The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1916-10-05

GOLDEN TExT-Herein also exercise
myself to have asconscience void OF Of
tense toward God and men always.-Acts
Ais. IS.
This is a court scene, and it might
De we'll with certain classes to intro
luce the lesson by describing such
gathering. The lesson occurred five
lays after the last lesson, and twelve
lays after Paul reached Jerusalem,
bearing the collection for the poor.
The place, Caesarea, was the Roman
capital of Judea.
!. The Prisoners Examination (vv.
<l-0). In addition to the Roman gov
ernor, Felix, attired in his gorgeous
official regalia, on platform nearby.
we're 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
1t was said that, by his persuasive
tongue, he could make white seem
black, and could therefore more easily
make it appear that Paul was ga dam
ger to the Roman power, and not mere
ly q turbulent and renegade jew" The
Judge, Felix, was an exceptionally bad
governor, who two years later was re-
called by Nero to Rome. The infer
ence of verse two is that Paul was an
lnciter of rebellion and robberies, but
the exact charges were three-fold:
(See w. 5-6) (a) that Paul was
mover Of insurrection (b) that he was
ringleader of a sect of Nazarenes
who were causing trouble in the prov
ince: and (c) that he had profaned the
Jewish temple at Jerusalem. The
charge of inSurrection would be espe-
cially obnoxious to Felix who had just
been praised for keeping peace in his
dominion That Of being a leader Of
hereSy was not serious, for the Romans
had no desire to interfere between one
Jewish sect and another, but it led to
the last one, viz, profaning the tenn
pie. The Romans had legalized the
Jewish ritual, and for Paul to profane
the holy place would be serious out
rage. The weakness Of Tertullus' case
was that he produced no evidence to
support his charges. The accusers
were there. but they had no witnesses.
IL. The Prisoners Defense (vv. 1O-21).
Paul cheerfully made his defense, for
he knew the Jews and their customs,
and that Felix had married a Jewess,
| ". A). We might consider this de-
Tense first negatively and then positive
ly. On the negative side, Paul answers
each charge seriatim. In the first
I viz 60 II,
to cause an insurrection ". 11). Going
back over these days; a. his arrival
in Jerusalem (21 49,; (2) his appear
ance before James (21 :18); 6, 4, 5 and
| 81, the days of his VOW Och. q :26, 27)
CD his arrest (S) his appearance be-
fore the Sanhedrin; (9) the conspiracy
and his deliverance; 90, II, II and 49,
in Caesarea (See Oh. 24:1). Paul's
statement showed that the whole story
Of his experience was fresh in the
memories of both friends and foes. It
was the Jews who did the stirring up.
Paul answers the second charge by
acknowledging wv. 14-16) that he be-
longed to the Christian way Of saliva
ton, but denied that this was heresy.
Paul was true Jew; and a good
Pharisee, for (D he worshiped the
same God ". 40; (2) he believed in
the Jewish law and prophets. From
them he knew he could prove that
Jesus was the Messiah. (3) He agreed
with the Pharisees ". 15) in hope to.
ward God, q resurrection from rne
dead and immortal life. Paul's life was
"void of offense" toward God in heart
and worship, and toward men as shown
in good deeds. It was for this that he
exercised himself. Literally, he worked
upon the raw material, disciplining
and training it. Paul answers the third
charge by simple denial that it had
actually taken place, and calls for wit
nesses. Positively, Paul explains that
he had followed the God of his fathers,
that he believed in fulfilled prophecy
literally the resurrection of Jesus from
the dead-that he came to Jerusalem
with aims for the poor, and, as before
/ the council, he stands upon his in
tegrity.
III. The Judges Delay (vv. 22-27).
Felix had more perfect knowledge
of that way" We believe he had Sc
cured this knowledge from Philip, the
evangelist, and from Cornelius, the Ro-
man centurion, both of whom lived in
| Caesarea. By deferring his decision,
Felix avoided an outrageous injustice
to Paul, and at the same time gave
serious offense to the troublesome
Jews who knew of his evil conduct.
From verse twenty three we see that
Paul was given liberty, literally such
indulgence in freedom as would be con-
sistent with his safety. Luke, the ply
sician, and Philip, the evangelist, WIS.,
tied him here, bringing food, books and
letters. After a time Felix and his
wife, Drusilla, sent for Paul to talk
with him concerning the faith in