The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-12-16
Sunday, Dec. II.
g. OO.II % on o.

high calling of God IN Christ
Jesus.-Philippians 3:l4.
1t was about the middle OF
August 50 AID, and only few
days after the hearing before
Agrippa. that testus started Pau
in charge of centurion on the
way from Caesarea to Rome. The
Journey required about SIN
months, since, after the wreck
early in November, they were de-
tanned three months If the IS
land of Melita.
BEGINNING THE FIRST
IMPRISONMENT 49,
/ The arrival in Rome marked
the beginning of Pauls first Ro
man Imprisonment. 1t was prob
ably in February, 60 AID, thai
Paul and his party sailed from
Melita in an Alexandrian vessel
the castor and Pollux," or the
Twin Brothers, NEUROLOGICAL son:
of Jupiter, and the votive good:
of mariners. The first stop OF
the journey northward was al
Syracuse, the capital of Sicily
where they spent three days. The
next stop was at Rhegium, a sea,
port on the southwest point OF
the Italian coast. where they
spent a day. Before the strong
south wind which sprang up they
made a northerly run of l8C
miles in perhaps twenty-siX hours
TO Puteoli. the Liverpool OF
Italy" on the Bay of Naples,
Here the voyage terminated and
Paul was permitted to remain q
week with the local disciples
while the centurion was making
arrangements for the land jour
ney before them.
The tedium of the trip afoot
40 miles to Rome was relieved
by meeting several Roman breth.
rem who came out 40 miles to
meet the Apostle at Appi Forum
and another delegation met him
at Three Taverns which is about
80 miles from Rome. 1t is nc
wonder that when Paul saw then
"he thanked God and took cour'
age"
On arrival at Rome the prison
erS were delivered to the Pre-
torian Project who had charge
of all who were to be tried be-
j fore the Emperor. Paul was not
confined in a common prison, but
was suffered to abide by him
SELF" This leniency was perhaps
attributable to the centurion who
had brought Paul from Caesarea
But he was kept constantly
chained to his guardSman, anC
since the guards were frequently
changed to relieve each other
there were many Roman soldiers
who came under Paul's influence
EXPLAINING THE
! APPEAL TO CAESAR
The interview with the Jew:
was devoted primarily to explain
ing the appeal unto Caesar. Wher
Paul arrived in Rome very man!
Jews, some of them wealthy anC
influential, were residing there
After three days Of recuperatior
from his journey, salutation o.
the church and necessary prison
preparations, he called the chief
/ of the Jews together. His pur
pose was to set himself right be
fore his countrymen and to vii
them to Jesus the Messiah. HI
told them of his groundless ar
rest, of his virtual acquittal a
Caesarea and of his appeal tt
Caesar as a measure of self-de
tense. The real ground Of hi
Imprisonment was his misunder
stood advocacy of the nation
fondest hopes as now fulfilled il
Jesus the Messiah. The Jews re
sponded that they had not hearC
anything against Paul though
they knew of the hostility towarC
Christianity. The interview ap
parently closed with the an
, nouncement of another meeting
On the day appointed. tn
Jews gathered in large number
at the rented apartments of Pau
! or possibly the more commodiou
residence of some Roman Chris
tan. The Apostle spent the en-
tire day teaching them out O.
their own Scriptures the thing
concerning Christ. Evening cam,
and some believed while other
, rejected the teaching Of the grea
prisoner. AS the audience, SOM
in obstinate unbelief. was leaving
, the room, Paul quoted the proph
. ecy of Isaiah concerning thei
hardness of heart, and declare'
his intention of extending hi
ministry to the Gentiles. Wit
much wordiness and heated dis
cuSsion the Jews turned away.
PREACHING THE
J. KINGDOM OF GOD
The two years of Imprisonment
were occupied with preaching tn
Kingdom of God. Though il
charge of. and chained to, a Ro
man soldier. Paul was allowed t
dwell in his own hired house
There he received everybody VIII
came to him, not being permitte
? to visit the synagogue or go fror
house to house. In a bold, I'm
Z. forbidden ministry he preache
!, the Kingdom of God and laugh
u the Messiahship of Jesus. Her
: also and during the first Roma
Imprisonment, were written lou
e of the Pauline epistles-Epht
| "Christ's Challenge to TIL