The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-10-02
WORD AND PHRASE STUDY.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY.
Y. II. When had returned to Jeru.
salem: This was his first visit to Jeru-
salem after his conversion. Acts 9. &c;
Gal, l. 18. 1t is variously represented
in these three accounts but does not
involve serious contradictions.
While I prayed an the temple: Paul
still held his place as a Jewish wor
shipper. 1st Thesslonians written about
fifteen year later shows him still hold
ing his old Jewish ideas. He still chung
to his old habit of worshiping in the
temple.
I was an q trance: An experience
dear to an orthodox Jew, and common
one in the life OF Paul. In III Cor. II
he tells Us that he was caught up
into the third heaven and heard un.
speakable words; and could not tell
whether he was in the body or out of it,.
1t was in an exalted air that he found
himself. in which he received revela-
tions from God.
Y. Is. And SdtU him Jesusl: Paul
claims in his Epistles to have seen
Jesus, |. Cor. 8. l. Once on the road to
Damascus he saw him; and now again
in the temple at Jerusalem. In his
Epistle to the Galatians, he declares
that he learned his Gospel directly from
Jesus, and did not receive it from man.
In Cor. IL. % he says that he had the
story of the Last Supper from Jesus.
They a0iH not receiUe of thee testi-
nony concerning me: A judgment
which Jesus could we'll have uttered, as
he had himself felt the depth of their
hatred of his doctrine. 1t is the first
utterance that tended to lose Paul the
favor of his hearers. But it must be
uttered if Paul declare the cause of his
mission to the Gentiles. Only as the
Jews rejected the teaching of the Cos
pei did Paul go to the Gentiles.
Y. 10. and I said they kneao that I
imprisoned and beat in every syna-
gogue them that believed on thee: An
expression of the ground Of Paul's con-
fidence in his power to win the favor OF
his countrymen. He uttered these
words as a proof of his sincerity. He
expected the Jews to believe in him on
this ground.
V. 20. And aohen the blood of the
martyr Stephen aUGs shed, aUas stand.
ing by and consenting unto has death
An act of tremendous significance
which could have been done by good
man only under the sternest sense OF
duty.
Y. Fl. And he said unto me, De.
part: The dialogue is closed by an alb
rupt command. Jerusalem is not to be
the scence of his labors; the Jews are
not to be the people whom he is to
teach.
For l sciU send thee forth far unto
the Gentiles: This reaches the point
Paul has been aiming at all the time
the occasion of the change in his rela.
ton. 1t does not involve his opposition
to the Jews. For there is abundant
evidence that he received Jews as well
as Gentiles into the churches he
formed.
Y. 22. and they lifted up their voice
and said. A,oay aoith such a felloso from
the earth: Paul had touched tender
point with the Jews. They were Gods
chosen people and other races were
hated foreigners, given over to Gods
wrath, and to be Stunned by all true
Jews, as one would shun the touch OF
death.
Y. %. and they cried out: To drown
any further speech from Paul.
And threw of their garments, Either
to represent the rejection they felt of his
teaching, or to prepare TO stone him il
such thing we're possible.
And cast dust into the air. The wild
wish to do him injury commanded their
entire muscular system, and expressed
itself in impotent casting of dust. The
act showed the madness. excess. and i'm
potence of their rage.
V. "A The chief captain command.
ed him to be brought into the castle: :
Away from his enemies. 1t was to as
sert the supremacy of Roman law over
the riotous temper Of the Jews.
Bidding that he should be er0mined
by scourging: One of the rough ways
OF exhorting testimony in the service of
Roman justice. The one accused was
treated rs guilty and tortured to make
him confess.
That he might knolc for tohat cause
they had so shouted against him: The
Jewish faith and worship and Jewish
prejudices. were equally an enigma to
their foreign rulers. The Roman was
the very opposite of the Jew 10 both re-
ligious and political policy. And the
characteristics of both races were so in
grained as to render each incapable of
understanding the other. The proud
Roman could not conceive that the Jew
could hate his race.
v %. And a0hen they had tied him
up aeith flor orl the thongs: When one
was to be scourged he was tied TO an in
clined post. The word tied" is trans
lated from a Greek word meaning
stretched forward: that is, drawn by the
eorda and in an Inclined nositiOn unon