Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-02-28
Sunday School Lesson Notes.
BY REV. j. o. sHERBURN.


The present lesson brings into notice a
subject which has not been directly
involved in any of our previous lessons
The choice of church officers is a matter
of no little Importance to the church. 1t
is Just as important to her now as when
Stephen and his associates were chosen
for the work of administering upon the
charity of the infant church. The careful
ness and devoutness with which the early
disciples proceeded in this matter may
well be pattern for the church in all
time The idea. too. which led TO the
choosing of the seven, that of leaving the
minister at liberty to devote all his time
to the more particular work of his calling.
is one which should not be lost sight Of.
There is no we'll fixed decision among
Bible students as to the time Of the events
recorded in this lesson. Some are dis
posed to put it some years after the day OF
Pentecost, or,he beginning Of the apostolic
ministry, while others connect it immedi.
atcly with what has gone before, and put
it in the first year after the crucifixion.
see nothing to render the latter position
untenable, unless it be that the number Of
the disciples appears to have become
larger than we would suppose possible
for so short time; and even this supposed
objection fails in a moment, when we
think of the numbers who were connected
with the church iu the very few days after
Pentecost.
In the state of matters then, while the
church was new institution, and many
might be led to join it simply because of
the known plan of providing for the
necessities of all members, it would be no
little care and perplexity to provide for
even few hundred widows. Whether
there was any ground for the complaint
of these foreign Jews. called Grecians in
the text, we can only guess. 1t would be
most natural thing that those who gave
the funds for the support of these destitute
ones should desire TO see those with whom
they were best acquainted first supplied,
and hence the poor who were resident in
and about Jerusalem may have received
n more liberal share than those who were
in some sense transient there. Again it
is only natural that complaint should
have been made where there was no
ground for it. The leaders in the church
appear to have thought that the matter
was not under sufficient oversight, had no
real head, and hence the suggestion of
special officers who should have the whole
matter in charge. A general council of
the laty was called, and by some plan,
we are not informed whether by lot or
by vote, seven men were chosen or
recommended to the apostles to have
charge of this particular business. 1t does
not appear that other temporalities of the
church were then given into their hands
though it is natural that, as they were
chosen to relieve the apostles, they should
soon be called to attend to other work not
made theirs dstinctvely in their first
appointment.
The character of the men to be chosen,
according to the injunction ofthe apostles,
is worthy of notice, and should be taken
into account in all like appointments.
"Men of honest report" good name, full
of the Holy Ghost and wisdom" Such
men are worthy to fill any place, and will
be good church officers or civil officers
anywhere.
1t is said by those who have made
careful study of the matter that the names
of these seven indicate that they were all
Grecians, or Jews of other countries, save
two, indeed the names are all Greek.
There was evidently no bitter party feeling
among the believers at that time; nor can
there ever be. though wrongs may appear
to exist, where men are filed with the
holy spirit. These men, recommended by
their brethren, were formally set apart to
their office by the apostles. II is said that
the ceremony of laying on of hands was
known for q long time before among the
Jews, but had largely fallen out of use at
this time. The plan appears to have been
a helpful one, for from the 7th verse we
learn that there was larger prosperity
thereafter, and class was reached which
before had been almost entirely hostile to
the new faith. The priests began to
believe. The gifts promised to the apostles
were not withheld from some of those
thus appointed to the under Office of
deacons. Great miracles were wrought
by Stephen under the power of the holy
ghost. The same will be true of any man
thus empowered. Moreover it is just about
as certain that opposition will arise where
men are filled with the holy spirit. Such
was the result then. The foreign Jews,
of different synagogues, entered into a
debate with Stephen. The subject of
dispute is not mentioned, but it was
doubtless some of the leading doctrines of
the Christians. Whatever the subject may
have been they could not Withstand the
wisdom and spirit with which Stephen
spake, hence as was natural they became
enraged and sought to compass his death.
With false witnesses whom they hired. or
at least brought forward in dishonorable
way. they made out a case against him |;
charging that he had been guilty of
blasphemy. The ground of the charge
was that they had heard him say that
Jesus of Nazareth would destroy the
temple and holy city, (this place) and
change the customs delivered them by
Moses We are not told whether such
statements had really been made by
Stephen, but something like this he had
doubtless said; but no honest tribunal
would ever have made out case of
blasphemy under such testimony. But In
this case as in the trial Of the Master
prejudice and hatred to the truth overbore
justice. But in the midst of men who had
the spirit of fiends in them, his face was