THE SPEECH 0F SAINT STEPHEN, THE FIRST CHRISTiAN MARTYR JERUSALEM, PALESTINE, 37 A D. Thesis for the Degree of M. A MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ROBERT BRUCE OLDHAM 1989 ' W P;"r.'\.‘-:..'- K; :91?“- ‘. * ,_. . 1 . QIM‘Q.""_ -."'-.‘fi MSU RETURNING MATERIALS: P1ace in book drop to remove this checkout from your record. FINES wiII be charged if 550E is returned after the date stamped below. v is: nigh W 4,9,7 xx”. . MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY EAST LANSING - MICHIGAN 48823 .9..- «av-nun a-n-.» 91-. _ 4 DEPARTMENT OF SPEECH AND THEATRE 0 149 AUDITORIUM Nbvember 17, 1969 Dean Jack Bain College of Communication Arts Dear Dean Bain: This letter will certify that all re- quirements for the M. A. degree in Speech and Theatre have been met by MR. ROBERT OLDHAM. A copy of his thesis accompanies this statement of certification. Sincerely, ,)/ K;%§EEmemedhd< THE SPEECH 0F SAINT STEPHEN, THE FIRST CHRISTIAN MARTXR JERUSAW, PALESTJNE: 37 AOD. by Robert Bruce Oldham A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Speech 1969 Accepted by the faculty of the Department of Speech, College of Communication Arts, Michigan State University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree. Kenneth G. Hance Tirector Omsk Guidance Committee: Kenneth G. Hance , Chairman David 0. Ralph Gordon Thomas ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank those who have given of themselves to make these academic labors an experience of pleasure and profit: My advisor, Dr. Kenneth G. Hence, whose patience and encouragement inspired me to complete this study; Dr..David 0. Ralph, who introduced me to methods of speech criti- cism that helped me immensely with this project; Dr. Gordon Thomas, who helped me realize the power of persuasive speaking; My wife, Virginia, and my children, Mary and John, whose patient endurance of my long hours and limited time for family engagements made the completion of this thesis possible. ii TABLE OF CCN TEN TS Chapter Page L mmwmnm ...;................... 1 II. STRUCTURE mm DEVELOHvIEhT OF STEPHEN'S SPEECH . . . . . . . 16 III. STEPHEI; STORED mp BELIEVERS SCATTERED. . . . . . . . . . . 7b Iv.on;CI.Usm\s........................ 82 APPENDIX 88 BIBLIOGRAPHY93 CHAPTER I INTRCDUCTIQ‘ "Brothers and Fathers! Listen to Me!" With this brief introductory appeal the story of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr} begins as he stands to speak in defense of his life before the stately Sanhedrin in the year 37 A.D.~2 Dual charges of speaking in opposition to the Temple and to the Law of Moses had been placed against Stephen for statements he had made in public debate in several synagogues in Jerusalem. . The Outcome of that infamous hearing was the death by stoning of one who has been called the “greatest figure in primitive Christianity prior to Paul3 the Apostle with the exception of Jesus of Nazareth, and one who is considered the "central figure be- tween Jesus and Paul.“ Stephen's speech, the only one by him appearing in the New Testa- ment or in traditional writings, is recorded in the seventh chapter of the book of Acts. It is the longest public address included in that book, and it is appraised by many scholars as one of the greatest lDonald Attwater, Mart s From EE- Stephen 333 John Tung mew York: Sheed and Ward, 1957), p. I. 2W.H.C. Frend, Mom And Persecution In The Earl Church: A Stui Of A Conflict rom Maccabees Io Donatus New York: Eniversity 553 3,1937), p. m. 3"Stephen," Encyclopedia Britannica, 1965, XXI, 238. 1‘James Hastings, The Greater Men And Women Of The Bible (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1916), p. 834. 1 speeches in history and “one of the most valuable documents of early Christian literature."5 It may possibly be "the very earliest piece . . . which has survived."6 Even though this speech is brief, requiring approximately 1350 words arranged in some fifty-eight sentences, its content includes a broad historical survey of the practice of Jewish worship from the time of Abraham to the days of Solomon. "Orators down the centuries have taken it as a model of argument and eloquence."7 Stephen was the "first to set forth decidedly and forcibly the in- consistency of Christianity with lifeless Judaism."8 For this he had to pay with his life. But the impact of his message "had momentous results for the whole later history of tin 'church,"9 and "it influenced the en- tire career of Saul of Tarsus,“10 who later became Paul, the greatest of the Apostles. Although the ancestry of this "forerunner of the Apostle Paul"ll is SJules Lebreton, The History 9; The Primitive Church (New York: Macmillan, 191:2), p. 1797 6Ernest F. Scott, The Varieties 93 New Testament Religion (New York: Charles Scribner'E—Sons, I955), p.12 . 7Heien Walker Homan, Letters _'I_?_o_ _'_I_h_e Martyrs (New York: David McKay Company, Inc., 1951), p. 1 . 8Adolph Schlatter, The Church In The New Testament Period, trans. by Paul Levertoff (New m: MEcmilEn‘C'Smpany, 1955) , p. 2'73. 9Scott, New Testament Reli ion, p. 95. 10Canon Farrar, The Life 9}: St. Paul (Philadelphia: Henry Neil Publisher, 1895). p788. "" 11Marcel Simon, Stephen, Saint, Martyr. _S_§. Stephen And The Hellen- ists _I_n_ The; Primitive Church (New York: Longman's Cream-T3537,- p. 5. unknown, he gained considerable prominence in the first century church following his election as one of the seven men mentioned in the sixth chapter of Acts, who were later referred to as the first church deacons. It seems that with the growth of membership in the early church in Jerusalem, tension developed between two groups within tre church, the Hellenists and the Hebrews. The Hellenists were foreign-born, Greek- speaking Jews who had moved to the holy city. The Hebrews were native- bom, Hebrew-speaking members. The Hellenistsinstigated a quarrel with their fellow Hebrew members charging that their widows had been over- looked in the daily distribution of food and financial aid. This disa- greement precipitated such a crisis that the Apostles urged tin congre- gation to name seven godly men who could relieve them of this burdensome task which had caused them to "neglect the preaching of God's word" (Acts 6:2) and at the same time had brought them much criticism. The congregation wisely followed the recommendation of the Apostles and chose seven Greek-speaking members to serve as assistants to the Apostles. Among those elected by popular vote and first named in the group was Stephen. His selection was based on such outstanding traits that he was spoken of as a "man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, . . . richly blessed of God and full of power“ (Acts 6:5, 8). With his help the seven must have solved the difficult problem which had divided the small Christian community, for we hear nothing more about it. While it is true that Stephen was named one of the seven whose responsibility it was to distribute church food and funds to the poorer widows of the congre- gation, he gained much more attention before Jewish assemblies, called h synagogues, as a ”superlative speaker and debater."l2 On at least three annual occasions Jews from many parts of the Roman world went to Jerusalem to observe major festivals initiated by Moses, who, as God's spokesman, commanded that they be kept by the Jews perpetually (Exodus 23:1b-l7 and Leviticus 23:2-8). To accommodate those visiting worshippers from near and far, the Jerusalem Jews had erected synagogues where family members and friends could meet together while in the holy city. The Jewish synagogue, dating back to the Babylonian Captivity some- time around 587 B.C., had become the place of assembly, worship, and the reading and emlanation of the Law, for Jews outside of Palestine and for those in Palestine who were unable to attend the Temple services. It was also the center of Jewish community life wherever Jews lived. In large cities, such as Alexandria and Rome and Jerusalem, there were many syna- gogues where the people often grouped themselves according to their craft, their language, or their nationality. Each national group had its own synagogue in Jerusalem somewhat as different national groups have their own individual churches in America. Some scholars say that in this city alone there were more than 1480 different synagogues.13 Others hold this to be an exaggeration. It was in some of those synagogues that Stephen found a “golden 12Johannes Munck, The Acts 93 The Apostles, trans. by Johannes Munck (Garden City: Doubleday ard Company, Inc., 1967), p. 55. 13 J. R. Dummelow, ed., The One Volume Bible Commentary (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1965), 5732.5.— opportunity‘m4 to present his claims about Jesus of Nazareth. Whenever possible he talked at length with those Jews who did not believe in Jesus as the divine Son of God. Certain Jewish "defenders of tradition"15 were greatly disturbed by his call to faith in Jesus as Lord. In at least two of those synagogues Stephen encountered keen opposition and even open hostility. One was the synagogue of the North.African Jews from Libya, with its capital Cyrene, and Egypt, with its capital Alexp andria. Brilliant men suchtas.Apollos,‘who‘was both learned and eloquent in the Scriptures (Acts 18:2h), were in attendance there. The other syna- gogue was made up of Jews from the provinces of Asia and Cilicia and in- cluded a man named Saul, who had come from Cilicia's capital city of Tarsus, and who doubtless heard Stephen's arguments and took part in some of the discussions (Acts 7:58). Very probably Stephen attempted to convince every Jew who would give him a hearing, incluiing Saul, that Jesus was the long anticipated Messiah. These discussions, which in reality were debates, focused on the Scriptures and their fulfillment in the life of Jesus Christ, and it is probable that some of them continued for several days. But in the end the opponents of Stephen "could not resist him“ (Acts 6:10), since his wisdom was a gift from God and lay in a greater insight into the relative "nature and value of the externals of Israel's religion, particularly those connected with the Temple."16 He proved by such irresistible 1r lbDavid Smith, The Life fl letters 93‘ _S_t_..____ Paul (New York: Harper and Brothers, 191”: P. 39. 15Earl Perry,1 These F__i___rst Call____e_<_i_ Him Master (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1968), p.1 16"Stephen," Britannica, p. 238. arguments that Jesus was the Christ, and delivered himself with so much clarity and force that they had no reason to object to what he said. "Though they were not convinced, yet they were confounded . . . since they could neither support their own arguments nor answer his.":L7 No one could deny Stephen's high moral character and his remarkable competence in speaking, qualities Aristotle said were vital. As a re- sult of the witnessing of Stephen, and others of the seven along with the Apostles, "the word of God continued to spread" and “the number of the disciples in Jerusalem grew larger, and a great number of priests ac- cepted the faith" (Acts 6:7). The spiritual power of this early church deacon showed itself in mighty deeds as well as words (Acts 6:5 ,8) and he soon became a "marked man in Jerusalenfll8 Stephen had been echoing Jesus' teaching to tie effect that a new era had broken upon the world: that neither in Samaria nor in Jerusalem, neither to the Temple nor to any other specified place, could the worship of God be limited. It was and is a matter of Spirit and truth (John ’4: 21-21:). One can easily see that this meant to the Jews an end to the rigid demands of the Temple services and the resulting lucrative trade it included in money changing and in the sale of suitable animal sacri- fices. But it did not necessarily follow that worship in the Temple and in the synagogues would end. For there, too, men could worship God. Stephen's skill in debate was so formidable that he Mucw his opponents 17Matthew Henry, Matthew Hen 's Commenta On The Whole Bible. Volume 33, Acts _‘I_‘_o_ ReveEtIon (New Yo~r : em g-H._R§vmompany, n.d.), p. 75. 18 "Stephen," Britannica, p. 238 to “enraged silence."l9 His enemies were quick to twist his words to mean that Jesus would "tear down the Temple and change all the customs which [had] come down . . . from Moses“ (Acts 6:110. What Stephen had probably said was that the Law would pass away as having been fulfilled in Christ, and that if the Jews persistently refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, their city and Temple would be destroyed as Jesus had prophesied (Matthew 210.20 There was only one thing to do as the Jews saw it; they would have to silence Stephen and all of his kind. The end would justify the means. It is difficult for us to imagine the chaos, the conflicting reports, and the false accusations that filled the place dedicated to the procla- mation of truth and righteousness. Failing to vanquish Stephen in honest and open debate, his op- ponents, who now had become his enemies, changed tactics. They shifted from sharing ideas in open discussion to such underworld methods as trickery, bribery, lying, and incitement of mob action. They hired false witnesses and brought Stephen before the Sanhedrin, charging him with "always talking against our sacred Temple and tie Law of Moses“ (Acts 6:13). Like the false witnesses in Jesus' trial, these witnesses maintained that he had quoted Jesus as saying that He would destroy the Temple and change the rules that Moses had given them. Thus we see that the same accusations were brought against Stephen as had been brought against Jesus. The "Temple and the Law" --the Temple and the Mosaic l9.1ohn D. Davis, The Westminster Dictionary 9; _‘1‘_1_l_e_ Bible (Phila- delphia: The Westminster Press, 19%.), p. 19. 2C)Dummelow, Bible Commentary, p. 826. order-- rested on the authority of God and Moses. To question or to try to change any part of tie Temple and its ritual or to imply that Jesus would "tear down the Temple and change all the customs which [had] come down . . . from Moses“ (Acts 6:114) was blasphemy according to the Jews. The Sanhedrin had stood as the supreme judicial body in the Jewish state from some time in the third century B.C. until its destruction by the Romans in 70 A.D. This august body of men dealt with the adminis- tration of justice in civil, political, and religious matters. It was composed of some seventy or seventy-W0 members who sat in a semi-circle with scribes at either extreme of the arc and with the priests as pre- siding officers sitting in the center of the arc. Membership was based on age and wealth, but all were chosen from among full blooded Israel- ites, who held their posts for life. Its jurisdiction included only Judea, where its decisions were final in all cases involving the inv- terpretation of the Law. In all criminal cases the approval of the Roman governor had to be obtained.21 When the charges had been presented against Stephen, members of the Sanhedrin looked upon him and saw that "his face looked like the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15) as they awaited his reply to the question of the High Priest, "Is this really so?“ (Acts 7:1). That is, are these charges true --are you guilty or not guilty? In answer to this pointed question, Stephen stepped forward and with the “logical force and concentrated fire of a great orator ard practiced 2J'Everett F. Harrison, ed., Baker's Dictionary _(_J_i_‘ Theolog (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1960), p. 5'71. 9 controversialist"22 he began to lay the facts, fully and clearly, before the court not as a "Galilean peasant, but as a most persuasive dispu- tent."23 "Although he did not follow the rules of logic taught by Aris- totle, nor the methods of eloquence derived from the tradition of Cicero and Quintilian,"2h we shall see that Stephen did employ parallels, analo- gies, and mystical interpretations in his remarkable refutation of the charges of blasphemy placed against him. He showed such logic of a well trained mind that some historians tell us that he was a pupil of the most famous teacher of his time, "a wise and gentle Pharisee named Ge.mal:l.e1."2S In answer to the question of the High Priest, Stephen entered upon his defense with the "reverential preface which became a loyal Jew in addressing the highest court."26 "Brothers and Fathers! Listen to Me!" (Acts 7:2). The address of this bold witness for the truth was most probably delivered under the inspiration of the moment, a fact that may explain some of the minor historical discrepancies that appear in the text of the Speech. By far the larger portion of the text (Acts 7:2-50) is a review of the history of the Israelites from the calling of Abraham to the giving of the Law to Moses, and from this period to the building of the Temple by Solomon. In reference to this Temple, Stephen quoted a 22Farrar, _§_t_. Paul, p. 90. 23Frederick Fyvie Bruce, The S readin Flame (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 19%), p. 92. 2"tl-Iastings, _T_h_e_ Greater Men, p. 81;. stoman, Letters 29, p. S. 26Smith, gt. Paul, p. hi. 10 passage from the noted Old Testament prophet Isaiah (66:1) which struck against the superstitution of the Jews, who imagined that the Most High God could be limited to a building put together by the hands of men. Stephen sought not only to show his belief in the Old Testament through his survey of sacred history, but more importantly to demonstrate the fearful manner in which the Jews had abused the grace of God. He took great pains to hold up the past to the view of his accusers so that they might see, "as if in a mirror,"27 the manner in which they had treated the Messiah and His followers. The speech seems to have been developed under four main headings: Abraham's divine call to leave his own country for another one God would show him (Acts 7:2-8); Joseph's divine appointment as a saviour of his people from the famine in Canaan (Acts 7:9-19): Moses' divine selection as a ruler and saviour of the people when they were in Egyptian bondage and wandering in the wilderness (Acts 7:20-16); and David's and Solomon's efforts to establish a permanent place of worship (Acts 7:h6-h7). Throughout the entire speech there are two underlying arguments. The first seeks to prove that the ancestors of Stephen's listeners had always had a rebellious attitude toward God's Law resulting in their re- jection and unmerciful treatment of God's messengers. The second argu- ment endeavored to prove that the house of worship had never been con- fined to one locality, but instead, had been designated by God in the various places where tie people had lived. These two parallel arguments were intended to refute the dual charges made by the council against Stephen «that he had he had spoken against their respected ancestor 27Schlatter, 3312 Church, p 279. 11 Moses, and that he had spoken against the Temple by suggesting that it would not always remain at its present location. Stephen's speech was essentially an inductive sermon in which he re- lied heavily upon personal proof to gain acceptance in the minds of his audience. Quotations from a source commonly known and accepted by his hearers, the Old Testament, were carefully woven into his extended, yet familiar, narration in an effort to strengthen his own credibility. The examples Stephen used and the lofty way he referred to the ancestors of his listeners were intended to soften their hostile attituies. Stephen followed the process of inductive reasoning showing a cause-to-effect re- 1ationship throughout the whole message. He utilized eight rhetorical questions which required the individuals in his audience to answer them in their own minds in support of his arguments. His second argument was sumnarized in the words, “The Most High does not live in houses built by men (Acts 7:148); and the first argument was climaxed in the charge, “You are just like your ancestors . . . they killed God's messengers, who long ago announced the coming of his righteous Servant. And now you have be- trayed and mindered Him (Acts 7:51-53). The first argument was to prove Stephal innocent of speaking against the Temple or against the Law of Moses; the second convicted Stephen's Judges of opposing the will of God. Two Biblical texts were chosen for the analysis of Stephen's speech. The Authorized King James Version published in 1611 was selected as one of the texts because it is the most widely read version of the Bible at this time, and it is the oldest English translation available to the average reader. At the time of its publication it represented the very 12 best English efforts at Bible revision and translation. The second text chosen was the popular Good News For Modern Man published in 1966. Already this version has gained phenomenal acceptance by the Bible reading public. As a distinctly new translation, it does not conform to traditional vocabulary or style, but seeks to express the meaning of the Greek text in words and forms ac- cepted as standards by people everywhere who employ English as a means of communication. . . . It attempts to follow, in this century, the example set by the authors of the'New Testament books who, for the most part, wrote in the standard, or common, form of 286 Greek language used throughout the Roman Empire. These two texts of Saint Stephen's speech, as recorded in Acts 7:2-60, have been arranged in vertical columns and are included in the Appendix. Each text has been compared with the other text, and the differences have been indicated by means of typographical de- vices. The text used throughout the main body of this study is from Good News For Modern Man. Old Testament quotations are taken from the King James Version. Sources Portions of the following books were read for biographical material on Saint Stephen: Donald Attwater, Martyrs From St. Stephen 12p John Tung; L. W. Barnard, Saint Stephen And Early Alexandrian Christianity; John W. Brush, Who's Who In Church History; Antonio Gallonio, Torture Of The Christian Martyrs; Mary Jane Haley, Bible Personalities; James Hastings, The Greater Men And Women 9; The 28600d News For Modern Man, p. iv. 13 Bible; Helen Walker Homan, Letters 1‘9 The Martyrs; J. Stephen Jones, The First Martyr; William Sanford LaSor, Great m- alities _O_f_ The New Testament; John T. McNeill, Makers 93 T22 Christian Tradition; Elgin S. Moyer, Great Leaders Of The Christian Church; Earl Perry, These First Called Him Master; 'William.M. Ramsey, The Christ 9; The Earliest Christians; Paul S. Reese, Men Of Action In The Book Of Acts; Holmes Rolston, Person- alities Around Paul; and L. T. Townsend, The Martypdomigf Stephen. Additional sources were consulted to gain a better understanding of the historical background of the life and ministry of Stephen in- cluding: E. M. Blaiklock, 229 Apps Of The Apostles, Ag Historical Commeppapy; Frederick Fyvie Bruce, The Spreading Flame; Henry J. Cadbury, The Book Of Acts In Histogy; Morton Scott Enslin, Christian —-———n——~~ Beginnings; F. J. Foakes Jackson, The Beginnings Of Christianipy; Kenneth Scott Latourette, A Histopy Q; Christianipy; Hugh J. Lawlor, Ecclesiastical Histopy And Martyrs Q: Palestine; and Jules Lebreton, The History 9; The Primitive Church. Several works were studies to gain insight into the relationship between the martyrdom of Stephen and the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul: A. Powell Davis, The First Christians, A_Study pf SE. Paul And Christian Origins; Canon Farrar, The Life Of St. Paul; N. ~*—* L. Knox, EE' Paul And The Church Of Jerusalem; A. T. Robertson, Epochs In The Life Of Paul; Daniel Rops, Saint Paul, Apostle Of 1h Nations; James Stalker, The Life 9}: Paul; and Justo Pere de Urbel, Saint Paul, The Apostle _(_)_f_ The Gentiles. A number of books and comentaries furnished help in the exami- nation of the text and context of Stephen's speech including the following: Frederick Fyvie Bruce, The; Speeches in The A33 Of The Apostles; George Arthur Buttrick, editor, The Interpreter's Bible, M I}; Francis Davidson, editor, The Egg Bible Commentary; J. R. Dummelow, editor, The __O_n_e_ Volume Commentary; Charles R. Erdman, Commentaries _O_n New Testament Books, Volume V: The Acts; Donald A. Knox, A New Testament Commentary, Volume II: The Acts 93 The Apostles; G. Campbell Morgan, The Acts 93 The Apostles; Roberson Nicoll, editor, The Expositor's Bible, Volume I: The Acts _O_f_ The Apostles; J. T. Townsend, The Speeches In Acts; and Edward Zeller, The Contents Andi And Origin _O__f The Acts 93 The Apostles. Valuable information was also gleaned from the following standard research tools: John D. Davis, The Westminster Dictionag 93 The Bible; Vergilius Ferm, editor, An Encyclopedia 2;: Religion; Everett Harrison, editor, Baker's Dictionary (it: Theologz; Emil G. Kraeling, Rand McNally Bible Atlas; and Robert Young, Analytical Concordance T3 '_I‘_h_e Bible. Several different English translations and versions of the text were studied in order to better grasp the meaning of words and phrases used in the speech as found in Good News For Modern Man, the basic text. Some of these were J. B. Phillips, The New Testament In Modern English; 15 The Revised Standard Version Of The Hely Bible; The New English Bible; Charles B. Williams, The New Testament; and Kenneth S. Wuest, Acts Through Ephesians, An Expanded Translation. Methodology The basic methodology employed in this study is that represented by the term "rhetorical criticism." This includes a consideration of the speaker, the occasion, the audience, the verbal message, and the effect or outcome of the interaction between the speaker and his audi- ence. The verbal message, as noted later, is that which appears in the Holy Bible, the seventh chapter of Acts, verses 2-56. Even though this text is, obviously, not derived from a voice recording made at the time of delivery, and even though the precise process of recording is un- known, it remains as the standard and generallyarecognized statement of Saint Stephen's plea before the Sanhedrin. In the absence of any other text, it is the best available document for purposes of study. Further, in the absence of explicit evidence concerning Stephen's motivation for certain procedures and practices, the present researcher has made conclusions regarding these matters on the basis of his best interpretation of extant data. CHAPTER II STRIETURE AND DEVEIDH’IENT OF STEPHEN'S SPEECH We have observed in our introductory chapter that "Stephen, a man richly blessed by God and full of power," was said to have "performed great miracles and wonders among the people" (Acts 6:8). As a result of his unusual effectiveness as a speaker in presenting his claims con- cerning Jesus of Nazareth, "some men opposed him . . . am started argu- ing with him. But the Spirit [6r God] gave Stephen such wisdom that when he spoke they could not resist him" nor defeat him (Acts 6:9nlO). So infuriated were his opponents that "they paid some men to say, 'We have heard him speaking against Moses and against Godl'" (Acts 6:11). How much those men were paid to circulate this false accusation we are not told. But we are told that ”they stirred up the people, the elders, and the teachers of the Law" (Acts 6:12). With rising hostility "they came to Stephen, seized him, and took him before the council" which was the Sanhedrin. "Then they brought in some men to tell lies about him" (Acts 6:13). It did not seem to matter to them that they were standing before the Supreme Court of the Jews, where truth and justice were sup- posed to prevail. Their only concern was in having the accused man, Stephan, adjtflged guilty as charged and condemned to death. 'This man,‘ they said, 'is always talking against our sacred Temple and tie Law of Moses. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will tear down the Temple and change all the customs which have come down to us from Mosesl' (Acts 6:13-1h). l6 17 In the previous paragraphs we have seen that the false witnesses at first accused Stephen of "speaking against Moses and against God ," but later, when appearing before the Sanhedrin, they charged him with speaking against the "Temple and the Law of Moses" (Acts 6:11, 13). Were these charges the same? Probably so inasmuch as the false witnesses went on to state fully their accusation that they had "heard him say that . . . Jesus of Nazareth . . . [would] tear down the Temple and change all the customs which . . . [had] come down . . . from Moses!“ (Acts 6:111). Undoubtedly those views had already been disputed between the Jews and Stephen and were very likely based upon the prophecy uttered by Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 2h, regarding the destruction of tie Temple. Actually, Stephen had no more said that Jesus would tear down the Temple than had Jesus himself said this. Jesus had said that "not a single stone . . . [would] be left in its place; everyone of them . . .[would] be thrown down" (Matthew 214:2). Notice in this passage that Jesus did not say that he would destroy the Temple, but that it would come down. Later history proved this prophecy to be true when the Romans, in the year 70 A.D., 29 completely razed the Temple. In the Gospel according to John, chapter 2 verse 19, it is reported that Jesus had said, "Tear down this house of God and in three days I will build it again." The Jews assumed that Jesus had been speaking of the Temple at that time for they asked him, “are you going to build it again in three days? . . . It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple" (John 2:20). But we are 29Vergilius Perm, ed., An Ehc clo is 93 Religion (New York: The Philosophical Library, 1916')? p. . 18 told that "the temple Jesus spoke of was his body‘| which, "when he was raised from death, . . . his disciples remembered that he had said this" (John 2 :21-22) . The falsehood of the testimony given against Stephen lay in the charge that this prophecy implied that God was about to desert his people and contradict and renounce his promise to them of redemption through the Messiah. Stephen, on the other hand, had doubtless maintained that, according to the prediction of Jesus of Nazareth, the final deliverance of the Jews would take place sometime after the destruction of the Temple. As he spoke, he probably had in mind the further words of Jesus concerning the redemption of the Jews which is recorded in Matthew 21;: 29-31. Soon after the trouble of those days the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their course. Then the sigi of the Son of man will appear in the sky; then all the tribes of earth will weep, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The great trumpet will sound, and he will send out his angels to the four corners of the (earth, and they will gather his chosen people from one end of tie world to the other. As Stephen understood it, this prophecy undoubtedly pointed to the approaching judgment, the destruction of God's house, the dispersion of God's peeple into a foreigl land, and then a final re-gathering of God's people at the sound of the great trumpet. This divine judgment, which Stephen saw like a dark thunder-cloud hovering over Jerusalem and its inhabitants, he announced. And it is easy to see the bitter hate which was excited against him in the entire population of this condemned city. 19 When he was accused of propagating this prophecy, he could neither deny nor soften it and still be a faithful witness for his Lord. He had no choice but to prove that he had not spoken against the Temple nor the Law of Moses. Such a task would not be easy. It would demand his best, and Stephen was determined to do his best as he presented to the San- hedrin the history of the past, with which they were quite familiar, and held it up so that they might see the similarities to the present. He hoped thereby to exalt Jesus, whom they had persecuted and crucified. Before moving on it might be well for us to take special note of the term "Son of man" as it appears in tie foregoing prophecy quoted from Matthew. We shall find this mentioned later in the climactic conclusion of Stephen's speech. When he referred to the "Son of man standing at the right side of God" (Acts 7:56), we are told that his audience "with a loui cry . . . stopped up their ears, and all rushed together at him at once" and that “they threw him out of the city and stoned him" (Acts 7:57-58). But we shall examine this more closely when we reach that point in our study. Stephen had been accused of speaking against the Temple, against Moses, and against God. To those charges he responded, but he followed a more natural. order than that in which they seem to have been made. Since Moses and the Law were more important than tie Temple, and ante- dated it, he reversed their order in his speech. And since God was greater even than Moses, he began by speaking of "The God of Glory" (Acts 7:2). With consummate skill he sought to prove on the one hand, that he was not guilty of speaking against God, Moses, or the Temple, and on the other hand, that his accusers were guilty of disobeying God, refusing to 20 follow the Law of Moses, and of defaming the Temple. His efforts to prove himself not guilty did not seem further to excite his audience, but his countercharges infuriated them. Although they could not refute his accu- sations, they could destroy their accuser; and this they were determined to d0. It seems that the enemies of Stephen had at least four objections underlying the charges they had brought against him to which he, addressed himself in his speech before the Sanhedrin. They objected to the impli- cation that the delay suggested by the prediction of the destruction of the Temple was in keeping with God's plan of redemption for his people. They further objected to the suggestion that God's true prophets were ever rejected or persecuted. Another objection had to do with the idea that the Jews had ever committed crimes so terrible as to bring about the destruction of their sacred Temple. Their final objection was that the Temple was too sacred to be destroyed. Had these objections not been included in their charges against Stephm, they could not have regarded it as a detraction from God and Meses to predict the destruction of the Temple ard the abolition of the customs of Moses. For if it was not in keeping with God's purpose that long delays should take place before his promise was entirely fulfilled, then the intervention of a long period of waiting, such as suggested by the de- struction of the Temple, would be no proof that the final redemption of the nation would not ultimately be fulfilled. If the true prophets of God might be rejected and persecuted for delivering his messages, then the rejection of Joseph, Moses, Jesus, and Stephen was no proof that they were not God's true messengers. If God's chosen people might 21 commit such offenses as to warrant the judgment of God in terrible severity, then it might certainly be possible that this generation had comitted such crimes as to lead to the destruction of the Temple and their dispersion in the world. And, finally, if it was not inconsistent with God's purpose to use for other services places once set aside for worship, then it was not impossible that tie Temple could be destroyed and its site devoted to some other use. That these objections were in- cluded in the accusations made against Stephen, and were probably the views that had been discussed in the disputes between him and the Jews, is clear from the fact that they are the objections he sought to over- come in his address before the Sanhedrin. We are told that "all those sitting in the Council fixed their eyes on Stephen and saw that his face looked like the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15). Tie resemblance between Stephen and an angel was hardly in form or expression, since this would imply an alteration of his features, but in a supernatural irradiation of his countenance. It was a signal, therefore, that he was like Moses, God's prophet, and this, in itself, should have awed the Sanhedrin into the abandonment of their murderous schemes. "And the High Priest asked Stephm, 'Is this really so?” (Acts 7:1). Did you predict the destruction of the Temple? Did you say that Jesus of Nazareth would change our customs, abolish our religious rites and Temple services? Did you speak those things against Moses and against de? It may be of interest to note here that a similar question was asked of Jesus in Matthew 26:22, "What is it which these witness against thee?" The previous question was addressed to Stephen and was a call on him to respond to those accusations made by the hired witnesses. 22 Stephen dared not simply state his belief. As their subsequent corduct showed, they would have stopped their ears and hurried him to his ‘ death. Therefore, he had to meet them first on common ground in the Old Testament, and show them that he had arrived at his new teaching through the study of the Scriptures. He was facing the greatest and haughtiest scholars of his nation, and was grappling with them from a book which they knew by heart. He had to be accurate or suffer ridicule and, most likely, interruption before he had finished. The speech seems simple enough at first glance. It is merely a popular historic account of early Jewish history. Closer inspection re- veals that some events are omitted which are equal in importance to those given. The lives of Isaac and Jacob, for example, are untouched, while the story of Moses occupies about one—half of the entire message. This suggests the theory that Stephen was not simply relating the history of his nation, but, instead, that he was trying to show that a careful con- sideration of some of its events gave ground for certain particular be- liefs which he, no doubt, had avowed. Plainly, then, as we carefully examine his words and phrases, we shall see his ideas unfold themselves before us as they did before his audience nearly two thousand years ago. Although he did not apply himself to a direct refutation of the crarges made against him, he did meet them indirectly and prove them to be untrue. A broad over-view of Stephen's address seems to reveal four themes that he wanted to develop in his effort to overcome tie supposed ob- jections mentioned earlier as having been implied by his method of presentation. First, long delays took place in the fulfillment of God's 23 promises to the patriarchs and to the prophets; second, the patriarchs and prophets with whom God had made the covenants were hated and perse- cuted because they spoke for him; third, the people of God had committed such offenses against God that theydeserved his judgment; and fourth, places consecrated to God had no such sanctity as the Jews imagined, but might be deserted by him and appropriated to other purposes. The first portion of Stephen's reply was directed toward the ob- jection that such a delay as the destruction of the Temple would involve was inconsistent with God's promise of redeeming the Jews by the Messiah, and would prevent its fulfillment. And he met this objection by showing that a delay of several centuries took place before even the great promise to Abraham, the father of the nation, of giving his descendants possession of the sacred land, was accomplished. And Stephen answered: 'Brothers and fathers! Listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was living in Mesopotamia, before he had gone to live in Haran, and said to him, 'Leave your family and country and go to the land that I will show you.‘ And so he left the land of Chaldea ard went to live in Harsh. After Abraham's father died, God made him move to this country, where you now live. God did not then give Abraham any part of it as his own, not even a square foot of ground; but God promised that he would give it to him, and that it would belong to him and his descendants after him. At the time God made this promise Abraham had no children. This is what God said to him: 'Your descendants will live in a foreign country, where tiny will be slaves and will be badly treated for four hundred hears, but I will pass judgment on the people that they will serve,‘ God said, 'and afterward they will come out of that country and will worship me in this place.‘ Then God gave to Abraham the ceremony of circum- cision as a sign of the covenant. And Abraham circumcised Isaac a week after he was born; Isaac circumcised Jacob and Jacob circumcised the twelve patriarchs. (Acts 7:2-é). 2h Stephen thus began his defense by appealing for a hearing before his judges, whom he respectfully calls brothers and fathers. It is inter- esting to note that Saul of Tarsus, a witness to the stoning of Stephen following the conclusion of this speech, and one who was later converted to the same Christ whom Stephen defended in his speech, used this same opening appeal when speaking in defense of his life before many of these same people in this very same city just a few years later (See Acts 22:1). This opening appeal, "Brothers and fathers," is only one among several phrases used by Stephen in an effort to establish personal.identity with, and to alleviate the hostility of, his audience. Scattered throughout the speech we find such other phrases as “our ancestors," "our people," "fellow Israelites," and various pronouns substituted for these terms, used no less than forty-eight times. Even when he mentioned the refusal of the people to obey their ancestorfiMoses, Stephen included himself as a part of the disobedielt group by saying “our ancestors“ and thus im- plying a shared guilt. Only when he reached his conclusion did he disas- sociate himself from his hearers by emphatically stating "you are just like your ancestors," and "you are the ones who received God's law, . . . yet you have not obeyed it" (Acts 7:51, 53). Stephen had been accused of speaking against God. Therefore, he showed that he was a.son of Abraham by referring to him as "our'ancestor,“ and that he was a faithful worshipper of the God of Abraham, whom therefore he here calls the "God of glory" (Acts 7:2). "The God of glory" is an unusually interesting phrase used by Stephen to identify the God whose visible glory was seen by the patriarchs. The word “glory“ means honor, majesty, and power. This phrase appears 25 only one other time in the Scriptures «in Psalms 29:3, where we read, “The God of glory thundereth." A similar phrase, "Lord of glory," is used once by the Apostle Paul in l Corinthians‘2:8, and once by the Apostle James in chapter 2, verse 1, of his epistle. It is also worthy to note that Abraham was the first man to whom God is said to have appeared. However, Abraham was not the last of whom it is said that God or the Lord appeared. For we read that God appeared to Isaac (Genesis 26:2), to Jacob (Genesis 35:1), to Moses (Exodus 3:16), to the children of Israel (Leviticus 921;), to Solomon (1 Kings 3:5), to David (2 Chroni- cles 3:1), to Simon (Luke 21331;), to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9). to Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:17), and finally, that he will appear unto all them who look for him (Hebrews 9:28). The appearance of "The God of glory" to Abraham occurred "while he was living in Mesopotamia, before he had gone to live in Haran" (Acts 7:2). The name "Mesopotamia" came into prominent use about the tim of Alexander the Great, and it means "land between the rivers." The Greek and Roman geographers used the term for the whole country between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers.30 Its modem name is Iraq. Haran, on the other hand, was a northern commercial city of Mesopotamia, located on the Euphrates River and on one of the main trade routes between Babylonia and the Mediterranean Sea. It still retains the name Haran, but it is now only a small Arab village.31 When God appeared to Abraham "he said unto him, 'Leave your family 30Davis, The Westminster Dictionary, p. 392. 3lrbid., p. 226. 26 and country and go to the land that I will show you.‘ And so he left the land of Chaldea and went to live in Haran" (Acts 733-14). Since God made his appearance to Abraham a great way off in Mesopotamia, you must not think, implied Stephen, that God's visits are confined to this land. The land of Chaldea lay just south of Mesopotamia near tre Persian Gulf, and it seems to have been the place of Abraham's birth and early life (Genesis 11:28). Stephen's audience held their "holy land" in such high esteem that it must have been very difficult for them to believe they had not always been firmly rooted tiers. Stephen explodes that myth by saying to them in substance, you need not be so proud of your place in this "holy land," for you came originally out of Chaldea where your fathe rs served other Gods. Stephen probably had Joshua 2hz2 in mind: "Your fathers dwelt on the other side of tie flood [Euphrates River] in old times, even Terah, tl'e fatter of Abraham, . . . and they served other gods." It was in Haran that Abraham's father, Terah, died at the age of 205 (Genesis 11:32), after which "God made him move to this country [Canaan] where you now live (Acts 7:hb). Further instructions had been given Abraham of which we are told in Genesis 12:1, "The Iord had said unto Abram,32 Get tree out of thy country, and from they kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee." In obedience to the command of God, Abraham left Haran, taking with him his wife “and all their substance that trey had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan“ 32Abraham was first called Abram, but his name was changed by God according to Genesis 17:5. 27 (Genesis 12:h-5). With the command to go out, the history of God's dealing with his people began. And it shows that God was not restricted to any one country and people, but that his word and promise are the essential matters. “God did not then give Abraham any part of it [Canaan] as his own, not even a square foot of ground; but God promised that he would give it to him, and that it would belong to him and his descendants after him" (Acts 7:5a). This promise is recorded in Genesis 17:8, where we read "I will give unto thee [Abraham], and to thy seed after thee, . . . all the lard of Canaan, for an everlasting possession." Tie geographical di- mensions of this tremendous land area are given to us in Genesis 15:18, were we find that it extended "from the river of Egypt [the Nile] unto the great river, the river Euphrates." That this represents a consider- able amount of land can be seen by consulting a modern atlas. "At the time God made this promise Abraham had no children" (Acts 7:5b). As a matter of fact, it was several years after receiving God's promise that Abraham's first child, Isaac, was born, and re was then 100 years old (Genesis 21:5). This proved to be quite a test of faith for Abraham in tie promise of God, for we read that Abraham and his wife, Sarah, laughed when God told them that they were to have a son (Genesis 17:17 and 18:12). "This is what God said to him: 'Your descendants will live in a foreigr country, wrere they will be slaves and will be badly treated for four hundred years'" (Acts 7:6). Stephen here quoted almcst directly a prophecy'issued by God to Abraham which is recorded in Genesis 15:13. 28 It is subsequently fulfilled, as we shall see, during the lifetime of Joseph three generations later. "'But I will pass jtdgment on the people that they will serve,‘ God said, 'and afterward they will come out of that country and will worship me in this place'“ (Acts 7:7). This, too, is i almost a direct quotation from Genesis 15:11; and is fulfilled, also, during the lifetime of Moses, approximately four hundred years later. The foreign country referred to in this prophecy is, of course, Egypt, and the juigment Cod passed on the people consisted of the ten plagues enumerated and related in detail in Exodus 7-11. They included: (1) the waters of Egypt turned into blood (7:19-20), (2) the covering of the land of Egypt with frogs (8:5-7), (3) the changing of the dust of the land into lice (8:16-17), (’4) the sending of swarms of flies (8:21-2h), (5) the sending of a very grievous murrain on all the cattle, the horses, the asses, tie camels, the oxen, and the sheep (9:3-6), (6) the changing of the furnace ashes to germ laden dust that caused boils to break out on man and beast (9:10), (7) the raining of grievous hail, such as had never before been seen in Egypt (9:18), (8) the plague of locusts to cover the entire land (10:14-5). (9) the thick darkness that lasted three days (10: 21-22), and, finally, (10) the death of tie first born of all mankind and cattle among the Egyptians (11:)4-5). As a consequence of the ten plagues the Jewish people were finally permitted to leave the land of Egypt and head for the land promised to them during tie days of their greatly re- spected ancestor, abraham. "Then God gave to Abraham the ceremony of circumcision as a sign of the covenant. And Abraham circumcised Isaac a week after he was born; Isaac circumcised Jacob, and Jacob circumcised tie twelve patriarchs" 29 (Acts 7:8-9). ‘With this ceremony of circumcision the facts of Abraham's life seem to be concluded so far as Stephen is concerned. He had no in- heritance on which to rest a hope of possessing the land, and no reason to expect the continuance of his family. He did have, however, the promise of God, and this was not to be forgotten. To bind this promise to Abraham and his__f W as his o__w_r_1_, NOT even a S'— uare FOOT of round; but God ED THAT W0 oufD GIVE-IT TO HIM and HIS descendants AFTER HIM. At the time God made this promise Abra- 'hTa'm'HAD NO children. This Is” _w___hat GCD _s____aiH to him: our 3"- scendants w__i_ll__ 2_L___ive m A foreign And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I'judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place. And he gave him the cove- nant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circum- cised him the eighth day; ard Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob be- gat the twelve patriarchs. And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egpt: but God was with him, And de- livered him out of all his af- flictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and 1's made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Now there came a dearth . over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Enmor the father of Sychem. But when the time of the promise drew high, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, Till an- other king arose, which knew not Joseph. The same dealt subtilly 89 count where THEY wi___l__l be slaves AND wgl” be badly treated for I‘m UR But I WILL pass judgment__ on THE people” that THEY WI _s____erve, GCD SAID, AID afterward THEY will COME out o_f_ t__h__at count AND will worshipfl ME II THS ‘PIACE. T__h___en ' Ga EVE to Abraham THE ceremon DF’CIHCLHCIW. as a sign—TIEor T COVENANT. AND ABRAHAM CIRCUMCISED ISAAC a week after he wa___s_ b__9___m; ISAAC circumcised JACOB, and JACOB circumcised the TNELVE PATRIARCHS. THE PATRIARCHS were jealous of JOSEPH, and SOID _h__im as a slave in EGYPT. BUT GOD wAS __WITH HIIT, “AND brogght Hm safely through ALL HIS troubles. When Joseph ap- peared before PHARAOH, the K11 G OF EGYPT, a GAVE HI VI a pleasing man___n___er AND hISDOIT. 'PHAHAOH MADE Joseph GOVT? RNOR OVER the countr HIE the re al househofi- Then THERE—Has amine which caused much sifferm ADI: om AND—Canaan. UR ancestors could not ggy food. ' JACOB Hm—WASS grain II. EGYPT HE SENTI OUR ancestors on their PIRST visit there. On THE SECOND visit he MADE him_____s____elf KNOWN TO HIS Brothers, and PHARAOH came TO know about JOSEPH—VS family.“ So J 'SEN'T’E messa e to HIS FATHER JACOB, telling A and-— the whole family to come to Egypt: there were seven- t ive eo la in all. Then JACOB uh WOWGTPIT—herm AIID OUR ancestors DIED. Their bodies WERE moved to Shechem, where they were Buried— IN grave which mm BOUGHT from THE tribe OF Hamor FOR A SUM Messy. WHEN‘ THE TIME DREh n__e_ar f__9__r GOD to keep THE HiCIIISE he HAD “made TO ABRAHAM, THE number oTour PEOPLE IN EGYPT had grown much larger. it last _a “different KING, who had NOT Flow wn JOSEPH, began t_g is“ in Egypt. H__e_ tricked with our kindred, and evil en- treated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live. In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months: And whm he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egptian yesterday? Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Median, where he begat two sons. And when forty years were ex— pired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sins an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw it, he . wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Loni came unto him, Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God‘of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not be- hold. Tha'i said the Lord to him, 90 OUR people AND Egcruel _t_g OUR ancestors, forcing than to ply: THEIR babies OUT of their homes, so THAT THEY would die. It was 23: THIS TIME them 0 ES'IIAS EH75 very beaujpiful child. He was brou ht UP at home for THREE MCNTHS, AND Rum RENAS ut OUT of his home the DAUGHTER of RAOH adopted HIM AND brou ht HIM UP as HER OWN SON. He W—S—JA taLu_ght ALL THE WISDOM OF THE E-GYPTIANS, AND became a great man m WORDS AND DEEDST" WHEN Moses WAS FORTY YEARS OLD _h_e decided TO VISIT HIS fellow Israelites. fig gag (NE OF being mistreated by an Egyptian: so HE went t_g _h__i_§ help AND took 33- ven e (N THE EGYPTIAN killing him. HE thou ht that HIS OWE—75676— WOWTMD THAmE—igg—going 339 Egg t_11_:_r_n_ _t_o_ sit THEM free; BUT THEY did NOT understand. THE NEAT DAY HE saw two Israelites fi htin , them. Listen, mpg, he said, m ARE brothers; WHY DO YOU mistreat each other? BUT 3112 one who was migtreatigg the other pushed Moses aside. WHO MADE YOU RULER AND JUDGE OVER US? h_e_ asked. 122 mwant pp KILL ME, just AS YOU killed that EGYPTIAN YESTERDAY? When MOSES heard this _h_g FLED from Egypt AND started living IN THE LAND OF Midian. 21191.9. HE _ha_d Two 5015. L After FORTY YEARS had ssed, AN ANFE'IPPRARRD TO MoEEE. H t flames OF A burning BUSIT‘IR THE" aesert near MOINT Sinai. MOSES was amazéd what HE SAW, AND went _— NEAR—‘Ehe bush TO look at IT closely. But he heard THE ISO—13's VOICE: I AM THE GOD OF our ancesfzrs, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM . WJACOB. MOSES TREMBIED with fear AND dared NOT look. And THE LORD SAID TO" HIM: Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. I have sea, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler .and a Juige? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. He brought than out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years. This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the Mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, Saying unto Aaron, Males us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And they made a calf in the se days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, 0 ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts ard sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your 91 Take YOUR sandals OFF FOR THE PLACE WHERE YOU are standin IS HOLY GROUND. I—HK ooked and SEEN THE cruel suffering OF MY PEOPLE IN EGY . I HAVE HEARD THEIR roans, AND I have C(ME DOWN '10 save Tm. cons: NOW“, I WILL SEND mm EGYPT. THIS is the MOSES who was re- ected b the W 0:31.331." ty—Ho MAD o R n15" JWover us? they asked. he is the one whom GCD sent E's—RULER AND—smog with Trish—EFT)? THE Ammm IN THE burn g BUSH. HE _1_e_a<_1_ TEE—{mph OUT of Egypt, performing mirac es AND WONDERS 1N EGYPT AND W SEA, AND IN THE desert for FOR‘I‘Y YEARS. He IS the MOSES who SAID _t_o_ THE 53121.3 UF'ISRAEL,"GOJ will send YO A OPI-IET, ust as he sent ME, who will _h__e YOUR-2333 eo 1e. FEE the one who WAS w1' tE THE $.32 I's’f'aTeI—as- semBled desert; HE was there ancestors arfi WITH—TEE ANGEL who spoke TO m on MOUNT Sinaig—HE mm!) God's—livin messages _t_o_ pass on TO US. But OW ancestors refused _tg OBEY him; they pushed Hm aside AND wished that they could 52 BACK _t_g EGYPT. So they said _t_o_ AARCN: MAKE US some sons who will GO _ig front _a_; US. WE _d_q NOT know WHAT HAS happened TO that MOSES gm BROUGHT US OUT OF EGYPT. It was then that THEY MADE AN IDOL in the same shape of A CALF AND OI‘FERED SACRIFICE jg M: AND _h_a_d_ _a_ feast 1N hongr OF __twha __lthe Lamina had made- .1333: GOD TURNED away from them, AND GAVE THEM over TO WORSHIP THE stars OF HEAVEN, AS IT IS WRITTEN 11-: THE BOOK OF THE PROPHETS: Egople 0F ISRAEL! It was not TO ME that you slaughtered w M FORTY YEARS IN THE desert. It was the tent 01" the god MOLOCH that m carried, AND THE image OF THE STAR OF YOUR god Remphan, figures‘whioh ye made to worship than; and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. Our fathers had the taber- nacle of witness in the wilder- ness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; Who found favour before God, and desired to fird a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him an house. Howbe it the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my foot- stool: what house will ye build me? saith the lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things? Ye stiffnecked and uncircum- cised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been new the be--,-~ trayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the dispo- sition of angels, and have not kept it. . . . Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man s standing on the right hand ofGod. Iord Jesus, receive my spirit. Iord, lay not this sin to their charge. Gd) Rephan; They were idols th___a_t YOU had MADE TO WORSHIP. AND so I WILL send YOU AWAY BEYOND BABYLGI. OUR ancestors HAD THE tent 0F God's resence with them IN THE d__e___sert. IT __ been made _a_s 999 had t__9___ld MOSES TO MAKE IT, A06- CGlDlNG TO THE Ettem THAT Moses had been _s____hown. later on O ancestors who _—received the tent from their FAT carried it with them when they went WITH Joshua and took over _t_hg land from the nations that CO) drove OUT BEFORE then. And it stayed___ there unti____;l_. THE _t__ime o__f_ DAVID. H__e _w___on God:s fa___v__or, AND— _a_—sked God— 10 allow him to provide A house FOR TEE GOD OF JACOB. BUT it was SOIDMCN who BUILT HIM A HOUSE. _B__ut THE MOST HIGH God d_p___es not 1ive lN h_<_>_____uses built b men; AS T PHET says: "fi’f THRCNE, says THE LORD, AND EARTH IS MY FOOTSTOOL. WHAT kind of HOUSE wo__ul__.d_ YOU BUIID for IE? Where IS THE PLACE _f__or ME to REST? Did idNOT I melf___ make ALL TIESE THINGS? How stubborn u%r_§l How heathen ypur _——RT, __e_af- 19.2 are to Gods smessagei You are just like YOUR ancestors; m__ too have AWAYS resisted TEE HOLY S iriti Was there a sin 6 PRO that m ancestors ' NOT PERSWE? __Emessengers, who lon 0 announced the CCMlNG E'- _H_i_s r3. hteous Servant. And NON 3733 8mm. : murdered him. _Y___ou _a__re t __e_ ones who God's “ml",— that was hana'a down BY ANGELS --yet you mm ya IT! Iook! he said, I SEE IEAVPN 0mm ma son or m sman at TIE RIGHT side OF GODI LORD JESIB,IRECEIVE MY SPIRIT! LORD! Do not remember THIS SIN agains't'tfi'e-x'nl BIBLIOGRA PHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Attwater, Donald. Mart 'rs from g. Stephen _t_o_ John Tung. New York: Sheed and and, 9:7. Bach, Marcus. Adventures in'Faith. Minneapolis: T.S. Denison and Company, Inc., ma: Bacon, Benjamin Wiener. Biblical and Semitic Studies. New York: Charles Scribner-Tr Sons; 335612" ' " " ' ' Baker, Robert A. A Summary of Christian History. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1939. Barnard, L. W. Saint Stephen and Early Alemndrian Christiani_t1. Cambridge: CamEriE’ ge fiversity Press, 1960. Blainock, E. M. The Acts of the A ostles, an Historical Commentary. Grand Rap'fi's':'WiIlEm'-B: gains PESlishing Company, 1959. Bruce, Frederick Fyvie. The S eches in _t_he Acts of the Amstles. London: Tyndale Brass, I955. Brush, John W. Who's Who in Church Histog. Needham Heights: Whittemore Associates, Inc.,-l9 . Buttrick, George Arthur, ed. The Interpreter's Bible. Vol. IX. Nashville: Abingdon Cokesb'ury Press,T955. Cadbury, Henry J. The Book of Acts in History. New York: Harper and Brothers PTiBIisHersTHSS. Chappell, Clovis G. More Sermons _o_n Biblical Characters. New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, l9”. Clarke, Adam. The New Testament of 933 Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Vol. I: Matthew _t_o_ Acts. Nashville: Abingdon CokesEury Press, n.d. Cullmann, Oscar. The Early Church. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1956. Davidson, Francis, ed. The New Bible Commenta . Grand Rapids: Ltilliam B. Eerdmans PublTs'hin' g Company, 19;}. 93 9h Davis, A. Powell. The First Christians,a aStud of St. Paul and Christian Origin . New York: Farrar, trans, and Cudahy, 1957. Davis, John D. The Westminster.Dictionary 9E the Bible. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, l9hh. Dummelow, J. R., ed. The One Volume Bible Commenta_y. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1963; Eiselen, Frederick Carl, ed. The Abm mgdon Commentary. New York: Abingdon Cokesbury Press, Enslin, Morton Scott. Christian Beginning_. New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers,fil9381 Erdman, Charles T Commentaries on New Testament Books. Vol. V: The Acts. Philadelphia: Thefiwestminster Press, 1929. Farrar, Canon. The Life of St. Paul. Philadelphia: Henry Neil Publishers, 1895. — — '— Perm, Vergilius, ed. An Enc clo edia of Religion. New York: The Philosophical-Library, 195;. Ford, h. Herschel. Simple Sermons from the Book of Acts. Vol. I. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1950. Foxe, John. Book of Marty: . Chicago: Moody Press, 1965. . Christian.Martyrs'2£ the World. Chicago: Moody Press, n.d. Frend, W. H. C. Martylgom and Persecution _'_1_n the Early Church: _a_ Study of a Con c rom Maccabees to Denatus. New York: University Press, 1967. Gallonio, Antonio. Torture of the Christian Martyrs. North Hollywood: Parliament News,n .3— Good News for Modern Man, the New Testament in Today‘s English Version. New York: The American Bible Society, 1966. Haley, Mary Jane. Bible Personalities. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1963. Halley, Henry H. Pocket Bible Handbook. Chicago: Henry H. Halley, 19h6. harrison, Everett F., ed. Baker's Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1960. Hastings, James. The Greater Men and Women of the Bible. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, T916. 9S Hefley, James. Heroes 2; _t_hg Faith. Chicago: Moody Press, 1963. Henry, Carl F., ed. The Biblical E sitor. Vol. III: Matthew _t_o_ Revelation. W a e ph a: E. J. Holman Company, T960. Henry, Matthew. Matthew Hen 's Commenta on the Whole Bible. Vol. VI: Acts _t_g Revelation. New IY'orl'i: Fleming—H: ReveIl Company, n.d. Homan, Helen Walker. Letters to _t_hg Martygs. New York: David McKay Company, Inc., 1951. Jackson, F. J. Foakes. The Be innin s of Christianity, Part I. The Acts of the A ostlesTVol'ETH . Translated by Henry J. Cadbury—._ 5136-5: acm an, 1933. Jamieson, Robert; Faussett, A. R.; and Brown, David. Commentary, Criti- cal and Explanatory 2g the Whole Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Jones, J. Stephen. The First Martyr. New York: Franklin Knight Publisher, 1360. Knox, Ronald A. _A New Testament Commentary. Vol. II: The Acts 93 _t_hg AEstles. New York: Sheed and Ward, 1951:. Knox, W. L. fit. Paul and the Churchgg Jerusalem. Cambridge: Cambridge University Bream-132;. Kraeling, Emil, G. Rand McNall Bible Atlas. New York: Rand McNally and Company, 1955. LaSor, William Sanford. Great Personalities 2}: the New Testament. Westwood: Flemin‘Tg . Revel]. Company, 1961‘. Latourette, Kenneth Scott. A Histor 33 Christianit . New York: Harper and Brothers PubliQiers, 3. Lawlor, Hugh J., and Alton, J. E. L. Ecclesiastical Histo and Martyrs 2;: Palestine. Naperville, Illinois: Alec R. A enson, Inc., 19514. Lebreton, Jules. The Histor 2: the Primitive Church. New York: Macmillan, I955. Lockyer, Herbert; All. _t_hg Men of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1'9'38'.‘ ' ' Manson, William. The E istle _t_o the Hebrews. London: Hodder and Stoughton, I9SE. McNeill, John T. Makers of the Christian Tradition. Magnolia, Mass.:_ Peter Smith Publisher, n.d. 96 Meade, Frank S. Who's Who _in_ the Bible. New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 193A. Morgan, C. Campbell. The Acts 2; the Apostles. New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1925. Morris, Leon. The Apostolic Preachin of 213 Cross. Grand Rapids: William R.Te1dmans fiblishingTompany, 1955. Moyer, Elgin S. Great L6aders _o_i_‘ the Christian Church. Chicago: Moody Press, 1951. . Who Was Who. _i_n_ Church History. Chicago: Moody Press, 1967. Munck, Johannes. The Acts _of the A stles. Translated by Johannes Munck. Gmen City: Doublgay and Company, Inc., 1967. Nicoll, Robertson, ed. The Emositor's Bible. Vol. I: The Acts _0_{ t_hg Apostles. New YES-5k: George? Doran Company, 373'. Ockenga, Harold J. Power Thro h Pentecost. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing ompany, T959. Perry, Earl. These First Called _H_i_._m Master. Nashville: Broadman Press, $96 0 Pierce, Earle V. Ye _A_r_e My Witnesses. Philadelphia: The Judson Press, 1955-. Phillips, J. B. The New Testament in Modern English. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1962. Ramsey, William M. The; Christ 93‘. the Earliest Christians. Richmond: - John Knox Press, 9. Reese, Paul S. Men of Action in the Book of Acts. Westwood: Fleming H. Revefi'fimfia— _— Ricciotti, Giuseppe. Paul the Apostle. Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Company, 1957. Robertson, A. T. E ochs in the Life 93 Paul. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons ,191'5: Rolston, Holmes. Personalities Around Paul. Richmond: John Knox Press, 195k. Rops, Daniel. Saint Paul, A stle of Nations. Translated by Jex Martin. Chicago: Fides Pu'SIishers Association, 1953. Schlatter, Adolph. The Church _i_n_ the New Testament Period. Translated by Paul Levertoff. New York: Macmillan Company, 1956. 97 Scott, Ernest F. The Varieties of New Testament Religion. New Ybrk: Charles Scritmer's Sons, -1-97IE. Simon, Marcel. Stephen, Saint, Martyr. Saint Stephen and the Hellenists _ip the Primitive Church. New York: Longmans Green, 1958. Smith, David. The Life and Letters of St. P__a___u1. New York: Harper and Brothers, 19 E. Stalker, James. The Life 93 Paul. New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, I950. "Stephen." Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1965. Vol. XII Stevens, George Barker. The Theolo 93 the New Testament. New York: Charles Scribner‘s Sons, 9 7. The Holy Bible. Newly Edited by The American Revision Committee. New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1901. The Holy Bible. Revised Standard Version. Toronto: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1953. The New English Bible. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1961. The New Testament. New York: Anerican Bible Society, 1965. Townsend, J. T. in: Speeches in Acts. Evanston: Library of Evanston, 1960. "'" " Townsend, L. T. The Martyrdom of Stephen. New York: Amherst College, 181d. '- Urbel, Justo Perez de. Saint Pau____]_., the Apgstle__ of the Gentiles. Translated by FEET-Barrett.— Westminster: The Newman Press, 1956. Walker, Williston. A Histo oi the Christian C__h____urch. New York: Charles Scrflner's Sons, 7. . White, Helen G. Tudor Bo__g__ks of Saints and Martyrs. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 19 3. Williams, Charles B. The New Testament. Chicago: Moody Press, 19149. Wuest, Kenneth S. Acts Through Ephesians, an Expanded Translation. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1958. Young, Robert. Anal tical Concordance to the Bible. New York: Funk and WagnaIIs Company, n.d. Zeller, Edward. The Contents and Origin___ of the Acts of the Apostles. Vol. II. Translated Fir-Joseph Dare. London: ~William and Norgate, 1876. nIiflllfflfflfllfllflfllfiflfllflllITIIWIIIES 34417