The Brinkley argus., 1909-10-22
| Paul Before Ees.vs ard AgI;Era
sunasy School Lessen for Gel. 2s, isss speciary Arranged for This Paper

have believed. and am p"rSuadoi tl'a' ne is able to keep that winch nave cui'' % . ilitted unto him against that daS' Tim. l:i2. ,o
 TIME -sut,mn of A. D. 5e or in eh
 PLACE.-Ccsarra. the Rcman capital CT Palestine Htrod Agrrpa IL. was ing of the res'crs north of the sea oI ,fau- Ice with lis car.tal at Cesarea Phil pp-.
 suecssticn and Practical Thought.
 Three ways of treating the go5pe%
 Exerlplifed by three ierrcscnfat've men-.he Arostle Pal; the Roman Governor F ,stus; King EeFud A5fipl a II.
 Preliminary Events. An interesting Story.-Ac.s 25:1-t2 First. The nc" governor. At tie cicse of two years in priscn under Felix, there wss a change of governors, and Porc:ls Fes- tus entered upon his dGtics
 We know rothing cc2ceTni1g hlin ex- cert from the Acts and Josephus. "Jo- serhus tells US that he governed hls stormy trovi2ce with w's5e, fiTm rue nuttipg down the Sicnrii tqssassins), and otEer predatory companies, who were then haTassins Jroea. lie hacs no fault with Festus.'
 Second The Pot to Take Paul Life-The first thing tEe new govern or did after landing at Caesara was 10 go up to Jer,salafa, the Jewish capital, where were ceptered tle most d1alcIl- persons ard quest;ons with which his administration you'd lave to do.
 The Jewish rulers devised an inSe- nious IIot to ob a;n possession of Paul They roured into the ears of the new governor all the cha gcs Tertul'rs had brought against Paul, and thefe cha, ges were chiefly for breaking the Jewish law. On tie way from Caesefa to Jerusalem they rtoposed to assas- sinate Paul, tast as they had hored to do two years before, but now with much better chances than before o1 accomplishing their rurrose.
 Third. The Arre1i to Caesar.--On returning to Cesar ca, accompanied by the Jewish rnlers, Governor Festus rnc.oned Paul into court where they emphasized these (v. ? many and grievous complaints and asked Paul if he were wiling to go UP to Jerrsa. lem for his trial
 Paul stood up -four square to all the winCs that blow" fer his rights as a Roman citizen. His irdererdent manhood speaks out: 'I defy their chal ges; I will not go to Jerusalem to be tried by my enemies; I appeal unto Caesar"
 1. Paul's Discourse Before King Agrippa, Revealing Low He Treated Jesus Christ and His GosDel,-Acts g: 13-25:23. The Royal Assembiage.- King Herod Agrippa made visit ei congratulation to Governor Fastus With him came the beautiful, and fes cinating Bernice, who was both his sis ter and his illegal wife. She was also the sister of Drus;lla the wife Of Felix and a dissolute.
 Festrs was puzzled to know what charges to send with Paul to Rome For PauI-Wes no such criminal as the Jews tried to make him out. He had broken no Roman law. Hence he asked Agrippa, who was Jew, tc help him out of this dilemma.
 Pauls strongest argument was the fact that Ee (v. 19) "was not disobs djent unto the heavenly v'sion,' bU1 he practiced what he believed, and gave his whole life, amid labors an6 perils and weariness, in hunger ant thirst, and cold and na'-ednoss, perse cution, stonirgs, stripes above meas ure, shipwrecfs ard rainfu.ness {. Cor. ID, to urging Jews and Gentiles to (v. 29) repent and turn to God, ant do works meet for repentance" as ht himself had done.
 The charges against Paul were false For the Jews (v. 2D were about tt kill" him because he proclaimed ths very Messiah they were expecting, thu fulfllment of their hopes.
 i %. Having therefore obtained hell of God" Help" in the Greek mean originally an alliance against enemies such aid as warrior receives iron auxiliary or allied forces. God wal Paul's DOW erful ally. Witnessing botl 10 small and great" referring to age rank, and position. Paul treated al alike, rich and poor. learned and un learned, obscure ard famous, despiset and honored. Saying none othe things etc.
 The Decision of the Court-Vs. 30 S2 The court decided that Paul wa innocent. and might have been set a liberty had ne not appea'ed to Caesar but that the appeal must stand. "Th whole process of two years and more at Jerusalem and Cesarea, ended in public and decisive acquittal. Claudiu Lysias, Festus and Agrippa, had eacl declared rim innocent three time was it publicly announced of tn apostle, as of his Lord, that he ha done (v. 3D nothing worthy 0 death But this decision was tn means of bringing him safely to Rome It made q favorable impression O the Roman officer who took him there and upon the Roman authorities afte his arrival.
 Paul's Biscourse.-Paul stretcka forth his hand, the common gastur of an orator in opening bis address < and commenced his address with hi | characteristic union of frankness an courtesy" He appealed to the on good point of Agrippa's had characte ! and life, not only because it was courteous and fitting thing to do, bu E because it was the only way to ope AgrirTa's feart to the gospel