The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1909-02-18
Stephen the First
Christian Martyr
Sunday Sehsol Lesson for Feb. Il, 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper


Memory verses S., IS.
GOLDEN TEXT.-They stoned stephen.
calling upon God, and saying Lord .
Jesus receive my spirit."-Acts 1859.
TIME-About A. d. IS. S6. Ramsay and /
Harnack place II earlier, 30 and 33. Ac- |
cording to Prof Riddle there was an in
terregnum of the Roman governors about |
a. ID. 86 when PLATE was deposed, which |
made 1t easier for the Jewish rulers to |
put stephen to death contrary to Roman |
law.
PLACE.-Jerusalem The city. the syn
agosue Of the Libertines, the council /
chamber and outside OF st. Stephens |
gate opposite Gethsemane.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
I'VE now enter upon new epoch !
OF continuous development which will
lead us without pause to Acts 1925,
|. e., from Hebrew disciples at Jerusa-
lem to Greek Christians at Antioch
Rackam.
There we're two classes Of Jews at
Jerusalem. "The Grecians" ". ~,
r. ", "Grecian Jews" Hellenists,
those Jews who had settled in Greek
speaking countries, who spoke the
common Greek dialect in place of the
vernacular Aramaic current in Pales
tine, and who would be more or less
Influenced by Greek thought and Gus
toms, and broadened to accept Of
| the necessary new development Of
Christianity Against the Hebrews"
| ". u, the Jews of Palestine, who com
posed by far the larger part of the
church Of Jerusalem.
Between these two classes there
arose a complaint and murmuring be-
cause the widows OF the foreign Jews
did not receive their natural share Of
the support given to the home Jews
And yet they needed II even more than
the widows who we're among acquain-
tances and friends.
The Difficulty Settled by the Or
ganization of Laymen for the Work.
The church elected seven men to at
tend to this and similar duties, leav.
ing the apostles free to give their
whole time to preaching, prayer, and
training the disciples.
The qualities required in these Off
GERS Of the church were (1) of good re
port, (2) full Of the Holy Spirit, (3)
of wise judgment, (4) full of faith.
Character Sketch of Stephen,
"a young man of such original genius
and special grace that there was moth
ing he might not have attained to had
he been allowed to live. His wonder
full openness of mind; his perfect free
dom from all the prepossessions, pre-
judices and superstitlons of his day;
his courage, his eloquence, his spot
less character; with a certain sweet
and at the same time majestic man
ner all combined to set Stephen in
the very front rank both of service
and of risk. He was already all but
the foremost man OF his day."-Alex-
ander Whyte, Bible Characters.
g. He was a man Of power, the
: power of faith and character afame
with tho Holy Spirit.
, 3. He was full OF grace, and Of
graces, and the beauty OF holiness.
J Grace and power do not always go to.
gether. Some things are beautiful, but
not strong. Some things are strong
and not beautiful. How seldom is a
. Boanerges (son Of thunder) at the
) same time a Barnabas "a son OF con-
1 |
combine both. They that wait upon
} the Lord shall renew their strength
} and the beauty of the Lord
! God shall be upon them Pres.
Mark Hopkins, Strength and Beauty.
4. The source of his power was that
he was filled with the Holy Spirit ".
3 81. Prof. Bruce said Of Phillips
20 duet
!. Waterman attached to the everlasting
+ reservoir OF Gods truth and grace and
!. love, and streams of life, as by a
r heavenly gravitation, pour through
him to refresh weary souls. Prof
A. V. G.. Aliens Life of Phillips Brooks
8. The fruits Of his power were
0 deeds of healing and love, wonderful
e miracles, Signs" which were Gods
9 Endorsement of his teachings. 1t Is
9 almost impossible to prove that ones
i teachings are from God, except by
q deeds that only God can do-miracles
a of transformed character, or miracles
o OF healing and help.
Z Stephens Argument OF Defense Be
: fore the Sanhedrim.-Acts 7:1-59.
1. Stephens address is not direct
h but a real answer to the charges
y against him.
e 3. His very use of the Scriptures IL
I proof that he received them and die
d not blaspheme by repudiating them
t 8. He defends what the Christian!
a thought of the temple by the history
Q in the Bible they accepted.
e 4. He shows that the Jesus h,
preached was the one foretold b!
Moses.
s. He shows that they who pretend
i ed to uphold the law were themselves
e breaking IL as did their fathers, whom
n the prophets condemned.
q Saul standing by and deeply i'm
r pressed by the scene, and not long aft
e erward changed into disciple o
II Jesus, shows how the blood OF mar
d tyrs became the seed of the church
A seemingly ordinary man was con