Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-03-04
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false view of the Old Testament dis
pensation. and that their opposition
was in harmony with that OF their
ancestors. who failed to see Gods pro-
people. so that in every age and dis
pensation the Jews had been an unbe-
1ieving and disobedient people.
Stephen claimed that their own his
tory and the temple worship condemned
the ''inefficacy Of external rites. foreshad-
owed a more perfect spiritual system
and warned them against following the
example Of those who resisted the will
Of God when declared to them by his
messengers.
The eloquent pleadsr for religious free
dom did not quote correctly from the
Old Testament Scriptures because he
used the Greek translation and was not
exact In the ninutiae Of his historical
ish traditions. The historical survey
sustained his position and moved to an
ger the court, who could not resist the
tide of truth and fact and the pitiless
faith and the Ideals Of their fathers
mingled with their rage at the per-
sonal charges against them, for he ac-
cused the court Of resisting the spirit
and numbering Jesus. The audacity Of
Stephen penetrated their souls. for their
"gnashed their teeth" grinding them to-
gether In their rage. When he declared
that he saw Jesus at the right hand of
God they in their anger with one &C.
him tc death.
Death Of Stephen.
The martyrdom Of Stephen. like the
death of Jesus, was q mixture Of legal
forms with mob violence. The vivid tes-
tinony to the messiahship Of Jesus, which
Hprf cd -
Masters glorihcAtion contained in the
Scriptures. was the immediate cause for
the death Of the first Christian martyr
In the midst Of the -nobs frenzy Stephen
remained calm. and his face, that had
shown like an angels. glowed with the
reflection Of the vision Of heaven. Of the
glory Of God and Of Jesus, who was
standing ready to strengthen His dis
ciple in the hour Of trial. II all could
by the everything God fewer one-sid ed
interpretations Of divine providence would
be made. Heaven 10 nearer to men than
they generally think If all could get q
vision Of its nearness and reality, like
stephen received. they would be fortified
to endure the difficulties OF LIFE
The strength derived by the first mar.
tyr from his vision removed all the ter
rors Of death and enabled him to fol-
low the Lord Jesus in his death While
no record Is made of the execution hav.
lhc approval Oh the Roman
authorities. the account shows that in
spite OF the spirit Of mob rule the exc.
cution OF Stephen was as legal az such
an execution could have been. The
place, the mode Of death, the first stone
thrown by the Witnesses. were all In
exact accordance with ancient precedent
and the requirements of the Mosaic
statute. BY careful compliance with the
formalities of the law they tried IL
make their actions have the marks OF
legality. 1t is probable that II Pilatl
representative Of vitalleus. the governor
OF syria. who was friendly to the Jews
might have given sanction to the de-.
cision Of the sandhedrin.
one OF the number who witnessed
.he death OF Stephen and recalled the
poiss and prayer Of the nrst Christian
martyr was Saul Of Tarsus He had
been impressed by the defense of Ste
pnen. and he never forgot the prayer
tnat sought. as he faced death, not only
that Jssus would receive his spirit bu,
ms death not be charged up against
them. That prayer was probably ths
means OF Sauls conversion, for he knew
stephen was praying for him. He wa,
,ns,mate With, With the witnesses that hat
champion. because they left the gar.
Inents In his care when they cast tn.
stones Saul knew that while he hat
, NOT thrown stone he was far
more responsible by giving his mora
consent to their plans. that hushed tn.
powerfnl voice Of Stephen In death
than II he had personally cast thu
stone that slew him. The zealou,
Pharisee 1nstigated the persecution
that Jesus had predicted would com,
upon HIS church. making havoc Of tn,
church. when he entered in his in
tense anger the homes Of all the Naxa
renes and dragged them off to prison
both men and women
The blood OF the martyr became tn,
| seed Of the church, for when the per
secution scattered the church the,
| went everywhere. preaching the gos.
| pei Of their Lord. The apostles Wer,
| not harmed. probably because they hat
not angered the people in their syna
gogues. They had not seen the in
evitable break between Judaism ant
Christianity that came with the dealt
of Stephen. They considered that the,
| were still q part OF Judaism The per
party. Much fuel had been collected
20 that when the whirlwind Of persecu
ton came upon them the blasin1
torches were scattered abroad every
where to kindle the gospel fires in IL
hearts Of humanity. The martyrdon
Of Stephen had taught them tina
Christianity was not only . force whicl
which they were to suffer. endure AM
providence Of God started the expan
sion Of the church on foreign soil
where It developed above the exclusive
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