Jews in his speech on the castle stairs at Jerusalem that he was a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers " (xxii. 3). He was very proud of the city of his birth as well as of being a Jew: to the chief captain, who had arrested him, he said: "I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city" (xxi. 39). His father must have been a rich man to have been able to send his son to Jerusalem to be taught in the schools of the Rabbis. Gamaliel was a learned Pharisee (ver. 34); and the young man Saul became a very enthusiastic Pharisee also: when he was being tried before the Sanhedrin, Paul cried out : 'I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees (xxiii. 6); and he told King Agrippa II. that "after the straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee " (xxvi. 5).

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His father also possessed the rights of being a Roman citizen (infra) ; so Paul claimed the same right from birth: “I am a Roman born," he says to the chief captain (xxii. 28).

All these things were very helpful to Paul when he became an Apostle of the Lord Jesus: as a Jew he knew Jerusalem, and all the teaching of the Rabbis, and could speak Aramaic, the language of Judæa (xxii. 2); as a man born in a Greek city he knew Greek (xxi. 37), and understood all about Greek life; and as a Roman citizen he had great privileges, which more than once saved him from dangers.

HIS TRADE.-It was no disgrace to a Jewish boy, however rich his father was, to learn a trade; most Jewish fathers had their sons taught some trade, and Paul's father put his boy to learn to make tents (xviii. 3); in after days Paul was very thankful for this, as he preferred to earn his own living whilst he was preaching about Jesus. Tents in those Eastern lands were and are still made from goat's hair. Tarsus was a centre for the trade; the weaving of the hair was done by the women; but the stitching of the cloth by the men. It was a hard work, and would make Paul's hands hard and rough. 66 6 These hands,' as St. Paul held them up, rough and black with stitching at the hard canvas, told their tale of stern independence and selfdenial " (Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible, iii. 699). HIS ROMAN CITIZENSHIP.-As a koman, Paul could not justly be punished in any way which was considered degrading, such as being beaten with rods, or scourged; he could not be crucified as our Lord was (see xvi. 37; xxii. 24 ff.). He had the right to appeal to the Emperor in any legal case (xxv. 11); and the right to be sent to Rome for trial (xxv. 25).

St.

The Acts of Saul (c. vii.-xii.).

THE PERSECUTOR.

i. At Stephen's martyrdom, he took care of the clothes of the men who stoned Stephen, and consented to their action (vii. 59, viii. 1).

ii. He went round Jerusalem dragging both men and women to prison; thus he laid waste the church" (viii. 3). iii. He asked the high priest for letters to the Jews at Damascus so that he might arrest the followers of Jesus, and bring them bound to Jerusalem (ix. 2).

HIS CONVERSION AND BAPTISM.-There are three accounts of this in the Acts, (ix. 1-19; xxii. 1-16; xxvi. 2-19). St. Luke must have thought it of very great importance to the Gospel he carefully tells us that God had other work for Saul besides persecuting the believers; he was a chosen vessel," one whom God had picked out for a certain work.

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SAUL AT DAMASCUS.-After he had been baptized Saul began to preach to the Jews that Jesus was their Messiah; they tried to kill him but he escaped over the city wall in a basket (ix. 19–25).

SAUL'S RETURN ΤΟ JERUSALEM. From Damascus he returned to Jerusalem, and tried to join the believers; but they thought he still wanted to do them harm, and would not receive him till Barnabas took him to the Apostles and told them the story of his conversion. Then Saul tried to convert some of the Grecian Jews (ix. 29); but they also tried to kill him as they had done Stephen; so the Disciples sent Saul away to his own home in Tarsus (ix. 26–30).

AT ANTIOCH.-He must have been in Tarsus between eight and ten years when Barnabas, who had been sent to Antioch to take charge of the work there, went to Tarsus to seek him out, and took him back with him to help to teach the church at Antioch (xi. 25-26).

SECOND VISIT TO JERUSALEM.-About a year later, the Christians of Antioch wanted to send money to the poor Christians in Jerusalem, who were suffering from a famine at the time; and they chose Barnabas and Saul to take it. They went up and did the work, and on their return they brought back with them John Mark (xi. 27-30; xii. 25). This closes the first part of the Acts, and the first part of Saul's life as a follower of Jesus; he soon becomes Paul, the Missionary. The Acts of Paul, the Missionary.

I. FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY (xiii-xiv). (Cyprus, Pamphylia, and Southern Galatia.)

(a) The Church at Antioch (in Syria); sending forth of Barnabas and Saul (xiii. 1-3).

(b) Cyprus xiii. 4-12.

i. Salamis, with John Mark as attendant, through the island to Paphos.

ii. Paphos First statement of the Gospel to a Roman Official (Sergius Paulus).

Paul and the Jewish Sorcerer, Bar-Jesus.

(c) Through Perga to Pisidian Antioch: xiii. 13–14 a. John Mark leaves them at Perga.

(d) Phrygian Galatica: xiii. 14 b-xiv. 7.

i. Pisidian Antioch: The Apostles and the Jews of the Diaspora; Paul's sermon: Turning to the Gentiles; Jewish persecution.

ii. Iconium. Further Jewish persecution.

(e) Lycaonia Galatica: xiv. 8-20.

i. Lystra Healing of the lame man; Barnabas and Paul worshipped as gods.

Further Jewish persecution; Paul stoned.

ii. Derbe; Many converts.

(f) Return Journey: xiv. 21-28.

i. Organization of the new communities; Appointment of elders.

ii. The Evangelization of Pisidia and Pamphylia.

iii. The Report on the Work to the church at Syrian Antioch.

II. PAUL AT THE COUNCIL.

Between the first and second journey Paul had to go to Jerusalem with Barnabas again, about the question of circumcising the converts from heathenism. "The Council at Jerusalem,” c. xv.

III. QUARREL WITH BARNABAS.

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When they returned to Antioch Paul thought it was time to go to visit the churches they had founded. Barnabas agreed, but he wanted to take Mark. This caused a quarrel between them, as we have said (p. xxiv); so they separated, Paul choosing Silas as his companion instead of Barnabas (xv. 36–40).

IV. SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (xv. 36xviii. 22).

Out overland to Troas, through the provinces of Syria and Cilicia, Galatia (confirming the churches); across the province of Asia (where no work is done); from Troas by sea to Macedonia; by sea on to Achaia. Home by sea, calling at Ephesus, to Cæsarea; by road to Jerusalem, then down to Antioch.

(a) The Visitation of the Churches of Syria and Cilicia; and Galatia (xv. 40–xvi. 7).

The choice of Silas and Timothy.

(b) The Entrance into Europe; from Troas to Philippi (xvi. 8-40).

i. Troas The vision of the man of Macedonia.

ii. By sea via Samothrace, and Neapolis.

(c) Philippi: the Conversion of Lydia; Imprisonment of Paul and Silas on account of the "Python"; Conversion of the jailor; The value of Roman citizenship.

(d) Thessalonica: Jewish Opposition; Riot at the house of Jason; Trial of Jason.

(e) Beroea Further trouble from the Jews; Paul sent by sea to Athens.

(f) Athens: Speech in the midst of the Areopagus; Conversion of Dionysius and Damaris.

(g) Corinth Aquila and Priscilla; Separation from the Synagogue; Conversion of Justus and Crispus; Paul's vision; The Jews indict Paul before Gallio.

(h) Return to Syria by sea : Aquila and Priscilla left at Ephesus; Landing at Cæsarea; Visit to Jerusalem; Return to Antioch.

OTHER PERSONS MENTIONED IN THE ACTS.

(i) From the Old Testament.

AARON, the brother of Moses; mentioned by Stephen as requested to make the calf for the children of Israel whilst Moses was on the mount (vii. 40).

ABRAHAM: Peter, in his speech in Solomon's Porch, after healing the lame man, mentions the covenant God made with Abraham that in his seed all the families of the earth were to be blessed, which promise was fulfilled in Christ (iii. 25).

Stephen mentions the call of Abraham from Mesopotamia (vii. 2); and his removal to Haran, and afterwards to Canaan (vii. 4); and the promise that he should possess the land (5); the gift of the covenant of circumcision (8); and the buying of the burial place by Abraham at Shechem from the sons of Hamor (16).

† Paul addresses the congregation at Antioch in Pisidia as the "stock of Abraham (xiii. 26).

DAVID: Peter mentions the Holy Ghost foretelling by the mouth of David the betrayal by Judas (i. 16).

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Peter on the day of Pentecost quotes Ps. xvi. 8–11 as David's; and mentions the tomb of David as still existing he point out that David's body had seen corruption, meaning that it had decayed in the grave, but that the body of Jesus had not seen corruption. He also quotes Ps. cx. as David's, and as a prophecy of our Lord's ascension (ii. 25-35).

In iv. 25, after the release of the Apostles, the church gives thanks in the words of Ps. ii., which is referred to our father David thy servant.”

Stephen speaks of David, "who found favour in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob” (vii. 45–46).

† All paragraphs thus marked concern c. xiii-xvi, and may be omitted by pupils reading only as far as c. xii.

† Paul, in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, speaks about the choice of David in the place of Saul, and says that of David's seed, " God according to promise brought unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus" (xiii. 22-23). He also quotes the words, "I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David " as fulfilled in the resurrection (34); and, like Peter, he mentions that David's body had gone to corruption, but that Christ's had not (35-37).

† In James' speech at the council (xv. 16), there is an allusion to "the tabernacle of David, that is fallen," a quotation from Amos (ix. II).

HAMOR: Mentioned by Stephen as the father of the men who sold Abraham his burial place in Shechem (vii. 16).

ISAAC

Stephen mentions the birth and circumcision of Isaac (vii. 8).

ISAIAH: Philip found the Ethiopian eunuch reading the prophet Isaiah (viii. 28).

JACOB: Stephen mentions the birth of Jacob and his stay in Egypt, that he died there, and that his body was carried back to Canaan and buried at Shechem (vii. 8-16).

The names of all three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob occur in the phrase: "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob (iii. 13; vii. 32).

JOEL. Peter quotes the words of the prophet as being fulfilled by the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost (ii. 16 ff.).

JOSEPH Stephen mentions the selling of Joseph by his brethren, and his life in Egypt (vii. 9-18). Joseph is one of those rejected by Israel, see Stephen's speech, c. vii.

MOSES: Peter reminds the Jews in his speech in Solomon's porch that Moses had foretold that God would give them a prophet like unto himself (iii. 22).

Stephen is charged with speaking blasphemous words against Moses, and wishing to alter the customs given by Moses (vi. 11-14).

In his defence Stephen follows the history of Moses; he is the rejected leader, and a type of Christ; he also lays stress on the fact that God spake to Moses at the bush as showing that God had revealed himself at other places beside the temple (vii. 20-44, and see p. 25).

† Paul says in his speech in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch, that by Jesus "every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses (xiii. 39).

† At Antioch, in Syria, the Jews urged that the Gentile converts must be circumcised "after the custom of Moses (xv. I and 5).

† At the council James says, "Moses, from generations