Orange County observer., 1909-02-18
J17G,
5l''ioas !!
INTERNATIONAL LESSON com.
MENTS FOR FEBRUARY II.
Subject: Stephen, the First Christian
Martyr, Acts 6:1-S; 3Golden
Text: Acts 7:59-Commit Verses

1ASsS O.A-os O-&IOlOcn
Text: Acts 7:59-Commit Verses
1855, 56-Commentary.
9INfE.-a5-37 A. D. PLACE
Jerusalem.
IMPOSITION. T.. stephen. the
! Full Man, S-15.. The character of
otepnen presents rare combination
OF strength and beauty, ROBUSTNESS
and grace. He was remarkably full
man. Full Of -faith,v. S; grace. &
v. r. ". power v. s. the Word,
OF God. ch. 7:2-54; the Holy Ghost, \,
6:e; 1855 !; love, go; courage, 7:51:
trust, 1853. He was also a notable
man pf prayer, Z $3.50. Among the
men Of 1.-The Bible he seems. to- occupy
the next place to Christ Sin beauty,
symmetry and completeness OF char
acter. Like his Master, he was hated
and maligned and ultimately mur-
dered. y What revelation Of the bad
ness OF the natural heart! The lie
sworn to against him had an element
of truth in It.. The worst lies gener-
ally do have grain of truth in them.
Because he was full of the Holy Ghost
they were not able to withstand the
wisdom and the Spirit with which he
spoke (cf. Luke 21:15, R.V.) AS
they could not silence him by argu-
ment they undertook to silence him
by violence, but they only gave him a
| wider hearing ssby numbering him.
What contrast between mems treat
| ment and Gods treatment of Spirit
filled. mani! They :maFTed1 his. face
| with bruises and blood; God made it
to shine Hike an. angels. They said,
| HE speaketh blasphemous words
| against Moses and against God" but
God made his face to shine even as
that Of Moses had eek. 34:29-35).
III. Stephens Sight into Heaven,
| 54-56. Stephens word laid open the
heart of Israel in all ages and the
heart Of his hearers, but alas! convic-
ton is not conversion. When men
are convicted of sin they do one of
two things-they repert or they get
mad at the preacher. Stephens SER
mon and prayer were apparently
without fruit, but they were not
really so-they gave the Apostle Paul
to the church, but, Stephen did not
live to see it. A Spfrit-flled man will
be calm man under any circum-
stances G. Tim. I'D. = The express
sion "full of the Holy. Spirit" has a
different significance from filled
with the Holy Spirit (Acts IA; A.:
l8, BY. The latter describes the Holy
Spirit coming upon one at a definite
period Of time and filing one for the
time being with His glorious presence
and power; the former describes an
abiding condition. Being full of the
Spirit involved Stephen in inevitable
conflict with men who were full Of
Satan. It led him to look up rather
than around. In this hour Of trial
there came to him a wonderful vision
1 - 1yl> "a e%oS
Stephen to strengthen him for the
suffering and witnessing. Christ had
already been seen after His resurrec-
ton. He had been seen as He as
cended, but now He is seen in heaven
itself at the right hand Of God. We
can no longer doubt His divinity nor
our security. Jesus left heaven as
God only, but He became man in His
incarnation John 1:14; Tim. 2: 81
and when He went back to heaven He
went back as the "Son of Man" as
we'll as the 'Son of God" There is
now a Man in the glory.
III. Stephens Entrance into Eeav
en-, $3.50. They stopped theil
ears" How many are doing that to
day! He went the same path tha'
Jesus went to die, without the gate
(Heb. 1870. Once outside the city
the stones began to crush in upo1
him. There was one delighted SPEC
tator of the pitiless fury Of the mob
Saul of Tarsus. He will never forge
the sight Stephens bearing ant
| words were pricking like goad il
his secret heart (Acts 26:1Q, ant
he, too. will become Christian. Ste
phen simply prayed as the stones fell
He prayed as Jesus Himself ha'
, | prayed to the Father in dying. Int
Thy hands commend My spirit" S.
Stephen now says to Jesus, "Receiv
, my spirit" We cannot question tha
the prayer was heard, and while Ste
; phen's body died and ultimatel
crumb bled into dust, Stephens spiri
was taken by Jesus to be with Him
self in conscious blessedness tcf. Phi
r 1929. But Stephen prayed anothe
prayer for those that killed him. II
had lived as his Master had lived an
died as his Master died (cf. Luke 23
34). His last two utterances wer
Il prayers and prayers formed after tn
pattern of the dying prayers Of Jesu
(Luke 23:46, 34). He had see
Jesus at the right hand Of God, an
did not hesitate to address his pra,
, ers to One so clearly proven to be d
, vine. Love shone out wonderfully
the last moments. His prayer Wa
heard in heaven, and Saul the pers'
cutor became Paul the apostle. Ha'
ing offered this PRAYER he gently 1e