The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-05-13
The SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lesson Comments For
May II.
Subject: Paul Before Felix Acts XIV, IO'io
A-16-GtlIen Text. Psa, xxiii, A.
Memory Verses, 40 Study Verses
Ill Commentary on the
Days kesson.

Days kesson.
II. Pours defense Tvs. lO.2D. 10.
! 'Paul-answered" Although twice before
Paul had spoken what hs called defense
| first. before vast crowd of Jews in the
| temple area. and again before the Assem-.
| bled Sanhedrn - yet this is his first act.
nal defense, as he now stands before an i'm.
| pcrial tribunal. the Governor representing
the person and authority of the Emperor.
"Fotasmuch ~ | know" It ia remarkable
that Paul did not begin his speech. as Ter.
tullus had done. by any hattering address,
or By any OF the arts of rhetcsic He
founded his plea on the justice of his cause
and on the fact that Felix had had so much
experience II 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.
Many 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.
ster the affairs of government. More
,heerfully answer" Because of Felix's un.
usual familiarity with Jewish questions.
The fact OF his knowledge is attes,ed in V.
%.
II. "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
lays From the time Paul left Caesarea
until his return was oniy ming days Only
eight OF the twelve days had been spent in
Jerusalem. His design in mentioning the
number OF days was to show the improha-
bilily that in so shor. time he could have
produced a tumult. "To worship" lie
went on purpose to worship and had no
thought of producing a tumllt or OF pro.
iamng the temple.
-, l3. Neither found me- etc. In
| terms of unqualified denial ne meets the
first chargc-os seditoa. Worship, not
the plotting of insurrect.on, was the object
3f 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
lisdifected persons either in the temple,
the synagogues or the city. Neither can
they prova' 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.
IA. This confess" This verse and the
IOlIpNiuS CONTAIN Idul ; reply 10 lHc dCCu-
sGtion of Tertullus, that he was a ring
leader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He
boldly and joyousiy confesses that he is
Christian, but at the same time declines
TO acknowledge the opprobrious term used
by Tertullus. The way" The way is
here used BY Paul % to signify t The Christian is
sect. The word used is the same that Ter
tullus r,,d in verse 5, when making h:I
charge. They had called the Christians a
sect" and Paul does not disown the
name 80 worship" See II. '. It is as
il he said: After the way which they call
false and erroneous, but which is accord.
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 o. God. He de-
ciares that, in common With many OF his
nccussrs and with the mass of his nation,
lie holds steadfast.y to the hope OF a resur.
rection from death, through the promise
and power OF God. 81 exercise myself"
He strives as the athlete OF warrior, only
his struggle and warfare is 'Sithn 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 deei. Conscience
! The conscience does nos tell us what is
| right, but urges US to do what we know to
be right. and rebukes lis for doing what VIC
| know to be wrong.
II. After many years" Paul refers to
the four years which had elapsed since hiI
last visit to Jerusalem (chap. Is; 22l.
1921. ",Iews from Asia" Paul justly
complains that the veiy persons who alone
| could testify against lim were absent, and
showed that there vas really no we'll
founded charge against him. They alone
could testify as to anything that occurred
in the temple, and is they we're not pres.
| ent that charge ought to be dismissed.
'Or else" Paul turns with a bold chal-
lenge to the Sadducean Jews present. He
demands their own personal testimony
upon the facts that occurred when he stood
before the Sanhed,'in. With keen thrust
he asks If the utterance OF the hated truth
of the resurrection was not the only
charge OF evil doiLg they could bring.
III. imprisonment at Caesarea Tvs. o.
"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 iiot wish to give ve'otfense to
/ the Jews. Alter ud1ss
came into the audience chamber with his
wife, Druslla, and the prisoner, was sum
moned before them. Thus Paul had an op'
portunity in his bonds of preaching the
gospel. and snch an opportunity as he
could hardly .lerwise have obtained.
%, 20. Reasoned of righteousness" etc,
| Paul breaches 9s faithful apostle should
have preached 10 such hearers. They sent
for him to hear about Christ. They heard
much more than they cared to hear. Pauls
boldness is ali 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 ia always looking for convenient sea
son" to turn TO God. A season when moth,
ing will stand in his way and his worldly
-elatiOns win not be interfered with. Blu;
such a time will never come. He hoped y
etc. He hoped that Paul would pay for
bis freedom. He knew that Paul had
many friends. and that "they were not
too poor ur too selfish to assist one an
other"
I