Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-03-03

who goes into a fight simply to win
Paul tells us how and what to fight
(Eph. Gil, 12). We must show the
ties Stephen fought and the victory
he won as described in today's les
son. The charges made againsr
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). tb)
That he had said Jesus would return
and destroy the temple GID, 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.
I. 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
(x- IL hn
Gil 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
! directly, by skillful repetition Of Jew
ish history, ard a review of the
| prophets, he discloses the vacillation
] and sinfuluess 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
10). 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 rout
these men from the foreign synagogue
hence the Jewish authorities deter
mined to take hold of the problem
themselves and put stop to this
Christian teaching. Stephens sud
!, den application of the Scripture to hii
judges caused intense anger. HI
preached the word of God in the dem
onstration of the Holy Spirit, and sucl
preaching always either produces con
vietion of sin, or else arouses ange
at the preacher. These men could no
deny the truth Of his accusation; the
therefore turned upon him in anger
| Being full of the Holy Spirit is a
abiding condition and inevitably II
wolves a conflict with Satan. 1t le
, Stephen to look up and not abou
him, and in his hour of testing he say
) 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
Z had no more terror for Stephen an
: he was faithful and steadfast to tn
end. No narrowing thought could sto
J his testimony, for he had seen Chri!
z after his resurrection. yea, he sa
: into heaven itself whence he had III
0 ioubtedly seen the risen Lord ascent
t Jesus as God was incarnated (Jon
y I:14, | Tim. 2:5), and when he r
turned to heaven he went as Son
I Man" as we'll as "Son of God" In tt
Il glory he manifested his interest
t this his servant by arising (Eph. 1:3
p Heb. 1879 to strengthen Stephen
y testimony and to receive his spirit {
a It left his crushed and bleeding boo
wv. 56, SO, CO.,. When men harde
g their hearts against the truth al
= resist the Holy Spirit, nothing daun
g them and speedily they go from bs
/ 10 worse. Giving full vent to the
anger these men stop their ears
Stephens words, prophecy of VIII
many are doing even today. Wit
out the gates" (Heb. 1912 Stephe
fell asleep" An interested and pc
y maps a delighted spectator was Saul
Z Tarsus. He was one who never fC
got Stephens words, for they were
Il prick his heart (Acts 26:14). What
i matestically simple prayer and wh
a wonderful repetition of our Master
petition on the cross. were the
= words which pricked Paul's heart {
so, Luke 23:34-46).
k. III. Stephens Burial. These m,
v overreached themselves. for persec
% tion simply scattered those who ga
1t the Christian testimony a wider al
1t a more effective hearing Q1:19-2l
" This force of circumstances thrust Il
early church forth from Jerusalel
Now, after a period of perhaps fl
or seven years, we see the beginnil
81 of the literal fulfillment of the Pent
st costal program (Acts 1:S). Duril
& this storm of persecution the aposti
remained at their posts in Jeru.
lem.
Sauls rage knew no bounds, a
In not content with disputations in t
ID synagogues, he prosecuted the churc
E. sparing neither sex nor age (S:1-
ID Stephens success was in his p,
lie sonal life and his answering tes
a, mony.
er Stephens victory has been a fl
fruit of the triumph Of the chur
throughout its history. In heaven
wears the victor's crown among It
Ii overcomers."
re Over the grave of the two WeSle'