The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-11-17
The
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTS FOR NOVEMBER ii.

Subject: Paul a Prisoner-In Rome,
Acts 23:11-31 - Golden Text:
Rom. 1:16-Commit Verses 30,
a1-CommentaIy on the Lesson.
TIME.-A. D. 61-63.
PLACE.-Rome.
EXPOSITION.-I. From Malta to
Rome, 11-15. No man ever craved
human fellowship and sympathy
more than Paul and no man appre-
ciated it more when he had it ". Is;
CT. Acts 1918; 1876; 2 Cor. 7:6; /
Thess. 81, Q; 2 Tim. 4:21). Paul
was an intensely human man.
II. Paul in Council With the Lead
ing Jews in Rome, 1922. Paul is at
Rome at last, and is there to preach
the Gospel as he had longed to do
tRom. 1:14-16). -Heloved his people
no. matter how bitterly they hated
him. He got them together as soon
as he could that he might preach Jesus
to them. He sought to conciliate
them. He has no charge to bring
against them. 1t is not pleasant to
be bound with a chain, but it Is a
great privilege and honor to be bound
with a chain in a good cause. 1t
was through Jewish malice that
Paul was now in chains, but
strangely enough 1t was because
of loyalty to the great hope of
the Jewish nation that he had in
Cured Jewish enmity. "The hope Of
Israel" was two fold; the hope of a
resurrection (Acts 1876; 24:15; 26:
6-8) and the hope of a Messiah in
whom they and all the nations OF the
earth should be blessed 1Acts 1922
"a; Luke 1869, 70, 70; Rom. 1873;
Gal. 3:14, 1919. In Paul's preach
ing the two hopes were blended, be-
cause the Messiah he preached was a
Messiah risen Srom the dead, the first
fruits and guarantee of the resurrec-
ton (Acts 1872, 33, $50. In Paul's
day Christianity was everywhere spo-
ken against, yet it was to conquer the
world and ia it from moral ruin.
Mans judgments are not Gods, and
the sect that Is Everywhere spoken
against" may be the sect God has
chosen (cf. Jno. 1851, "a.
II. Paul Preaching the Kingdom
of God and Persuading Men Concern
ing Jesus, 1851. Howa all the schemes
of the enemies of Paul and Christ had
turned out to the furtherance of the
Gospel {cf. Phil. 1922. They had
brought Paul to Rome at the expense
of the state, they had given Paul a
great audience of leading Jews, but
further than this they had given Paul
an audience of Roman soldiers. These
soldiers would never have come to a
service conducted by a Jew, but as
they had to guard Paul they had to
hear what he had to say. Many were
thus converted (Phil. 1:13, r. w,
and as, the Roman soldier went every
where they became most efficient mis-
sionaries in Gaul, Germany. and Brt-
tain and elsewhere. Paul opened to
the Jews the Old Testament scrip
lures concerning the death and res
direction and reign of the Christ
comp. Oh. 1872, 8; 1922, 23), SHOW
ing how all this was fulfilled in Jesus.
He gave witness to the kingdom OF
God-that is, to the reign Of God on
earth in the coming Messianic king
dom. All his exposition and testi-
mony centred in Jesus. It was no alb
stract reign of God in an improved
state of society, but a definite reign
in a definite person, Jesus. Paui
proved his points both from the law
,ofcMoses and from the prophets, from
morning till evening"" II Paul had
been like so many modern so-called
bible teachers" he would have spent
the day discussing whether or no the
law really was Mosaic, and whether
the portions of Isaiah expounded were
by Isaiah himself or the deutero-
Isaiah or some other Isaiah. The
method Paul employed, going
through the Scripture and showing
Jesus everywhere, the Master Himself
followed GLuke 24327). Even apos-
tolic preaching will not convert every
body. But under true preaching OF
the word OF God in the power OF the
Holy Spirit '''spme" will believe. The
preaching of the Gospel always causes
division; those who are ordained to
eternal life believe comp. oh. IL:
48), and the rest reject Comp. en-.
13:48-5O; 14:4; 17:4, s.; 1868;
1879. Those who believe are saved;
those who believe not are lost mark
1916, 16). But the unbelief OF
some does not make the faithfulness
of God of non-etfect from. 3:3, r.
W Paul was not at all shaken in
his own faith, because SO many, in
Guiding scholarly ones, had not be-
lieved. No, rather he was confirmed
in his faith; for was not this a fulfill
ment of prophecy? But note how
plainly Paul spoke to those rejecters
of the truth Of God, and we ought to
use equal plainness Of speech. Paul
tod them that what lay at the root OF
their unbelief was: gross hearts, dull
ears, closed eyes. Their. eyes were
closed because they themselves had
closed them Comp. 2 Thess. 1T, 81.
Though they refused the salvation,
it was none the less of God" If
they would not have it, others would
". 2S). The rejection Of the Gospel
by the Jew meant salvation for US
from. HID. Paul had tive years
of uninterrupted service in Rome and
here the story closes.