Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-05-15
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lesson Comments For
May IL.
Subject: Paul Before Felix. Acts XIV, l0.l6
A-B-Gelien Text, Pisa, kill, 4
Memory Verses, H.6-Study Verses
l.H-Commentary on the
Days Lesson.

III. PauPs defense Tvs. l0-2D. 10.
"Paul-answered. Although twice before
Paul had spoken what he called defense
first, before a vast crowd of Jews in the
temple area, and again before the assem-.
bled Sanhedrin - yet this is his first act.
ual defense, as he now stands before an i'm.
peral tribunal. the Governor representing
the person and authority of the Emperor.
"Forasmuch as | know" 1t is remarkable
that Paul did not begin his speech, as Ter
tullus had done, by any flattering address,
or by any of the arts of rhetoric He
founded his plea on the justice of his cause
and on the fact that Felix had had SO much
experience n the affairs of Judea that he
was well qualified to understand the mer'
its of the case and to Judge impartially.
Paul was well acquainted with his charac.
ter, and would not by hattering words de
clare that which was not strictly true.
"l.any years." For the comparatively long
period of six or seven years Felix had been
in Jerusalem and Caesarca. "a Judge"
A magistrate, or one appointed to admin
lister the affairs of government; :. More
cheerfully answer" Because of Felix's un'
usual familiarity with Jewish questions.
The fact of his knowledge is attested in "
%.
IL. "Mayest understand" From the
shortness of his stay in Jerusalem. any OF
tense committed there must have been re-
cent. There could be no difficulty in Oh.
tanning witnesses and proofs. Twelve
days" From the time Paul left Caesarea
until his return was only nine days. only
eight of the twelve days had been spent IN
Jerusalem. His design in mentioning the
number of days was to show the impToDa'
bility that in so short time ne could have
produced a tumult. "To. worship; He
went on purpose to worship and had no
thought of producing tumult or OF pro-
flaming the temple.
u, 10. Neither found me-" etc. In
terms of unqualified denial he meets the
first charge-of sedition. Worship, not
the plotting of insurrection, was the, object
of his recent visit to Jerusalem, and while
worshiping he was found and arrested.
He had not even spoken in public, much
less by artful harangue sought to gather
disafected persons either in the temple,
the synagogues or the city. Neither can
they prove" Here was the pith. of the
case. This appeal is boldly made; he chal'
lenges investigation. They had made vague,
wild assertions about Paul, hoping that the
Governor might be influenced to condemn
him without trial, as doubtless he would
have done but for his Roman citizenship.
They very well knew that their charges
could not be proven under the Roman law.
Accusation is not proof. -,
a. "This I confess" This verse and the
following contain Pauls reply to the accu'
sation Of Tertullus, that he was a ring.
leader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He
boldly and joyously. confesses that he IS
Christian, but at the same time declines
to acknowledge the opprobrious term used
by Tertullus. ".rhe way The way. IS
1 1 n. Il l. 4lxa rh,fct
religion. See chap. 8: 2. "Heresy." A
sect The word used is the same that Ter.
tulus used in verse 5, when making his
charge. They had called the Christians,
"sect," and Paul does not disown the
name. $50 worship" See r. V. 1t is as
if he said: After the way which they call
false and erroneous, but which is accord
ing to the inward light given me, worship
I my fathers God, Jehovah; the God my
ancestors adored.
Is. l6. "Hope toward God" Having a
hope of the resurrection Of the dead, which
arises from the promises OF God. lie sde'
clares that, in common with maEy'ot his
accusers, and with the mass' OF his nation,
he holds steadfast,y to, the hope; OF resur.
rection from death, through the promis.e,
and power of God. 81 exercise myself"
He strives as the athlete or warrior, only
his struggle and warfare is within the soul.
His supreme aim and constant effort was
to keep his conscience from striking against
stumbling stones of accusing purpose,
wrong thought or evil deed. Conscience"
The conscience does not tell us what is
right, but urges US to do what we know to
be right. and rebukcs us for doing what we
know to be wrong.
IL. "After many years." Paul refers to
the four years which had elapsed since his
"a L (olxo O.
1921. "Jews from Asia" Paul justly
complains that the very persons who alone
could testify against him were absent, and
showed that there was really no we'll.
founded charge against him. They alone
could testify as to anything that occurred
in the temple, and as they were not pres
ent that charge ought to be dismissed.
Cor else" Paul turns with bold chal-
lenge to the Sadducean Jews present. he
demands their own personal testimony
upon the facts that occurred when he stood
before the Sanhedrin. With keen thrust
he asks il the utterance of the hated truth
of the resurrection was not the only
charge of evil doing they could bring.
III. imprisonment at Caesarea Tvs. Y
"a. "When Felix heard" The Governor
virtually decided the case in favor of Paul.
But he wished to keep the good will of the
Jews. So he deferred an answer from time
to time, in the meanwhile allowing Paul
much liberty and the company OF his
friends Having - knowledge" Felix
knew more than most rulers about Chris
tianity. He evidently knew the character
of the disciples and that what Paul said
was true. And yet he deferred" the case
because he did not wish to give offense to
the Jews. "After certain days" Felix
came into the audience chamber with his
wife, Drusilla, and the prisoner, was sum.
portunity in his bonds of preaching the
could hardly otherwise have obtained.
25. 26. Reasoned of righteousness, etc;
Paal breaches as faithful apostle should
have preached to such hearers They sent
for him to hear about Christ. They heard
much more than they cared to hear. PauPs
boldness is all the more striking when we
remember that he was dependent on Felix
for pardon. Felix trembled." In view
of his past sins, and the judgment to come.
The prisoner breaches, the judge trembles.
"Go thy way" Felix was troubled, but
instead of asking the way of peace, he sent
the messenger of warning away. he died
as he had lived. Convenient" The sin.
ner is always looking for convenient sea-
son" to turn to God A season when moth
ing will stand in his way and his worldly
relations will not be interfered with. But
such time will never come. "He hoped:
etc. He hoped that Paul would pay for
his freedom. He knew that Paul had
many friends, and that "they were not
too poor or too selfish to assist one an
otharV