Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1916-03-23
LESSON FOR MARCH S
THE DEATH OF STEPHEN.

This lesson closely follows that OF
last Sunday. There are some battles
of life that are not fought with fists
or weapons. The boy who holds his
temper is more manly than the one
who goes into a fight simply to win.
Paul tells US how and what to fight
(Eph. GIL, 12). We must show the
scholars clearly the two great bat.
ties Stephen fought and the victory
he won as described in today's les.
'son. The charges made against
Stephen were made by false wit
nesses." This does not mean men
who invented false words, but men
who took isolated statements, distort-
ed them and by innuendo used them
for their own ends. Stephen was
charged with three things: (a) Bias
phemy against God glib, (b)
That he had said Jesus would return
and destroy the temple (6:14), tc)
That he claimed that Jesus would de-
stroy or abrogate the law (6:14). This
great passage. of Scripture is SO pro-
found and go closely connected that
we hesitate in trying to separate 1t
into divisions or sections. We much
prefer to note the logical argument
and presentation Stephen the Spirit.
anointed deacon made to the Sanhe-
drin.
!. Stephens Defense. Stephen was
q G%recianized Jew. whose name
~oaono do r1,r - III os-,oool SL1
charges of these foreign accusers,
made before the Sanhedrin, seriatim.
His point Of contact was to respect
fully remind the council that he
was an orthodox Jewish believer and
w%orshiper ". ~. He called the u
Gil Men, brethren and fathers" They
were common believers and all were
standing before the God-app0inted
leaders Of Israel. Stephen in his re-
| ply showed that he reverenced God
and Gods prophet Moses, thereby an
swering the first charge ". 11). and
while he reverenced the temple he
showed that 1t was not essential to
worship (7:47:49). This last was in
answer to their second charge (6-14).
In answer to their third charge Ste
phen then turned upon his enemies
and by direct and indirect charges he
convicted them of certain facts. In
directly, by skillful repetition of Jew
ish history. and a review OF the
prophets, he discloses the vacillation
and sinfulness Of Gods chosen people
(2s, 29). Directly he accuses these
leaders OF having been sdbservient to
certain customs as being superior to
the law they professed to obey. Ste
phen's accusers were. as we have
seen, from without Jerusalem 1879,
JOY. and his first battle was concern
ing the truth about Jesus. His second
great battle, and one of his ultimate
victory. was with these avowed ene-
mics of Jesus (6:11.S:3).
H.. Stephens Death. The real on.
test Of this occasion was Satan vs..
the Holy Spirit. Stephen put to, rout
these men from the foreign synagogue,
hence the Jewish authorities deter
mined to take hold Of the problem
themselves and put a stop to this
Christian teaching. Stephens sud-
den application of the Scripture to his
judges caused intense anger. He
preached the word of God in the DEM
onstration Of the Holy Spirit, and such
preaching always either produces con-
viction of sin. or else u anger
at the preacher. These men could not
deny the truth Of his accusation; they
therefore turned upon him in anger.
Being full of the Holy Spirit" is an
abiding condition and inevitably In.
wolves a conflict with Satan. 1t led
Stephen to look up and not about
him, and in his hour Of testing he saw
q wonderful vision of heaven-"The
glory of God and of Jesus standing"
Let US accept the testimony of this
dying man as a literal fact. This
sight strengthened him for his sui.
fering and for his witnessing. Death
had no more terror for Stephen and
he was faithful and steadfast to the
end. No narrowing thought could stop
his testimony, for he had seer Christ
after his resurrection, yea, he saw
into heaven itself whence he had un.
doubtedly seen the risen Lord ascend.
Jesus as God was incarnated (Jonn
1:14, l Tim. 2:5), and when he re-
turned to heaven he went as son of
Man" as well as""Son Of God" In the
glory he manifested his interest in
this his servant by arising (Eph. 1880.
Heb. 1879 to strengthen Stephens
testimony and to receive his spirit as
it left his crushed and bleeding body |
(vv. Sc, 50, COY. When men harden
their hearts against the truth and
resist the Holy Spirit, nothing daunts
them and speedily they go from bad
to worse. Giving full vent to their
anger these men stop their ears" at
Stephens words, a prophecy of what
many are doing even today. with.
out the gates" (Heb. 1879 Stephen
fell asleep" An interested and per-
haps a delighted spectator was Saul Of
Tarsus. He was one who never for.
got Stephens words, for they were to
prick his heart (Acts 26:14). What a
majestically simple prayer and what
a wonderful repetition Of our Masters
petition on the cross. were these
words which pricked Paul's heart ".
so, Luke 2~3:34-46).
III. Stephens Burial. These men
overreached themselves. for persecu.
ton simply scattered those who gave
the Christian testimony q wider and
a more effective hearing (11:19-2D.
This force of circumstances thrust the
early church forth from Jerusalem.
Now. after a period Of perhaps five
or seven years. We see the beginning
of the literal fultillment of the Pente-
costal (ActS 1.S). During