The Jackson herald., 1909-09-30
Paul a Prisoner
The Arrest
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. ,, 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

GOLDEN TExT.--"Thou therefore en-
dure hardness. as a good soldier OF Jesus
CHRISTI Tim. 2.3.
TIME.-Paul arrived at Jerusalem FRI |
day. May q. The feast OF Pentecost was
Saturday. May IS. The mob was dur
ing the following week, about June I.
PLACE.-Jerusalem. Mt the home OF /
James or the meeting place of the |
church, and in the Temple Courts.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
The Reception to Paul by the |
Church of Jerusalem.--vs. 1920. Paul |
and His Company. Paul did not come |
alone to Jerusalem, but was accom- |
panied by Luke, his beloved physician |
c'we'o, Trophimus of Ephesus (Acts |
21:29), and probably Aristarchus Of |
Thessalonica (Acts 27:2). Kendall |
thinks that all who are mentioned as
beginning the journey with Paul (Acts |
20:4) continued with him to the end |
at jerusalem: thus adding to those
mentioned above. Sopater of Berea,
Secundus of Thessalonica, Gaius of
Derbe, Timothy of Lystra, and Tych-
lcus OF Ephesus (Eph. 6:2D. The
number and character of these men
have made an impression on the Chris
tians of Jerusalem.
The Gifts from the Gentle Churches
were probably presented at this time
(Acts 24:17).
The First Welcome on the day they
arrived was one of private and per.
sonal greetings, which were express
sions OF gladness, after so long a sep
aration. IL was seven years since
Paul had made any prolonged stay nc
Jerusalem (Acts 15).
The Impending Crisis.-vs. 20.26.
The settlement, seven or eight years
before, by vote of the whole church
at Jerusalem, OF the great question
whether the Gentiles must keep the
Jewish laws and ceremonies in order
to belong to the Christian church, did
not change the opinions of all the
Jewish Christians. Large numbers Of
them were intensely jealous for the
keeping of the law, for II was divine.
They had heard vague rumors of
Pau,'s teaching and conduct that he
taught that not only the Gentiles, but
even the Jews, need not keep the
law Of Moses.
Paul refused to set up his opinion
against theirs in case which did not
involve principle.
Paul Mobbed In the Temple Court
VS.. 27-31.
Some Jews from the region Of Eph,
esus who had been in conflict witl
Paul there, or at least knew OF his
teaching there. saw Paul in the inner
court where the Gentiles were for
hidden to come. They had also sem
one OF the Ephesian Gentle Chris.
tians walking with Paul around the
city. Putting these two facts togetl.-
or they imagined that Paul had
brought this Greek GENTLE within the
| forbidden court: contrary to fact.
| Anyone could enter the outer court
of the Gentiles. This cry aroused the
whole Jewish crowd In the Temple
courts. The Jews laid violent hands
on Paul, dragged him out of the court
of the women. through the Gate Beau
tiful, then down the steps into the
| Court Of the Gentiles, where they
tried to kill him.
The Rescue.-Vs. 31.39 81. The
"chief captain" was equivalent TO our
colonel, i.e., captain over a regiment
of thousand men. His name was
+, Claudius Lysias (Acts 23:2GD. "Of the
band" A Roman cohort. the tenti
part of a legion. or about six hundred
men.
"Centurions." Captains of a hun
dred.
nhnfV nc nne
from each of his arms to a soldier
on each side of him compare Acts
1850. This secured the prisoner, yet
left him free to walk away with hi:
guards when the detachment wa!
marched on.
"He was borne of the soldiers" n,
sooner had he got on the stairs thai
the mob made a rush for him, bu
owing to his fetters he was carrieI
along with the soldiers. When th
top of the stairs had been reached
Paul asked, and was granted permis
sion to speak
Paul's Address from the Castl
Stairs. - Acts 21:40-22:23. Pau
stood on the castle stairway. chaine'
to a soldier.
He spoke in Hebrew with which al
Jews were familiar.
Paurs address was courteous an
concillatory. He showed how stron
and active a Jew he had been. ii
then gave the arguments and reason
which convinced himself. and ough
to convince them.
He had found the Messiah whom a,
Jews longed for
The Jews listened to Paul till h
spoke of his mission to the Gentile'
and then the flames of their wrat
burst forth like the fires of volcano
They cried out in their rage, they ren
their clothes, they threw dust into tn
air
Within the Castle. The Soldier
About to Torture Paul to Compel Hi
TO Confess.