The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-04-30
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR RAY 3.



Commentary on the Days Lesson.
I. Paul confers with the church at Jeru
salem Tvs. l7-25). The day after their ar
rival at Jerusalem the elders and leader;
Of the church, of whom James, the brother
of our Lord, was chief met together, and
Pal gave them a report of his work. The
settlement by vote. eight years before, o.
the question as to the necessity of keeping
the Jewish law, had not changed the opin
ion of all the Jewish Christians. Their
friendship at this time was very doubtful
Paul was endeavoring by every possible
means to heal the breach between them
III. Paul purified in the temple Tvs. 90
29). -Four mer had come TO Jerusalem to
complete Nazarite vow. Paul reluctantly
agreed to pay their necessary expenses
and for a week to live with them in the
temple, and then to stand with them Will,
their heads were shaved and while they
took their hair to burn it under the sacri
flee of the peace offerings (Acts 81: %
"a: Num- 6: 49,. This was not compro
mise, 1t was a concession. but while Paul
attempted TO refuto certain ISLANDERS he at
the same time ran the risk of almost Ger
tain Misrepresentation on the other side
The fact that unexpected trouble grew out
of it does not brand his actions as unwse
or wrong. for the Jews would have found
some other protext if this had not come tc
them. Their charges in verse 2S show
their attack was premeditated. The ques
tion l. as ked, Did Paul do right in thus
| purifying himself in the temple? Our an,
swer is, Yes What we're his motives? He
| did not do it to avoid persecution or ever
| dcoth-he was ready to die in Jerusalem.
| He did not take this course to gain favor
! with the church, or for any selfish purpose
| His sole purpose was to gain access to the
| hearts of these Christians and lead them
| into deeper Christian life. Read l Cor
| 0: 1923.
III. The mob and the rescue Tvs. 21,39).
Paul was in the court of the women in the
temple, in or near the room set apart fol
| the ceremonies of Nazarte's vow. Ger
tain Jews who had been Paul's opponents
at ,E3heseus were watching him. They
! had seen Trophimus, an Ephesian, in the
city with Paul, and when they saw Paul in
| the court of the women with strangers
thev supposed he had taken Trophimus
into the tempe. They stirred up a mob
against Paul, charging him with having pol.
! luted the temple. He was dragged down
| the steps through the Gate Beautiful into
! the court of the Gentiles. He would have
been killed but for the arrival of the Ro
man guards from the tower of Antonia
| 80. Was moved" That a Gentle was
entering the sacred precincts of the temple
appears TO have been sufficient to start,e
all Jerusalem. Dragged him Paul was
handled roughly. "Out of the temple"
Out OF the womcn's court into the court Of
the Gentics. They wished to murder him
and vet not polutc the temple. They
raired at Cnats and swallowed camels
Doors" The folds of the Gate Beautiful.
which were Of solid Corinthan brass, and
opened from the womer's court to the
court of the Gentiles "Were shut" Prob.
ably by the Levites who had the care Of
the tempe They may have feared that
the 'owd would return, or some new dis.
turhance arise.
81. Seeking to kill him" There was
murder in their hearts. and thcv were beat.
ing him with the expectation of causing his
death. But the onset was sudden and they
were not furnished with proper weapons,
and there appears to have been a little de.
lay. 1t was this short delay that gave tho
Roman officer time to rescue him. lid.
ings came When a servant of Jesus is
in great distress God sends him aid at the
proper time without waiting for his pray.
ers. Chief captain.' The chief military
officer OF the Romans in Jerusalem was
stationed i'll the tower of Antonia. which
was situated at the northwest corner oi
the temple area. He was near.y equivalent
to our colonel, and commanded 1000 men
His name was Claudus Lysias, as we learn
from chap. 23 26.
80, 49, Soldiers and ccrturions." A
centurion commanded 100 men. The chiei
captain ordered out 4 force sufficiently
large to, overcome al opposition and re
store order. Ran down" The tower was
quick movement on the part of the Ro
man soldiers was what saved Paups life
When they saw" etc. The Jewish mob
was ntimidated at sight of the Roman
troops and at once ceased their murderous
attack. Took him" The verb implies a
formal arrest. The chief captain did not
come to relieve Paul, but to protect hin,
and give him a hearing. Two chains
He was probably bound between two sol.
diers.
81, s5 Could not know 1t was diff.
cult for the mob to make out charge
gible to the Roman officer. II Greek had
entered into the holy place he was liable
to death, but Paul was known to be 4
jew. nor was there any Greek to be found
on the spot. "The castle" The literal
meaning IS encampment or barracks. This
was not the castle or tower of Antona
but only that part of the tower which was
used as permanent quarters for the soldiers
The stairs Which led from the court
OF the Gentiles up into the tower. "Was
borne' The crowd pressed on Paul so as
to awaken the fear of some outrage oil
one: the soldiers carried him, either IL
their arms or on their shoulders.
36, 81. Away with him." The apostle
IS rejected in the same terms used nearly
thirty years before. when Christ was hur
ried to the cross Luke %; Is; John 10:
OF human passions divine result is being
worked out, May speak" Panl. amid
the storm. is the sclf.possessed master oil
his position. He nvails himself with undis
turbed skill of every advantage within
reach. first to assuage the chief captain
and then the people, in order TO attain
both safety for himself and triumph fol
the truth. "Speak Greek" 1t is probable
that Greek was the native tongue of tho
chief captain, and when he knew that Pau
understood that language the conversation
that follows took place
%, 80. THAT Egyptian" The Egyptian
to whom allusion Is made is described b,
.losephus as one ~ the many impostors o
that time. who announced that he was
prophet and gathered an army with whicl
he undertook to overthrow the Roman
Government. A large number were killed
and others taken prisoners. but the leade
escaped and the whole city was searchin,
for him. Lysas hoped that he was nov
caught in the person of Paul. "A Jew.
lie was also Roman (chap. %: 27, 2s)
"No mean city" Tarsus was the metropo
lis of Cilicia. and a city remarkable for it
culture and phiosophic studies.
|