f the Spirit of God, to attend to the business pertaining to the
cause. Stephen was chosen first; he was a Jew by birth and religion,
but spoke the Greek language, and was conversant with the customs and
manners of the Greeks. He was therefore considered the most proper
person to stand at the head and have supervision of the disbursement of
the funds appropriated to the widows, orphans, and the worthy poor. This
selection met the minds of all, and the dissatisfaction and murmuring were
quieted.
The seven chosen men were solemnly set apart for their duties by
prayer and the laying on of hands. Those who were thus ordained were not
thereby excluded from teaching the faith. On the contrary, it is recorded
that “Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles
among the people.” They were fully qualified to instruct in the truth. They
were also men of calm judgment and discretion, well calculated to deal
with difficult cases of trial, of murmuring or jealousy.
This choosing of men to transact the business of the church, so that
the apostles could be left free for their special work of teaching the
truth, was greatly blessed of God. The church advanced in numbers and
strength. “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples
multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were
obedient to the faith.”
It is necessary that the same order and system should be maintained
in the church now as in the days of the apostles. The prosperity of the
cause depends very largely upon its various departments being conducted
by men of ability, who are qualified for their positions. Those who are
chosen of God to
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be leaders in the cause of God, having the general oversight of the spiritual
interest of the church, should be relieved, as far as possible, from cares
and perplexities of a temporal nature. Those whom God has called to
minister in word and doctrine should have time for meditation, prayer,
and study of the Scriptures. Their clear spiritual discernment is dimmed
by entering into the lesser details of business and dealing with the various
temperaments of those who meet together in church capacity. It is proper
for all matters of a temporal nature to come before the proper officers and
be by them adjusted. But if they are of so difficult a character as to baffle
their wisdom, they should be carried into the council of those who have
the oversight of the entire church.
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36: Death of Stephen
This chapter is based on Acts 6:8 to 7:60.
Stephen was very active in the cause of God and declared his faith
boldly. “Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the
synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of
them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not
able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.” These students
of the great rabbis had felt confident that in a public discussion they
could obtain a complete victory over Stephen, because of his supposed
ignorance. But he not only spoke with the power of the Holy Ghost, but
it was plain to all the vast assembly that he was also a student of the
prophecies and learned in all matters of the law. He ably defended the
truths he advocated, and utterly defeated his opponents.
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The priests and rulers who witnessed the wonderful manifestation of
the power that attended the ministration of Stephen were filled with bitter
hatred. Instead of yielding to the weight of evidence he presented, they
determined to silence his voice by putting him to death.
They therefore seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin
council for trial.
Learned Jews from the surrounding countries were summoned for the
purpose of refuting t