The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-05-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson In the international Series
for May 10, 10O3-The Plot
Against Paul.
THE LESSON TEXT.

1 (Acts 23:l2-22)
/ IL And when II was day, certain OF the
Jews banded together and bound them
selves under curse. saying that they
would neither eat nor drink until they
had killed Paul.
F, l3. And there were more than 40 which
had made this conspiracy.
H. And they came to the chief priests and
ELDERS, and said, We have bound ourselves
under great curse. that We will eat moth
Ing until We have slain Paul.
10. Now. therefore. ye with the council
signify to the chief captain that he bring
| him down unto you tomorrow, as though
ye would inquire something more perfectly
concerning him: and We, or ever he come
near. are ready TO xiii him.
10. And when Pauls sisters son heard of
/ their lying in wait, he went and entered
| into the castle, and told Paul.
H. Then Paul called one of the centurions
unto him, and said. Bring this young man
! unto the chief captain: for he hath a GER
tain thing TO tell him.
is. So he took him, and brought him to
the chief captain, and said. Paul the pr!s-
oner called me unto him, and prayed me
to bring this young man unto thee, who
hath something to say unto thee.
, -. Then the chief captain took him by
| the hand and went with him aside private
ly, and asked him, What is that thou hast
| TO tell me?
20, And he said: The Jews have agreed to
desire thee that thou wouldest bring down
Paul tomorrow into the council. as though
they would inquire somewhat of him more
perfectly.
q. But do not thou Weld unto them: for
there lie in wait for him of them more than
| forty men, which have bound themselves
with an oat H. that they will neither eat nor
drink till they have killed him: and now are
they ready looking for a promise from thee.
| 22. SO the chief captain then let the young
| man depart, and charged him. See thou
| tell no man that thou hast Showed these
| things to me.
| GOLDEN TENT.-The Lord stood by
him, and said, lie of good cheer
Acts 23II.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
| Pauls Roman citizenship. Acts 22:2i-s9
| Paul before the Sanhedrin.. Acts 22:S0- II.
The plot against Paul. Acts 23:l2-l5.
The plot discovered. Acts g3:l6-22.
| The plot defeated. Acts s3:23-35.
TIME.-A. ID. 5S.
PLACE.-Jerusalem
NOTES AND COMMENTS
This lesson follows the last without
break. Paul had been arrested, and
at the opening of the lesson is carried
into the castle of Antonia, which
Joined the temple court on the north,
to be tortured with the hope of extort-
ing a confession of his supposed guilt
from him.
Pauls speech on the stairs was in
Hebrew. Probably the chief captain
did not understand it, but he thought
there must be something wrong with
Paul to throw the crowd into such 4
frenzy of rage, and he determined to
find out by torturing him. Paul's
Roman citizenship was all that saved
him from this ordeal. 1t was contrary
to the Roman law to torture a Roman
citizen.
Paul's case was evidently too much
for the Roman officer, but he still be-
lieved from the actions of the Jews
that his prisoner must certainly be
guilty of something, and so he called
,e al --.ss Sanhedrin, the highest coun.
Gil us, SN an S-se, ~ -,-.l1a..1al'
get at IN "a. Paul's first words to
them were not boast of sinless life
but q protestation of his loyalty as
Jew to the God of the Jews-a plea
of mot guilty Paul's conduct
when smittev, is in striking contras,
with that of the Master under similar
circumstances, and yet we cannot fee
that his indignation was unjustifiable
Remember that this session of the San
hedrin was informal; that probably
the Roman officer was presiding and
not the high priest, as in regular ses
sions; and the high priest did not weal
distinctive dress except when EN-
gagged in actual service, and that Pau
had been stranger at Jerusalem fol
many years. 1t was thus natural that
Paul should not recognize the high
priest in the crowd. When he discov
cred what he had done, he apologized
The resurrection of Christ and o
Christians occupied very large place
in Paul's preaching. lie may have
been speaking of this-for Luke only
gives us snatches of what went on be
fore the Sanhedrin-when he saw th'
opportunity to divide the counci
against itself and so prevent its tax
ing any action against him. The chic
captain, little wiser than before, tool
Paul back to the castle.
"The Jews" Probably a mixture o
the enemies from Asia, the most bit
ter of the Jerusalem Sadducees, ant
the order of the Assassins, spoken u
last week. "Bound under curse:
Invoked curse upon themselves i
they should fail to keep their oath
Game to the chief priests:" those o
the Sadducean party, of whom Ana
Mas was one. They agreed to aid tb
conspirators ". 20)
"Paul's sisters SOM" How h
learned we do not know. "Tol,
PAUL." Showing that Paul's friend
had access to him. "Took him by tn
hand:" AS if he were a mere lad. Th
chief captain seems to have sympa
thized with Paul. He was probabl,
convinced by this time that the action
of the Jews was fanatical and outra
geous, and that Paul was not guilty.
The most dangerous part of tn
Journey to Caesarea was passed whel