The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-10-13
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Text: Isaiah Kill, 1o-Commentary on
the Lesson by Rev. d. NJ. stearns,
10. After five days Paul Is now before Felix,
the governor, and Is permitted to speak for
himself in the presence of his accusers, the
high priest and others who have come from
Jerusalem to condemn him {verse y. They
accused him of many things, but all their
accusations were false Oversees SD. and
Lord in that they spoke mischievous things
of him. imagined deceits and laid to his
charge things he knew not Of (Ps. xxxviii.,
12; Xix. A.. All manner of fellowship with
God and with Christ should be priced by US
as gift rs much as to believe on Him
(Phil. l., 29).
11-13. Paul with few words sweeps away
all their accusations as utterly untrue and
without foundation. He knew that God
was with him, and he had no fear. He
could calmly face all his accusers, and the
devil himself, their captain. He knew in
his soul that there were more with him than
with them QI Kings VI, 16) and could say:
Though my soul Is among lions, men whose
teeth are spears and arrows, and their
tongue sharp sword, be Thou exalted, o
God. My heart Is fixed. will sing and
give praise Cps. lvii., 40.
IA. Here he begins to state the real cause
of their anger against him. He believed
all things written in the law and In the
prophets, and that made him a very trou-
blesome fellow to these religious people,
who did not believe God. A minister in
Chicago said the other day that these peo-
pie calling themselves Bible students were
very troublesome, and cert tainly they must
be to such ministers as prefer their own
ease, with lots Of cricket and lawn tennis
and hunting and fishing, rather than Bible
study and real work for God.
Is. "There shall be resurrection Of the
dead both of the just and of the unjust"
This was and Is even to this day a trouble
some doctrine to many, though plainly
taught even in the cherubim story Of Gen.
ill.,, and very clearly set forth In Dan. xiii,
l-3. Not that just and unjust shall rise at
the same time, for Rev. Xxx, 5, 8, says that
thousand years shall intervene, and to
ture, for the hour Of John v, 28 will cover
the thousand years as easily as the hour Of
John v, rs, has already covered over 1900
years. Our Lord Jesus made very evi.
dent distinction between the two resurrec-
tions when He told certain one ofrewards
at the resurrection OF the just duke
XIV, ~.
16. The blessed hope of the return of
Christ, the resurrection OF the righteous
and their rewards for service at His COM
Ing for His saints Is that which purif1es US
from the defllements and the entanglements
Of this present evil world and makes US Ia
Dor to be ever acceptable to Him. Every
believer is accepted In Him (Eph, l., g., and
that stands unchanged, but because Of this
we seek to be acceptable to Him In all
things, and trust Him to work In US those
things which are we'll pleasing in His sight
(Heb. xiii, 2D.
17-19. Here is true and prief statement
Of the case as to why he was in Jerusalem
and why in the temple when they found
him there, and who his accusers ought to
have been, II any. The secret Of the whole
trouble was that which Paul well under
stood, for he himself was once heartily one
with the high priest and elders In their
hatred OF Jesus and the story Of His resur-
rection from the dead. II Jesus Of Naza-
reth was really Israel's Messiah, then the
Nation was guilty of crucifying their King,
and that they would not submit to. Paul
had actually seen Him, and knew that 1t
was even so, and that the crucifed Christ
was really risen from the dead and was at
the right hand of God, Israel's true and
only Messiah, Son Of David, Son Of Abra-
ham.
20, 21. Touching the resurrection Of the
dead I am called in question by you this
day." It was that which set the council In
an uproar (xxiii., 6, y, and they knew it.
It was the resurrection from the dead which
with power declared Him to be the Son OF
God (Rom. l., ~, and the full import OF the
great fact is finely set forth In Cor. xv.
There Is no gospel, no salvation, no forgive
ness of sins, no use in preaching, no ground
Tor faith, no sense in baptism or any ordt-
nance OF the church II Christ be not risen.
His life and death were all In vain II He be
n,,<I 10 oNio nd hof
everything for all who are His or are will.
ing to become His by faith in Him.
%. Felix evidently saw more clearly into
the whole business than the high priest and
elders wished that he might, and the man
who could now give the most important
testimony, next In order, was the chief cap.
tain who had twice rescued him from the
lnfurlated Jews. There was, therefore,
nothing further to be done till Lysias
should come. The waiting times for the
people of God when the work seems him
dered by the indifference or open opposi-
ton of the enemies Of God Is one Of the
mysteries. 1t would seem from verse ~
that Paul was a prisoner at Cesarea for
two years Might all this have been escaped
If he had not Insisted upon going to Jeru-
salem lust at that time? Anyway, to rest
In the Lord and wait patiently for Him ls
surely good.
23. Paul Is kind OF free prisoner. He
is'under guard, but at liberty to see all
who come to him. So 1t was also on the
way to Rome and at Rome (xxyii., 8; xviii,
16), and Paul doubtless made the best pos
sible Lse of his liberty for the glory OF God
and to magnify the Lord Jesus, for that
was the whole aim OF his life and the end
of all his teaching (Gal. H., 20; Phil. l., 20,
2I. Let each one ask, Can I say truly
"For me to live Is Christi" 81 live, yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me?" "Christ shall
be magnifed."
"a. How glad Paul would be OF this op.
portunity to set forth the faith In Christ,
and especially to a Jewess, for one OF his
notices was, "To the Jew first" (Rom. l.,
16). He did not need time to think out OF
prepare his discourse, for he was full OF It,
or rather Of Christ, and always ready for
such an opportunity. Every preacher
should be so full Of the word OF God that
when an opportunity to speak Is Afforded
he could trust the Spirit to fit the message
In his lips prov xii, 1S; Math. Y, 2O).
25. lie reasoned of Righteousness, tenn
perance and judgment to come" We may
imagine without difficulty, from his epis,,
ties, on what lines he would reason and
whence he would get his arguments. he
ALWAYS reasoned out OF the Scriptures Acts
xvii y, and never in the words which
mans wisdom teaeheth Q Cor, H., G. On
righteousness he would certainly show Its
necessity, that no man has it nor can ger II
of himself, but that God has provided II
fully in Christ and gives 1t freely TO Whoso-