Evening star., 1923-12-08

the power of the Holy Spirit to carry
fout the Masters program, the follow
ers of Jesus confined their activities
! to the city of Jerusalem. In the COM
mencement of Christianity it was
Graded in the Jewish faith and was
, considered as a purely Jewish sect
until the preaching of Stephen
one of the deacons selected by
| the church to aid the apostles in the
care of the poor, who commenced to
preach in the synagogues of the Jews
of the dispersion broader and more
spiritual view of Christianity. HIS
ability and ShillfulneSS as a debater
made him an easy master in the dis
cussions which followed his ministra-
| tions and healings in the community.
When they were defeated by the
logical presentations Of stephens IN
! terpret etations Of the Old Testament in
! the debates, which attracted public
attention. the authorities tried to de-
stroy the popularity and prestige OF
the deacon by the presentation OF
! charges against Stephen in the Greek
synagogue where he held his MEM
bership as a Jew. His defense before
! the council reveals the fact that he
| was a deep student of the Old IeS-
lament and a master OF poiemlcS. he
aroused such bitter antagonlsm thiit
which scattered the disciples every
where preaching the gospel of Christ.
! The Christians. who had neglected to
obey the Lords command by staying
in Jerusalem, We're aroused ny the
opposition TO carry out the Master )
will God used the wrath OF man as
! "A means of developing His kingdom.
Luke in the Acts naturally traces the
story of the broadening of the mis-
sionary activities of the early Chrls-
tians until it reached the iehtlleS
along the line of the work done by
officers Of the Jerusalem church.
Philip, who was the second on the
list of the deacons chosen from
among the Greek speaking Jews.
steps to the front upon the death or
stephen. Christ had included the
semi-Jewish community of Samarld
in His missionary program for ms
church. Philip. under the leadership
of the Holy Spirit opened up an
Samaria. which was about thirty miles
from Jerusalem. 1t was bold ana
! brave thing for him to do at that
hour when the spirit of persecution
was driving all the followers or
Christ from the city in the attempt
of the prosecutors to crush those who
taught that the gospel of Jesus was
for all men. irrespective OF their race
| or nationality. He was encouraged
! by the example of the Master ana IN :
[
to obey the Lords commands TO
preach the gospel to the Samaritans,
who were a mixed race, propdply
more gentle than Jewish. They com
bjned a sort of Judaic worship Wit
| their ancestral idolatries. In their
temple they worshiped Jehovah; they
practiced circumcision; they reNered
/ the pentateuch and kept the pass
over. They were looking. Tor the
coming of a Messiah.
NJ
the start He found men there VINO
had accepted Jesus when He tarrled
and preached unto them. There was
great JOY in the city as t,fei,t result 20, Oh
fessed their faith by being baptized.
The success attending Philips preach .
ing proved that the middle wall OF
partition between Jewish and Samari-
tan was broken down, as the conVer-
sion of Cornelius under Peters MN
istry removed the barrier between
Jews and Eentiles. The news OF the
success of Philips work reached
Jerusalem and resulted in the ap-
pointment of Peter and John as a
commission OF inquiry and fellow
ship. The visit of the apostles re-
suited in the Samaritans being wei
coined and tiled with the power OF
the holy spirit
Among the professed believers in
the Samaritan church was a magi-
clan, Simon Magus, who tried TO pur-
chase the gift Of the Holy spirit
Peter met the attempted bribery with
Indignation, because the apostle con-
sidered that Simon Magus had IN
suited God by his attempted bribery.
Peter exposed the falseness OF the
magicians profession of faith and
called upon him to repent so tna tha
wretched sinner. There was some
thing about Peters manner that
frightened the sorcerer so that ne
sought an interest in the apostle
prayers as an aid TO escape the
Moved by the Holy Spirit, Philip
left the city-wide campaign TO win
one man. He found him travelling
alone in the desert toward his Ethlo-
plan home, where he held hlsn
governmental position. The unknown
eunuch was a proselyte, VINO had
been to Jerusalem to worship. Phlllp
found him reading 1saiah's prophecy.
He was a humble-minded person.
whose desire to know the truth
caused him to invite instruction. He
decided quickly to accept CHRIST ana
sought baptism. After Philip had
baptized him, the eunuch proceeded
towards his African home. where ne
was probably the first Christian
servant of Jesus. History is silent
concerning the latter movements OF
Philip and the eunuch, but we may
be certain that the records OF heaven
have a story of their successful work.
One of the most important events
in connection with the establishment
of the Christian religion among the
Gentiles was the conversion or saul
of Tarsus. This brilliant young
scholar had prominent part in the
persecution of stephen. The lnHu-
ence of Stephens prayer gripped the
gifted rabbi so that he tried to crust
the work of the Holy Spirit in his
life by entering upon jealous per-
secution of the followers OF Jesus.
In attempting to carry out ms conf
mission to destroy the CHRISTIAN
church in Damascus, Saul had to pass
through the scenes of Christs MN
istry. Doubtless he learned much or
the Masters personality, preaching
and philanthropic work as ne moved
toward Damascus. HIS sudden con On
convert to become the am mbassador
/ of Jesus to the Gentiles made that
! day one of the most epochal in the
! history of the early church.
The conversion of Saul may nave
had something to do with the ending
of the prosecutions against the fol-
! lowers of Christ, for the churches
/ throughout Judea, Galilee and Sa-
maria had rest and were built up in
! the faith" When the persecution 9.l
program called for a church, not Tor
Jews only, but for all mankind. The
persecution had made them some
thing distinct and different from
| Judaism The revivals that had
started, wherever the disciples went
preaching the Gospel, had estab-
lished churches in Antioch. Cyprus
and Damascus on the north and the
| conversion of the Ethiopian had car
ried the gospel into Africa.
| During the days of trial the apos-
| ties remained in Jerusalem. The
| broadening of the work called for an
| inspection and fraternal visit by the
apostles. In the narrative of the Acts
| Luke refers only to the tour made by
Peter among the smaller churches in
! the smaller villages and cities OF