards the non-Christians even in the
midst of bitter persecutions.[3]
According to Roger E. Hedlund, the
martyrdom of Stephen, the Hellenist deacon and evangelist was a key event for
the second stage of mission in the first century that entails witnessing in
‘all Judea and Samaria’.[4]
So, it becomes certain that the trend of ‘the faith and witness of the early
Christians in the Greco-Roman-Jewish worlds’, with the idea of ‘particularistic
universalism of the early Christians’ can be seen from ‘Stephen’s message and
Stephanite theology’ in Acts 7.
Stephen’s Message
Stephen is a Hellenistic Jews,
elected as one of the seven elders in the early Jerusalem church, to solve the
arising discontentment between Palestinian Jews and Hellenistic Jews (6:1-5).
He functions, in the Book of Acts, as the key representative figure for the very
significant Hellenistic Jewish elements in the primitive Jerusalem church.[5]
It was by the power of spirit that he confronted his fellow Hellenists who did
not believe in Jesus as Messiah. They, in turn, brought his activities to the
attention of wide audience, the Sanhedrin (6:11-15).
Stephen’s message is quite long, more likely a recapitulation of the history of
Israel from Abraham to Solomon. As was explicated by Allan J. McNicol,
The speech of Stephen in Acts 7:2-53 is presented as
Stephen’s defense of his position. It also functions, however, as a model of
early Christian apologetic to Hellenistic Judaism. The essential point is that
Israel has always been slow to accept a dramatic new activity of God in
fulfilling his promises. After the promises were given to Abraham, Israel
systematically rebelled against the call of its inspired leaders, and was too
prone to isolate the presence and activity of God to local places such as the
Temple, rather than see God in crucial historical events such as recent case of
Jesus’ exaltation in Jerusalem.[6]
This message angered Stephen’s
audience and he was stoned to death without proper judicial hearing before
either Jewish or Roman authorities.
Paul J. Achtemeier, Joel B. Green and Marianne Meye
Thompson categorized Acts 6:8-15:35 as ‘the expansion of mission beyond
Jerusalem’. Regarding Stephen’s episode, according to them,
Stephen’s retelling of selective Israel’s history
set forth the pattern of Israel’s rejection of God’s instrument down the
centuries. He charge on this basis that, failing to understand God’s purpose,
Jerusalem leadership has misconstrued the Scriptures and turned the temple into
a place of idolatry. Stephen’s death symbolizes the rejection of good news by
Jewish leadership in Jerusalem. However, at last, Jesus’ followers depart the
confines of the city. With him, we have the theological movement of mission
beyond Jerusalem, followed by Philip with the socio-geographical first steps.[7]
One
can see, that Stephen’s death and the subsequent scattering of his fellow
messianic Hellenist led to the mission of Philip in Samaria and elsewhere
(8:4-40) and ultimately to the wider mission spearheaded by Paul throughout the
eastern part of the Roman Empire. Although Stephen appears in only in this part
(ch. 7 & 8), but the author of Acts (Luke) was conscious of the immense
theological and historical significance of the early Hellenistic Jewish
Christians in Jerusalem, of whom Stephen is the exemplary figure.[8] His message and his death is
the key point of ‘particularistic universalism’ and ‘global missionary agenda’[9] that transcends racial
boundaries, bore the shadow of plurality and universality of the gospel.
Stephanite Theology
To say Stephanite theology, Lukan
theology is a must. The Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles are considered
as a single corpus. The author, Luke himself was a gentile doctor (cf. Col.
4:14). Luke’s account of the witness of Stephen is critical for the way it
provides the theological and causal underpinnings for the impending mission
beyond Jerusalem.[10]
Anyway, Lukan theology, from Luke-Acts can be summed up as salvation for all
regardless of wealth, social standing or race.[11]
The audiences of Luke were almost entirely Gentiles, opines Luke Timothy
Johnson.[12]
The theological significance can be pin-point as an apology of Christianity,
advocacy of Gentile mission and universality of salvation (Acts 1:8).
As said above, Stephanite theology
was central to Lukan theology. It can be taken as a critic to Jewish religion
that has become static and failed to move on towards the new temple, the body
of Christ. It is polemical to Jewish leaders for rejecting the prophets,
opposing the Holy Spirit and for crucifying Jesus. It is quite convincing to
say that Stephanite theology which we can deduce from his message was
universal, and focus beyond Jerusalem. It can also be said as a milestone or
the spark plug for gentile mission, the point of departure of Christianity from
the confined narrow region to the wider pluralistic world.
Stephen’s speech and death, as expounded
by John Stott, had threefold importance. Theologically, it paves the way for
the coming mission to the Gentiles. Personally, it leads into the conversion of
Paul who witnessed the stoning but became ‘Apostle of the Gentiles’.
Geographically, it sparks the expansion of the gospel from Jerusalem into the
wider world.[13] Stephanite
theology in the light of witnessing Christ in a pluralistic society may be
summarized as the expansion of gospel to all the nations.
Conclusion
Christianity was minority religion in
the context of Greco-Roman-Jewish worlds during the time of Stephen. They, the
Christians faced all sorts of oppression and viciousness from Roman ruler, and
from their Jewish counterparts. The early Christians, like Stephen, show their
faith and witness to the cause of Christ by challenging the unjust and rigid
socio-religious system. They did so, bravely, by making the message of Christ
universal to all human beings.
[1] Roger E. Hedlund, God and the Nations: A Biblical Theology of
Mission in the Asian Context (Delhi: ISPCK, 2002), 243.
[2] Todd Penner, In Praise of Christian Origin: Stephen and the Hellenists in Lucan
Historiography (New York: T & T Clark International, 2004), 176.
[3] T. Swami Raju, Christian Response to Plurality of Religion (Bangalore:
BTESSC/SATHRI, 2006), 23.
[4] Roger E. Hedlund, God and the Nations…, 244.
[5] Allan J.
McNicol, “Stephen”, in The Harper Collins
Bible Dictionary, Revised Edition, edited by Paul J. Achtemeier (Bangalore:
TPI, 2009), 1065.
[6] Allan J. McNicol, Stephen…, 1065.
[7] Paul J. Achtemeier, Joel B. Green and
Marianne Meye Thompson, Introducing the
New Testament: Its Literature and Theology (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001), 255.
[8] Allan J. McNicol, Stephen…, 1065.
[9] F. Scott
Spencer, Journeying through Acts: A
Literary-Cultural Reading (Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2004),
92.
[10] Paul J. Achtemeier, Joel B. Green and
Marianne Meye Thompson…, 255.
[11]
R. Alan Culpepper, “The Gospel of Luke”, in The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. IX, Luke-John (Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 1995), 25.
[12] Luke Timothy Johnson, The Writings of the New Testament: An
Interpretation (Bangalore: TPI, 2009), 219.
[13] John
Stott, Men with a Message-An Introduction
to the New Testament and its Writer (London: Evangelical Literature Trust,
1996), 63.
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