"And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous 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 us. And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel."
In today's lesson Stephen, although he had been selected to remain and serve the Church as a deacon, while the others traveled abroad to spread the word of God, was falsely condemned by the Jews for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in their synagogues.
NOTE:There seems to be some possible contradiction herein concerning the duties of those who were selected as *deacons of the Church in Jerusalem, expecially Stephen and Phillip, seeing that they both obviously proselytized in different areas throughout the region instead of remaining with their communities as they were selected to do.
We will attempt to shed a bit more light on this possible contradiction as these lessons continue.~
*The qualifications for being selected a deacon in the Church as they are described by Timothy; "the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 3:8-13)
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