And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
Stephen was put to death for his faith without a lawful sentence, and godly men buried him with deep mourning over the great loss to the disciples. His burial stands against Saul's ravaging of the church, bringing to view two opposing armies under two distinct leaders, the army of heaven and the army of false religious zeal. The persecution that followed his death drove the believers out of Jerusalem and scattered them through Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost part of the earth, and where they went they preached Christ and sought the lost. The Lord permitted this scattering because the disciples had lingered in Jerusalem instead of educating new members to work with God, and in this way persecution spreads the work rather than stopping it.
Burial Amid Persecution
Stephen died as a martyr for his faith, and devout men carried him to burial and made great lamentation over him. They mourned him deeply, and the disciples felt his death as a great loss. His martyrdom came with that of several other Christians in the persecution that fell upon the church at Jerusalem.
His death was not preceded by a legal sentence, and the Roman authorities were bribed to keep them from investigating it. The civil authorities secretly assisted his opponents while his persecutors acted.
The burial by devout men stands against Saul making havoc of the church, bringing to view two opposing armies, the army of heaven and the army of false religious zeal. They are two parties still existing under two distinct generals who were once united in the same work in the heavenly courts. The originator of sin now leads the great apostasy and works in the children of disobedience until he and all united with him are destroyed.
With Saul's consent Stephen was killed, and Saul then turned his zeal against believers. He accepted the religious leaders' and priests' arguments that Stephen was a blasphemer and Jesus an impostor. He continued to persecute the church, arresting believers in their homes and having them sent to imprisonment or condemned to death for their faith.
Stephen's death stirred Saul's mind and shook and unsettled his prejudice against the truth. His suffering and the light on his face as he looked toward heaven remained a vivid memory for Philip and Paul. That sight helped bring Saul, Stephen's persecutor, to Jesus, whom Jesus chose to preach the truth and strengthen the disciples. Paul afterward grieved over his active, cruel part in bringing persecution and death upon Stephen and many faithful believers, having joined in the martyrdom before becoming a bold defender of the truth Stephen died for, and he wanted to make amends by proclaiming that truth to his Jewish brethren.
Scattering Advances Gospel
Stephen's death was followed by relentless persecution of the believers in Jerusalem that drove them from the city and scattered them through Judea and Samaria. That scattering carried them to other parts of the inhabited world, and the gospel was proclaimed with power in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. The persecution that followed his martyrdom drove believers from Jerusalem after Stephen and several others died for their faith. In this the early persecution that scattered believers and spread the gospel foreshadowed how the persecution of later Christians likewise failed to silence their witness and furthered the gospel.
Where they were scattered, believers sought the lost and brought them to God, preaching Christ in nearby cities, at first among Hebrew and Greek Jews. Their movement by God's providence led them out from Jerusalem into other places and into many parts of the world, carrying the work beyond one locality and toward people who needed the gospel. Those who were scattered and preached the gospel were not ministers but men who feared God, showing that God does not rest His work on a few ministers but works through unordained men to take hold of the work in new fields.
The Lord permitted this scattering because after great additions were made to the church the disciples had remained in Jerusalem to shield the new members instead of educating them to become workers together with God in carrying the gospel to those who had not heard it. They were in danger of staying with the church they had raised up in Jerusalem and being satisfied with what had been accomplished. They did not realize that strength to resist temptation is best gained by active service, and its purpose was to scatter His representatives abroad where they could work for others.
In this way persecution spreads the work instead of stopping it, for persecution scattered the church abroad to proclaim the truth. God permitted in New Testament time the conditions that drove His people out, just as He did in Old Testament times, and He permitted this driving out so the light might shine in new places.
Pattern for Mission Today
The chapter containing the burial of Stephen and the great mourning over him is to be carefully studied because it reveals the Lord's plan for much spreading about through division and subdivision of workers who have long acted an important part. Those experienced workers are to leave places already worked to go into unworked cities, to establish small schools to prepare and educate workers, and to commence missionary work in several places. Efforts are to be merged in one city and then divided to enter the next, so that thousands are converted and in turn work for other souls.
At the beginning of the Christian church, by the providence of God the saints were scattered abroad from Jerusalem to many parts of the world after Stephen was buried. That scattering shows God's desire to have His workers in many places, going into the work with the ability He gave them and seeking counsel from Him. The work of the canvasser is to be united with that of the missionary evangelist, so workers learn practical lessons rather than spending too much time being fitted up in school. In this way the light given on the Scriptures shines forth in clear, bright rays, people are met where they are, and the invitation of salvation is brought to others.
Persecution spreads the work instead of stopping it, and the same result follows when religious denominations unite with the papacy to oppress God's people. If persecution becomes severe in one place, workers are to flee to another, and God leads them to be a blessing in many places. Evangelistic canvassing opens places where there is religious freedom. This scattering labor lasts as long as probation continues, until the word It is finished is spoken in heaven, for the cities of Israel will not have been gone over till the Son of man comes.
Stephen was put to death for his faith without a lawful sentence, and godly men buried him with deep mourning over the great loss to the disciples. His burial stands against Saul's ravaging of the church, bringing to view two opposing armies under two distinct leaders, the army of heaven and the army of false religious zeal. The persecution that followed his death drove the believers out of Jerusalem and scattered them through Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost part of the earth, and where they went they preached Christ and sought the lost. The Lord permitted this scattering because the disciples had lingered in Jerusalem instead of educating new members to work with God, and in this way persecution spreads the work rather than stopping it.
Burial Amid Persecution
Stephen died as a martyr for his faith, and devout men carried him to burial and made great lamentation over him. They mourned him deeply, and the disciples felt his death as a great loss. His martyrdom came with that of several other Christians in the persecution that fell upon the church at Jerusalem.
His death was not preceded by a legal sentence, and the Roman authorities were bribed to keep them from investigating it. The civil authorities secretly assisted his opponents while his persecutors acted.
The burial by devout men stands against Saul making havoc of the church, bringing to view two opposing armies, the army of heaven and the army of false religious zeal. They are two parties still existing under two distinct generals who were once united in the same work in the heavenly courts. The originator of sin now leads the great apostasy and works in the children of disobedience until he and all united with him are destroyed.
With Saul's consent Stephen was killed, and Saul then turned his zeal against believers. He accepted the religious leaders' and priests' arguments that Stephen was a blasphemer and Jesus an impostor. He continued to persecute the church, arresting believers in their homes and having them sent to imprisonment or condemned to death for their faith.
Stephen's death stirred Saul's mind and shook and unsettled his prejudice against the truth. His suffering and the light on his face as he looked toward heaven remained a vivid memory for Philip and Paul. That sight helped bring Saul, Stephen's persecutor, to Jesus, whom Jesus chose to preach the truth and strengthen the disciples. Paul afterward grieved over his active, cruel part in bringing persecution and death upon Stephen and many faithful believers, having joined in the martyrdom before becoming a bold defender of the truth Stephen died for, and he wanted to make amends by proclaiming that truth to his Jewish brethren.
Scattering Advances Gospel
Stephen's death was followed by relentless persecution of the believers in Jerusalem that drove them from the city and scattered them through Judea and Samaria. That scattering carried them to other parts of the inhabited world, and the gospel was proclaimed with power in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. The persecution that followed his martyrdom drove believers from Jerusalem after Stephen and several others died for their faith. In this the early persecution that scattered believers and spread the gospel foreshadowed how the persecution of later Christians likewise failed to silence their witness and furthered the gospel.
Where they were scattered, believers sought the lost and brought them to God, preaching Christ in nearby cities, at first among Hebrew and Greek Jews. Their movement by God's providence led them out from Jerusalem into other places and into many parts of the world, carrying the work beyond one locality and toward people who needed the gospel. Those who were scattered and preached the gospel were not ministers but men who feared God, showing that God does not rest His work on a few ministers but works through unordained men to take hold of the work in new fields.
The Lord permitted this scattering because after great additions were made to the church the disciples had remained in Jerusalem to shield the new members instead of educating them to become workers together with God in carrying the gospel to those who had not heard it. They were in danger of staying with the church they had raised up in Jerusalem and being satisfied with what had been accomplished. They did not realize that strength to resist temptation is best gained by active service, and its purpose was to scatter His representatives abroad where they could work for others.
In this way persecution spreads the work instead of stopping it, for persecution scattered the church abroad to proclaim the truth. God permitted in New Testament time the conditions that drove His people out, just as He did in Old Testament times, and He permitted this driving out so the light might shine in new places.
Pattern for Mission Today
The chapter containing the burial of Stephen and the great mourning over him is to be carefully studied because it reveals the Lord's plan for much spreading about through division and subdivision of workers who have long acted an important part. Those experienced workers are to leave places already worked to go into unworked cities, to establish small schools to prepare and educate workers, and to commence missionary work in several places. Efforts are to be merged in one city and then divided to enter the next, so that thousands are converted and in turn work for other souls.
At the beginning of the Christian church, by the providence of God the saints were scattered abroad from Jerusalem to many parts of the world after Stephen was buried. That scattering shows God's desire to have His workers in many places, going into the work with the ability He gave them and seeking counsel from Him. The work of the canvasser is to be united with that of the missionary evangelist, so workers learn practical lessons rather than spending too much time being fitted up in school. In this way the light given on the Scriptures shines forth in clear, bright rays, people are met where they are, and the invitation of salvation is brought to others.
Persecution spreads the work instead of stopping it, and the same result follows when religious denominations unite with the papacy to oppress God's people. If persecution becomes severe in one place, workers are to flee to another, and God leads them to be a blessing in many places. Evangelistic canvassing opens places where there is religious freedom. This scattering labor lasts as long as probation continues, until the word It is finished is spoken in heaven, for the cities of Israel will not have been gone over till the Son of man comes.