Evening star., 1925-04-25
Sunday School Lesson

| In the stones of the temple more than
in the Most High, whose hand made
heaven and earth.
Accusation Brings Death.
While Stephens adroit defense
proved that Judaism was frame
work that had been built up slowly
TO provide for the coming of nobler
and wider faith of a prophet greater
than Moses, then, to be taken down.
his speech was centered upon and
built up with the view of accusing the
court and his countrymen OF being
guilty of resisting God. just as their
fathers had done whenever God tried
to extend mercy. While he was ap-
peaEng for a spirituality of religion.
! stephen noted the Hash of anger In
the eyes Of the court, who commenced
to see that he was getting ready to
charge them of being guilty of bias
| phemy and murder. When he &C.
cused them of being Stiff necked and
| uncircumcised in heart and ears" re
| sisting the Holy Spirit and mistreai
| Ing Gods messengers. they could
stand it no longer. The trial ended
abruptly. They became enraged and
Stephen became victim OF a mob.
God did not interpose to save his
servant from the wrath of thpse who
|
| He encouraged him to be calm and
TO use the last moments of life for
| Christ and His church. He was given
a vision of an open heaven filled with
| Gods glory and the Lord Jesus wait
| Ing with outstretched hands to well
| come the first martyr of the faith.
His death came without a vote of con-
demnation. The Sandhedrim no
longer possessed the power TO pass a
death sentence. The Roman authori-
ties were not consulted about his
death, which was a common lynching,
although some forms of the Jewish
law We're observed by hurting him out
side of the city, where they began TO
stone him.
| The witness against Stephen began
the work of casting the stones, which
was their privilege. They placed
| their clothes at the feet of the young
rabbi from Tarsus, named Saul, who
| apparently acted as the leader and
in this manner got even with Stephen
| for the humiliating defeat he had
given him in their debate. He
watched the proceedings carefully.
He noticed Stephen. when he was
praying and caught the martyr 8
prayer, when following the example
of the Lord Jesus. he prayed for his
enemies and asked God to receive his
| soul. That prayer won Saul for
| Christ. The martyrs petition that
| the Lord should not lay the crime
upon those that were stoning him
TO death, arrested the brilliant young
| rabbits attention. The prayer for his
enemies uttered by Stephen. as he
| sealed his testimony for Christ with
! his blood, was TO be answered by the
| conversion of the one who left the
scene well pleased with his death.
| Gods worker died, but the work
was 10 go on. His death marked the
opening OF a bitter persecution upon
| the part OF the Pharisees, who had
been favorable to the Christians, Saul,
who played no small part in securing
| Stephens death, was destined 20 hear
the voice of the Risen Lord and TO
carry on the work begun by the pio-
| neer, who prepared by his argument,
defense, and death for the breaking
away OF Christianity from Judaism
completely. For the moment Stephen
had been defeated and Saul had won.
Time proved that Saul lost and
Stephen won not only the crown of
glory, but his greatest convert in his
| death.
1t was Jesus who, from the cross
as from a pulpit tas Augustine writesD
taught Stephen the law of devout
living, and il was Christ. toe. who
when His student had learned the
| lesson. filled Him with power 10
preach the gospel OF a worldwide sal
walton; and it was the Risen Lord
who rose from His throne TO welcome
and crown the first martyr, when he
| heard the call to come home. He
knew how to encourage Stephen. He
knows how to encourage US From,
| the same throne in glory. our Lord is
summoning us to be loyal TO Him, to
preach and live the gospel of spir.
ltual freedom for all mankind IL we
follow the example of Christ and
Stephen we will endure all OF the
trials Of life and carry out the great
commission until the last man has
been won for our Lord.