Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 September 1892 — SUNDAY SCHOOL I[?] [ARTICLE]

SUNDAY SCHOOL I[?]

IX. K a*r sMjgjgllp THE FIRST i^™f ß ,«^ il |lg| Scpt.—M. When ther be*rdtlfll|i|ff they wer» cut to lh» heart. WmMsm gnashed on him with their t«elbHHm| School.— 55. But be, being (JHJ her vex, and saw the glory of 1188811 Jesus standing on the right hamSHSI 50. And said, Behold, see opened, and the son of man itwllii the right hand of God. 57. Then they cried out wlthHHB voifi®, and stopped their ears, and ■■ on him with one accord. 58. And cast him out of the stoned him: and the witnesses laiiSHß m name was Saul. 59. And they stoned Stephen, on God. and saying. Lord Jesus, rHggi my spirit. 00. And he kneeled down, and a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin charge. And when he had said feii asleep. fIH 1. And Saul was consenting to hisdHl And at that time there was a great cution against the church which wH| Jerusalem; and they were ail abroad throughout the regions of JiK and Samaria, except the apostles. ■ 2. And devout men carried StepheM his burial, and made great lamontatS over him. B 3. As for Saql, he made havoc of ■ church, entering into every house, m haling men and women committed thfl to prison. ; r - f 4. Therefore they that were scatteiE abroad went everywhere preaching Vw word. ■

The section of history extends ovß chapters 6,7, and 8:1—4, all of whitfl should be read in order to undefl stand rightly this lesson, s Time. Somewhere between thl autumn of a. d. 36 and the summel of a. n. 37. Probably May, A. D. 371 about Pentecost. I Place. —Jerusalem. The trial was! in the hall of the Sanhedrim, in thel temple area. The martyrdom was’ in the valley of Jehosephat, between the city and the Mount of Olives. Rulers.—lt was a time of general commotion. Pilate was removed from being governor, and no one was appointed in his place. The Emperor Tiberius died March 16, A. D. 37.

Circumstances. —lu our last lesson we left Stephen arraigned before the great council of blasphemy,--He defended himself in a powerful speech (Acts 7:2-53), at the close of which our lesson for to-day begins. Helps over hard plages. —s4. Cat to the heart: the original means sawed asunder. They were intensely enraged. 55. Saw the glory of Goa: in bis own future home, and God’s goodness amid all the evil around him. Jesus standing: not sittings as usually represented, but standing as if rising to help, defend, and welcome Stephen. 56. Behold, I see, etc.: this is exactly what Jesus had foretold to this same Sanhedrim a few years before. 57. Stopped their ears: as if unwilling to hear such things. 58. Cast him out of the city: they were forbidden t 6 hare executions within the city. The place was the valley of Jehoshapbat, close under the temple walls, at the foot of the Mount of Olives. The witnesses: the false witnesses. (Acts 6, 11, 13.) They were obliged to cast the first stone; (Dent. 17: 6, 7.) Young man’s.... Saul: afterwards Paul the apostle. He was probably thirty-four or thirty-five years old at this time. 59. Calling upon God: “God” is in Italics, showing that it is not in the original. He called upon the Lord Jesus. Saul was consenting: by his vote, and by aiding the execution. Except the apostles: why did these remain? “Because of their greater steadfastness.” They were the leaders, the organizers of the Church; their place, the headquarters of all deciples. It was not fitting that they should flee. Their steadfastness would strengthen the believers everywhere. Their fleeing would almost break up the Church. They must remain at every ctat. But (3) it is probable that they were permitted by the authorities to remain because they had not yet proclaimed the truth that the Stephen emphasized, as to the passing away of the “customs of Moses." 2. Devout men: Jews, not Christiana, who thus protested against the murder. 3. Haling: i. e, hauling dragging fourth. Subjects for further study and special reports. —The difficulty about distributing funds, —How it was settled.—How this aided the church. — Stephen.—The charges against hisa, —His address in reply.—Stephen’s vision.—Method of stoning. Stephen’s martyrdom.—Martyrs.—The effect of the persecution.