Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-05-22
The SABBATH SCHOOL,
International Lesson Comments fcf
May "a.
Subject: Paul Before Agrippa, Acts XVI, D'
29-Golden Text, Acts XVI, 2Z-Nemory
Verses, ELECTROMAGNETIC on the
Days Lesson.

10. "Agrippa." Herod Agrippa Ii. was
king of the country east OF the upper ooI'
dan and the Sea of Galilee He had par
ace at Jerusalem, ard was proiesseqy
Jew, md was versed in jewish customs.
He was the son of the Herod Agrlppa VINO
slew Jews and imprisoned Peter; AlCel
the destruction OF Jerusalem. a. ID. ~. ne
was dcthroned, but permitted to retain nos
wealth, and lived at Rome until A. y. loU
He was immoral in life, but not unjust III
his rule, and has been considered tne peS'
in the Herodian family. NOT disoDeu,
lent" This is one of the grand points Oh
instruction and personal application ID
Paul's whole career He began on the In
slant, where be was. to obey. lie s9ughl
on the instant, and ever atterWaru, ~
know and do the Lords will Heavenly
vision" The vision which appeared TO me,
manifestly from heaven He was obcdIens
and yet it certainly cost him a hard struS
gle to renounce all for Christ =.
20. First unto-DamascTs., lie began
to preach at Damascus Immediately IActS
0: 2O-22). but soon went to ARABIA. FROM
Arabia he returned again to Damascus
(Gal. l: II, l8), where the Jews sought to
take his life. Paul escaped by night; beng
let down by the wall in a basket (Acts .:
1926. "At Jerusalem" etc. He speclhes,
as his fourfold field of labor, first, the two
cities of Damascus and Jerusalem, tneh thc
heather world. "Should repent; lie mad
sought to win men back to God, to reveal
Christ and His complete work for man
redemption, that they might repent, ana
turn to God; that, with a divinely re,
newed heart and reversed life they might
do works acceptable to God. The doctrine
of repentance was frequently preached. by
the apostles. 1t includes both contrtlon
and reformation. The truly repentant one
is heartily sorry for all his sins, 50 sorry,
that he turns away from SIN forever, anu
if possible would undo all he has slnfuily
done. Confessions are made, wrongs are
righted. and the soul, loathing itself, cries
to God for mercy.
q % "For these causes" Because he
had obeved God according to his distinct
revelation, in a manner displeasing to the
Jews, thew had sought to kill him. I'm the
temple" Paul was worshiping in the tenn
ME when the Jews seized him. y con
time" It was not by any power OF his
own he had been preserved, but it was be-
cause God had interposed and rescued him.
"Witnessing." Bearing testimony; as he
, had been commanded. Small TO those
in humble life, to the poor, the ignorant
and the obscure Great" The rich and
He had thus stood on Mars hill at Athens;
he had borne testimony before The wise
men of Greece: he had declared the same
gospel before Felix and Festus, and row
before Agrippa: Saying none other tn,
things" He adds the supreme fact that
| all he taught was in exact agreement with
| Moses and the prophets. This fact utterly
| overthrow all the charges OF his acauserF,
and convicted them Of rejecting the lay
and the prophets, which was the crime az
legged against himself. -,
90. "Shoud suffer" Many Of tho
Jews overlooked or denied the suffering
character of the Messiah, and stumbled IA
tally at the gospel because il. required them
TO accent = crucfed Redcemer The
frst," etc. See r. V. Christ was not the
first to be raised from the dead, but the
first who by His resurrection gave the
promise of eternal life" Paul always lays
great importance on the resurrection
SShow light" True light shines only
through the risen Christ.
II. An interruption by Festus ". III
q. "Besidc thysef." The loud voice was
the effect Of his surprise and astonlshment
What Paul had said OF resurrection IRON
the dead accomplished in Jesus as the first
fruits of a person coming from the jews
who should enlighten not only his own PEG
pie. but even the Gentiles-among the rest
the polite and learned Greeks and Romans
and of the manner in which this was re
vealed to him-all this would lead such
half-thinker and pagan as Festus to con
clude roundly that Paul was visionary
enthusiast. much learning" Many writ
ings had turned his brain, the idea being
suggested by Paups. many illusions tt
Moses and the prophets The tendency
of long continued and intense mental ap
| oil fIGron0nnOpni
is everywhere known. o,
III. Pauls reply to Festus Tvs. 25.29)
25. 81, am not mad" Either Paul Or Tes
tus was beside himself. They lived in diff
ferent worlds, and one or the other was
wrong. If Festus was sane, Paul was mad
if Paul was sane, Festus was mad There
is no madness so great, no deiirlum so aE
full. as to neglect the eternal interests o
the soul for the sake Of the poor pleasure
and honors which this life can q i've. Ih'
worldly-minded man misrepresents Chris
tans by regarding ~ their childlike, ialti
as narrowness of mind; ~ their !evou
life as religious melancholy; 90 their 10y
full hope as fanaticism..
26, 81. "The king knowcth." Agrippi
was a Jew and no doubt was acquainted
with the history of the life and works o
Jesus. of His death and resurrection, OF tn
events that occurred on the day OF PentC
cost, and the preaching of the gospel sine
Jesus had been cruci6ed. "a corner.
There was a wide knowledge of the fact
connected with the life, death and rcsurrec
ton of Christ. "Belevest." Agrippa ha'
been instructed in the Scriptures and &C
cepted them intellectually. The writing
of the prophets foretold the events, 0
which Paul had been speaking, and ha
their fulfilment in Christ. 81 know" Pau
answers his own question, for althoug
Agrippa was an immoral man, yet incident
in connection with his life show that h
was sincere Jew.
%. %. almost" etc. Sec r. V. Their
are two widely different opinions as to tn
meaning of this verge. The first is tina
Agrippa's heart was touched and that, aC
.ording to the Authorized Version he dc
dared with all seriousness that he was a
most persuaded to become q Christian
The other view is that the words were spc
ten sarcastically, according to the Revise
Version, and that he was not in the leas
influenced by Paups words towards Chris
tianity. Nearly all recent commentator
accept the latter view. "Would to God.
Pauls answer is sublime. lie is so thor
oughly satisfied with the salvation he h
experienced that he does not hesitate t
heartily commend it to gil mis- royal hear
ers. Except" etc, What gentle II
proof to these rulc;s Wh, ws"e keepln
him in chainsl What delicate appeal t
| Ihnno for Ehertvi