New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-07-08

2:4. s. 8. 10.
GOLDEN TEXT-Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners: Of whom
] am chief.-I Tim. Ills.
REFERENCE WATERFALL Cor. 1853;
Gal. 1:13; Phil. 3:4-6; ] Tim. l:13.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Going to School In
Jerusalem.-Acts 22;3. 4; 5:a4.
JUNIOR TOPIC = Saul Prosecuting
Christians.
INTERMEDIATES AND SENIOR TOPIC
"A Young Pharisee.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
-Sa Prosecuting the Church.
l.. saurs Training as a Pharisee
(Acts ~ IA; rs :4.5).
/. Taught to love his w nation. Il
am a jew" The Pharisees were
the nationalist of their day. Those
who are i~ntelligently loyal to their own
nation can more effectively help Others
2. Taught to love Gods law. Taught
according to the perfect of the
law of the fathers" Love for the
Holy Scriptures is a valuable asset
in life. One may misinterpret 1t n
dangerously misapply 1t; but II he
has love in his heart for 1t there Is
hope of getting him to come into right
relationship to II.
3. Was jealous toward God" The
root of the word jealous signifies
ITO boil" 1t mean a 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 ex-
pressed itself In persecution Of the
Christians whom he regarded as do
ing that which was contrary to Gods
law and purpose. He spared neither
age nor sex, even to Imprisonment and
death (Acts 22:4).
u. Saul Thoroughly Conscientious
(26 20, 10).
Jesus, for he regarded Him as an
impostor. Saul is to be commended
In that he responded to his conscience,
but he Is to be condemned for his
attitude toward Jesus; for there was
overwhelming evidence that Jesus was
Gods Son and came in fultillment of
the Scriptures. The resurrection Of
Christ was such an outstanding mira
cle-a proof of the Deity of Christ,
that there was no room left for doubt.
Saul was to be blamed for mis- ig-
norance. Conscience Is the law of
life for every man, but it should be
regulated by the Word of God.
~. Stephens Martyrdom tActs Z:
"a; S:3).
In order to understand the signifi-
canoe of his martyrdom we must OBJ
tain a synthetic view of his life.
/. Who Stephen was (6:1-). He
was one of the seven who were ap-
pointed to look after the temperate
ties of the church. A division of the
newly formed church was ayerted by
the appointment of properly qualified
men to look after the distribution of
the benevolenoes.
2. Why Stephen was opposed (6:S
15). 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: () Wisdom.
which means common sense; ca
grace, which means beauty of charac-
ter; CD power. He had the ability
to do wonders and great signs and
speak the truth effectively. The men
of the opposing synagogues were 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
n silence him by argument, SO they
decided to do ii by violence. When
the hearts Of wicked men are set
against the truth, the testimony of
Spirit-flled men only exasperates them.
They accused him of blasphemy and
employed false witnesses to prove that
he had made an attack upon the TEN
pie.
3. Stephen stoned e :54-60). Before
the council he made a magnificent de-
Tense. This he did by tracing the
history of Israel from the call of Abra-
ham to the crucifixion Of Christ. Ills
aim In this review was TO show that
God never had been localized and that
the temple was but a 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 1t at any time. lie
proved this from Scripture lisa. 81:
i, 2; I Kings s-21D. In his conclu-
sion he declared that the Jews had
always been q stiff-necked people, re-
sisting the Holy Spirit, and now their
stubbornDess had reached its culmina-
tion In the betrayal. rejection and
murder of the Son of God. This
charge cut to the heart. Ills argu-
pents were unanswerable. Being IN
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.
They CRASHED upon him as a mad dog.
In this hour of trial God gave him a
vision. lie was permitted
to see into heaven itself. and there
he got sight of the glorified Son of
Man standing at the right hand of
God.
4. Stephens burial (s:1-3D. His
death is described as a falling asleep.
This is really all hat death is to the
Christian. DevOut men buried him,
making great lamentatiOn over him.