The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-03-04
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDNSGIOOL
LESSON
(By f. o. SELLERS, Acting Director Of
Sunday School Course, Moody Bible
7 Institute.)
copyright. 1915, Western Newspaper union.)
LESSON FOR MARCH 5
THE A OF STEPHEN.

hNdll hIu L Will klN6 Lnee lht GIOMA OA
hfe.-Rev. 2:1O.
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
tEph. GIL, 12D. 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 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 C6:14), tc)
That he claimed that Jesus would de-
stroy or abrogate the law GID. This
great passage of Scripture is so pro-
found and go 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.
l.. 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 ". p. He called the coun-
Gil Men. brethren and fathers" They
were common believers and all we're
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 ". ~, and
while he r%everenced the temple he
showed that it was not essential to
worship C: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 vacillatior
and sinfulness of Gods chosen people
(2S, 29). Directly he accuses these
leaders of having been subservient t.
certain customs as being superior tt
the law they professed to obey. Ste
phen's were, as we have
seen, from without Jerusalem (6:9
100. 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:3).
II. Stephens Death. The real con
test of this occasion was Satan VS.
the Holy Spirit. Stephen put to rou
these men from the foreign synagogue
hence the Jewish authorities deter
mined to take hold of the problem
themselves and put a stop to thi
Vii oIlal ICoNbAh6s SNOphSh oNN
den application of the Scripture to hi
Judges caused intense anger. H
preached the word of God in the dem
onstration of the holy Spirit, and sucl
preaching always either produces cor
viction of sin, or else arouses ange
at the preacher. These men could no
deny the truth of his accusation; the
.tLo,aRora N,Yrna1 ,tnpn him In an1at
Being full of the Holy Spirit is a
abiding condition and inevitably IL
wolves a conflict with Satan. 1t le
Stephen to look up and not abou
him, and in his hour of testing he say
a wonderful vision of heaven-"Th
glory of God and of Jesus standing.
Let us accept the testimony of thi
dying man as a literal fact. Thi
sight strengthened him for his su
fering and for his witnessing. Deaf
had no more terror for Stephen an
he was faithful and steadfast to tn
end. No narrowing thought could sto
his testimony, for he had seen Chris
after his resurrection, yea, he sa'
into heaven itself whence he had III
QOuDt0Qly seen Lu6 risen LOTu dSC6ut
Jesus as God was incarnated (Joh
1:14, Tim. 2:5), and when he r.
turned to heaven he went as Son
Man" as well as son of God" In tn
glory he manifested his interest /
this his servant by arising (Eph. 1:3
Heb. 1873 to strengthen Stephen
testimony and to receive his spirit g
1t left his crushed and bleeding bod
wv. Sc, So, 60). When men harde
their hearts against the truth an
resist the Holy Spirit, nothing daunt
them and speedily they go from ba
to worse. Giving full vent to the
anger these men stop their ears
Stephens words, a prophecy of VIII
many are doing ever today. wit
out the gates" Heb. 1879 Stephe
fell asleep" An interested and pc
haps a delighted spectator was Saul
Tarsus. He was one who never fc
got Stephens words, for they were
prick his heart (Acts 26:14). What
majesticslly simple prayer and VIII
a wonderful repetition of our Master
petition ON the cross. were the
words which pricked Paul's heart {
go, Luke 2~3:34-46).
M. Stephens Burial. These M
overreached themselves, for perseC
ton simply scattered those who ga