The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1909-02-19

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and the elders. and the scribes. an
came upon him. and caught him. an
brought him to the council.
l3. And set up false witnesses
which said. This man ceaseth not Z
speak blasphemous words against thi
holy place. and the law:
IA. For we have heard him say
that this Jesus OF Nazareth shall De
stroy this place. and shall change tn
customs which Moses delivered us.
10. And all that sat in the council
looking stedfastly on him. saw hi
face as it had been the face of al
angel.
"a. When they heard these things
they were cut TO the heart. and they
CRASHED on him with their teeth.
80. But he, being full OF the HOLY
Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heav
en-. and saw the glory OF God and Je
sus standing on the right hand of God
So. And said. Behold. see the
heavens opened. and the Son OF mar
standing on the glory Of God. and Je
sus standing on the right hand of God
81 Then they cried out with a
loud voice, and stopped their ears. and
ran upon him with one accord
So. And cast him out OF the city
and stoned him: and the witnesses
laid down their clothes at young
mans feet whose name was Saul.
80. And they stoned Stephen. call
ing upon God. and saying Lord Je.
sus. receive my spirit
co And he kneeled down. and
cried with a loud voice. Lord. lay not
this sin TO their charge And when
be had said this. he fell asleep.
/. And Saul was conserving unto
his death And az that time there was
a great persecution against the church
which was al Jerusalem: and they
were all scattered abroad throughout
the regions OF Judea and Samaria. ex-
cept the apostles
?. And devout men carried Ste
phen TO his burial. and made great la
mentation over him
3. As for saul. he made havoc OF
the church. entering into every house,
and haling men and women commit
ted them to prison.
The Lesson Explained.
|. stephen Arrested and Accused
Ners. SIS. The introduction relates
10 the choice OF the deacons. The first
TO reach prominence among the seven
was Stephen. and he showed in his
conduct. in his speech. and IN his dy-
ing hours that he was a good man.
and honest and wise. He was full OF
faith. and for that reason was able 10
work miracles. His work at first
seemed 10 be humble for a man OF his
ability, but God called him TO prom
inent position. and his place is secure
in church history. He that humbleth
himself shall be exalted" The word
synagogue is a Greek word and here
refers TO the meeting place OF the Jews
for worship. The number OF such
synagogues in Jerusalem was great
The Libertines. If We may Judge by
their name. a Roman word. were chill
dren OF Jews who had been carried
captive 10 Rome and there had been
set free, and as freedmen uibertinesl
had gathered in Jerusalem and had
formed a congregation The Alexan-
drians were Jews who came from Al
exandria. in Egypt Gfficia. here
spoken Of. was at the southwestern
corner OF Asia Minor. and In one OF
its chief towns. Tarsus. the apostle
was born. Those who disputed" with
stephen did not enter upon discussion.
but asked him questions with a view
to entangle him. To suborn men NAV
mean simply to furnish them. but the
word is nearly always used in a bad
sense. Subornation OF perjury is a
legal phrase for procuring person
who will take a false oath. The bias
phemous words charged against Ste
phen by his malicious foes probably
alluded 10 words spoken by Stephen
which proclaimed the universal wor-
ship OF God. Not alone in Jerusalem.
but out OF IL. far and wide. men may
worship the true God. for he is a
Spirit. and TO be worshipped i'm spirit
and in truth (See John 4: 23D
Against Moses means against the
teachings OF Moses. the giyer OF the
law The people were stirred TO wrath
because they thought the glory OF the
Jewish temple was spoken against.
The false witnesses gave a perverted
turn TO the words OF stephen. as we
may judge from what Stephen said i'm
his subsequent defense The Jews
Of that day were slow TO believe that
the Most High dweleth not In TEN.
pies made with hands" O.. 49,. and
thought that TO sever worship from
Jerusalem would destroy the glory OF
the temple
III. The Speech Of stephen and Its
effect. Vers Sass. The tenor Of the
speech shows that Stephen rested on
the facts OF Jewish history. His hear
ers agreed with him in the main on the
facts as stated. but two things en-
ragged them. The first was that God
dwells not in temples raised BY man
and that grand truth seemed to the
hearers 20 be directed against the
temple. The second was that the
prophet foreiold and raised was Jesus.
whom they had put TO cruel death.
even as they had slain other prophets
before him. though not as great as he.
Cut 10 the heart IS a strong figurative
expression and implies the highest
irritation. Stephen. in that moment
when human rage was flaming. saw
what his prosecutors could not see
the glory OF God. and Jesus standing,
as II he had risen 10 bring help to his
faithful witness. His testimony to
the visible Jesus sealed his fate.