The Bible Story Part 276

Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius; who received us, and entertained us three days courteously. And it was so, that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery: unto whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laying his hands on him healed him. And when this was done, the rest also which had diseases in the island came, and were cured: who also honored us with many honors; and when we sailed, they put on board such things as we needed.

And after three months we set sail in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the island, whose sign was "The Twin Brothers." And touching at Syracuse, we tarried there three days. And from thence we made a circuit, and arrived at Rhegium: and after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli: where we found brethren, and were intreated to tarry with them seven days: and so we came to Rome. And from thence the brethren, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius, and The Three Taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked G.o.d, and took courage.

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IV

PAUL AT THE CITY ON THE TIBER.

_He Preaches the Gospel in the Capital of the World_.

And when we entered into Rome, Paul was permitted to abide by himself with the soldier that guarded him.

And it came to pa.s.s, that after three days he called together those that were the chief of the Jews: and when they were come together, he said unto them, "I, brethren, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, yet was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans: who, when they had examined me, desired to set me at liberty, because there was no cause of death in me. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had anything to accuse my nation of. For this cause therefore did I intreat you to see and to speak with me: for because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain."

And they said unto him, "We neither received letters from Judaea concerning thee, nor did any of the brethren come hither and report or speak any harm of thee. But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against."

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

STATUE OF PAUL ON THE ISLAND OF MALTA.

[End ill.u.s.tration]

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And when they had appointed him a day, they came to him into his lodging in great number; to whom he expounded the matter, testifying the kingdom of G.o.d, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after Paul had spoken one word, "Well spoke the Holy Spirit by Isaiah the prophet unto your fathers, saying,--

'Go thou unto this people, and say, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And shall turn again, And I should heal them.'

Be it known therefore unto you, that this salvation of G.o.d is sent unto the Gentiles: they will also hear."

And he abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto him, preaching the kingdom of G.o.d, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, none forbidding him.

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This is the close of the story of Paul as it is given in the Acts, but half his service for the world, and half the adventures which attended that service are not told here. We have a glimpse of what the complete story must have been, in these words of his which might be inscribed to his honor in the world's temple of fame:--

"Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep: in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethern; in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

To this should be added the great hero's farewell. In prison, aged, infirm, about to die, he wrote these words, yet they are filled with the same dauntless spirit of courage and faith which always animated Paul, the Apostle.

"For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure is come.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not only to me, but also to all them that have loved his appearing."

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Notes

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NOTES

The wise men were perhaps Jews, though it is generally thought that they belonged to some other people, who looked and longed for a great king who should free them from the Romans. Many Jews lived in the East, and had become wise in the arts of astrology. They studied the stars and thought that in them could be read the signs of things about to happen on the earth. Indeed, it is not many centuries since, all over Europe, men thought that a comet foreboded much evil of some sort. So to those pious men G.o.d sent at last the sign for which they had so long waited.

The Bible tells nothing about the men themselves, but the church was so fond of thinking of them and the honor they paid to the little baby who should be the Master, that many stories were told of them. Their number was sometimes given as twelve, but more often as three, until now perhaps some people almost think that the Bible story says three; but it does not. The popular stories made them also kings and gave them names, and told how they represented three great races of the world, European, Asiatic, and African. But in the Bible they are only wise men with costly gifts, and they go out into history all unknown.

_John_ tried to get the people to see how they ought to repent and lead good lives, that G.o.d might send the long-expected Messiah. A saying of the rabbis was, "If Israel should keep the law for one day, the Messiah would come." The custom of baptism was in use before he took it up. It signified the desire that G.o.d should make the life pure and wash away the sins of the past.

_The family of the Herods_ were the descendants of a courtier of Idumea, in the northern part of Arabia. Herod the Great married a princess of the heroic family of the Maccabees, so that most of the Herods of the New Testament are partly Jewish in blood. The {486} family of Herod were very able, but very cruel and selfish, and the people heartily hated them. It is said that Herod the Great gave orders that when he died a large number of the chief men should be killed at Jericho that the people might mourn at his death. Perhaps the poor king was half insane when he ordered this. Anyway, it was not done.

The following is a table of the Herodian family, but only giving those mentioned in the New Testament:--

| AGRIPPA II.

| Acts 25,26 | | AGRIPPA I. --| BERNICE | Acts 12 | Acts 25:13; 26:30 | | | ARISTOBULUS --| | DRUSILLA | | | Acts 24:24 | | | | HERODIAS | | Matt. 14:3 | | Mark 6:17 | | Luke 3:39 | | | | HEROD (PHILIP) | SALOME | Matt. 14:3 --| Matt. 14:6 | Mark 6:17 | Mark 6:22 | Luke 3:19 Herod the Great | Matt. 2:1-22 --| Luke 1:5 | | ANTIPAS | Matt. 14:1-6 | Mark 6:14 | Luke 3:1, 19; 9:7; 13:31; 23:7, 15 | Acts 13: 1 | | | ARCHELAUS | Matt. 2:22 | | | PHILIP | Luke 3:1

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While dried _fish_ were brought from abroad, the great source of supply in Palestine was the Lake of Galilee. Its waters abounded in fish. Two methods were used by fishermen: the small hand-net and the great drag-net. The best time for fishing was after sunset or before sunrise, but sometimes men worked all night. In the daytime fishermen took the fish to market, mended their nets, and rested. The fish were eaten fresh by the people in the many villages about the lake, or, dried in the sun and salted, were carried far and wide, and used as a relish with bread.

The custom of a body of _disciples_ was not new to Jesus. John had disciples, and so did the rabbis, who were considered great teachers. It was a sort of primitive university by which a teacher attracted to his personal following a group of loyal, loving pupils who would carry his teaching to others. Socrates and Plato in Greece, Buddha in India, and many another man in other countries, had done the same thing. The difference between Jesus' disciples and other like groups was not in the custom of discipleship but in the kind of a teacher they had; for never was there a teacher like Jesus.

_Almsgiving and prayers_ were two of the most important acts of worship in the Jewish religion. Their books praise giving alms to the poor very highly. It was, indeed, one of the great ways open to them to show an unselfish and brotherly spirit, and in the ancient world, most unfortunate people--the lame, the blind, those unable to work--were supported only by charity, and were expected to beg in the streets for their living.

_Decapolis_ (ten cities). A region lying east of the Jordan, except the city of Scythopolis (the old Bethshean). Its population was much mixed, and many Gentiles lived in it, so that the stricter Jews looked down upon the inhabitants, but Jesus did not hesitate to go among the towns and teach the people.

_Ruler of the Synagogue_. An officer who was responsible for the proper conduct of the service and the order of the congregation. He did not conduct the service himself, but decided who should take part in it. The position was one of honor, but did not require particular learning like that of the scribes.

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_Pharisees and Sadducees_. Two of the religious divisions of the Jews.

The Pharisees were earnest students of the law, and tried hard to do right. But they were proud, and thought their way of seeing G.o.d was the only true way. The Sadducees were not so religious. They were richer, cared less about the law, and did not try so hard to keep it as did the Pharisees. But they also were proud and haughty, and between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the common people found few friends, and many more were willing to tell them how bad they were than to show them the way to become good. That was one reason why, when Jesus came with kindness, "the common people heard him gladly."

_Threshing floor_. A flat piece of ground, trodden hard, where the oxen threshed out the grain by being driven back and forth over it. The "fan"

was a sort of shovel with which the grain was tossed in the air for winnowing.