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October 6, 1909. THE PRESBYTERIAN
Sunday School
PAUL A PRISONER BEFORE FELIX.
Acts 24: 10-17. Lesson for October 17, 1909.
GOLDEN TEXT.?"Herein do I exercise myself, to have
always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward
men." Acts 24: 16.
DAILY HOME READING.
M.?Acts 24: 1-16. Thur.?Hebrews 13: 13-21.
T.?Acts 24: 17-27. P.?2 Cor. 4: 1-7.
W.?Romans 15: 17-27. S.?Isa. 41 :8-14.
S.?Isa. 5t): 5-11.
SHORTER CATECHISM.
Q. 77. What is required in the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and
promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own
and our neighoor's good name, especially in witness-bearing.
TOPICAL OUTLINE.
Paul's defence of himself before Felix the Governor. Vs. 10-12.
The action of Felix with reference to him. Verses 22, 23.
Paul further instructs Felix and Drusilla. Verses 24-27.
LESSON COMMENT.
Introductory.?In the last lesson we learned of the safe
conduct of Paul to Felix the governor of the Roman province
of Judea at Caesarea. This was an important town on the
v uciot kjl iuc mcuiiruaucau oca, uciwccu muuui v>ai rnt'i auu
Joppa. Herod the Great, writers inform us, spent large sums
of money to beautify it. Vespasian, who was declared emperor
there, made it a Roman colony. Cornelius and Philip
lived in Caesarea and-Herod Agripa died in that city. "The
contest between the heathen and Jewish inhabitants of the
place in regard to their equal right to the privilege belonging
to citizens was the beginning of the Jewish war which resulted
in the destruction of Jerusalem." (Schaff-Herzog Encyclopoedla.)
When Paul had been in Caesarea five days,
Amos, the high priest, some elders and a lawyer followed
him and prosecuted him before Felix. Tertullus accused him
of being a dangerous citizen; a disturber of the peace among
the Jews in the Roman empire; a leader of the followers or
Jesus, the Nazarene, and of profaning the temple in Jerusalem.
He further represented to Felix that the Jews had made
an effort to judge him according to their law; but Lysias had
violently prevented them, commanding them to carry their
case to the governor, that he might examine the prisoner for
himself in reference to these accusations. He also said that
Annas and the elders who accompanied him agreed with him
in these statements.
Comment.?The first eleven verses in the text of the lesson
are devoted to the convincing defense of Paul in the presence
of Felix and his prosecutors. The governor having signified
his willingness to hear the apostle plead his own cause, he
skillfully and truthfully commends himself to the powers
that were in control, by expressing his satisfaction that he
was to be tried by a governor, who had been in authority for
six years, and was not, therefore, an inexperienced judge.
He then proceeded to show the fallacy of the speech of the
advocate, and state the facts in negative and positive form.
He begins by saying, that Felix had every opportunity of
knowing that he had been in the country only a short time,
and that he had come to Jerusalem to worship in the temple
and not create a disturbance. The could "easily ascertain
these things by Inquiry." "There could be no difficulty In
obtaining witnesses and proofs." He challenged the state
ment that he had had any controversy in the temple, and
that he had stirred up the people on the streets or in the
city, or in the synagogue; and boldly asserted that they
could not prove these allegations. He confessed that he
worshiped God as his fathers did, and that he believed everything
in the Old Testament Scriptures. "He had not aposta
tlzed from the Jewish religion." "The national hope referred
to, even here, was the hope of the Messiah, and the resurrection,
here connected with It, that of Christ Himself, but
represented as the pledge and foretaste of a general rising,
here expressed by saying, 'both, of the Just and unjust,' that
. . J
J OF THE SOUTH. 13
is, of all kinds and characters without exception. The three
points of adherence, then, to ancient doctrines, here alleged
by Paul, are one God, one Scripture, one Messiah."
Paul's address made Bome impression upon the mind of
Felix; and having a better understanding of the Christian
religion and of Paul, its representative, he postponed final
action until Lysias would come and he could ascertain all
the facts in the case from him, probably as a judge. He allowed
Paul some liberties under the supervision of a centiv
rion, and did not forbid his acquaintances to visit him and
minister to his needs. *Paul was kept in prison for two years.
Some time after these things, Felix returned to Caesarea
with the Jewess, DruBilla, whom he had persuaded to leave
her own husband, Aziz, and follow him. Felix was once
himself a slave and "according to Josephus, he was one of
the most corrupt and oppressive governors ever dispatched
from Rome to Judea." We are told that Drusilla was the
daughter of Herod Agrippa I, who died in Caesarea in hor
rible torments (Acts 12: 23); that she was very beautiful;
that she was unfaithful to her husband, and that she perished
in the eruption of Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii. This
was the audience Paul addressed at the request of the governor,
which was made probably for the sake of Drusilla. The
old man trembled as Paul reasoned of right dealings with
others, self-control and a coming judgment; but he did not
cherish these impressions and postponed to another time any
further conference about morals. He expected Paul to pay
him for his liberty and frequently sent for the apostle to confer
with him. But his conscience was never again aroused,
so far as the record informs us. After two years Porcius
Festus succeeded Felix, and the latter, as a stroke of policy,
left Paul In prison to please the Jews. "That unjust judge
'was willing,' not to do what was right, but to show the Jews
a pleasure."?Kitto.
Doctrinal and Practical.?(1) What a radical difference
there is between a lover of truth and fairness and a paid
advocate! The difference is illustrated by Paul and Tertullus.
Trial by jury in our country is one of the benefits of a
Christian civilization; but justice in the courts frequently
miscarries, because unscrupulous lawyers and iudzes insist
on technicalities or manufacture evidence or postpone cases.
Many a witness is guilty of perjury and many a jury is
packed. We believe, however, that there has been some
improvement in the courts of justice in recent years. But
a lawyer who practices primarily for money is as bad as a
hireling in the ministry.
(2) Christianity is a development of Judaism. The church
is the same in all ages; the same in its Head, law, sacraments
and conditions of salvation. Paul was a Christian, but he
believed the law of Moses as well as the prophets. The
ceremonial and judicial parts of the law were abrogated by
iiiccuuiiuK ui v/unsi, uui us positive precepts are permanent.
(Hebrews 8:13; Matt. 5:17, 18.) The law is obligatory upon
us as a rule of life.
(3) God has made prisons and exile the means of priceless
benefits to the world. Bunyan's immortal allegory would
probably never have been written, if he had not been imprisoned.
What influences were started by Luther in the
Wartburg; Moses in Midian; David as a refugee from Saul;
Paul in Arabia; John in Patmos; Calvin in Strasburg and
Basle and John Knox in Geneva"! Paul was frequently in
prison. (2 Cor. 11:23.)
(4) The apostle's methods of preaching were wise. He
recommended virtues more than he condemned vices. Felix
was unrignteous, incontinent; but tbe apostle did not tell him
of these vices. He "reasoned" of Tightness and self-control.
Try this method In the Sunday-school.
(5) The Christian religion is the only religion in the world
that teaches the doctrine of the resurrection of the body. In
fldels can not answer the argument in favor of Christianity
drawn from the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
(6) It Is dangerous to disregard religious impressions.
(Hebrews 6:46.) Felix trembled only once, though be had many
conferences with Paul! "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
creeps in this petty pace from day to day and all our
yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusky death."
E. P. Davis