The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-10-05
LESSON FOR OCTOBER 8
PAUL BEFORE FELIX.
LESSON TExT-Aets q.

"a .,s '""' ''' "'" NV"
This II court scene. and II might
be well with certain classes to intro
duce the lesson by describing such a
vatberiny The lesson occurred Ave
d.vs af,ar III. ,as, tos.o, and ,w.Iv.
a.. o.. D., -, r.,,,,.,
-. ,..'' - 80 -
LUG p'"ce' ,oaes"'e"' was '"e "o''""
capital OF Judea.
!. The Prisoners Examination wv.
1-s). In addition To the Roman gov
ernor, Felix. attired In his gorgeous
Official regalia, ON a platform nearby.
were the high priest OF the Jews In his
highly colored and jeweled robes, the
lawyer, Tertullus. IN his Roman toga,
and the elders OF the Sanhedrin who
had come down from Jerusalem To be
witnesses against Paul. OF Tertullus
IL was said that. by his persuasive
tongue, he could make white seem
black. and could therefore more easily
make II appear that Paul was n dan
ger to the Roman power and not mere
iy turbulent and renegade Jew" The
judge. Felix. was an exceptionally bad
governor VINO two years later was re-
caiieu by nero 10 Rome. The infer-
ence or verse two Is that Paul was an
ihciter OF rebellion ana robberies. but
the exnct charges We're three-foid:
tsee w. o-0) (a) that Paul was
mover OF instruction; tb) that he was
ringieader OF sect OF Nazarenes
who were cnusing trouble In the prov
ince' ana tc) That ne had profnned the
Jewish temple at Jerusalem. The
charge OF instruction would be espe-
ciai'y obnoxious to Felix who had Just
peen praised Tor Keeping peace In his
dominion. That OF being leader OF
hercsy was not serious, for the Romans
had no desire 10 interfere between one
Jewish sect ana another. hut IL led to
tne last one. We. profnnlng the tenn
pie The komans had iegalized the
Jewish ritual. and for Paul to profane
the molly place would be serious out
rhge' Ihe weakness OF Tertullus' case
was that ne produced no evidence TO
support MS charges. The accusers
were mere but they had no witnesses.
". The Prisoners Defense wv. 102D.
Paul cheerfuliy made his defense. for
he knew the Jews and their customs.
and that Felix had married a Jewess.
". 2D. We might consider this de-
Tense first negatively and then positive
y. On the negative side. Paul answers
each charge seriatim. In the first
place there had not been time for him
to cause an insurrection ". III. Going
back over these days; u his arrival
In Jerusalem (21 49,: t2) his appear
ance before James t21 :1s) g. 4. 5 and
%. the days Of his vow (Ch. 81 20. 27)
Cd his arrest; (s) his appearance be-
fore the Sanhedrin; t9) the conspiracy
and his deliverance; (l0. IL. IL and 49,
In Caesarea tSee On. 24:D. Paul's
statement showed that the whole story
Of his experience was fresh In the
memories OF both friends aud foes. II
was the Jews who did the stirring up.
Paul answers the second charge by
acknowledging wv. 1870 that he be-
ionged to the Christian way Of saliva
ton. but denied that this was heresy.
faui was true Jew and a good
fharisee. Tor (D he worshiped the
same God ". 10; t2) he believed In
the Jewish law and prophets. From
them ne knew he could prove that
Jesus was the Messiah. t3) He agreed
WIN the rharisees ". lo) In hope To-
waru zoo. resurrection from the
dead ana immortal life. Paurs life was
void OF onense" toward God In heart
ana worship. ana toward men as shown
IN GOOD deeds. IL was for this that he
exercised himself. Literally, he worked
upon the raw material, disciplining
ana training II. Paul answers the third
charge by simple denial that II had
actually taken place. ana calls for wit
nesses. positively, Paul explains that
ne mad Followed the God OF his fathers.
that ne believed In fuliiied prophecy
literally the resurrection OF Jesus from
the dead-that he came to Jerusalem
with aims Tor the poor, and. as before
the council, ne stands upon his In
tegrity.
III. The Judse's Delay wv. 22-2D.