The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-08-24
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
The First Christian Martyr-Acts 7:54-eOl
S:1-4-August 20, 1893.


charge.-Acts 700
CENTRAL TRUTH.-They that bear the cross
shall wear the crown.
The section OF history extends over chapters |
6, 7, and STA, all which should be read in order
to understand rightly this lesson.
TIME.-Somewhere between the autumn Of
A ID. 80 and the summer OF A. d. 81. Probably
May A. ID. 81, about Pentecost
HELPS OVER HARD PLACEs-a. "Cut to the
heart" the original means sawed asunder.
They were intensely enraged. IS. "Saw the
glory OF Cod" in his own future home, and
Gods goodness amid all the evil around him
Jesus standing" not sitting, as usually repre-
sented but standing, as II rising to help defend
and welcome Stephen. So "Behold, see, " etc.
this is exactly what Jesus had foretold TO this
same Sanhedrim few years before. 81.
stepped their ears" as II unwilling to hear
such things. S. Cast him out of the city" they
were forbidden to have executions within the
city. The place was in the valley OF Jehosha-
phat, close under the temple walls, at the foot
of the Mount OF Olives. 1.-THE witnesses" the
false witnesses. (Acts g. II, 13) They were
obliged TO cast the first stone (Deut II: 9, ~
young mans Saul" afterwards Paul the
apostle. He was probably thirty-four or thirty
five years old at this time. 80. Sailing upon
Cod" God" is in italics showing that il is moi
In the original. He called upon the Lord Jesus
l. saul was conseuting:" by his vote, and by
aiding the execution. Except the apostles"
why did these remain? 0) because Of their
greater steadfastness." (2) They were the
leaders, the organizers of the church; their
place the headquarters Of all the disciples. II
was not fitting that they should flee, Their
steadfastness would strengthen the believers
everywhere. Their fleeing would almost break
up the church. They must remain at every
cost But (3) 1t is probable that they were per
mitted by the authorities to remain because
they had not yet proclaimed the truth that Ste.
phen emphasized, rs to the passing away of the
"customs of Moses" 2 ''Devout men," Jews,
not Christians, who thus protested against the
murder. g. "Haling:'' i. e., hauling, dragging
forth.
LESSON NOTES.
The storm had been steadily gather
ing around the disciples, and at last it
broke with great violence. The direct
occasion of this was the wonderful
power that God gave to Stephen both
in speech and in the working of mira
cles. This aroused the bitter rage Of
their enemies, and they determined
| that sterner measures must be taken.
The result was that they tried Stephen
and condemned him to death. AS they
rushed on him to stone him to death, he
called on the Lord to receive his spirit,
and just before he died prayed that God
would not lay the sin of his murder to
their charge. So he passed away and
bore witness with his blood to the truth
of that which he had been teaching.
/ At that time another figure for the first
time energies from the background
namely, that Of a young man named
Saul. OF him we shall learn much more
before we are through with the Acts; but
now we see him first watching the murder
of Stephen, and then see him persecut
ing the poor Christians with all hi
might, making havoc of the church, ant
arresting men and women and putting
them into prison. The storm of perse
cution was now so severe that all the
disciples except the eleven were scat
tered abroad, leaving their homes ant
friends for the sake of the blessed Mas
ter: But wherever they went they die
not keep silence, but preached the
truth rs they knew it, though their do
ing so exposed them to many trials ant
much persecution.
| Now, there are two ways of looking
at Stephen. One is that in which thu
council looked at him, as dangeroul
man who was so bad that he deserved
to be killed as an cvil-doer. The othel
is the way in which God looked at him
Before He died the Master had said
"Blcsscd are they which are prosecuted
for righteousness sake" OF such ii,
said: Theirs is the kingdom o
Heaven" When the time came il
which they We're to be prosecuted thu
Master told them to rejoice and be ex
ceeding glad, for great is your reward
in Heaven" In the story of the deatl
of Stephen we see the partial fulfill
mcnt of these words of the Lord. For
MS he died. God gave him an especia
Vision into the other world, and ther,
he saw Jesus standing on the RICH
hand of God. This was to him a com
fort and joy, so that / do not believe
that he in any way feared to die. IL
this way God especially honored Hi
servant and gave him the first view o
Jesus that anyone on earth had hat
since His ascension. Mr.. Moody ever
thinks that he saw Jesus standing n
Gods right hand, as though He has
risen to welcome the first man who hat
the courage to die for His names sake
This may we'll be the case.
There is much evidence in the Bib
that God honors those whom the worl
dishonors; who for His names SAX
, pass through much tribulation. For il
! the Epistle to the Hebrews, we have al
honor roll of the worlds great men a
they appear to those on the other sid
of the veil which separates us from tn
other world; and in that list is not on
of those men whom we are taught t
, call great. | look there in vain fo
Nebuchadnezzar or for any of tn
Pharaohs nor do find the name of Be
, shaz2ar. nor of Alexander the Great, nor
, indeed, that of any of earth's goddess SOY
ereigns or generals. These are a
. passed by, and find the names of som
who during their lifetime were littl
, | thought of. There is Abel, and Noaf
, at whom men laughed and called hir
, foolish. There | find Abraham an
Joseph, whom they once put in prison
and the name of Moses, and of Rahal
Such are the names of Gods honor rol
And | doubt not on that roll are tn
names of stephen and Peter, and a
: those who, through much tribulatior
Q have held steadfast to the faith. ie'
: the things that are highly esteeme
a among men are an abomination in tn
i sight OF God.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Cod transforms difficulties an