Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-10-06
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNlISQDOL
LESSON
(By e o. SELLERS, Acting Director Of
the Sunday School Course of the Moody
ifJ1Aa
LESSON FOR OCTOBER 8
PAUL BEFORE FELIX.
7SSON TFXT-Acts "a

u1ySon 10 nave d COIlSClOuCG NOlu u O1- |
fense toward God and men always.-Acts
24:16.
This is a court scene, and it might
be well with certain classes to intro
duce the lesson by describing such a
gathering. The lesson occurred five
days after the last lesson, and twelve
days after Paul reached Jerusalem,
bearing the collection for the poor.
The place, Caesarea, was the Roman
capital of Judea.
I. The Prisoners Examination (vv.
1-9). In addition to the Roman gov
ernor, Felix, attired in his gorgeous
official regalia, on a platform nearby,
were 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 "a dan
ger to the Roman power, and not mere |
ly a 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
inciter of rebellion and robberies, but
the exact charges were three-fold:
(See w. 5-6) (a) that Paul was a
81; T. r.
a 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 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 a serious out
! rage. The weakness of Tertullus' case
was that he produced no evidence to
SUPPOAl 1AlS N1AdI Liz REQUISITES
were there, but they had no witnesses.
II. The Prisoners Defense (vv. 1O-21).
Paul cheerfuIly made his defense, for
he knew the Jews and their customs,
and that Felix had married a Jewess,
". 24). We might consider this de-
fense first negatively and then positive
ly. On the negative side, Paul answers
| nj, T.
place there had not been time for him
) to cause an insurrection ". 11). Going
back over these days; ID his arrival
in Jerusalem (21 :15); (2) his appear
ance before James (21 :1S); g, 4, and
81, the days of his vow (Ch. 81 &c, 27)
Cd his arrest; (8) his appearance be-
fore the Sanhedrin; (9) the conspiracy
and his deliverance; (1O, II, u and 13)
in Caesarea (See Oh. PAID. Paul's
statement showed that the whole story
OF his experience was fresh in the
memories of both friends and foes. 1t
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
| N1OAA, O0I OSh4Cu IAAdl ILLS WdS uSIOSys
Paul was true Jew and a good
Pharisee, for ID he worshiped the
same God ". 14); (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, resurrection from the
dead aud inon7o,-ta1 1ifo Do,,1,r 1;fo ~, 9
'void of offense' toward God in heart
; and worship, and toward men as shown
. in good deeds. 1t was for this that he
, exercised himself. Literally, he worked
upon the raw material disciplinins
/ and training it. Paul answers the third
/ charge by a simple denial that it ha6
! actually taken place, and calls for wit
nesses. Positively, Paul explains thar
he had followed the God of his fathers
3 that he believed in fulfilled prophecy
E literally the resurrection of Jesus from
: the dead-that he came to Jerusalem
l with aims for the poor, and, as befor,
r the council, he stands upon his in
: tegrity.
= III. The Judges Delay wv. 22-27
lila hbo q AuOIS t p0I10CI kuOWl6US
:. of that way" We believe he had Sc
/ cured this knowledge from Philip, tn
J. evangelist, and from Cornelius, the Ro
9 man centurion, both of whom lived Il
l. Caesarea. By deferring his decision
0 Felix avoided an outrageous injustfc
$ to Paul, and at the same time CAV
It serious offense to the troublesom
Jews who knew of his evil conduct
From verse twenty-three we see tha
l. Paul was given liberty, literally sucl
n indulgence in freedom as would be con
o sistent with his safety. Luke, the ply
@ sician, and Philip the evangelist, Wis
d tied him here, bringing food, books an
It letters. After a time Felix and hi
n wife, Orusilla, sent for Paul to tai
y with him concerning the faith Il
9. Christ" Drusflla was a daughter O
4. Herod Agrippa wv. 1928, and a sis
Is ter of Herod II (See Oh. 26). She wa
n Ii beautiful woman, much younger thal
IS Felix who was possibly about sixt,
le years of age. She and her only chill
perished in the eruption of Vesuvius