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Summary
- Etienne is in the Bible. It is the French form of Stephen, from the Greek Stephanos — the woven victor’s wreath, not a king’s crown.
- Stephen appears first as an administrator, one of seven appointed to oversee the daily food distribution to widows (Acts 6:5). That is not what he is remembered for.
- Acts 7 is the longest speech in the book, and for most of its length it is a history lesson — until he turns and applies it.
- As he is killed he says “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60), and Luke adds that Saul approved of the killing (Acts 8:1).
- The first person to die for the faith was called Crown, and the New Testament keeps comparing the perishable wreath with the crown of life (Revelation 2:10; James 1:12).
Bibliography (Click to show)
Sources: Behind the Name entries for Etienne and Stephen (Greek Stephanos, “crown, wreath”); Scripture quotations from the NIV via BibleGateway (Acts 6:1-10; 7:1-60; 8:1; Revelation 2:10; James 1:12; Luke 23:34).
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