The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1916-11-16

LESSON TExT-Acts 2S:11-31
GOLDEN TEXT am not ashamed oi
the gospel for it is the power or Goo un-
to salvation to everyone that believeth'-
Rom. 1:16.
Tn this lesson we See somewhat OF
the human side of Pauls character.
No man appreciated fellowship more
than he. Look up Acts 1913; 1870;
Cor. 7:6; 1 Thess. 81, 2; II Tim. ~.
|. The Sea Journey wv. ll-l4).
Paul left Melita (Malta) probably Fep-
ruary. A. D. 60. From there to syria
cuse was a distance Of between ~ anu
100 miles. From the island or syria
cuse (now a part of italy, to Rheglum
was one days sail. From Rhegium TO
Puteoli was 1870 miles. Puteon (moo-
ern Pozzuol) is in the Bay or Naples,
eipht miles from the modern city OF
Nanles. Paul and his band who had
done so much for the Maltese were
specially honored with many honors.
| ". 1OO
In these verses we have picture OF
Paul seeking out his brethren wherever
he went, thanking God and taxing
courage as they came to meet WIN
him and converse with him. 1t Is
picture upon which we ought to ponoer
deeply and be grateful that 1T reveals
TO us a side of Paul little known anu
appreciated. :. ,.>
II. The Land Journey wv. IA, lo).
At Puteoli, Paul and his companions
began their march to 14O miles to the
city of Rome. After a march OF "
miles they reached the famous Appli
Forum, i. e., "The market of Applus."
Here Paul is met by the first dele-
CATION from the church at Rome, VINO
were waiting to welcome him ana
Luke and escort them to the capitai
city. A second delegation met them at
the Three Taverns, or "The Three
Shops" as we would call stores In the
modern sense. These Christians had
come at no small cost, as they mad %
walk 48 miles to the Appii Forum ana
81 to sflle Three Taverps, and then
walk Sthe same distance back ri the
CITY. Thus it was that the sight OF
these friends cheered Paul and ne
thanked God. We can well imagine
the 1oy of those souls, the communion
enjoyed by those pilgrims as tney
journeyed toward the imperial city.
We can see in the letters which Pau
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 ana
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 a friend of Paul,
delivered the prisoners to the captain
of the guard. This officer we are told
was a liberal-minded man, one Of the
few good people in the corrupt life OF
the city. Paul was probably first taken
to the forum, which was the center OF
imperial power and magnifcence ana
near which was the "house of Caesar"
(Phil. 4:22.) Paul was not sent to
prison for 1t was against the law to
put Roman into prison without
trial, but he was permitted to dwell
by himself in "his own hired house."
OF course, there was soldier who
guarded him. This was the city where
Paul had so long desired to preach the
Gospel. (Rom. :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 a Messiah was risen
from the dead as guaranty Of all
other resurrechons. 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.
". 21.) 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 tesd-
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 lie and death
and teaching had shown the Jews how
perfectly the latter were fulfilled. This
Paul did from morning till evening,
| fnIlnrlnr the Same line as I'm his