Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-05-02
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR RAY ).
Subject: Pau! Arrested, Acts XXI. 80. 80
Golden Texi. 1. Pet. w.. l6-Mcmory
Verses, 3o-3?-Study Verses, I.-30-
Commentary on the DAYS Lesson.


I. Paul confcrs with the church at Jcru
salem Tvs. l7-20. The day after their al.
rvll al Jerusalem the elders and leader:
Of the church. of whom James. the brother
Of oUr Lord. was chief met together, and
Ia i gave them 4 report OF his work. Tho
settlement hy vote. eight years before. o!
the question rs To the necessity OF keeping
tho Jewish law. had not changed the opin
ION of al tine Jewish Christians. Their
friendship al this time was very doubtful
Paul was cndeavoring by every possible
mems 10 heal the breach between them.
II. Paul purified in the temple Tvs. 26
29l. -Four meE had come 70 Jerusalem &c
complete Nazarite vow. Paul reluctantly
agreed to pay their necessary expenses
and for week to ike with them in the
temple. and then to stand with them Will,
their heads were shaved and while they
took their hair TO burn it under the sacri
fee Of the pea"e offerings (Ac,s 81: %
"a Mum. G: Isl. This was no; a compro'
mise. II WAS a concession. hut while Paul
attempted to rcfutc certain ISLANDERS he AT
the same time ran the risk OF almost Ger
tain instrumentation on the other side
The fact that unexpected trouble grew out
"a 1t does not brand his actions as unwise
or wrong. for the Jews would have found
some other nr"tcXt if this had not come tc
them. Their charges in verse % show
their attack was p:emeditatcd The qucs
ton l. asked. Did Paul do right in thus
swer is. Yes. What were his motives: He
did not do it to avoid persecution. or ever
death-he was ready to die in Jerusalem
He did not take this coarse To gain favor
with the church. or for any selfish purpose
His sole purpose was to gain access to the
hearts Of these Christians and lead thor,
lnio i deeper Christian life. Read / Cor
q l9-a3
Ill. The mob and the rescue Tvs 30.39).
Paul was IN the court OF the women III the
tempe. IN or ncar TIE room set apart foi
the ceremonies oi 4 Nazaritcs vow. Ger.
tain jews who had been Paui'S opponents
Mt E9hescui were Watching him. They
had seen TroDhimus. an Ephcsian. in the
city with Paul. and when they saw Paul in
the court OF the women with strangers
they supposed he had taken Trophmus
into TIC TEMPE. They stirred up a mol
against Paul. oh?rging him with having pol.
,uicd the temple. lie was dragged down
the steps through the Gate Beautiful into
the court of the Gcntilcs. He would have
been killed hat for the arrival OF the 10.
man guards from the tower OF Antonio.
80. Was moved" That a Gentle was
entering the sacred precincts Of the tempe
anuears to have been sufficient 10 s.arte
aii Jerusalem. Dra@gcd him Paul was
handled roa.h'y. Out of Tho temple"
DAT ot the wonrus court into the court OF
thr Centi.cs. Thev wished ia murder him.
and vet not p0'intc the tempe. They
s'.lfsu III '-lsAt% ana SWiiONcH CIcfc!S.
Doors. Tho fo'ds of the Gate Beautiful.
winch were Of solid Corinthian brass. and
opened from tho wonlonS court 10 tire
court of the Centi.es. 'Werc shut" Prob.
Ably b. the I.cvitcs who had the care al
the tempe. They may have feared that
the OVID would return. or some new dis
turhancc arise.
81. Seeking 10 kill him There was
murder in their hearts. and they were beat.
ing hm with the expectation OF causing his
death. But the onset was sudden. and they
were not furnished with proper weapons,
and there appears to have ncen little de-
lay. 1t was this short delay that gave tho
Roman officer time To rescue him. It'd.
inss came. When Il servant OF Jesus is
in great distress God sends HIM aid 1T the
proper time without waiting To-: his pray.
ers. Chief cantain.' The chief military
officer OF the Romans in Jerusalem was
stationed in the tower Of Antonio. which
wss situated 4: the northwest corner Of
the temple area. He was near,v equivalent
TO our colonel. and commanded 1910 men.
His name was C'auiius Lysias. as we learn
from chap. %: 26.
81 80 Soldiers and centurions" 4
centurion commanded i9) mer. The chief
captain ordered out force Sufficiently
large 10 overcome all imposition and re.
store order, ran down." The tower was
above the tempe on The hill AGRA. This
quick movement on the part Of the Ro
When they saw, etc. The Jewish mob
WIS Intim;datcd at sight of the Roman
troops and at once ceased their murderous
attack. Took him" The verb implies n
formal arrest. The chief captain did not
come to relieve Paul. bat to protect him
and give him hearing. Two chains"
lie was probably bound between two sol.
diers
81, 81. Gould not know" 1t was diff.
cult for the mob to make out a charge
against the prisoner which would be intelli.
gib.e to the Roman officer. Ii a Greek had
entered into the holy pace he was liable
TO death but Paul was known to be a
jew. nor there any Greek to be found
on the spot. "lrhc castle" TIE literal
meaning : encam9ment or barracks. This
was not the castle or tower of Antonio.
but only that part Of the tower which was
used as permanent quarters for the soldiers.
The stairs. Which led from the court
OF the Gcnti.es up into the tower. Was
borne' The crowd pressed on Paul so az
to awaken the fear OF some outrage or
treachery, and to fully protect their pris.
one- the soldiers carried him. either IN
their arms or on their shoulders.
SO. 81. AWAY with him The apostle
Is rejected in the same terms used nearly
thirty years before. when Christ was hur.
RED to the cross 1.rkc %: Is: John 10:
80; yet in the midst OF this wild storm
OF human passions divine result is being
the storm. is the self-po.sesscd master OF
his position. He avails himself with undis
turhed skill OF every advantage within
reach. first to assuage the chief captain
and then the people. in order to attain
both safety for himself and triumph for
the truth. Speak Greek" 1t is probable
that Greek was the native tongue of the
chief captain. and when he knew that Paul
understood that language the conversation
that follows took place.
IS. 80. That Egyptian" The Egyptian
to whom allusion is made is described by
losephus as one Of the many impostors Of
that time. who announced that he was a
prophcNlnd gathered an army with which
ne under look to overthrow the Roman
Government. A large number were killed
and others taken prisoners. but the leader
escaned and the whole city was searching
for him: I..vsias hoped that he was now
caught in the person OF Paul. "A Jew"
He was also a Roman (chap. 90: 81. ISL
No mean city" Tarsus was the metropo.
lis OF Cilicia. and a city arkab,e for its
culture and phicsophic studies.