Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-03-04
THE DEATH OF STEPHEN.
Acts, 7.1-S-3-
Golden Text-Be thou faithful
unto death and I will give thee
the crown Of nfe.-Revelations.
2.1O.
BY REV. Il. T. STEVENSON.

With the election of the board of re-
lief to administer the poor funds OF
the church. the entering wedge. that
was to separate Christianity from
Judaism, was formed by the choice OF
Stephen, the dramatic story of whose
brief public ministry is the subject OF
this weeks study. The vital import
ance Of his work is seen in the space
assigned to his career by the historian.
who knew that he was the connecting
1idk between Peter and the apostle.
Paul; who Is introduced at the close
of the lesson. In caring for the Hell
lenistic widows the young servant OF
the church was brought in personal
contact and controversy with many
Of the Hellenistic Jews. who were not
able to resist the wisdom and the
spirit by which he spoke"
He by his energy and eloquence re-
moved the discussions from the temple
to the synagogues, which numbered
then, according to the JEWS tradition,
about $50 in the city of Jerusalem and
furnished greater liberty of procedure.
He was a pioneer in selecting the syna-
eogues that became one OF the greatest
factors in the spread of the gospel OF
Christ Jesus. In his presentation OF
the gospel Stephen. whose knowledge
of the Scriptures. natural endowments
and courageous devotion to Jesus, COM
PEELED the foreign Jews to recognize
that he was man of unusual power. BY
performing great signs and wonders
among the people he became shining
mark for the enemies of the church.
whose personal feelings and prejudices
he had wounded by his claims concern
ing the incidental character of the Mo-
sale law. the temple and it's worship.
He was the first Christian champion to
see that the position of Christianity
I'D yrv ~. Nfy inn Tid0
ism. He aroused the conservative
Hellenistic Jews by his preaching.
They caused his arrest and by subordi-
mated witnesses they tried TO convict
him before the sanhedrin court of the
charge that he had spoken against
both the temple and the law.
The opposition to Stephen came from
hve foreign synagogues. whose leaders
did not hesitate to use the most i'm
moral means to sustain their claims.
The fact that these five different syna-
gozues had united in their efforts to
curb the powers Of Stephen proves that
the influence eXerted by the Jealous
advocate of Christianity was such that
at least the leaders of the foreign
synagogues combined in the prosecu-
ton of Stephen. The Hellenistic Jews
were the first to see the full doctrinal
Significance and logical outcome of
Stephens teachings. They were
aroused because they understood the
preachers doctrines would destroy all
the privileges, prof1ts and political
prospects, of the Jewish people.
Among the influential members of
the Hellenistic party present at the
trial was Saul of Tarsus. who probably
represented the synagogue Of Cilicia.
which was his native province. He had
been impressed by the keynote of
Christian freedom BOUNDED by Stephen
in his defense. and the influence of that
address can be seen in the conversion
and ministry of the ambassador to the
70 hA dali aNAA h.
fore the sanhedrin by Stephen. that
Paul transmitted TO Luke. laid down
the principles that the student of
Gamaliel later developed and victori-
ously defended. The longest speech
recorded in Acts is the defense of
Stephen