The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-10-25
The sunday school.


NM@tN ~ seq AMfAA ~ ANtsat@s 1880
pai ta hsve boea satisfied with bic pre-.
riass Efforts 70 apd out the reAl uaiare
" ne accusation levelled BY bic ca
euics against PADi So he caused q
meotisg 10 BE- called Of tie sanhsdrim,
f the main coaucli o. court Of The Tewish
naaoa Before tat August body be
le3 his prisoner. and there Paul made
a. other address IL bis own behalf
AZ be rose 10 begin bis speooe, Paul
gazed steadily around upon his audi
enec. Il musl have been moment d
intense interest 10 him 70 meet once
more. face to face, the tribunal Of
which be i believed by some 70 have
been formerly > member. aad from
whlch, twenty years before. be bad re-
ceiFed bis commission 10 perseeute
those whose faith and fortunes be now
shared. lie was willing 10 credit them
With All the good there was in them
~ be- calls then brethren.
Il IL not necessary TO force this con-
iesAion d bis 70 cover everything. he
means only 70 cay that, 10 the points at
issue between them aud him, his con
scieuce was clear He bad not been
disloyal 10 The Jewish faith See Acts
2f;lt-l6. But be might have said more
See Heb. 1878. Also 2 Cor. l;l2'
aud 30 we learn the power q good
conscience 10 give courage.
Nerse The character Of this man
was suspicious and bis history is OBJ.
scure. He became the high.priest 10
the year 49, four years years after
wards. be quarreled with the local au-
thoriies Of Judea aud bad 10 20 10
Rome TO defend himself Two years
subsequent to this trial OF Paul, Anan
las was deposed from Office for mis-.
demeanor, aud finally was murdered by
brgands.
Shifting on the mouth was done with
the sole OF the sandal, and was pun
ishment as ignominious as it was cruel.
Sometimes rod or even the hand was
used instead. 1t was coarse abrupt
way Of saying that unwelcome speech
should be stopped. Here again see how
the disciple is as his master
John 1922, %. And see how apt false
religions are to make up in blows fol
what is lacking in logic; short argu'
ment, shifting.
Nobody needs 10 discover here the
language of mere passion or spite
Paul does not need to be defended as
: il he had answered in violent wrath
The Apostle actually employed the
words OF Jesus. See Matt. % :27. he
uttered a prediction that God in due
time would bring on him, who in the
name of law defied law, righteous
retribution. See Prov. IL ;l5 No one
had any right to order punishment til
after a proper arrangement and con
viction.
II is intimated in the history of those
confused times that there was some
dispute concerning the Office Just then
Paul admits with calm Cancellation
that he had no disposition to say harsh
things about one who was over him il
authority. He quotes Elk. 22:2S, W.
must not forget Paul always took higt
ground in such matters, See Rom ID
{ rs / cannot see that he attempts al
apology here for flying in passion, al
J some say think he is explaining thai
be makes discrimination between the
: office and the man wist not means
| did not know. When the order tC
smiie his mouth came up from the as
sembly, be may have supposed it wa'
made by member OF the body. AnC
now he may have said, did not know
ADanias was 10 Office; or, ] did moi
recognize the high-prest as the one who
! gave the command; or, | was moi
speaking Of the high priest but Of the
man who was doing wrong.
Ilalfascore interpretations Of this re
! mark Of Paul will be found in the com
mentaries. Some say bis eyes wer,
weak aud though earnestly beholdiDG
the council. he bad not recognized An
anias. Some say he alludes 10 the his.
tory Of Ananias disputed tenor Of oiiic'
Some say that in the hurry Of summon
ing this assembly, Anauias may verl
likely have omitted to wear his pontil
zeal robes. Some say Paul meant tha
!. he had never imagined highpries
E capsule Of doing so foul and indecen
! thing as smiting an uncondcmne'
/ man such as be was.
] Ii does not mean that Paul suddenl.
. discovered that his audience was divid
a cd in sentiment but on general under
b standing be knew that the two sect
r were bitterly opposed to each other
}. He now perceived that be could no
! force fair hearing aud calm decis
ion. The judicial spirit Of that Assem-
: bly, was broken by the spiteful act Q
q their leader. he determined 10 ellec
! an adroit deiiverAnce by dividing th
council on thcir old issues With til