The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-05-06
THE SABBATH SCHOOI
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
7 4 5FoR MAY 10.
Subject The Plot Against Paul., Acts
kill, 12-22- Golden Text, Acts, xxiif.f
11-Memory Verses, 20.22-Study VeTt
: ues, 10. eritary on the LESSON

kill, 12.22- Golden Text, Acts, xxiiff
11-Memory verses, 2O.a2-study veTst
- ses, s,10.35-cdnmentary on the Lessoihs
= I. The conspiracy against Paul Tvs.
Isl. IL. SWas day" Thursday. May IS;
Banded together" Made an agreements
"Undei a curse" Literally, placed them
selves under an anathema. 1t was an ~.
vocation of Gods vengeance upon them
selves if they failed to do the work which
they undertook. But they could be ab.
solved from this VOW by the rabbins # they
were unableSto execute it, Such 'oaths APT
pear to have been common mon q among thu
Jews. Josephus tells OF similar conspir-
acy against the life of Herod into which -
party of ten Jews entered with a like fab
ure. s'ss.sszSi5
l3. More than forty" This large NUM-
Der of desperate men, backed up by me
Sanhedrin, the highest counsel among the
Jews would be likely to succeed in their
murderous design. and Paufs life was ID
great danger. "They may have been
prompted to this method Of getting rid ct
the apostle. because, they did not have the
power of life and death any longer, and
the hands of the Roman authorities, on
any accusation connected With A s aTsnsious n
Il. 10 the chief priests, Tia p,ottefs.
no doubt went to the chief priestssa and ED;
ers who were Saddueees, as they were
strongly opposed to Paul Tvs. 6.i0l and
would be glad to see himaput TO death.
1--WE have bound" etc. Literally with e.
,curse have we cursed ourselves "A He
brew mode 6f:expressing the iptensity and
earnestness OF any action. How firm they
upon themselves, their souls, bodies and
families, II they did Sot kin kPadlt These
men must have believed that Paul was the
worst of men, an enemy to God and rellg.
ion, and the curse and plagNsI 81 his geners:
alton, when really his character. was the
reverse of all this. There Are eSne laws Of
truth and Justice so sacred or sstfHde that
malice and 'bigotry wilf not b sak thtolsSs
l5., ."The Council" The .safhsdtlns th
posed of }. seventy-one u metnbexssq cher
priests, elders of the people saaScribes.,
Its meeting place adjoined the temple on:
the east side. It met daily except on the
Sabbath and festival days. Ie had Juthor.;
ity to interpret the divine 9law,s to- decide;
on the qualification Of ,pfiests, and 70 try
those accused of idolatry and fslee proph.S
cts and heretics." The authority 10 pros
nounce the death sentence was taken from
it by the Romans about three years pefors
the crucifxion of Christ! g :. sBfiinEa X etc.|
from The tower. OF Antonio to the place:
where the Sanhedrin heidz ats meetings
Ready to kill him. They ainteIded to
kill him while on the way to che Council.
And to this plot the. highest digntsties OF
the church gave assent. Such 8f churse.
however, seems to be IN perfect accord
with the Jewish opinions and practices Of
those times. Philc,,a crest Jewish writer,
in speaking of the course to be taken to.
wards Jew who has forsaken the worship
Of the true God says that It IS ~high.y
proper, to infiict "'immediats .punishneDS
on such impious apostates" not taking
time to- carry them before any coart or
magistrate, and this should be done be
cause Of an abhorrence Of eya end q love
n. The plot disclosed Tvs. ls.22) 16:
"ParPs sisters SON." This Is all that we
know of the family Of Pauf.e Nor do we
know for what purpose he was attJerusa,
lem. 1t is possible that Paul might have a
sister residing there; though, as Pau . him
self had been sent there formerly for he
education it seems more probabie that shis deI
young man was sent there for .the same
had too many keepers to be well kept.
"Into the castle" -" Thus It appears that
Pauls friends had free access to him. ssls
II, lS. paul called" He hsd received
Christ's own promise Of protection ": Id
but he did not on that account neglect TO
avail himself of the ordinary. means of pro-
tecting himself. Gods promise isencour+
aged him to put forth his own exerhons
for his security Young man. We do
not know whether this youth was a Chris
tian or Jew, nor DO we know the means
enough for us that. God was pleased son
this occasion, to employ lad as the guard
ian angel of the apostle. ssPhe tprisonsys
A name which St. Paul was often after
ward to employ to himself. saysa
1922. "By the hand To encourage the
young man and to allay any fear he might
have, and as an expression OF kindness and
civility. The plot, was disclosed to Lysias
with clearness and conciseness, and ne ap-
peared to know what to do immediately.
III. The journey to Caesarea Us. ~.
35). As soon as the chief captain learned
of the plot he ordered 40e infantry and ser-
enty cavalry to be ready to leave Jerusa-
lem at o'clock that same night. THIS was
probably the largest bodyguard Paul ever
had. Beasts were also to be provided for
Paul, and they were to 60 with the greatest
despatch to Caesarea to Felix, the Govern.
or. The letter Lysias sent shows us that
he was favorably impressed with lhis pris-
oner Paul probably reached Caesareat by
Ntbe next evening. lie haa eteft Jerusaiem
Isever to return. That infamous city was
Still rejecting those that were sent unto
them and fast rushing on to its own de-
struction-the most terrible destruction ths
Svorld has ever seen. It was wise for Ly.
s;As to send Paul to Caesarea, for there ne
Ino\xld be safer than at tJerusaiem and It
,,ouh be easier to give him q far trial.
Psnl <was not confined il, an ordinary
nr;son Nbut resided in the palace Of Felix;
tfbns f,lsorI tbe apostle remained forS two years:
Thoushth- saints, ,sre under His
especial car The lord ,ssd = abie 70 0ysT, W,
shouId suT aiWavgsN M be ready to assist those IN
froubIe Even &hildren can sometimes DO
yerv. % important Swork for Gods people;
Wicked men ~ some MINES resort to the most
diabolical methods ! order G to destroy se tas
inAuel ce of Gods saAns lnoss wno orsrs i,usi
and obey need have nd rear ot eYlt WwotANets' ="
Robin Changing hapAu