Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-10-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Reflections Of an Rlcvatiux Character
Wholesome FeOd for Thought
Studying the seripturai Lesson In
diligently and Probably.
Lesson for October 10.


tslligentiy and Probably.
Lesson for October 10.
Golden Text.-''If any man suffers az
n Christian, let him not be ashamed
! Peter 4: 10.
Paul Prisoner Mt Jerusalem is the sub
iect treated in this lesson--Acts %: 1870.
The story Of Paul's arrival mt Jerusalem
and the events preceding his arrest should
be covered before taking up the lesson.
including Acts 21: 1922; II. The apostle
was kindly received by the leading mem
bers of the church, James and the elders,
who giorified God when they heard how
great things had been accomplished in
foreign lands. But they Immediately pro-
ceeded to spoil the warmth of the'welcome
by bringing up the old question of con-
formity to the Jewish ceremonial law.
They represented to him that the news Of
his arrival would certainly stir up afresh
this old controversy, supposed to have
been settled at the council eight years be-
fore, In order to quiet these persons, the
elders suggested to Paul a means by
which he might restore himself to a posi-
ton Of public confidence. This was to
assume the expenses of completing the
ceremonies connected with a Nazarite vow
taken by four men who happened to be in
the city.
The publication of the four men who
had taken vows, in which ceremony Paul,
as their patron, participated, occupied
seven days. Toward the close of that
period, Jews from Asia raised an outcry
against him in the temple on the charge
Of bringing a Gentle within the sacred
enclosure; the foundation for this being
merely that an Ephesian had been with
him in the city. The charge was one
adapted to excite the pOpulnce more than
almost any other could have done. In the
riot that followed Paul would probably
have Jared badly had not the chiliarch, or
colonel, of the Roman cohort stationed ut
the Castle of AntOnia appeared on the
scene, with force Of soldiers. He ar
rested Paul, as the cause of the disturb
ance, and, took him to the castle for pro-
lection. On the stairs of the castle, over
looking the corner of the temple enclos-
ure, Paul addressed the assembled crowd.
His address, or an outline Of it, is found
in Acts %: 1-21. This was indeed a de-
ifense, but not for the purpose Of restrain
ing the people from committing personal
violence-for Paul was already secure, for
the time at least, against that danger;
but it was plain narrative Of his con-
version, intended to explain the reason
for his complete change of attitude since
the old days of persecution, twenty years
earlier LII teaching the lesson, the first
part of Paul's speech will of course be re-
viewed.
I Explanatory.
"When l had returned to Jerusalem:
this was the first visit to the city after
his conversion, the one mentioned in Acts
8: 20. The attempt to identify his trance
with the occa sions noted in Cor. -: 2 has
little or nothing to support it. That in
cident happened fourteen years previous
to the writing Of the epistle, which was
probably in the year 81 in other words, it
occurred six or seven years after Paul's
conversion; and there is no resemblance in
the character of the two visions.
lord, they themselves know: Paul
felt that he ought to remain in the city
where he was so we'll known as an enemy
of Christ, in order that the bad influence
of his former example might be counter
acted. But the divine direction forbade
this apparently reasonable plan.
"Gentiles" was the word for which the
crowd was waiting. Pauls supposed Of
tense was defiling the temple by bringing
into it Gentle; and the word was the
signal for n renewal of the uproar.
Threw off their garments" rather, toss
ed them about in their rage.
Lysias (the ''chief captains" name was
Claudius Lysias, see %: 26) may have
had to pay great sum for his citizen
ship, but it was sometimes cheaply
bought, under the Emperor Claudius and
some OF his Successors. The privileges at
tached to citizenship were important, es-
pecially as a protection against unlawful
arrest or punishment. Few were the
courts or governors who dared to disre-
gard this plea when made by prisoner
held without cause. Verrcs, the notorious
governor OF Sicily against whom Cicero
directed one of his most powerful orations,
was one of those few.
Paul's hearing before the Sanhedrim,
narrated in the following chapter, Is prop
erly part Of the lesson; and his courte-
Gus apology to the high priest, and shrewd
device for setting Pharisces and Sad
ducees at cross purposes, are very inter
esting indications of character. Several
reasons have been offered to explain why
Paul did not recognize the high priest
when he first spoke-his long absence
from Jerusalem. his sightedness,
the CONFUSION or the crowd, ctc. Al any
rate, he made full apology for his disre-
spect when he learned of it. Paul could
respect an office even when he was un-
able to respect the man who filled it.
Teaching Hints.
A diagram OF the temple will be useful
in explaining the position of the castle to
which Paul was taken. also that Of the
barrier separating the Court of the Gen
tiles from the main temple structure,
which it was forbidden for Gentiles to
cross under penalty Of death.
Pauls obedience to heavenly visions is
shown in this address as well as in that
delivered before Agrippa. He was prac-
teal men with the spiritual insight of a
mystic-a rare combination.
Paul claimed his rights-such as that of
citizenship--when it seemed proper for
him so to do. We cannot say why he did |
not always so protect himself against vio- |
lence. Doubtless suffering was sometimes |
his best service to the cause which he |
preached.
Next Lesson--"paul Before the Roman