The Montgomery tribune., 1909-10-01
Paul a Prisoner
The Arrest
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. 3, 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

Christ."--2 Tim. 2:S.
TIME.-Paul arrived at Jerusalem Fri
day. May 81. Tho feast of Pcntecost was
Saturday, May Is. The mob was dur
Ing the following week, about June 1.
PLACE.-Jerusalem. at 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'weO, Trophimus of Ephesus (Acts
21:20), and probably Aristarchus of
Thessalonica (Acts 27:2). Kendall
thinks that all who are mentioned as
| beginning the journey with Paul (Acts
| 204 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-
| icus of Ephesus (Eph. G:21). Tho
| 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 PAID.
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 sep.
aration. 1t was seven years since
Paul had made any prolonged stay at
| Jerusalem (Acts 15).
The Impending Crisis.-vs. 2026.
| The settlement, seven or eight years
before, by vote OF the whole church
at Jerusalem, of the great question
| whether the Gentiles must keep tho
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 it was divine.
They had heard vague rumors of
Paul'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 with
Paul there, or at least knew of his
teaching there, saw Paul in the inner
court where the Gentiles were for
bidden to come. They had also seen
one of the Ephesian Gentle Chris
tians walking with Paul around the
city. Putting these two facts togeth-
er 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-S9 81. The
"chief captain" was equivalent to our
colonel, i.e., captain over a regiment
of thousand men. His name was
Claudius Lysias (Acts 1920. "Of the
band" A Roman cohort, the tenth
part of legion, or about six hundred
men.
"Centurions" Captains of hun.
dred.
Bound with two chains" One
from each of his arms to a soldier
on each side of him Compare Acts
1870. This secured the prisoner, yet
left him free to walk away with his
guards when the detachment was
marched off.
"He was borne of the soldiers" No
sooner had he got on the stairs than
the mob made rush for him, but
owing to his fetters he was carried
along with the soldiers. When the
top of the stairs had been reached,
Paul asked, and was granted permis.
sion to speak.
Pauls Address from the Castle
Stairs. - Acts 21:40-22:23. Paul
stood on the castle stairway, chained
to a soldier.
He spoke in Hebrew with which all
Jews were familiar.
/
conciliatory. He showed how strong
and active a Jew he had been. He
then gave the arguments and reasons
which convinced himself, and ought
to convince them.
He had found the Messiah whom all
Jews longed for.
The Jews listened to Paul till he
! smoke of his mission to the Gentiles
and then the flames Of their wrath
burst forth like the fires of volcano
l They cried out in their rage, they rent
: their clothes, they threw dust into the
! air.
t Within the Castle. The Soldiers
3 About to Torture Paul to Compel Hin
4 to Confess.
Paul Saved by His Roman Citizen
ship.-Acts %: 24:29. The Roman