The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-02-27
fHH SUNDAY SCHOOL.


SOOkeo up BteaoI3StIy INTO k1e8veus ouo Nv
the glory Of God. and Jesus standing on
Sc And said. Behold. see the heavens
opened. and the Son Of man standing on the
right hand Of God.
81. Then they cried out with loud voice.
and stopped their ears, and ran upon him
with one accord,
e. And cast him out Of the city. and
stoned him: and the Witnesses laid down
their clothes at young mans test. whose
name was Saul.
50. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon
God. and saying. Lord Jesus. receive my
spirit.
Co And he kneeled down and cried with a
loud voice. Lord. lay not this sin to their
charge. And when he had said this, he Il II
asleep.
death. And at that time there was great
persecution against the church which was
at jerusalem: and they were all scattered
abroad throughout the regions Of Judaea
and Samaria. except the apostles.
z And devout men carried Stephen to his
burial. and made great lamentations over
him.
GOLDEN TEXT. Pray for them
which despitefully use you, and per-
! secute yOu.-Matt. 6s4A.
NOTES AND COMMENTS
Martyrdom.-A martyr, literally, is
witness, and, by historic force, a
witness who seals his testimony by
his blood. That there should be
martyrs for the Gospel was inev.
liable. Truth and error cannot come
into contact without conflict. The
secret Of persecution is hatred OF the
truth. Stephen revealed it when he
said to his malignant hearers: "Ye
do always resist the Holy Ghost"
". 51). We have in our lesson, then,
the contrast between one filed with
the Holy Spirit and those who were
resisting Him.
Stephens Defense.-The right to be
heard in ones own defense before
the Sanhedrin was complete and
carefully guarded. Even in the case
of Jesus it was freely accorded.
Jewish ideas, as expressed in the
laws for the procedure Of the San
hedrin in criminal cases, were almost,
il not quite, as strong in favor Of
giving the accused every opportunity
as are our own in America. In his
plea, Stephen reviewed the history
of the patriarchs and the early years
Of Israel, with the purpose of show
ing that the system of worship in the
temple might be changed. The Jews
believed in Gods revelation to Abra.
ham, Jacob. Joseph, Moses and
Joshua, none of whom ever had q
temple. As Gods worship had
changed from altar to tabernacle
and from tabernacle to temple, so II
might change again from temple to
spiritual worship. Verses $3.50 point
out the fact that Gods superiority &c
the temple was declared in Scripture
lis. 66:1. -. These words, however
seemed TO the Jews sacrilegious, q.
throwing contempt on the temple
and Stephen lost the sympathy ant
interest of his hearers when he vt
tered them.
Stoning of Stephen.-Such words
could only make the feeling Of thu
Jews more intense, and their hatred
showed itself by gesture. The hatred
was still further set aglow b!
Stephens bold announcement of hi
vision Of Jesus in glory. That vision
comforting as it was to the martyr
was to the Sanhedrin only greatel
and more atrocious blasphemy. Th'
situation was too tense for the dig
nifty of the Sanhedrin. Stopping thei
ears lest they hear still worse utter
ances, they themselves rushed upol
Stephen, not waiting for the guard
to remove him, and hustled him on
to the place of execution. Here tn
procedure became more orderly. /
was the law (Deut. 17:7), that whel
: anyone was stoned to death for falls
: worship, the witnesses against hin
should cast the first stones. The wit
nesses in this case prepared to &C
, by removing their outer garments
which they laid at the feet Of Saul
who thus appears first in the histOr.
Of which he soon becomes the cen
tral figure. Evidently he did not tax
any personal part in the stoning,
fact which is one Of the stronges
indications that he had attained t
! the dignity Of membership in th
Sanhedrin. His enthusiastic ses
would have led him to enjoy hurlin
! stones at the supposed blaspheme
: had his position permitted such az
ton. Stephens first prayer ". SO
proves how he kept the faith; hi
), second ". 6O) shows how Christlik
A his spirit was. This latter is exact
4 ly in the spirit of Jesus own word
a (Luke 23:34), while so utterly differ
ent in form as to be evidently no quo
tation, but a natural outburst of ger
uine feeling.
: Burial of Stephen.-Why the apo'
II ties could remain in Jerusalem Will
: others were driven away does not al
e pear. Perhaps they stayed from
), sense of duty and were especial
protected. Even so, they must hay
4 remained as much as possible out {
o sight. The phrase "devout men"
> used only of Jews. The fact as I
, Stephens burial proves that I'll
= =