the acts of the apostles-第69部分

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angry　accusation；　〃some　cried　one　thing；　some　another；　among　the　multitude：
and　when　he　could　not　know　the　certainty　for　the　tumult；　he　commanded　him　to
be　carried　into　the　castle。　And　when　he　came　upon　the　stairs；　so　it　was；
that　he　was　borne　of　the　soldiers　for　the　violence　of　the　people。　For　the
multitude　of　the　people　followed　after；　crying；　Away　with　him。〃

In　the　midst　of　the　tumult　the　apostle　was　calm　and　self…possessed。　His　mind
was　stayed　upon　God；　and　he　knew　that　angels　of　heaven　were　about　him。　He
felt　unwilling　to　leave　the　temple　without　making　an　effort　to　set　the　truth
before　his　countrymen。　As　he　was　about　to　be　led　into　the　castle　he　said　to
the　chief　captain；　〃May　I　speak　unto　thee？〃　Lysias　responded；　〃Canst　thou
speak　Greek？　Art　not　thou　that　Egyptian；　which　before　these　days　madest　an
uproar；　and　leddest　out　into　the　wilderness　four　thousand　men　that　were
murderers？〃　In　reply　Paul　said；　〃I　am　a　man　which　am　a　Jew　of　Tarsus；　a　city
in　Cilicia；　a　citizen　of　no　mean　city：　and；　I　beseech　thee；　suffer　me　to
speak　unto　the　people。〃

The　request　was　granted；　and　〃Paul　stood　on　the　stairs；　and　beckoned　with
the　hand　unto　the　people。〃　The　gesture　attracted　their　attention；　while　his
bearing　commanded　respect。　〃And　when　there　was　made　a　great　silence；　he
spake　unto　them　in　the　Hebrew　tongue；　saying；　Men；　brethren；　and

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fathers；　hear　ye　my　defense　which　I　make　now　unto　you。〃　At　the　sound　of　the
familiar　Hebrew　words；　〃they　kept　the　more　silence；〃　and　in　the　universal
hush　he　continued：

〃I　am　verily　a　man　which　am　a　Jew；　born　in　Tarsus；　a　city　in　Cilicia；　yet
brought　up　in　this　city　at　the　feet　of　Gamaliel；　and　taught　according　to　the
perfect　manner　of　the　law　of　the　fathers；　and　was　zealous　toward　God；　as　ye
all　are　this　day。〃　None　could　deny　the　apostle's　statements；　as　the　facts
that　he　referred　to　were　well　known　to　many　who　were　still　living　in
Jerusalem。　He　then　spoke　of　his　former　zeal　in　persecuting　the　disciples　of
Christ；　even　unto　death；　and　he　narrated　the　circumstances　of　his
conversion；　telling　his　hearers　how　his　own　proud　heart　had　been　led　to　bow
to　the　crucified　Nazarene。　Had　he　attempted　to　enter　into　argument　with　his
opponents；　they　would　have　stubbornly　refused　to　listen　to　his　words；　but
the　relation　of　his　experience　was　attended　with　a　convincing　power　that　for
the　time　seemed　to　soften　and　subdue　their　hearts。

He　then　endeavored　to　show　that　his　work　among　the　Gentiles　had　not　been
entered　upon　from　choice。　He　had　desired　to　labor　for　his　own　nation；　but　in
that　very　temple　the　voice　of　God　had　spoken　to　him　in　holy　vision；
directing　his　course　〃far　hence　upon　the　Gentiles。〃

Hitherto　the　people　had　listened　with　close　attention；　but　when　Paul　reached
the　point　in　his　history　where　he　was　appointed　Christ's　ambassador　to　the
Gentiles；　their　fury　broke　forth　anew。　Accustomed　to　look　upon　themselves　as
the　only　people　favored　by　God；　they　were　unwilling　to

410

permit　the　despised　Gentiles　to　share　the　privileges　which　had　hitherto　been
regarded　as　exclusively　their　own。　Lifting　their　voices　above　the　voice　of
the　speaker；　they　cried；　〃Away　with　such　a　fellow　from　the　earth：　for　it　is
not　fit　that　he　should　live。〃

〃As　they　cried　out；　and　cast　off　their　clothes；　and　threw　dust　into　the　air；
the　chief　captain　commanded　him　to　be　brought　into　the　castle；　and　bade　that
he　should　be　examined　by　scourging；　that　he　might　know　wherefore　they　cried
so　against　him。

〃And　as　they　bound　him　with　thongs；　Paul　said　unto　the　centurion　that　stood
by；　Is　it　lawful　for　you　to　scourge　a　man　that　is　a　Roman；　and　uncondemned？
When　the　centurion　heard　that；　he　went　and　told　the　chief　captain；　saying；
Take　heed　what　thou　doest：　for　this　man　is　a　Roman。　Then　the　chief　captain
came；　and　said　unto　him；　Tell　me；　art　thou　a　Roman？　He　said；　Yea。　And　the
chief　captain　answered；　With　a　great　sum　obtained　I　this　freedom。　And　Paul
said；　But　I　was　freeborn。　Then　straightway　they　departed　from　him　which
should　have　examined　him：　and　the　chief　captain　also　was　afraid；　after　he
knew　that　he　was　a　Roman；　and　because　he　had　bound　him。

〃On　the　morrow；　because　he　would　have　known　the　certainty　wherefore　he　was
accused　of　the　Jews；　he　loosed　him　from　his　bands；　and　commanded　the　chief
priests　and　all　their　council　to　appear；　and　brought　Paul　down；　and　set　him
before　them。〃

The　apostle　was　now　to　be　tried　by　the　same　tribunal　of　which　he　himself　had
been　a　member　before　his　conversion。

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As　he　stood　before　the　Jewish　rulers；　his　bearing　was　calm；　and　his
countenance　revealed　the　peace　of　Christ。　〃Earnestly　beholding　the　council；〃
he　said；　〃Men　and　brethren；　I　have　lived　in　all　good　conscience　before　God
until　this　day。〃　Upon　hearing　these　words；　their　hatred　was　kindled　afresh；
〃and　the　high　priest　Ananias　commanded　them　that　stood　by　him　to　smite　him
on　the　mouth。〃　At　this　inhuman　command；　Paul　exclaimed；　〃God　shall　smite
thee；　thou　whited　wall：　for　sittest　thou　to　judge　me　after　the　law；　and
commandest　me　to　be　smitten　contrary　to　the　law？〃　〃They　that　stood　by　said；
Revilest　thou　God's　high　priest？〃　With　his　usual　courtesy　Paul　answered；　〃I
wish　not；　brethren；　that　he　was　the　high　priest：　for　it　is　written；　Thou
shalt　not　speak　evil　of　the　ruler　of　thy　people。

〃But　when　Paul　perceived　that　the　one　part　were　Sadducees；　and　the　other
Pharisees；　he　cried　out　in　the　council；　Men　and　brethren；　I　am　a　Pharisee；
the　son　of　a　Pharisee：　of　the　hope　and　resurrection　of　the　dead　I　am　called
in　question。

〃And　when　he　had　so　said；　there　arose　a　dissension　between　the　Pharisees　and
the　Sadducees：　and　the　multitude　was　divided。　For　the　Sadducees　say　that
there　is　no　resurrection；　neither　angel；　nor　spirit：　but　the　Pharisees
confess　both。〃　The　two　parties　began　to　dispute　between　themselves；　and　thus
the　strength　of　their　opposition　against　Paul　was　broken。　〃The　scribes　that
were　of　the　Pharisees'　part　arose；　and　strove；　saying；　We　find　no　evil　in
this　man：　but　if　a　spirit　or　an　angel　hath　spoken　to　him；　let　us　not　fight
against　God。〃

412


In　the　confusion　that　followed；　the　Sadducees　were　eagerly　striving　to　gain
possession　of　the　apostle；　that　they　might　put　him　to　death；　and　the
Pharisees　were　as　eager　in　striving　to　protect　him。　〃The　chief　captain；
fearing　lest　Paul　should　have　been　pulled　in　pieces　of　them；　commanded　the
soldiers　to　go　down；　and　to　take　him　by　force　from　among　them；　and　to　bring
him　into　the　castle。〃

Later；　while　reflecting　on　the　trying　experiences　of　the　day；　Paul　began　to
fear　that　his　course　might　not　have　been　pleasing　to　God。　Could　it　be　that
he　had　made　a　mistake　after　all　in　visiting　Jerusalem？　Had　his　great　desire
to　be　in　union　with　his　brethren　led　to　this　disastrous　result？

The　position　which　the　Jews　as　God's　professed　people　occupied　before　an
unbelieving　world；　caused　the　apostle　intense　anguish　of　spirit。　How　would
those　heathen　officers　look　upon　them？claiming　to　be　worshipers　of
Jehovah；　and　assuming　sacred　office；　yet　giving　themselves　up　to　the　control
of　blind；　unreasoning　anger；　seeking　to　destroy　even　their　brethren　who
dared　to　differ　with　them　in　religious　faith；　and　turning　their　most　solemn
deliberative　council　into　a　scene　of　strife　and　wild　confusion。　Paul　felt
that　the　name　of　his　God　had　suffered　reproach　in　the　eyes　of　the　heathen。

And　now　he　was　in　prison；　and　he　knew　that　his　enemies；　in　their　desperate
malice；　would　resort　to　any　means　to　put　him　to　death。　Could　it　be　that　his
work　for　the　churches　was　ended　and　that　ravening　wolves　were　to　enter　in
now？　The　cause　of　Christ　was　very　near　to　Paul's　heart；　and　with　deep
anxiety　he　thought　of　the　perils　of　the　scattered

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churches；　exposed　as　they　were　to　the　persecutions　of　just　such　men　as　he
had　encountered　in　the　Sanhedrin　council。　In　distress　and　discouragement　he
wept　and　prayed。

In　this　dark　hour　the　Lord　was　not　unmindful　of　His　servant。　He　had　guarded
him　from　the　murderous　throng　in　the　temple　courts；　He　had　been　with　him
before　the　Sanhedrin　council；　He　was　with　him　in　the　fortress；　and　He
revealed　Himself　to　His　faithful　witness　in　response　to　the　earnest　prayers
of　the　apostle　for　guidance。　〃The　night　following　the　Lord　stood　by　him；　and
said；　Be　of　good　cheer；　Paul：　for　as　thou　hast　testified　of　Me　in　Jerusalem；
so　must　thou　bear　witness　also　at　Rome。〃

Paul　had　long　looked　forward　to　visiting　Rome；　he　greatly　desired　to　witness
for　Christ　there；　but　had　felt　that　his　purposes　were　frustrated　by　the
enmity　of　the　Jews。　He　little　thought；　even　now；　that　it　would　be　as　a
prisoner　that　he　would　go。

While　the　Lord　encouraged　His　servant；　Paul's　enemies　were　eagerly　plotting
his　destruction。　〃And　when　it　was　day；　certain　of　the　Jews　banded　together；
and　bound　themselves　under　a　curse；　saying　that　they　would　neither　eat　nor
drink　till　they　had　killed　Paul。　And　they　were　more　than　forty　which　had
made　this　conspiracy。〃　Here　was　a　fast　such　as　the　Lord　through