The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-15

|. Peoples New Thought Church GIL Henne-
pin avenue)-Evening, Dr. William C.. Glib
bon, For Our God Is a Consuming Fire"
The Ideal Free Church (125 Nicollet ayenue)
Evening, w. Sidney Fertig, SIS the Belief
in spiritualism Practical?"
put no one under any personal obligations to
mon treasury and dispensed under the super
vision OF the apostles themselves. 1t would
nave been very strange, however, if in the
distribution among so many some mistakes
had not been made, SO that some received
more than they were entitled to and some re-
ceived less And it would have been still
and many unjust complaints brought to the
apostles on account of this seeming Partially.
And these complaints, very. naturally, would
come from that class which contributed the
most but received the least.
1t is not surprising, therefore that ''in
those days, there arose nlurmuring of the
OF this "murmuring" was, that the dependent
widows Of the Greek speaking disciples, had
apparently, been in some degree overlooked
or neglected in the daily ministration'' WI
q Without any spirit of standardization
therefore. or any thought that their own repu-
tation was at stake, the Apostles at once laid
the matter before the whole body of the dis
ciples And not only did they leave it to
the combined wisdom Of all, but they accom-
panied it with the wise suggestion that in
their stead, they should select from their
full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom who
could be appointed "over this business
whilst the Apostles gave themselves "con-
tinually to prayer, and to the ministry of tho
word" w. 3-4)--to the more spiritual inter
ests of the company. This proposition was so
liberal, SO unselfish, so simple and SO rea-
soniathle, that 1t at once pleased the whole
In carrying it out, although the native
Hebrew. He element in the congregation natur-
ally greatly outnumbered the foreign-or
HrnR ale onyn}
from their names-must have been all, or
nearly ALL '.Grecians.' They were, Stephen,
Phillip. Prochorous, Nieanor, Timon, Par
henas and Nicholas, who was not a Jew
by birth, but "a Greek proselyte from the
Greco-syrian city of Antioch tConybeare
& Howson.)
and Philip were especially marked men. They
were all, however, men of high character
and well fitted for the administration of at
fairs-"men Of honest report and "full of
wisdom But there is no record in the
Scriptures Of anything that any of them did.
Stephen and Philip, however, became noted
PREACHERS g ,, as 5, well as able administrators
particularly hereafter Now the work of
Stephen alone demands our attention, Short
as it was, that work was far-reaching in its
results.
A marked feature of the time of our Lord
and his apostles was the presence Of many
synagogues in the land. They originated
probably during the Babylonian captivity,
when the people, being far removed from the
Temple. felt the need of some substitute for
it. where they could come together for prayer
and the reading Of their Scriptures. But they
were found to be so convenient and helpful
that: after the return from captivity, they
multiplied wherever there were any. number
OF Jews The form of service in them was
very simple. It consisted principally Of sing
ing, reading lessons from the Penteteuch, the
Psalms and the Prophets, and one or more
addresses, but no sacrifices. Besides being
places for religious services, they were also
sometimes used as courts of justice and as
schoolhOuses
According to the Rabbinic writer's, Jerusa-
lem contained no less than $50 such syna-
gogues .Qanges Conn., Whilst most of
these were built by the citizens for their own
use, many were built by or for the accommo-
dation of foreign Jews when they came up to
the holy city. They We're centers where men
from the same regions could come together
for friendly intercourse. and discussion, as
well as for worship and instruction in the
Scriptures. q They thus served many of the
same purposes that the different Estate build
ings" have served at our various worlds
These synagogues were known by the names
OF the localities-or by that of the class Of
people-by whom they were bu .t,, or for
gogue of the Libertines'' was erected by or
for Jews who had been liberated from slavery
in Italy. The Jews from Cyrene and Alexan-
their respeetiVe h synagogue al'e Of
the Cyrenians,'' and "of the Alexandrians. ;"
In the same manner : the Jews from the prov
LIZ
theirs 'The Synagogue Of Cilicia,'''' and those
from the western part of Asia Minor named
theirs "The Synagogue of Asia (verse 81:
Being Grecians, Stephen and his companions
probably attended these synagogues of the for
eigners as frequently as they attended those
of the Hebrews, If not more frequently. For
in them they had an opportunity Of reach
ing people from distant cities with the Cos
pei Such visitors were always accorded a
warm welcome, and when they appeared to
be men Of inteliigenes II they did n not stand and
Lord did at Nazareth-they were courteously
invited to do so, as was Paul at Antioch, in
Pisidia (Acts xiii, 49,.
When Stephen thus appeared in these syna-
gogues and preached the gospel of Christ, it is
evident that it was with uncommon fervency
and power. His logic was SO unanswerable
and tender and eloquent, that all Were held
spellBound as they lstened.s But. the doc
trine he proclaimed was new and radical.
Exen these liberal o and ta
dices For it not only laid no stress upon
Jewish rites and ceremonies, but it exalted
Jesus of Nazareth, who died as criminal
dies, upon the cross, to be their Lord and
Savior.
And it is evident that this gospel was
with more than human skill and
eloquence. For the record is not only that
swer the arguments that he brought forth
but that they could not resist ''the spirit by
which he spake' ". 10o 1t was evidently the
HOLY. sSplFtl. y lie gave MIN power 10 speak,
and he was pleading with them to accept the
message. But that message wounded the
pride of their natural hearts, and-like many
since then-they would not submit themselves
to it. So being unable themselves to answer
either Stephens arguments or the pleadings
of the Holy Ghost, they suborned men, to
testify to a lie that they might silence both
by the strong arm of legal authority.
4 Stephen was, therefore, soon brought before
the same ecclesiastical council which had tried
Peter and John, and the civil officers looked
on with Indifference AS he stood before this
august body and listened to the testimony of
the false witnesses, call that sat in the coun-
steadfastly at him-saw his face
as 1t had been the face of an angel (verse
15). It was wonderful sight. It testified
better than any argument to the transform
ing power of the indwelling truth. Like the
face of Moses when he came down from the
mount eek xxxiv., $50, it showed that Stephen
had been in the very presence of God, and
was even then looking upon him. It was
the peace of God which passeth understand
ing, keeping his heart and mind through
Christ Jesus" Chill. w., y.
Bryn Mawr, Pa.
IS The Journals 1902 Almanac and Year.
Book contains much valuable information