Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-10-09
Paul a Prisoner
The Plot
Sunday SesOOl Lesson for Oct. 10. 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

A-f-'o'N 4tAl--Acts =. $50. l1l Mem
GOLDEN TENT win say or Cd,
Lord. be is my refuge and my fortress.
my God. I'm him win trust. ''- Psa gf.2
TIAiE-Nsy. a. ID. 81 or 5s
FisAtE.-Castlo Antonio fn Jerusalem
ne way between Jerusalem and Cesarea.
4 prison i'm Cosarea.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
Storm clouds and their silver lining
The darkness deepens. Oh. abide
with me
]. Darkness and storm from the
Jewish Rulers Acts 22-2O-22.5
Paul Cited Before the Roman Author.
tiles and the Jewish Sanhedrim. The
next morning after our last lesson the
puzzled commandment summoned the
Jewish rulers 90 meet him
Psul's defense. Paul did not at this
time use his accustomed tact and
courtesy. But. with one unconscious
exception. for which he apologized
like a Christian gentleman. he did not
utter discourteous word
He spoke as a man to his EQUALS.
Charged with crimes. hc denied them
in toto. This was no time for con
Tossing any failures OF reaching abso-
lutte perfection before God. as IN his
letters 90 the Ephesians rph 3.S)
and TO the Corinthians a Cor. 1881.
All that would have been entirely mis-
understood. Paul had no mock hui
mility. no Urish Hcep humbloness. He
stated The simple fact (v. ID Ear
nesuy beholding." looking steadfact-
~ on" 'the council" as ~ ne would
look into their Utmost souls. he de.
clared. Il have lived" Greek. .lived
as citizen" obeying the laws OF the
empire. and fulfilling his duties as a
Roman citizen. He was a faithful COW
enant member OF the commonwealth
OF God 70 which the ether Jews. in
GLIDING the members OF the Sanhe.
drim. belonged. Gle lived as a true
and loyal jew" His record was his
defense. And this "in an gold con
science before Cod" However men
may misiudge him. by their false
standards or IN ignorance OF the facts
he IL right IN the sight OF God. and
acquitted "in a higher tribunal than
that Of the Sanhedrim or or Caesar"
=. The Silver Lining 20 the Clouds.
VS.. OIL. The First Rays To Dl-
vide and Conquer came 20 Paul while
he was explaining bis teachings and
his work IN words OF which the rec.
ord is the bsrest epitome. He per
ceived a difference OF opinion among
the rulers. The two leading parties
were almost as much opposed 90 one
another as they were 90 the Chris.
uans.
The Result was that the council
came 20 no decision as 90 the charge
against Paul
The Second Ray OF Light came from
Christ Himself g During "the nipht
following the Lord" the glorifed Je-
sus. stood by" Paul as he had az Cor
NTH tActs 1873. 100. and as he did
again two years later In the storm at
sea ACTS 27.24), showing that he was
his ever-present helper. as the electric
nash reveals the continual presence
or the unseen electric power.
3. Another Storm Cloud. An Ingen-
ious Plot 10 Kill Paul.-Vs. 12l5
j. Certain OF the Jews (more than
40 ~ 49,, bound themselves
under curse" They invoked the
curse OF God upon them If they should
eat or drink until they had killed
Paul"
The Plan was to ask Lysias 10 bring
Paul down from the barracks IN the
castle OF the Sanhedrim hall under
pretense OF examining him further.
small guard would seem sufficient
They would excite a tumult, murder
Paul and represent the murder as a
mere accidental incident.
4. The Silver Lining. The Plot Made
Known. The Result Was That Paul
Was Sent Safely on His Way Toward
Rome.-Vs. 1876. Paul's Nephew.
The narrative gives the Impression
that he was quite young man" II
Is uncertain how he came 70 be in Je-
rusalem, or how be discovered the
plot
The youth told Paul what he had
learned. Paul asked a centurion 10
take the youth 70 commander Lysias
who Immediately laid his plans 10 foil
the plot
Commander Lysias was more in
sympathy with Paul than with the tur-
bulent Jews who gave so much
trouble 20 the Roman authorities.
He assembled a guard OF 200 iufan-
try. the ordinary Roman soldiers. 200
spearmen. a special class OF light
armed soldiers. and a band of 20 cav
alrymen- They started secretly at
nine O'Clock in the evening. "the third
hour OF the night" w. 23). for Cesa-
rea, the Roman capital OF Judea. the
seaport from which Paul embarked
for Rome two years later. They car
ried letter from Claudius Lysias 10
Felix the governor. The whole caval.
cade went a little more than half the
whole distance. when they came to
Antipatris, a fortress and pleasant
place of residence built by Herod the
Great In the plain of Sharon. The
foot soldiers went no farther, but re.
turned the next day TO Jerusalem.
The great desire of PauIs heart
was assured. Death. nor prison. nor
Jews. nor Romans could prevent. His
work was so approved OF God that he
promised him a larger and more din.
cult field. so must thou bear wit.
ness also at Rome" His wish (Acts
1921; Rom. j 10. I'D was to be grat-