Stephen: Witness Unto Death (Evangelism)

Sermon Recap: Stephen’s martyrdom and Jesus’ words, “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” are not opposites but interpretations of each other: Stephen’s death reveals a life already rooted in Christ. Even in suffering, he participates in God’s life, showing that the “dwelling place” Jesus promises is not just future hope but present communion. To follow Christ, then, is not mainly about dramatic sacrifice but about witness—a life shaped by truth, forgiveness, and self-giving love. Over time, that quiet, costly faith becomes its own kind of martyrdom, as Christ’s life takes root in us and is made visible through us.

Read/listen to the original sermon here.

(Given 5-3-26, St. Augustine's Church, Kingston, RI)

Saint Stephen, Luis de Morales (16th cent.)

Understandably, the "E-word" (evangelism) has become a bit loaded in some circles — both Christian and secular – over the the past century or so. You need look no further than the easy association of the term with people standing on street corners wearing signs about hell, damnation, and the end times. Or, maybe a bit tamer is the association with folks who knock on doors or distribute pamphlets on college campuses. Regardless of how well-intentioned this act of faith may or may not be, intention is most certainly worth noting when weighing evangelization work.

At its root, evangelism simply means "to share good news" (Greek euángelos = bringing good news). Perhaps interesting also, this root is also shared with the term angel (Greek angelos = messenger). So, how on earth did get we get from something that an angel does to the likes of Westboro Baptist Church "evangelizing" outside the funerals of veterans and children?

Saint Stephen (referenced in the sermon above) who is most notably known as the protomartyr (first martyr found in scripture) is perhaps also a useful touchpoint for what it means to be a faithful evangelist – or at minimum a better-intended one. His death came at the hands of the Jewish religious leadership after he witnessed to the truth of Jesus fulfilling the Law of Moses. During his stoning he prayed that his executioners not have their sins held against them, granting them forgiveness well in advance of any apology. Or — in other words — Stephen's witness was born solely from the deep belief in the Good News he had already deeply come to know for himself. His evangelism that would ultimately end in martyrdom was carried out solely to share truth, and freedom, and peace that he already possessed.

What I don't believe Stephen was doing was trying to "win souls for God" the way that we often see on street corners and via more manipulative, pushy tactics employed by some Christian groups. The Good News is by nature indeed meant to be shared; that's why it's news. But if the sharing of that news is not primarily from a place of personal witness to the Gospel's saving power (i.e. what it has done for you), then I fear it might not be so good after all.

Stephen's witness unto his death shows us the ultimate form of evangelism. Selfless and self-giving, trusting in the power of God to the saving work that we — who have also come to believe — are invited into.