Paul now proceeds to vindicate himself by relating his experience, giving his Cilician nativity and his education in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel, the champion theologian, his identity with the patriotic institutions, his intense zeal for the God of Abraham and Moses, his faithful and heroic ad... [ Continue Reading ]
_“It came to pass unto me returning into Jerusalem, and I praying in the temple, that I was in an ecstacy:_... [ Continue Reading ]
_“And I saw him, saying, Hasten and depart quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.”_ This second appearing of Jesus unto Paul took place in Jerusalem after he had returned out of Arabia by way of Damascus and came up to the metropolis, introduced to the a... [ Continue Reading ]
Here Paul rehearses his testimony to Jesus of his leadership in his martyrdom, alleging that the Jews will certainly not receive his testimony. _“And he said unto me, Go, for I will send you far away unto the Gentiles.”_ The Jews listened patiently to him till he thus testified to his commission to... [ Continue Reading ]
LYSIAS PROCEEDS TO HAVE HIM COWHIDED 24-30. The uproarious clamor and the awful fury of the Jews impress Lysias that Paul is guilty of some terrible crime, about which he has hitherto been unable to secure information. Consequently, he now resorts to an awfully cruel procedure customary among the R... [ Continue Reading ]
_“And when they were extending him forth to the scourgers,” i. e_., the soldiers were shoving him forward to receive this awful and murderous flagellation, designed to coerce the desired confession, Paul said to the centurion standing by, _“Is it lawful to cowhide a man, i. e_., _a Roman and unconde... [ Continue Reading ]
And the centurion hearing and coming to the kiliarch, announced to him saying, _“What are you about to do, for this man is a Roman?”_... [ Continue Reading ]
And the kiliarch, coming said to him, _“Tell me, art thou a Roman?”_ And he said, _“Yea.”_... [ Continue Reading ]
And the kiliarch responded, _“I obtained the same freedom for a great sum.”_ But Paul said: _“But, indeed, I have been born.”_ We see here that Lysias unhesitatingly took Paul's word for his Roman citizenship. We need not wonder at this, because it was a penalty of death for any person falsely to cl... [ Continue Reading ]