Introduction
In about AD 34, St Stephen became the first person to be executed for his belief in Jesus Christ. Most of what is known about him comes from St Luke in his ‘Acts of the Apostles’, though Eastern tradition adds a little more.
GAMALIEL, one of the most respected teachers in Jerusalem, was a moderate. But his pupil Saul became a firebrand, dedicated to purifying Judaism of Greco-Roman culture and especially of the Christians, who had already seduced a Greek-culture Jew named Stephen.
The Apostles had chosen Stephen as one of seven deacons serving other Greek-culture converts in Jerusalem. But now radicals accused him of saying that Jesus would destroy the Temple in Jerusalem, and of contempt for Moses and for Israel’s culture and government.
Brought to trial in the capital, Stephen tried to explain that they had misunderstood him and the Scriptures. But that, and Stephen brazenly quoting Jesus’s own words before the same court, only made the judges angrier. They stoned Stephen, who prayed for God to forgive them, while Saul watched on approvingly. Gamaliel and his son Abibas came by night and took him for secret burial at their country residence, where Nicodemus became a frequent visitor to his grave.
Précis
There were some in Israel who resented the spread of Greco-Roman culture, and especially Christianity. Stephen, a Greek-culture Jew chosen by the Apostles to serve the Jerusalem church, was brought before the high court and sentenced to death. His execution was approved by the firebrand Saul, but not by Saul’s mentor Gamaliel, who secretly gave Stephen a decent burial. (59 / 60 words)
There were some in Israel who resented the spread of Greco-Roman culture, and especially Christianity. Stephen, a Greek-culture Jew chosen by the Apostles to serve the Jerusalem church, was brought before the high court and sentenced to death. His execution was approved by the firebrand Saul, but not by Saul’s mentor Gamaliel, who secretly gave Stephen a decent burial.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, besides, despite, must, unless, until, whereas, whether.
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Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Come. Pray. Serve.
2 Night. Saying. Watch.
3 Angry. Grave. Residence.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Grave. 2. Own. 3. Watch. 4. Country. 5. Court. 6. Serve.
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding in-.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
pnt (7+1)
paint. pant. peanut. pent. pint. point. punt.
panto.
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