THE ARREST AND MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN
SUBJECT :
CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES
CLASS :
JSS 3 / BASIC 9
TERM :
FIRST TERM
WEEK :
Week 7
REFERENCE MATERIALS : .
- ONLINE MATERIALS
- SCHEME OF WORK
- TEXTBOOKS
- THE HOLY BIBLE
TOPIC:
THE ARREST AND MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN
PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE :
The pupils have previous knowledge of
OPPOSITION TO THE GOSPEL MESSAGE
BEHAVIOURAL OBJECTIVES : At the end of the lesson, the pupils should be able to
- Explain meaning of calling someone a martyr
- say the reasons for the martyr of Stephen
- list the significance of Stephen’s martyrdom to the early Church
CONTENT :
WEEK 7
DATE: ……………………………………………………
SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES
TOPIC: OPPOSITION TO THE GOSPEL MESSAGE (Part B)
THE ARREST AND MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN
BIBLICAL REFERENCES Acts 6: 8 – 17; 7: 1 – 60
CONTENT:
- The man Stephen
- The arrest of Stephen
- The defense of Stephen
- The martyrdom of Stephen
- Significance of Stephen’s martyrdom to the early Church
Sub-Topic 1: THE MAN STEPHEN
Stephen was a Jew of Greek descent. He was one of the seven deacons appointed by the apostles to help look after the poor and the needy in the Church. Stephen had the Holy Spirit in him, and soon he started preaching the gospel. The Holy Spirit gave Stephen the wisdom and understanding to successfully argue with the opponents of the Church. The success of Stephen got him into trouble with the enemies of the Church. They made false accusations against him saying that he spoke against Moses and God.
THE ARREST OF STEPHEN (ACTS 6: 8 – 15)
Stephen was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. Some worthless people were bribed to tell lies against him. Stephen was falsely charged with:
- Speaking blasphemous words against the temple and the law;
- Saying that Jesus of Nazareth would destroy the temple;
- Saying that Jesus would change the custom Moses gave them.
When Stephen was brought to the court, the judges saw his face as that of an angel. This means that his face looked innocent.
Sub-Topic 2: THE DEFENCE OF STEPHEN
In his defense Stephen outlined the history of the Jews from the call of Abraham to the establishment of the monarch (Kingdom). The outline of the defense is as follows:
- From the call of Abraham to the birth of the twelve patriarchs (the 12 sons of Jacob).
- The patriarchs’ stay in Egypt
- The birth and call of Moses
- The leadership of Moses
- The place of worshipping God
- Indictment of the Jews.
HOW STEPHEN INDICTED THE JEWS
Stephen indicted the Jews of always resisting the Holy Spirit, calling them disobedient people whose hearts were bent on evil and whose ears would not hear the word of God. Stephen said they that they were proud and uncircumcised in heart and ears.
False charges laid against Stephen in the Bible
1. A charge of blasphemy: Stephen was accused of blasphemy because he spoke against the Jewish leaders and claimed that Jesus was the Messiah (Acts 6:11-14).
2. A charge of teaching false doctrine: The Jews accused Stephen of teaching false doctrine because he preached about Jesus (Acts 6:11-14).
3. A charge of speaking against the Temple: The Jews accused Stephen of speaking against the Temple because he preached that Jesus would destroy it (Acts 6:11-14).
4. A charge of speaking against the law: The Jews accused Stephen of speaking against the law because he preached that Jesus was the fulfillment of the law (Acts 6:11-14).
THE MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN
When the Judges heard the indictment, they were so angry that they all rushed to him and knock him down. But as he looked up, he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. The judges expressed their total disgust, seized him, threw him out of the city and stoned. The murderers placed their garment at the feet of a young man called Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen was praying that God should not hold that sin against them. After that he prayed for himself that the Lord Jesus should receive his spirit. Then he fell asleep, that is, he died. By his death, Stephen became the first Christian to die for Jesus Christ. This made him the first Christian martyr.
SIGNIFICANCE OF STEPHEN’S MARTYRDOM TO THE EARLY CHURCH
- Stephen’s death led to a great led to a great persecution of the church in Jerusalem;
- It led to the church evangelization outside Jerusalem;
- Saul led the persecution of the church;
- Christians became aware that persecution was a part of their heritage.
The martyrdom of Stephen was significant to the early Church in several ways. First, it demonstrated the willingness of Christians to stand up for their beliefs, even in the face of death. This showed other Christians that they could also be brave in their faith, and gave them encouragement to persevere. Second, Stephen’s martyrdom was one of the first instances of persecution against Christians, and it served as a rallying point for the early Church. It showed them that they were willing to suffer for their beliefs, and this made them even more committed to their faith. Finally, Stephen’s martyrdom also showed the world that Christians were not afraid to die for their beliefs, and this made a powerful statement about the truth of the Christian message.
EVALUATION
- Who is Stephen?
- Why was Stephen arrested?
- Outline four false charges laid against Stephen.
- List the outline of Stephen’s defence.
- Who was the first Christian martyr?
- How did Stephen’s martyrdom impact the early Church?
- Why was Stephen’s death so significant to the development of Christianity?
- What role did Stephen’s martyrdom play in the spread of the gospel?
- How did Stephen’s example influence other Christians who faced persecution?
- What does Stephen’s martyrdom teach us about faithfulness to Christ?
WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT
Read about the early life of Paul.
——————————————————————————————————————————————
1. What were the false charges laid against Stephen in the Bible?
2. Why did the people bring these charges against him?
3. How did Stephen respond to the charges?
4. What happened to Stephen as a result of the false charges?
5. What can we learn from this story about how to deal with false accusations?
PRESENTATION
The topic is presented step by step
Step 1:
The class teacher revises the previous topics
Step 2.
He introduces the new topic
Step 3:
The class teacher allows the pupils to give their own examples and he corrects them when the needs arise
CONCLUSION :
The class teacher wraps up or conclude the lesson by giving out short note to summarize the topic that he or she has just taught.
The class teacher also goes round to make sure that the notes are well copied or well written. He or she does the necessary corrections when the need arises.
