The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1916-03-02
LESSON FOR MARCH 5.
THE DEATH OF STEPHEN.

ms 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
lEph. GIL, l2l. 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 isolf ted statements. distnrt.
ed them and by innuendo used them
for their own ends. Stephen was
charged with three things: TAI BIAS.
pheny against God (6:ll.l3l. fbi
That he had said Jesus would return
aid destroy the temple t6:lN. lcl
That he claimed that Jesur would de
stroy or abrogate the law t6:l4. This
great passage of Scripture is so pro.
found and so closely connected that
we hesitate in trying to separate II
into divisions or sections. We much
prefer TO note tho logical argument
and presentation Stephen the Spirit
anointed deacon made to the Sanhe-
drin.
I. Stephens Defense. Stephen was
a Grecianlzed Jew. whose name
means "a crown" He answered the
charges Of these foreign accusers.
made before the Sanhedrin. serlatlm.
His point OF contact was to respect.
fully remind the council that ne
was an orthodox Jewish believer and
worshiper ". 2l. He called the coln.
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 ". ~, and
while he reverenced the temple he
showed that II was not essential to
worship t7:47:49). This last was In
answer to their second charge t6.l4I.
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 vaclllation
and sinfulness OF Gods chosen people
t23. 29l. Directly he accuses these
leaders of having been subservient 10
certain customs as being superior to
the law they professed to obey. Ste
phens accusers we're. as we have
seen, from without Jerusalem t6'9.
lOl. and his first battle was concern
ing the truth about Jesus. His second
great battle. and one Of his ultimste
victory. was with these avowed enc
mics of Jesus t6:ll.S:9.
n. 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
themselves and put a stop to this
Christian teaching. Stephens sud
den application of the Scripture to his
judges caused intense anger. lie
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 arouses anger
at the preacher. These men could not
deny the truth OF his accusation they
therefore turned upon him In anger.
Reing "full OF the Holy Spirit is an
abiding condition and inevitably IN.
wolves a conflict with Satan II led
Stephen to look up and not about
him. and In his hour Of testing he saw
a 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 seen 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 tJonn
l:l4, Tim. 2:5l. and when he re-
turned to heaven he went as Son OF
Man" as we'll as Son Of God" In the
glory he manifested his interest in
this his servant by arising tEph. 1880.
Heb. 1879 to strengthen Stephens
testimony and to receive his spirit as
II left his crushed and bleeding body |
tvv. Sc. SO. COZ. When men harden !
their hearts against the truth and /,
resist the Holy Spirit. nothing daunts :
them and speedily they go from had
to worse. Giving full vent TO their
anger these men stop their ears at
Stephens words. prophecy OF what
many are doing even today With.
out the gates" Heb. 1912 Stephen
fell asleep" An interested and per.
haps delighted spectator was Saul OF
Tarsus He was one who never tor,
got Stephens words for they were TO
prick his heart facts 26:ip. What a
majesticallv simple prayer and what
g wonderful repetition Of our Masters
petition on the cross, we're these
words which pricked Paul's heart ".
80. Luke 23:34.46).
~. Stephens Burial. These men
overreached themselves, for perseru.
ton simply scattered those who gave
the Christian testimony a wider and