The Tupelo journal., 1903-05-15
H SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson In the International Series
for May 1t, 1003-Paul be-
fore Felix.
THE LESSON TEXT.

TO- Then Paul, after that the governor
nad beckoned unto him to speak. answered,
Forasmuch as | know'that thou hast been
OF many years a judge unto the nation, /
do the more cheerfully answer for myself:
IL. Because that thou mayst understand
that there are yet but u days since l
went up to Jerusalem for to worship.
IL. And they neither found me in the
temple disputing with any man, neither
raising up the people, neither in the syna-
gogues nor in the city:
IL. Neither can they prove the things
whereof they now accuse me.
IA. But this ] confess unto thee, that after
the way which they call heresy, so worship
| the God of my fathers, believing all
things which are written in the law and in
the prophets:
10. And have hope toward God. which they
themselves also allow. that there shall be
a resurrection of the dead, both Of the just
and unjust.
16. And herein DO / exercise myself. to
have always a conscience void Of offense
toward God, and toward men.
"a And after certain days, when Felix
came with his wife Drusilla. which was a
Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him
concerning the faith In Christ.
70. And as he reasoned of Righteousness.
temperance, and judgment to come, Felix
trembled, and answered, Go thy way for
this time; when / have a convenient sea-
son. l will call for thee.
rs. He hoped also that money should have
been given him of Paul, that he might loose
him: wherefore he sent for him the often
er, and communed with him.
GOLDEN TEXT will fear no evil;
for thou art with me.-Ps. 23I4.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
PauPs accusation. .............Act NI-9.
PauPs License. Acts 24:10-2.
PauPs imprisonment....--....Aets A:22. q.
TIME.-A- d. IS.
PLACE.-Caesarea.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
1t will be seen that Paul makes q
perfect defense, so far as the charges
against him are concerned. But ii
should also be noted that he does
more than acquit himself of them; he
81 makes known the character Of 'the
sect" to which he is accused of belong
ing (but which he calls "the Way').
that he justifies its existence and its
right to his fealty. Paul did not think
of himself alone.
When our last lesson closed, Paul
had been brought under guard to
C~aesarea, the Roman capital of Pales-
tine, and had been imprisoned in what
| was oIlSlilllJy IItlO w > BdldNC. II ii
now the governors official residence.
and was fortified.
The "orator" the Jews took with
them was their advocate or lawyer
and conducted the case. He began in
true oriental style by f1attering the
judge. The Jews, through their law
yer, made three charges. Bear in mind
that while Felix had not been a good
ruler, he had been active in Riding
the country of robbers and impos-
tors who deluded the multitude" He
had executed many of them. The first
charge was that Paul was one of these
very trouble-makers whom Felix was
trying to get rid of; the second charge
was that he was a ringleader Of the
heretical "sect of the Nazarenes"
(Christians), and the third, that he was
guilty of 'sacrilege, having attempted
to profane the temple by taking Gen
tiles into the forbidden inclosure.
In his defense Paul took up in order
the three charges that had been made
against him. He began c~ourteously
but with II o flattery. "Forasmuch as
/ know l cheerfully make my
defense:" He was especially glad to
have a judge who had known the Jews
for a number of years, for the better
the Judge knew them and their re-
ligious fanaticism the surer would he
be to understand the situation. "Not
more than twelve days" Paul's stay
had been short and his record could be
easily looked up. Neither can they
prove" Paul fatty denies the first
charge-the only one that would seem
serious TO a Roman-and challenges
proof of his guilt. The second he
frankly admits. ''The Way" One of
the earliest names applied by the dis
ciples to Christianity. Paul claims.
however. hat he does not belong to a
heretical sect, because (1) he wor-
SHIPPED the true God, (2) he reverenced
the Hebrew Scriptures, (3) he believed
with the Pharisees in the resurrection
of the dead. "Herein:" In this faith.
81 also exercise myself" / school my
self to do right, strive to have a clear
conscience, which, even to Paul, was
not always easy. Verses 1921 give
Paul's answer to the third charge.
Felix saw that no case had been
made out against Paul, and yet he did
not want to anger the Jews, so he sim
ply adjourned the ease till another
time.
Felix was interested in Paul. He was
also interested in the Nazarenes, and
so summoned his prisoner to a private
interview. Paul did not preach to the
Roman a gospel of forms and cere-
monies like Judaism, but one of right
eousness and self-control-a gospel in
which wrongdoing should be followed
by what wrongdoing deserved. 1t was
all terrible truth to the guilty Felix,
but he was not mar enough to change
his life, and so he closed his eyes to
the truth and tried to forget it. Paul
was sent back to his prison, but Felix
did not forget it, and kept sending for
Paul and talking with him. Of course
he expected Paul to offer a bride for
his freedom, but that does not account
for his action, which was that of a man
seeing the truth, and fascinated by it,
and yet too weak to accept it and live
by it.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Like Felix, one may have a pretty ex-
act knowledge concerning the WAY.
and yet not walk in it.
Like Felix, one may hear faithful
preaching, and yet try to throw off
49,.