The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1960-03-12

Either he had means of his
own, inherited some belong
ings, or his friends attended
TO his needs. THAT Christ
should suffer, and that he
should be the first that should
rise from the dead, and should
Shew light unto the people,
and to the Gentiles" No
one could truthfully deny that
these expressions we're in the
Scripture, for the prophets had
predicted these things many
years ago. Isaiah was especi-
ally expressive of the role of
the Messiah, and of the inclu-
sion of the GentileS in the fu-
ture kingdom of the Lord Paul
was simply repreaching what
the Jews had been reading and
hearing for centuries before.
FESTUS ACCUSES PAUL
OF MADNESS:
And as he thus spake for
himself, Festus said with a
loud voice, Paul, thou art be-
side myself; much learning
doth make thee mad"
Festus did not have the back
ground to appreciate Paul's
address as Agrippa did, he rec
ognized in it scholarly ability,
so much so that he thought
Paufs superior training had
driven him TO the brink of fan
atheism and madness. Festus
could not appreciate the
spiritual motivation, so he at
tributed Pauls zeal and intel
ligence to madness. But he
said, / am not mad, most noble
Festus; but speak forth the
words of truth and sobernesS"
A mad man according to
Paul, would not be speaking
with the soberness and truth
fulness with which he was sd-
dressing the assembly. For
the king knoweth of these
things. before whom also I
speak freely: for I am persuad-
ed that none Of these things
are hidden from him; for this
thing was not done In a cor
ner What Paul was say
ing made sense to Agripps as
he indicated later; il did not
by any means sound like the
prattle of a mad man as It APP
pesred TO Festus. With his
knowledge of the religion of
the Jews Agrippa was able to
appreciate Pauls explanation
and to follow his interpreta-
tons and applications.
PAUL'S APPEAL UNTO
KING AGRIPPA:
King Agrippa, believest
thou the prophets? | know that
thou believest" Even if
his knowledge of the Christian
faith was meager, Agrippa was
intelligent on matters pertain
ing to the Jewish prophets.
"Then Agrippa said unto aul,
Almost thou persuadest me to
be a Christian" Paul had
not asked fer profession of
faith in Christ, but for Agrip-
pas belief in the prophets. But
the king was no foolish person
and could see the logical con-
nectlon between what he knew
about the prophets and what
Paul was saying about the
Christian faith, and was near
ly persuaded thereby to accept
faith in Christ. "And Paul said,
| would to God, that not only
thou, but also all that hear
me this day. were both almost,
and altogether such as | am,
except these bonds" The
apostles great wish was that
not only Agrippa, but every
one, would accept Christ, and
that they would not merely &C.
cept him, but wholly dedicate
himself to the cause of saliva
ton and the ministry of the
word. Except for being kept
imprisoned with cause, Paul
would have liked TO see all
persons in the assembly that
day be possessed with the
same consuming desire as him.
self. "And when he had thus
spoken, the king rose up, and
the governor, and Bernice, and
they that sat with them :.
Festus was presiding, Agrippa
gave the signal which signi-
fled that the hearing had come
to an end, for he was the first