Oxford eagle., 1916-03-02
LESSON FOR MARCH 5
TIE DEATH or STEPHEN.

AAaa Ae@10u Closely rOLuWs tl1I OF
last Sunday. There IRE some battles
or life tlat are not fought with fists
or weapons. The roy who holds bis
temper IS more manly than the one
who goes INTO a tight simply to win.
Pau tells as how and what to fight
(Eph s.1I. I2l We must show the
scholars clearly the two great bat
ties stephen fought and the victory
he won As described in todays les
son The charges made against
Steuhau were made ny false wit
uess This does not mean men
who invented false words but men
who took isolated statements. distort-
ed them and BY iunuendo used them
for their own ends Stephen was
charged with three things. "a BIAS
phslv against God (6:II-Isl. 10
That be had said Jesus would return
and destroy the temple $50. tcl
That he claimed that Jesus would de-
struv or ahr0gate the law $40. This
great passage OF Scripture IS 80 pro
found and so closely connected that
We hesitate in trying 70 separate Il
into divisions or sections We much
prefer 70 note the logical argument
and presentation Stephen the spirit
anointed deacon made 70 the Sanhe-
drin-
Q. Stephens Defense stanhen was
a Grecianized Jew. whose name
means "a crown He answered the
charges OF these foreign accusers.
made before the Sa1hedriu. seratia.
HIS point Of contact vas to respect
fully remind the council that he
vas An orthodox Jewish believer and
w1rsLper w. a. He called the cuun-
cil Men. brethren and fathers They
Esre common believers and an were
staining before the God appointed
leaders ol Israel Stephen tu his re-
Ply showed thar he reverenraf God
ard Gods prophet Moses. thereby an
swsriuE the first charge ". III. and
While he reverancsd the temnla he
showed that if vas not essential %
worship 1-sz-4al This last was n
answer % their second charge ts-I4l.
Il answer 10 their third charge ste
phen then turned upon his enemies
and D. direct a1d Indirect charges he
convicted them OF certain facts. II
directly. ov skfiIfuI repetition Of Jew
isl history. and q review OF TIE
pronhets. he 9iseloses the vaciuation
and sinfuiness OF Gods chosen people
-. 81. Directly ne accuses these
leaders cf having been subservienr 70
certai a customs as neiug superior 70
TIE ~ they nr1fessed 70 obev- Ste
phen accusers we're. as We have
seen. rom without Jerusalem g5.s.
To- and his first 1attIe vas concern
ing the truth about Jesus. His second
great battle ard enc of ais ultimate
victory, was wilh these avnwed enc
mics of Jesus ts-IIS-54-
Il. stephen's Death. The real con
test or this occasion vas satan vs.
the Holy Spirit stephen put 70 rous
these men from the foreign svnagcg que.
hence the Jewish authorities deter
mined 20 take hold OF the problem
themselves ard put a stop 10 this
Christian teaching. Stephens sud
den application af the Scripture 20 his
judges canse6 intense anger He
preached the word OF God in the dem
Crsfration OF the Holy Spirit and such
preaching alWavs eIrher produces con
vicuon or sin or else arouses. anger
AZ the preacher These men could not
denv the rruEz OF his accusation. thew
therefore turned upon aim in anger.
Being -fun OF the Holy Spirit Is an
abiding condition and inevitably n
wolves a conflict with satan. Il led
Stepnen TO look up and not about
ain. ana in MS hour OF testing he saw
i wonderful vision or heaven The
glory OF God and ot Jesus standing
Let Us accept the testimony Of this
dying man as 4 literal fact This
sight strengthened him for his sur
fering and for his witnessing. Death
had no more terror for stephen and
he was faithful and steadfast 70 the
END.
IIi. Stephens Burial These men
overreached themselves. for persecu-
tion simply scattered those who gave
the Christian testimony a wider and
a more effective hearing ff1.1e-2D
This force OF circumstances thrust the
early church forth from jerusalem
Now. after a period Of perhaps i've
or seven years. We see the beginning
OF the literal fuldllment OF the Pente-
eostal program Acts Is During
this storm Of persecution the aposrIas
remained al their posts in Ierusa.
lem
Saufs rage knew no bounds and
not content with disputations in the
synagogues. he prosecuted me church
sparing neither sex nor axe fs.1.91
stephens s success was in ais na-.
sonal life and MS unswerving .sr-f
mony
stephens victery has beer a H-uf
trulr o. the triumph or the churrb
throughout its history In heaven ~
wears the vict0rs crown among -rbs
oEerc0mers
uFeE tne grave OF the tive WesIevs
IN Westminster Abbey. Is a table,
bearing these words. Cod bu-ies -
workers. but carries On the work