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THE SABBATH SGHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MAY ~.

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Subject: Paul Before Felix. ACTS xxiys
1o.16, a4-28-aolden Text. Pss. xxin.ss
4-Memory Verses, 14.1e-stndy Verses
1-27-Commentary ON tho Lesson.
II. Paul's defense Tvs. l0.2l); ~.
"Paul-answered." Although twlee before
Paul had spoken what he called q deiensei s
first, before vast crowd OF Jews IN 9tns
temple area, and again before the assem-
bled Sanhedrin yet this is his hrst acs.
ual defense, as he now stands before amin.
perial tribunal, the Governor representing
the person and authority Of the Emperor.
'Forasmuch as I know" It is remarkable;
that Paul did not begin his speech, ag.Ters
tullus had done, by any fattering address,
CT 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 ne
was we'll qualified to understand the mer.s
its Of the case and to Judge 1mIparnaIys' mp al
ter, and would not by fattering words de-
clare that which was; not strictly true.
Many years." For the comparatively long
period Of six or seven years Felix had been
in Jerusalem and Caesarea. ~ a. Judge.
A magistrate, or one appointed TO admin.
cheerfully answer" Because Of Felix's un-;;
usual familiarity with Jewish qnestio ions.
The fact of his knowledge is attested IN u.
ill., 'Mayest understand" From the
shortness Of his stay in Jerusalem, any Of.
fense committed there mus. have been re-
cent. There could be no difficulty IN OBJ
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 apent IN
Jerusalem. His design IN t1entioning the.
number of days was to show the improba-
bility that in 90 short time he could have
produced tumult. "To worship. he
went on purpose to worship and had no
thought Of producing ' tumatH at q q pro
IL, l3. Neither. found ME, etc. In;
terms of unqualified denial be- meets the
first charge-of sedition. ~ Worsnap, nos;
the plotting of insurrection, wasrthe object
of his recent visit to Jerusalem, and whlie
worshiping he. was found and arrested.
He had not even spoken In public, much
less by artful harangue sought ito gather
disaffected persons ether inIsthel temple,
the synagogues or the city! ttNeither can,
they provo" Here was the pith Of the
case. This appeal is boldly made he ehal.i
lenges investigation. They had made vague,
wild assertions about Paul, hoping that the
Governor might be influenced to condemn,
him without trial, as doubtless she W9rld
have done but for his Roman citizenship
They very; well knew that thsir chorges
could not be proven under the Roman law:
Accusation is not proof. :
IA. "This confess" This verse and the;
following contain Paul's reply to the accr-.
sction Of Tertunus, that he was q ring.
leader of the sect of the Nazarenes. be
boldly and joyously confesses that he is g
Christian, but at the same time declines:
to acknowledge the opprobrious tern, used.
by Tertullus. "The way" The way Is
here used by Paul to signify the Christian.
religion. See chap. 8: 2. "HeresJ u,
sect. The word used ia the same that fIer-
tullus used in verse 5, when making his
charge. They had called the Christians; g
"sect," and Paul does not disown the,
name. $50 worship" See r. ". 1t is as;
if he said: After the way which they call
false and erroneous, but which as accord.
ing to the inward light given me, worship
I my fathers God, Jehovah; the God my
ancestors adored. f-z 4. Il: Z q
Is, 1e. "Hope toward God" Having q
hope Of the resurrection OF the dead, whIcn @
arises from the promises of God. He de-;
ciares that, in common with many OF his
accusers, and with the mass of his nation,1
he holds steadfastiy to. the hope OF q; resnrsI
rection from death, through the promise
and power of God. II exercise Hysetf::
He strives as the athlete or warrior, only:
his struggle and warfare is within the SOUL
His supreme aim aid 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 10,
right. but urges us to do what we know to,
be right, and rebukes us for doing what We;
know to be wrong. s
II. "After many years." Paul refers to:
the four wears which had elapsed since his
last visit to Jerusalem (chap: lS: ~
1921. "Jews from ASH" Paul justly
complains that the very persons who aione
could testify against him were absent, and
showed that there was really no we'll
could testify as to anything that occurred
in the temple, and as they were not pres
ent that charge ought to be dismissed.
"Or else" Paul turns with a bold chai.
,enge to the Sadducean Jews present. De
demands their own personal testimony
upon tee facts that occurred when ne stood
before the Sanhedrin. With keen thrust
he asks if 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, :22-t
d, "When Felix heard" The Governor
virtually decided the case in favor Of Paul.
But he wished to keep the good viii OF the
Jews. So he deferred an answer from nmel
to time, in the meanwhile allowing Paul
much liberty and the company Of .n ms
friends. Having - knowledge @ FshS
t;anity, He evidently knew the character
of the disciples and that what Panl said
was true. And yet he deferred" the case
because he did not wish to give ofense to
the Jews. "After certain days. teilx
came into the audience chamber with his
wife, Drusilla, and the prisoner was sum-
r,oned before them. Thus Paul had an OPP
portunity in his bonds of preaching the
gospel. and such an opportunity as he
could hardly otherwise have obtained;
Is. 26. Reasoned of Righteousness, etc;
Paul breaches as a 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; faufs
bo!dness ia all the more striking when we
remember that he was dependent on Felix
of his past sins, and the Judgment to come
The r 'I prisoner @ preaches,- 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 sim,
ner is always looking for Convenient seq
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
other"
&c.. .., ..r =. 80 ~
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