Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-07
PRISONS AND PLOTS FOR PAUL
Lesson for October 10 is "Paui a
. Prisoner-The Plot" Acts %: So
1855.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

Sometimes the public is startled to
find how base politics reaches UP into
high places and the criminal
schemes of unscrupulous financiers
penetrate even into exalted courts of
Justice. Were they to recall history,
people would not be surprised at this.
for it is no new thing. Palace and
temple have through the centuries
often echoed to the soft tread of the
Iabetted murderer and thief. The al
lliance between priest and mob, Judge
land ruffian, is not so unusual as to
lstartle the world Two thousand years
ago we find scene enacted, scene
mot greatly dissimilar from some mod
fern instances. The center of the story
and it's hero is the apostle Paul.
whose fortunes the Sunday schools OF
the world are now following.
After rescuing Paul from fanatical
Jewish mob. the Roman colonel, in
order to find out more certainly what
1.-THE trouble was all about, called the
Jewish Sanhedrin together that an
Examination might be made into the
cause. Paul is the same undlsmayed
tgentleman in the presence of these
igreat ecclesiastics that he had been
Hin front of the bowling rabble. 1t is
fof interest that the narrative points
tout how he faced them, and looked
thard at the council" as one version
thas it. He was the least embarrassed
Imam present, for even lowly virtue
tnever5 has reason to blush in the pres
fence of exalted wickedness. He began
Ibis address by what would seem a
perfectly simple and harmless re-
mark: Brethren, have lived before
fGod IN all good conscience until this
fday" The man who can say that has
sbeen q success, no matter what his
WORLDLY state may be. Yet this asser-
tion on the part of the prisoner made
1.-THE Jewish officials furious, and the
thigh priest so far forgot his office as
Ito command the persons nearest Paul
Ito smite him on the mouth. Justice
twas far from Jerusalem that day
Paul was no "mollycoddle," as the
modern phrase has it. and his high
spirit instantly flashed the retort of
Ia Just and fearless man: God shall
snlite thee thou whited wall; and sit
test thou to Judge me according to
law and commanded me to be smit-
ten contrary to the law" The milk
and-sugar type of Christianity gets
ismall announcement from this yirile
apostle. Yet Paul was quick to apollo
gize when he realized that it was no
ordinary Jewish official, but the high
priest himself, who had SO violated
Justice. Paul practiced what he
preached about respecting authority.
Even bad official must receive the
honor due his Office. The whole trial
broke up in another row and mob,
because Paul created diversion by
setting the Pharisees and Sadducees
at each other over the question of the
resurrection. Once more the Roman
cohorts had to come on the double
quick to rescue the prisoner and to
quiet the uproar.
A Vision and Promise.
"a man is immortal until his work
is DONE runs the proverb. Fear OF
death Is needless and unworthy. II
should have no place in the bosom
of strong men: although such may
be forgiven for fearing that he may
not be able to finish his task, or that
he may die, like certain great finan
cier, in the midst of his plans.
Paul was sleeping sweetly in tbs
castle prison that night, the quietest
spirit within its walls, despite his
bruises and the turbulent experiences