Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-07-08
PAUL AT PH1LIPPI.
aeV Dr. COURT ON THE SUNDAY
SCHOOL LESSON ron JULY Q.

Golden Text. Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved tActs xvi,
B).
Lessoni Acts xvi, 1894
After Jydia's conversion The missionaries
used to 90 60 the synagogue or place I
prayer mt regular intervals. A demon
girl shouted after them as they walk n
several days Paul at last ordered tfe
demon to come out OF the girl in virtue of
the name Of J ssus. Tbs girls owners be-
came enraged against Paul for exercising
the evil spirit. She was fortune teller,
using the art Of ventriloquism to deceive
and make large gains for her owners, the
loss of which caused them to accuse Pa 1.
THE MISSIONARIES IN PRISON VERSES
1924
1. The occasion of Paul's imprisonment.
(a) The miracle dried up the i'll gotten
gains of the poor demon vexed slave gi''.
No compassion for her sufferings, no 4
for her delverance, had entered into the
hard hearts of those covetous owners. A
human souls degradation was nothing to
them. They made money by it, and there
fore they were enraged at the stopping OF
the supplies. How mean to take the raw
ings of poor insane girl for prophecies in
order to make money by theml (b) These
owners seized Paul and Silas, leaving Luke
and Timothy, as less prominent, untouched.
They dragged the missionaries into TIE
"agora," forum or market place, where the
magistrates were accustomed to hold court
and try cases. This is the first persecution
stirred by the gentiles that has been re-
ported to us. The rulers are here called
''the archons." Then we read that they
were brought before the ''strategoi'-the
pretors Until lately commentators used
to think these two names designated the
same persons. Meyer, however, says
that the archons were ''the city judges"
but 'the strategoi" were the Roman
pretors-the duumviri, two Roman mag
istrates who were to take cognizance
of all offenses against Roman law and
authority. Hence the form of the accu-
sation. Craftily the real cause of their
enmity to Paul is concealed, for they knew
that no law was available to punish a man
for curing a suffering creature. Besides
their calling as showmen was mean, con-
temptible, base, if not illegal. Hence they
profess great regard for Roman authority
and seek to stir up anti-Semitic spite, just
as might be done in Russia today. (c) The
charge was a false one. Conybeare and
Howson thus express the charge: "These
men are throwing the whole city into con-
fusion Moreover, they are Jews, and they
dIc pbll1H W luUTOuuCc new EtllSlOuS
observances, which we, being Roman citi-
zens, cannot legally receive or adept" l.
This was false in part, for the missionaries
were not exciting any disturbance. 2. Yet
Roman law and usage were against innova
tions in religion. Later we read how the
Romans came down with all their power
on the devoted Christians. Citizens were
beheaded, and others were thrown to the
wild beasts. 8. The accusation that the
missionaries were Jews had at that time
great force. No people were so much hated
and despised. Shortly before this they had
been expelled from Rome. Philippi as a
colony of Rome, would initiate the mother
city. Upon the whole, the indictment was
craftily got up.
2. The uproar. (a) The crowd in the
market place-a chief resort in all cities
was easily stirred up. l. Paul end Silas
were oreigners-Jews-anda as such objects
of popular spite. 3. They were accused of
anti-Roman usages. 8. They had taken
away the amusement of those that had
patronized the ventriloquist girl. So the
mob joined the owners of the girl in the
movement against Paul and Silas (b)
The duumviri ordered the missionaries to
be stripped of their clothes. Strange as 1t
may seem, some learned men have thought
ror of the charges brought against the mis-
sionaries, torn their own robes after the
manner of the Jews. /. Romans were not
in the habit of rending their own garments
for grief or wrath. 2. Criminals to be
scourged were stripped of their clothes. g.
The word used means that the clothes of
the preachers were torn off all round their
bodies. (c) The magistrates ordered the
prisoners to be beaten with rods. There
was no limit to a Roman scOurging. A
Jewish scourging was limited to 80 strokes. |
The words of the command would be in the
terse Latin form as follows; "Summove,
lictor; despolia; verbera"-that is to say,
"Take them away, lictor; strip them; fog
themp
8. Cast into prison. (a) Many merciless
blows were laid upon them. Paul and 81.
las bore all this brutality without mur-
mur. Though Roman citizens, they did
not assert their privileges, leaving all to
God. Afterward Paul remembered this
horror, Thrice was l beaten with rods"
QI Cor. XII. 25). This is one of these times
He never forgot how he was "shamefully
treated at Philippi' Il Thess. ii, q. Probar
bly, had he then pleaded his Roman citizen
ship he would not have been listened to by
those ferocious and brutal magistrates. (b)
They were cast into prison. probably into
some dampor miry dungeon This is called
"the inner prison." 1t would prevent their
teaching. The magistrates seem to have
intended to let them away in the morning
to leave the city Verse 35 (o) To make |
sure they were put in the stocks. This was
a wooden instrument securing the feet and |
hands and head, rendering not only escape |
but rest impossible. Compare job xiii, "a: |
xxxiii, IL. Some secured the feet only. |
The Romans were cruel people, rendered |
30 by cruel amusements, such as Rladiatorial |
combats and men fighting with wild beasts |
in the amphitheaters. Cruel gaines-for |
either men or beasts-harden the hearts of /
the beholders Hence all fighting Of living |
creatures for amusement ought 20 be sup
pressed in Christian lands.
I-WHAT HAPPENED In THE JAIL
Verses 25-2S.)
I. Songs in the night Gay How strange
were the occurrences In that mean, vile jail /
that night Midnight arrives. Harkl |
Would not one expect to hear the groans OF
those tortured prisoners as with bleeding |
backs they crouched in terrible pain IN the |
hard, unyielding stocksi But it is not
groan the other prisoners hear. 1t Is |