Middletown transcript., 1916-03-04
INTERNATIONAL.
SUINlNSlOM.
LESSON
(By E Q. SELLERS. Acting Director Of
Sunday School Course. Moody Bible
Institute.)
Copyright. 1916. Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR MARCH 5
The DEATH OF STEPHEN


death and I will give thee the crown OF
Hfe.-Rev. 2:l0
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 now aud 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 todays 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 (6:11-13), (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 so closely connected that
we hesitate in trying to separate it
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
a Grecianized Jew. whose name
means "a crown" He answered the
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
worshiper ". q. He called the coun-
ell Men, brethren and fathers" They
were common believers and all were
standing before the God-appointed
leaders of Israel. Stephen in his re-
ply showed that he reverenced God
and Gods prophet Moses, thereby an
swering the first charge ". III, and
while he reverenced the temple he
showed that it 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
by skillful repetition of Jew
ish history and a review Of the
he discloses the vacillation
and sinfulness of Gods chosen people
(23, 29). Directly he accuses these
leaders Of having been subservient 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 (6:9,
10Y. 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 enc
mics of Jesus (6:11-S:0.
u. Stephens Death. The real con-
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
and put stop to this
Christian teaching. Stephens sud-
len application Of the Scripture to his
Judges caused intense anger. He |
preached the word Of God in the DEM |
,nstration of the Holy Spirit, and such |
always either produces con-
Tiction of sin, or else arouses anger
It the preacher. These men could not |
leny the truth of his accusation; they |
therefore, turned upon him in anger.
Being full of the Holy Spirit" is an
lbiding condition and inevitably in
rolves a conflict with Satan. It led
Stephen to look up and not about
lin, and in his hour of testing he saw
wonderful vision of heaven-"The
,lory of God and of Jesus standing"
Let US accept the testimony of this
Iying man as a literal fact. This
light strengthened him for his suf
ering and for his witnessing Death
ad no more terror for Stephen and
10 was faithful and steadfast to the
nd. No narrowing thought could stop
is testimony, for he had seen Christ
fter his resurrection, yea, he saw
nto heaven itself whence he had un-
oubtedly seen the risen Lord ascend.
esus as God was incarnated (John
IA, l Tim. 2:5), and when he re-
1rned to heaven he went as Son of
ian" as we'll as Son of God" In the
Iory he manifested his interest In
his his servant by arising (Eph. 1870,
[eb. 1:13) to strengthen Stephens
sstimony and to receive his spirit as
left his crushed and bleeding body
w. Sc, So, 6O). When men harden
heir hearts against the truth and
ssist the Holy Spirit, nothing daunts
lem and speedily they go from bad
, worse. Giving full vent to their
nger these men stop their ears" at
tephen-s words, a prophecy ef eff what
any are doing even today. With. !
1T the gates" (Heb. 1879 Stephen
ell asleep" An interested and per-
aps delighted spectator was Saul Of
arsus. He was one who never for !
1t Stephens words, for they were to
lick his heart (Acts 26:14). What a
ajestically simple prayer and what |
wonderful repetition of our Masters
stition on the cross, were these
ords which pricked Paul's heart ". d,
J, Luke 2S:34-46).
III. Stephens Burial. These men !
yerreached themselves, for persecu-
On simply scattered those who gave
@ Christian testimony a wider and 4
more effective hearing (11:19-2D.
, ,;s Po-oa of ojrcunootoOoaz +bru.t A. |