Mexico Missouri message., 1916-11-16
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNlSOOOL
LESSON
LESSON FOR NOVEMBER 10
FROM MELITA TO ROME.
(By 70. o. SELLERS, Acting Director %
Sunday School Course, Moody Bible In
stitute. Chicago.)
Copyright, 1915. Western Newspaper Union.l
SON TExT-Acts 2s:11-st.

In this lesson we see somewhat OF
the human side of Paul's character.
No man appreciated fellowship more
than he. Look up Acts II rs; 1876; I
Cor. 7:6; Thess. Il, 2; II Tim. 4 :21.
!. The Sea Journey wv. 11-14).
Paul left Mellta (Malta) probably Feb
ruary, A. d. GO. From there to SYRIA
| cuse was a distance of between 80 and
100 miles. From the island of SYRIA
cuse (now part Of Italy, to Rhegium
was one days sail. From Rhegium to
Puteoli was $50 miles. Puteoli (mod-
ern PozzuolD is in the Bay of Naples,
eight miles from the modern city Of
Naples. Paul and his band who had
done so much for the Maltese were
specially honored with many honors.
". 10.)
In these verses we have a picture Of
Paul seeking out his brethren wherever
he went, thanking God and taking
courage as they came to meet with
him and converse with him. 1t is O
picture upon which we ought to ponder
deeply and be grateful that it reveals
to us side of Paul little known and
appreciated.
II. The Land Journey wv. Ia, 15).
At Puteoli, Paul and his companions
began their march to 40 miles to the
city of Rome. After q march Of 60
miles they reached the famous Appii
Forum, /. e., 1.-THE market of Appius."
Here Paul is met by the first dele
cation from the church at Rome, who
waiting 70 u-alnpyna nj
Luke and escort them to the capital
city. A second delegation met them at
the Three Taverns, or 1.-THE Three
Shops" as we would call stores in the
modern sense. These Christians had
come at no small cost, as they had to
walk 46 miles to the April Forum and
SO to the Three Taverns, and then
walk the same distance back to the
city. Thus it was that the sight Of
these friends cheered Paul and he
thanked God. We can we'll imagine
the joy of those souls, the communion
enjoyed by those pilgrims as they
journeyed toward the imperial city.
We can see in the letters which Paul
wrote from Rome plain signs of his
longing for sympathetic friends and can
imagine how he must have felt upon
being thus greeted on his journey. We
can also imagine something of the
blessing and inspiration which must
have come to those Christians who met
this famous soldier of the cross and
had the privilege of escorting him to
the city.
III. In Rome wv. 1920. Having
entered into the city the centurion Ju-
Illus, who had become q friend of Paul,
delivered the prisoners to the captain
of the guard. This officer we are told
was liberal-minded man, one of the
few good people in the corrupt life of
the city. Paul was probably first taken
10 the forum, which was the center of
imperial power and magnifcence and
near which was the ''hOuse of Caesar"
(Phil. i :22) Paul was not sent to
prison for it was against the law to
put a Roman into prison without a
trial, but he was permitted to dwell
by himself in his own hired house."
OF course, there was q soldier who
guarded him. This was the city where
Paul had so long desired to preach the
Gospel. (Rom. 1 :14-16.) AS in other
places, he first turned to the Jews, for
he loved his own people no matter how
much he had suffered at their hands.
He got them together that he might
preach unto them Jesus and sought to
conciliate them.
In Paul's preaching he always EN-
phasiZed that q Messiah was risen
from the dead as q guaranty of all
other resurrecionS. In his day, as in
this present one, there were those
who spoke against this, and yet that
resurrection was to conquer the world
and to save 1t from moral ruin. Those
present had had no word out of Judea.
". PIP At later and public meet
ing ". 23) there came unto him, that
is, into his lodgings, great numbers to
whom Paul sounded the Gospel of the
Kingdom and gave his personal testi-
mony. He proved out of the law of
Moses and out of the prophets, COM
mon ground for them all, that the Mes
siah had truly come, the prophecies of
the kingdom of God had been fulfilled,
and that Jesus by his life and death
and teaching had shown the Jews how
perfectly the latter were fulfilled. This
Paul did from morning till evening,
following the same line as In his
speech before Agrlppa and in other
places where he had been testifying.
All of his explanations and testimon-
ials conferred in Jesus. 1t was no alb
stract mental theory for an improved
order of society but definite reign OF
definite person, Jesus of Nazareth.
Paul is great example for any Bible
student to follow.
AS on so many other occasions,
Paurs preaching caused division. ".
26)
And again he turns to the Gentiles.
". 28)
Paul told them plainly what lay at
the root of their unbelief ". 27), and
though they refused the salvation Il