The Bible Story Part 263

And they called them, and charged them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, "Whether it is right in the sight of G.o.d to hearken unto you rather than unto G.o.d, judge ye: for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard."

And they, when they had further threatened them, let them go, not finding how they might punish them, because {334} of the people; for all men glorified G.o.d for that which was done. For the man was more than forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was wrought.

And being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said unto them. And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to G.o.d with one accord, and said, "O Lord, thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is: who by the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David thy servant, didst say,--

'Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples imagine vain things?

The kings of the earth set themselves in array, And the rulers were gathered together, Against the Lord, and against his Anointed:'

for of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together, to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel foreordained to come to pa.s.s. And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness, while thou stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of thy holy Servant Jesus."

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of G.o.d with boldness.

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III

ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

_A Lie and its Consequences_.

(The people began to have such an enthusiasm for the new faith, that many of them sold their property, gave the money to the apostles, and all lived together, like one great family. This custom was not altogether wise, and it did not prevail long. While it lasted, disaster came to two people. Ananias and Sapphira had become disciples of the new faith, and, like others, sold their property, but they kept back part, and tried to make the apostles believe that they had given all. The sin lay, not in keeping their property, for no one was required to give it up, but in the deceit.)

And the mult.i.tude of them that believed were of one heart and soul: and not one of them said that anything of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles their witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. For neither was there among them any that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto each, according as anyone had need.

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, his wife also knowing about it, and brought a certain part, {336} and laid it at the apostles' feet.

But Peter said, "Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thy power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto G.o.d."

And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up his spirit: and great fear came upon all that heard it. And the young men arose and wrapped him round, and they carried him out and buried him.

And it was about the s.p.a.ce of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter said unto her, "Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much."

And she said, "Yea, for so much."

But Peter said unto her, "How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and they shall carry thee out."

And she fell down immediately at his feet, and gave up her spirit: and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all that heard these things.

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

ST. STEPHEN'S GATE, JERUSALEM.

LOOKING IN TOWARD THE CITY.

From a photograph belonging to Prof. H. G. Mitch.e.l.l, and used by his kind permission [End ill.u.s.tration]

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IV

THE FIRST MARTYR

_How Stephen Died Heroically for the New Faith.

The Beginning of Persecution.

The Sermon of Stephen. The Martyr's Crown_.

(The new faith was not destined to win its victories in peace. As the rulers hated Jesus, so they hated the new faith which was now proclaimed in his name; as they crucified the Master, so they persecuted and killed the disciples. Stephen was the first of "the n.o.ble army of martyrs,"

thousands of men, women, and children, who gave their lives gladly for the new faith. It was an army without weapons. The command of Jesus, "resist not evil," was, in the first centuries, obeyed literally. It is worthy of note that the new faith never spread more rapidly nor won greater victories than during these years, when it never lifted sword against its enemies, but conquered them by the power of service and sacrifice.)

And Stephen, who had become prominent among the disciples, was full of grace and power, and wrought great wonders and signs among the people.

But certain of the Jews disputed with Stephen. And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. Then they bribed men, who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against G.o.d."

And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and seized him, and brought him into the council, and set up false witnesses, who said, {340} "This man ceaseth not to speak words against this holy place; and the law: for we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered unto us."

And all that sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

_The Defense of Stephen_.

And the high priest said, "Are these things so?"

And he said, "Brethren and fathers, hearken. The G.o.d of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said unto him, 'Get thee out of thy land, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee.' Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, G.o.d removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell: and he gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: and he promised that he would give it to him in possession, and to his family after him, when as yet he had no child. And G.o.d spoke in this wise, that his family should sojourn in a strange land, and that the people of that land should bring them into bondage, and ill treat them four hundred years. 'And the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge,' said G.o.d: 'and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.' And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt: and G.o.d was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before {341} Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Now there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time. And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's family became known unto Pharaoh. And Joseph sent, and called to him Jacob his father, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. And Jacob went down into Egypt; and he died, himself, and our fathers; and they were carried over unto Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver of the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

"But as the time of the promise drew nigh, which G.o.d promised to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, till there arose another king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph. The same dealt craftily with our race, and compelled our fathers to cast out their babes to the end they might not live. At this season Moses was born, and was exceeding fair; and he was nourished three months in his father's house: and when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.

"And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; and he was mighty in his words and works. But when he was well-nigh 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, smiting the Egyptian: {342} and he supposed that his brethren understood that G.o.d by his hand was giving them deliverance; but they understood not. And the day following he appeared unto them as they strove, and would have made peace, 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? Wouldest thou kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday?'

"And Moses fled at this saying, and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he had two sons. And when forty years were pa.s.sed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. And when Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold, there came a voice of the Lord, 'I am the G.o.d of thy fathers, the G.o.d of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.'

"And Moses trembled, and dared not behold. And the Lord said unto him, 'Loose the shoes from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. I have surely seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I 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 judge?' him hath G.o.d sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. This man led them forth, having wrought wonders and signs in Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

"This is that Moses, who said to the children of Israel, {343} 'A prophet shall G.o.d raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me.' This is he that was in the wilderness with the angel which spoke to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received living oracles to give unto us: to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but thrust him from them, and turned back in their hearts unto Egypt, saying unto Aaron, 'Make us G.o.ds which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has become of him.' And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. But G.o.d turned, and gave them up to serve idols.

"Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he appointed who spoke unto Moses, that he should make it according to the figure that he had seen. Which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered on the possession of the nations, which G.o.d thrust out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; who found favor in the sight of G.o.d, and asked to find a habitation for the G.o.d of Jacob. But Solomon built him a house. Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in houses made by hands; as saith the prophet,--

'The heaven is my throne, And the earth the footstool of my feet: What manner of house will ye build me? saith the Lord: Or what is the place of my rest?

Did not my hand make all these things?'

"Ye stiffnecked and unregenerate in heart and ears, ye {344} do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which one of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? and they killed them which showed before of the coming of the Righteous One; of whom ye have now become betrayers and murderers; ye who received the law as it was ordained by angels, and kept it not."

_Martyrdom_.

Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they raged against him. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of G.o.d, and Jesus standing on the right hand of G.o.d, and said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of G.o.d."

But they cried out with aloud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."