Stephen's Defence and Martyrdom

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Stephen's Defence and Martyrdom STEPHEN’S DEFENCE AND MARTYRDOM BIBLE TEXT : Acts 6:8-15; 7:1-60. LESSON 289 Senior Course MEMORY VERSE: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Timothy 3:12) BIBLE TEXT in King James Version BIBLE REFERENCES: Acts 6:8-15 I Called and Chosen 8 And Stephen, full of faith and 1. Stephen, full of faith and the Holy Ghost, performed many miracles and wonders, Acts 6:8; power, did great wonders and Acts 2:17-18 miracles among the people. 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will 9 Then there arose certain of the pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see synagogue, which is called the visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: synagogue of the Libertines, and 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: Acts 4:29-31 of them of Cilicia and of Asia, 29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto disputing with Stephen. thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy 10 word, And they were not able to resist 30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and the wisdom and the spirit by which wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. he spake. 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where 11 they were assembled together; and they were all filled with Then they suborned men, which the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with said, We have heard him speak boldness. blasphemous words against Acts 8:5-8 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Moses, and against God. Christ unto them. 12 And they stirred up the people, 6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which and the elders, and the scribes, he did. and came upon him , and caught 7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of him, and brought him to the many that were possessed with them : and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. council, 8 And there was great joy in that city. 13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not II Persecutions to speak blasphemous words 1. Stephen’s ministry aroused great antagonism, Acts 6:9-15; Acts 24:5-9 against this holy place, and the 5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow , and a mover law: of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a 14 For we have heard him say, that ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes: 6 Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we this Jesus of Nazareth shall took, and would have judged according to our law. destroy this place, and shall 7 But the chief captain Lysias came upon us , and with great violence took him away out of our hands, change the customs which Moses 8 Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining delivered us. of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, 15 And all that sat in the council, whereof we accuse him. 9 And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were looking stedfastly on him, saw his so. face as it had been the face of an Acts 25:7 angel. 7 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. Acts 7:1-60 Mark 14:55-59 1 55 And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness Then said the high priest, Are against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. these things so? 56 For many bare false witness against him, but their witness 2 And he said, Men, brethren, and agreed not together. 57 And there arose certain, and bare false witness against fathers, hearken; The God of glory him, saying, appeared unto our father 58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made Abraham, when he was in with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in 59 But neither so did their witness agree together. Stephen’s Defence and Martyrdom 1 of 7 Charran, 3 And said unto him, Get thee out III Stephen’s Defence 1. Stephen confuted his enemies by his defence from the of thy country, and from thy 1. Stephen confuted his enemies by his defence from the Scripture, Acts 7:1-53; kindred, and come into the land Acts 2:14-36 which I shall shew thee. 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, 4 and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell Then came he out of the land of at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in words: Charran: and from thence, when 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. his father was dead, he removed 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; him into this land, wherein ye now 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will dwell. pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your 5 daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see And he gave him none visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: inheritance in it, no, not so much 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: as to set his foot on: yet he 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the promised that he would give it to earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: him for a possession, and to his 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: seed after him, when as yet he 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the had no child. name of the Lord shall be saved. 6 And God spake on this wise, That 22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders his seed should sojourn in a and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye strange land; and that they should yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and bring them into bondage, and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands entreat them evil four hundred have crucified and slain: years. 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of 7 death: because it was not possible that he should be holden And the nation to whom they of it. shall be in bondage will I judge, 25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord said God: and after that shall they always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: come forth, and serve me in this 26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; place. moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 8 And he gave him the covenant of 27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. circumcision: and so Abraham 28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt begat Isaac, and circumcised him make me full of joy with thy countenance. 29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the the eighth day; and Isaac begat patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve sepulchre is with us unto this day. patriarchs. 30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had 9 sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, And the patriarchs, moved with according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but throne; God was with him, 31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, 10 that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see And delivered him out of all his corruption. afflictions, and gave him favour 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. and wisdom in the sight of 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, made him governor over Egypt he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith and all his house. himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right 11 Now there came a dearth over hand, all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, 35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
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