Stay until the end, because what Saul did to Stephen was not only shocking… it also marked the beginning of the story of the man we would later know as Paul.
Jerusalem was full of movement. People going in and out of the temple, merchants in the streets, religious debates on every corner. But in the middle of all that noise… something new was happening.
A group of men and women were talking about a man named Jesus.
They said He had died… but also that He had risen.
And among them, there was someone who was starting to stand out.
His name was Stephen.
He was not an apostle. He did not walk with Jesus like Peter or John. He was one of the seven chosen to serve the community… but there was something about him that could not be ignored.
The Bible says he was “full of grace and power.”
And it showed.
He helped those in need, served with humility, and when he spoke… his words were not ordinary.
One day, while he was serving, someone watching him said quietly:
—This man doesn’t speak like the others…
Stephen, without seeking attention, simply responded:
—I only speak what God has placed in my heart.
But not everyone was happy about that.
Some men from the synagogue began to argue with him. They were educated, they knew the law… but they could not withstand the wisdom he spoke with.
That frustrated them.
And when they could not defeat him with words… they decided to attack him another way.
They brought false witnesses.
—This man speaks against the temple and against the law —they said—. We have heard him say things against Moses and against God.
And they brought him before the council… the Sanhedrin.
There stood Stephen.
Surrounded by the most important leaders of the people.
And even so… he did not look afraid.
The Bible says something striking:
“All who were sitting there saw his face like the face of an angel.”
The high priest asked him:
—Are these things so?
Stephen could have defended himself. He could have avoided trouble. He could have softened what he believed.
But he chose to tell the truth.
And he began to speak…
Not with anger, but with clarity.
He recalled the history of his people: Abraham, Joseph, Moses… how God had always guided, spoken, and called.
But also how the people, again and again, had resisted God.
And then, firmly, he said:
—You stiff-necked people… you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
The atmosphere broke.
It was no longer a discussion.
It was anger.
Rejection.
Fury.
But at that moment… something completely different was happening inside Stephen.
The Bible says that, full of the Holy Spirit, he looked up to heaven…
And saw the glory of God.
And Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father.
And he said:
—I see heaven open… and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!
That was too much.
They covered their ears.
They shouted.
And together they rushed at him.
They dragged him out of the city.
And began to stone him.
The witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
And Saul… approved of his death.
The stones kept falling.
Hard blows.
Without mercy.
But Stephen did not respond like anyone else would.
He did not shout in hatred.
He did not curse.
He did not ask for revenge.
In the middle of the pain, he did something only someone filled with God can do.
—Lord Jesus… receive my spirit.
Then, falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice:
—Lord… do not hold this sin against them.
And so… he fell asleep.
That was the end of his life.
But not his impact.
Because that day, while everyone saw the end of one man…
God was already working in the heart of another.
Saul.
The same one who approved what was happening.
The same one who watched over the garments of those throwing the stones.
The same one who would later persecute the church.
But also…
the same one who would one day encounter Jesus.
And would be known as Paul.
Sometimes we think our lives don’t make a difference.
That what we do… goes unnoticed.
But Stephen’s story shows something deeper.
That a faithful life… can plant something others don’t even understand at the moment.
And that God can use even the hardest moments…
to begin new stories.
Let me leave you with this reflection…
What would happen if instead of reacting like everyone else… we started living like Stephen?
Firm.
Full of truth.
And with a heart capable of forgiving… even when it hurts.
If you’d like, join me in this prayer…
Lord, help me to have a firm heart like Stephen’s.
Give me courage to speak the truth, even when it’s not easy.
Teach me to forgive even when I’m hurt.
And let my life reflect what You have done in me.
Amen.
In Somos Cristianos, we connect hearts with Christ.
