The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1959-11-14
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
November Is, 1919
BY Rev. George A. Harper,
Sill Avenue g.,
Greenwood, Miss.
'FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH

o1l avenue u,
Greenwood, Miss.
FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH"
Lesson Text - Acts 6:1-7:6O
Print = Acts 6:8-15; 7::54-6O.
MEMORY SELECTION -
Be thou faithful unto death,
and / will give thee crown
of INSTRUMENTATION 2:10). The
people of God must look for a
series and succession of
troubles in this world, and
their troubles usually rise
higher. 1t is the devil that
stirs up his instruments, wick
ed men, to persecute the peo-
pie of God; tyrants and perse-
cutorS are the devils tools,
Fear none of these things.
They were not to be perpetual,
but for set time, and short
time: Ten days.
1t should not be everlasting
tribulation, the time should
be shortened for the elects
sake. 1t should be to try
them, not to destroy them, that
their faith, and patience, and
courage, might be proved and
improved, and be found to hon.
our and glory. By proposing
and promising a glorious re-
ward to their fidelity: Be thou
faithful to death, and / will
give thee crown of life. A
crown of life, to reward those
who are faithful even unto
death. The life so worn out in
his service, or laid down in his
cause, shall be rewarded with
another and a much better life
that shall be eternal.
STEPHENS MIRACULOUS
MINISTRY:
"And Stephen, full of faith
and power, did great wonders
and miracles among the peo-
pie" - These qualities served
Stephen well, for them he was
able to do great spiritual work
in the community. The mir
acles he wrought were COM
parable to those wrought by
the apostles themselves, be-
cause he had great faith and
power with God. "Then there
arose certain of the synagogue,
which is called the synagogue
of the Libertines, Cyrenians,
and lexandrians, and of them
of Cilicia and of Asia, dispu-
ting with Stephens. Scholars
are not all agreed upon just
who were the Libertines, but
the most accepted answer
seems to be that they were a
group of Jews who had been
captured by Pompey, the Ro-
man general, The Cilicians and
Alexandrians and Asians were
Jews who were residents or
natives of those regions but
had come to Jerusalem to re-
side. And they were not able
to resist the wisdom and the
spirit by which he spake"
Man to man they we're no
match for Stephen in an argu-
ment of Christianity versus
Judaism.
THE ARREST OF STEP
HEN:
'1Then they suborned men,
which said, We have heard
him speak blasphemous words
against Moses, and against
Cod 1t is evident that
the interest of these men was
not in protecting the truth or
to defend the cause of God, for
no one can defend righteous
ness by STOPPING to wicked and
corrupt practice. "And they
stirred up the people, and the
elders, and the scribes, and
came upon him, and caught
him, and brought him to the
Council" To speak evil of both
Moses and God himself was a
most serious offense.
"And set up false witnesses,
which said, This man ceaseth
not to speak blasphemous
words against this holy place,
and the law Thus more
liars were hired to substan.
tiate what the first false wit
nesses had made up, with the
result that the entire situation
was a ''frame-up' from begin
ming to end. They began with
charging that Stephen spoke
evil of God and Moses, after
ward the city of Jerusalem
was also added. For we have
heard him saw. that this Jesus