T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S alists and held to the supremacy of the human will. In the 26th chapter we have Paul’s address before Agrippa in which he speaks of his manner of life from his youth up. Festus was not well informed concerning the customs of the Jews, so upon the arrival of King Agrippa Festus counselled with him concerning Paul. The Jews insisted upon having him ap pear before them in Jerusalem, but Paul had appealed to Caesar. Festus did not know how to make out the papers nec essary for his commitment to Rome and desired further information. Agrippa be came interested and wanted to hear Paul himself. The assemblage was a brilliant one— King Agrippa; his wife, Bernice; the governor in his official uniform; military officers and notable personages of the city,—a great gathering; but the noblest of them all was the man with the man acled arms who stood before them. Paul made no defense of himself, hut of the Gospel he loved. He saw an op portunity to evangelize his hearers. In his testimony he humbled himself and ^xalted Christ. He had lived in Jerusalem from the age of twelve to thirty-five years. He was a prominent member of the Sanhe drin and a persecutor of the Christ. This- his enemies knew. (Gal. 1:14; Phil. 3: 5, 6 .) In a simple and graphic manner he tells of the appearance of Jesus to him and of his obedience to the heaven ly vision. Paul touched a sore spot when he insisted that the animus of the Jews arose from his preaching the resurrec tion of Jesus, and insisting that this re surrection was the fulfillment of the Jewish hope and the interpretation of all their sacrifices and worship. PRAC T ICA L PO IN TS (1) Stephen had a short cut preparation for the m inistry, but he swung a big sword. (2) There were no apologies In Stephen’s sermon. (3) Stephen’s address closed w ith a per sonal application which cut to the heart. (4) Heaven Is the m artyr’s haven. (5) The Inspired Word always incites the „hatred of the devil. (6) W hile the Jews stoned Stephen to death Jesus stood up to receive his spirit.
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(7) Paul was party to a hellish crime, but God turned his life into a heav enly current. (8) The death of many a saint has brought life to many a.soul. - ¿Ifc. I Ü? 7:54. Cut to the heart. Not “pricked” with sorrow as in 2:37 but cut with rage apd fury, literally “sawn through the heart.” His words, like a ragged edged . saw, went against COMMENTS FROM the flesh. Does MANY SOURCES the preaching of Keith Ii. Brooks the W o r d have this effect upon, your life? Echoes. Gnashed on him. Their rage and hatred were so great that words, even blows, for 'the moment were inadequate.-—Haldeman. v. 55. Being full of the Holy Ghost. As water rises to its level, so does the Holy Spirit of whom water is the em blem. The Holy Ghost descending from above and filling the human soul, in stinctively impels it to look above.-#, Horn. Com. His last charge against his persecutors was “ye who always resist the Holy Ghost.” Stephen was himself so full of the Holy Spirit that in resist ing him they resisted the Spirit and in casting stones at him they \yere hurling insult and injury against that invisible administrator of the church who dwelt in him and gave him utterance.—Pier son. Saw Jesus standing. Jesus now sits at the right hand of the throne. He stood at this critical moment for Israel. Standing, He welcomed the first martyr,' after which He sat down a,gain.—John son. Note that “Jesus” is His name and title as a man and in His relation to men. In seeing Him in heaven as Jesus, Stephen saw Him there as a man. He is there as “this same Jesus” who was on earth (1:11), the Jesus who rose from the dead in “flesh and bones.” He is in heaven as “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).—Haldeman. v. 56. Heaven opened. It was opened for the glory of God to shine through and for the spirit of Stephen to pass in. —Gerok. v. 57. Stopped their ears. Shutting the ears to the sound of truth hears witness to the convicting power of truth. —Cook. Ran upon him. When men are convicted of sin they do one of two things—they repent or they get mad at the preacher, but a Spirit-filled preacher will be calm under any circumstances.— Torrey. Learn from this that it does not always conduce to one’s personal safety to preach the truth and that op-
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