Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-11-12
1The SUI md ay
School LESSON
BY Ben Newsome


Lesson Nov. 10, Acts 2s:11-S1.
Here we resume the story of PauIs
journey to Rome, the center of all
the activities of the world in that day
He had long wanted to go to tho cap
ital city, for he recognized what great
opportunities the mistress of the
world offered him in his work of
spreading the gospel. There wero
already a few Christians there and
Paul expected to begin with them as
the nucleus Of a church whose power
and influence would ultimately per-
meate the European continent. And
now he Is here, but how different
from what he had planned He
comes as a prisoner in chains, doubt
full whether his fate would be to lay
an interminable time in some Roman
dungeon awaiting the pleasure of tho
constituencies Nero, or be called
promptly into his presence and at
once condemned to death on general
principles. And in the coming he had
endured shipwreck and was ma
rooned on a barbarous shore. Yet
here he Is at last, and 1t takes only
three days for him to get busy with
his Masters business.
Pauls conduct In the storm, his life
on Melita, and his general behavior
seems to have inclined his Roman
yend to him favors that did not go to
the ordinary prisoner. Arrived in
Rome he was permitted to dwell In
house t. himself as trusty and for
two years he held forth here as a
preacher Of the gospel to many lis
teners. First, to be consistent, he
calls together the chief of the Jewish
| residents In Rome and lays his case
before them. He did not exhibit any
bitterness toward those in Jerusalem
who had sought his life, but gives a
simple, uncolored recital of the events
that led up to his appeal to Caesar.
They had heard nothing to PauPs
detriment, so they listened TO him
willingly. Perhaps his enemies at
| Jerusalem did not think 1t worth
while to notify their brethren In
Rome what sort of man was coming
among them, for they doubtless ex-
pected that the prisoner would either
meet with summary punishment
from the bloody emperor or else lay
and rot in Jail But the Lord has
provided otherwise, and all the events
| of this story, although possibly quito
different from what Paul expected
or would have chosen, led up to the
fulfilment OF his prayer that he might
preach the word in the capital of the
world. Thus Il is that God leads uf
often in ways that We do not under
stand, but in the end the result is bet
ter and more glorious than we could
have carried out ourselves.
| Like the Jews at other places
while some of these believed in
Christ, yet others set their heads
against It. They had heard thai
there was q sect of believers thai
ciung TO the teachings of man
from Nazareth of Galilee, but they
hal always heard them spoken of In
contempt or aversion. Now they
were glad to hear about It from the
mouth OF It's greatest apostle. The
prisoner, too, was not hampered In
any way by his captors, but was al
lowed to preach with freedom and
boldness, even later making converts
lin the emperors own household. His
position as ward Of the Roman gov.
ernment made him exempt from the
usual vicious attacks Of Jewish fan
|atics which had characterized his ex'
perience in many other places. Il
would be interesting II we could know
iust how Paul felt when he ap'
i preached that mighty city under
conditions that would seem to have
discouraged him from further effort
Whatever may have been his inwart
misgivings, he never hesitated iY
speaking out about the one grea
. theme that absorbed all his life-th'
bringing Of mankind TO know thu
salvation of Jesus Christ. Jails MOI
chains nor persecution never stopped