The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-10-23
THOUGHTS ON THE LESSON.
BY PROF. G. M. HARMON.

arrest and trial of Paul has both criti-
cal and practical significance; and it
involves our understanding of the au-
thorship of the Pastoral Epistles. and
also Of the course and meaning of Paul's
ministry.
]. 1t is easily seen that there would
have been no occasion for the arrest or
retention of Paul by the Roman author
tiles, il it had not been for the difficult
ties that existed in the administration
of Jewish political affairs. AS has so
often been pointed out in these studies,
the Jews furnished a most difficult prob
lem. They insisted on the government
of themselves by their own law; and the
Romans aimed to unite their empire
under a consistent form of government;
but were prudent, patient, and polite in
the pursuit OF their aim. They were no
less firm and unyielding in their attitude.
But whenever they could .humor the
Jews in their ways without an interior
ence with vital considerations in the
Roman policy. they did so. To this fact
Paul's arrest and retention in confine-
ment was due. Against the urgency
Of the Jews and the temporizing pol
icy of the Romans, Paul could insist
upon his rights as Roman citizen.
This was tower of defence; but as
he was Jew upon whom the obliga.
tions of Roman citiz enship sat loose,
his claim had only formal and techni-
cal value in Roman eyes. When Festus
came into office he was inclined to
allow the Jews to take Paul back to Je-
rusalem. Paul understood that this
meant death and the end of bis earthly
ministry. 1t was his interest to remove
as far as possible from the claims of
prudent administration of Jewish affairs,
At Rome he would be free from the
temptation to sacrifice him to the ext
gencies of government. The further
from jerusalem he could get the safer
he would be. So he appealed to Caesar.
From the time he left Jerusalem he
was only in formal sense prisoner.
The oversight of him became freer and
freer as tine went on, gradually leaving
him scope for an active ministry, and
the mastery OF his circumstances. After
the shipwreck he assumed place that
had the heart of moral authority in his
relations to the Roman officers who had
charge of him. The only bar between
him and full liberty was the legal fiction
of his arrest and the necessity of deal
ing with his case under the forms of
law. The laws delay was now his only
important foe. Under Nero it is diff
cult TO imagine any influence that could
have produced an unfavorable result to
his trial. We can surely say that if he
were tried at all by the emperor he
would have been released, unless his
trial were delayed till the burning of
Rome and the consequent persecution
of the Christians by Nero. We have
the statement in Acts that Paul lived
two years in his own hired house. At
this point the narrative ends. But this
was the year 62 A. D., or two years be-
fore the Neronian persecution. The
probabilities point altogether to Pauls
release after his first arrest. Ii this in
fact took place, we can then credit the
claim that he had subsequent minis
try, journey to Spain. a further work
in Ephesue, and his writing of the
Pastoral Epistles.
III. If we take account of the faith
of Paul that he should live to complete
his life work, we may still further infer
that he was not executed as result of
his arrest. 1t is rare occurrence that
any man dies before the enterprises in
which he is actively engaged are COM
pleted if these absorb his energies and
give vigor to his bodily powers. So we
are led to inquire as to the life work of
Paul. In what shape was it left at the
| time of his arrest? and what fortunes
remained to him before it's completion?
He was educated Jew, and, as he tells
US, of the strictest sect. the Phariseee.
That means that he was Jealous for
the strict enforcement of the Law
in an external and ceremonial sense.
All the indications point to his being
an eager proselyter of Gentiles: that is,
| his zeal for the law took rather the form
of seeking its extension among the Gen.
tiles than OF seeking the separation of
the Jews from them. So in his CONVEX
sion he did not turn from separatist to
a Universalist, but from ceremonial to
a spiritual conception of the law. This
| fact requires to be held in mind if we
would understand the great purpose of
his ministry. His desire was to found
universal church; and that to him meant
the universal acceptance of the spirit
of the ancient Hebrew faith. The pos
sibilities of an apostle to the Gentiles
were in him. even before his conversion:
as he himself wrote the Galatians. that
God had called him even from his moth
er's womb. His conversion only gave
him. what under the law was impossi-
BILE, principle of faith suited to Gen.
tile needs and capable Of rousing Gen.
tile enthusiasm.
This ministry gives US the key to the
life history of Paul. He first preached
Jesus Christ as the Jewish Messiah,
the Saviour of both Jews and Gentiles.
Than mhop fha lana haoapoa hostile -