The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-10-18
LESSON FOR OCTOBER 22
PAUL'S DEFENSE BEFORE
AGRlPPA.

LESSON TEXT-Acts rs wv. /, 24-S2.
GOLDEN TEXT was not dsobedient
unto the heavenly vision.-rActs 26:1s.
1t is possible to use the Bible either
as music box or a telephone. We
should let it speak the words of the
Lord Jesus to us and our pupils. Thia
lesson occurred probably A. ID. 80, per-
haps in August. the day after last Sun
days lesson. This was the same hall
where Agrippa had heard the people
calling him god (ActS 12). Paul,
the center of all interest, is chained
to his Roman guardians. The prisoner
has been vehemently accused as one
worthyeof death and had appealed to,
Caesar but FeStuS, not being well ac-
quainted with Jewish laws and Gus
| toms, could not make any definite
charge against him before the Roman
court. Hence he turns him over to
| Agrippa, who was well acquainted
with matters of Jewish law.
!. Paul, the Preacher wv. 1-23).
| This was one of the great occasions
in the life of this great man. Paul
was preaching to a king and a woman
of great influence Ca sermon which
| little changed their lives evidently,
| and also to the coming ages. This
| king and queen were welded to their
| infamy. God had in mind on that
| day an audience in comparison with
which that which Paul saw faded into
| oblivion. Notice his argument. %
| He begins with his own experience.
In these verses there are over forty
| personal pronOuns. He, himself, was
q living fact of the wondrous change
| which Jesus wrought in the life of Il
man. Such testimony is the most eff
| fective teaching.
Men do not need so much light as
| they do need heat, and Paul was
| speaking out of the hot throbs of his
personal experience. Paul stood be-
| fore them a living miracle, an incar-
nate argument. We might tremble at
| the doctrine of the resurrection. He
| knew it was a marvellous thing that
God should raise the dead, but that
change had been wrought in him
which was equivalent to the miracle
| of raising one from the grave
Paul's plea was for the Roman as
well as the Jew. Considering his per-
sonal testimony, he declares that he
| is true Jew Of the strictest sect wv.
! 49,. and as such he lived in the
hope of the promise" as predicted by
Isaiah and Daniel. That promise has
been fulfilled in Jesus, the crucifed,
| Nuhn Iao1 and
| Paul adds, Il have seen him, for
which hopes sake, King Agrippa, l
am accused of the Jews" (2) wv. O.
! 15) Paul tells the audience that he,
himself, was once jealous perSe-
cutOr of the Christians, more so than
those who are now prosecuting him,
being exceedingly mad against
them" He then relates his Damascus
| journey and the conversation held on
the road with the risen Bord The
metaphor of kicking against the
| prickS seems to be that the more you
resist the power that is urging you on,
| the more painful it will be- 1t Is of no
| use to resist. CD Paul shows the aim
and purpose of the religion of Jesus.
lit, Tie StINdul, 10 W Dt lIlillSttI.
| First of all he had received forgive
| ness. That forgiveness carried with
| it responsibility of q twofold nature
| (a) to- be a minister, literally an as
| sistant, and CD a witness (martyr)
| the human side, witness OF the pres
ent as well as the things which should
| happen in the future, as God gave
him, 6nrinr hig m
| (See II Cor. 4 :6; Eph. / 49, Second
| it turned them from darkness to light
the darkness of ignorance and sin unto
him who is the Light of the World"
| John $50, and from the power of
Satan, the inveterate adversary of God
in all that is good (see Eph. / :21;
6:12; Col. 2:1-15; Ii Thes. 2 :9) unto
God.
The gospel Paul preached was to
lead men into the kingdom OF God
that they might receive forgiveness
Of sins and an inheritance among
those who were fitted for that inheri-
lance, who were the sanctified. For
this cause the Jews went about to kill
hiIn>
II. Agrippa, the Doubter (vv. 24-32).
Five ways are suggested as to the
reception of PauPs message. The
high priests way was to hate him and
oppose Felix's way was Ego thy way
this time. When i have a more con-
venient season | will call" Festus'
way (vy 24-26) was to charge Paul
with madness. Much learning Oiteral-
ly, many Writings) was turning him
mad, making him lunatic, dreamer,
one who lived in the atmosphere of
wild imaginingS. PaulS reply was
not harsh. Most noble FestuS" Gam.
R) 81 am not mad, but speak words Of
soberness," words of eternal life and
spiritual life (of sound sense) that
were true and earnest. Paul thereupon
appeals to King Agrippa to confirm
his statements ". 2-6). The crazy
man is he who lives for this world
rather than for eternity The devil
has cheated many man out of eter-
nal life by the method which Festus
followed. He has also cheated many
a Christian out of the larger life in
the same way. PauPs appeal to Agrip-
pa (vv 27-29) is very suggestive.
Some people believe that the con-
tents of the prophecies are Of no pres
ent day value, and some are trying to