THOU SITTEST AT THe right hAND OF GOD, IN THE GLORY OF THE FATHER. WE BELIEVE THAT THOU SHALT COME TO BE OURr judge. WE THEREFORE PRAY THEE, Help THY SERVANTS. I. TO STEPHEN. AUTHORITY: Acts vii. 55, 56. THE Ascension ended the appearances of the risen Lord of which cognizance could be taken by the senses. But visions of the ascended Christ were seen on several occasions until the end of the century. Some of these are described in the Acts and later books of the New Testament, and they deserve careful study. In Jerusalem, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, the new society grew by leaps and bounds.1 Some six years had passed since the Crucifixion, and though as yet no uncircumcised Gentile had found his way into the Church, both the great sections of the Jewish people were represented among its members, the Aramaic-speaking Jews of Palestine, and the Greek-speaking Jews, who came for the most part from Egypt and Asia Minor, or from the Greek cities of Syria. The 1 See Acts i. 15; ii. 41, 47; iv. 4; v. 14; vi. I, 7. 2 Εβραίοι, 3 Ελληνισταί, H differences of language and general tone which they brought into the Christian brotherhood led to heartburnings which threatened dissension; there were rumours of partiality being shewn by the Eleven towards the Aramaic-speaking brethren, to the neglect of such as were Hellenists. The situation was wisely met by the appointment of seven brethren, elected by the whole body, to superintend the administration in reference to which the complaints had been made. It was merely a question connected with the relief of the poorer members of the Church, needing practical ability, fairness, and good judgement, rather than spiritual discernment or power. Yet one at least of the seven possessed the highest spiritual gifts, which, added to his official position, placed him at once in the forefront of the fierce battle which had begun between the traditionalists and the men of the new faith. Himself probably a Hellenist, Stephen encountered the special hostility of the non-Christian Hellenists in Jerusalem. Among the many synagogues of the Holy City was one3 which consisted of freedmen partly from 1 Α διακονία τραπεζών rather than a διακονία τοῦ λόγου (Acts vi. 2, 4). 2 Stephen was 'full of faith and Holy Spirit' (Acts vi. 5), 'of grace and power' (vi. 8); his speech was marked by 'wisdom and Spirit' (vi. 10), and his spiritual energy manifested itself in 'wonders and signs' (vi. 8). 3 See Hort, Judaistic Christianity, p. 50. Cyrene and Egypt, partly from Cilicia and the province of Asia. Stephen, who may have belonged to this body, argued only too convincingly against their narrow views of the Old Testament and the Jewish polity. Unable to answer him, they had recourse to the charge of blasphemy which in Jewish circles was always at hand to crush an inconvenient adversary. A case was got up, witnesses were procured,1 the passions of the Jewish mob were roused, and Stephen was seized and brought before the Sanhedrin, as his Master had been, to answer for his teaching. He was continually speaking, the witnesses said, against the Temple and the Law; they themselves had heard him say that Jesus the Nazarene would destroy the Temple and change the whole Mosaic system. Stephen, called by the High Priest to make his defence, claimed that Moses himself and the Prophets were on his side. Had not the Prophets spoken of a greater sanctuary, and denied that a 'house of this building' could be in the fullest sense the dwelling place of God? Had not Moses, though in his own day he was a 'ruler and redeemer' in Israel, and one who gave to Israel 'living oracles,' words quick with a Divine 4 1 ὑπέβαλον ἄνδρας (vi. II); ἔστησαν μάρτυρας ψευδείς (ib. 13). 2 οὐ παύεται λαλῶν. 4 ἄρχοντα καὶ λυτρωτήν. 3 Acts vii. I ff. |