The Dolores star., 1921-07-08

LESSON TEXT-Acts 7:5t-s3: "a
S:i. 5. .. 10.
GOLDEN TEXT-Christ Jesus cam,
into the world to save sinners, of whom /
/ am chief.-l Tim. l:l5.
REFERENCE WATERFALL Cor. IL. 4
Gal. 1913. Phil. 3:+-s: Tim, Ina
PRIMARY ToPIC-Going to School IN +
Jerusalem.-Acts 22:3. 4. 5:A
NOR TOPIC = Saul Persecuro,
Christians.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TopIc
"A Young Pharisee.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND, ADULT TOPIC
Saul Prosecuting the Church
(Acts ~ :3,4; ~ :4,5).
/. Taught to love his own nation. a
am Jew" The Pharisees wer
the nationalists OF their day Thos
who are intelligently loyal to their own
nation can more effectively help others
2. Taught to love Gods law. 'Taugh,
according to the perfect manner OF tn.
law of the fathers" Love for th.
Holy Scriptures Is valuable asse,
In life. One may misinterpret 1t and
dangerously misapply 1t; but II be
has love in his heart for 1t there Is
hope OF getting him to come into rlgh,
relationship to It.
3. Was jealous toward God" The
root OF the word Jealous" signifies
ITO boil" 1t means passion for God
and His work. 1t was zeal for God
that made Saul think Of and plan
for his work. This zeal for God e1
pressed itself in persecution OF the
Christians whom he regarded as DO
ing that which was contrary TO Gods
law and purpose. lie spared neither
age nor sex, even to Imprisonment and
death (Acts %: ~.
u. Saul Thoroughly Conscientious
t26 %, lO).
In his conscientousness he opposed
Jesus. for he regarded Him as an
impostor Saul Is to be commended
| in that he responded to his conscience,
but he is 10 be condemned for his
attitude toward Jesus; for there was
Overwhelming evidence that Jesus was
Gods Son and came in fuliillment Of
lle SCRIPTURES. ne TeSuTTtttloH Vi
Christ was such an outstanding mira
cle--a proof OF the Deity of Christ,
that there was no room left for doubt
~. Stephens martyrdom tActs I:
81; S:3).
In order to understand the sgnlf'
canoe Of his martyrdom we must oh.
tain synthetic view of his life.
| l. Who Stephen was GID. lie
was one of the seven who were ap
pointed to look after the temporali
ties of the church.
2. Why Stephen was opposed t6:S
l5). In his work he testified of Christ
and by the Holy Spirit wrought mira
cles. These mighty works aroused
the people. The following features
characterized him: az Wisdom,
which means common sense; (2l
grace, which means beauty of charac-
ter; (3) power. He had the ability
to do wonders and great signs and
speak the truth effectively. The men
of the opposing synagogues We're not
able to withstand the wisdom and
the Spirit by which he spake" They
arrested and brought him before the
great council. Even here they could
not silence him by argument, so they
decided to do 1t by violence.
3. Stephen stoned (7:54-6O). Before
the council he made magnificent de-
fenSe. This he did by tracing the
history of Israel from the call of Abra.
ham to the crucitixion of Christ. His
aim in this review was to show that
God never had been localized and that
the temple was but small part Of
Gods plan. In his address he did
not speak against the temple, but
showed that God did not In the full
est sense dwell in it at any time. He
proved this from Scripture Elsa. 81:
l. 2; Kings S-27). In his conclu-
sion he declared that the Jews had
always oeen stiff-necked people, re-
sistihg the Holy Spirit, and now their
stubDornness had reached its culmina-
ton in the betrayal, rejection and
murder of the Son of God. This
charSe cut to the heart. His argu'
''S"tS "cic uhailSWefuDle. Being uh'
willing to answer him and at the same
time to accept the truth presented,
their anger was stirred to its highest
pitch; so their only answer was stones.
lhey CRASHED upon him as a mad dog.
In this hour of trial God gave him q
wonderful vision. He was permitted
to see into heaven itself. and there
ne got sight of the gorifed Son OF
Man standing at the right hand OF
| God.
4 Stephens burial (S:l-3). Bis
1eath is described as falling asleep
This Is really all that death is to the
christian. Devout men buried him.
making great lamentntion over him.