THE KING’S BUSINESS
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to “great”. Many of us think the washer woman, the Servant girl, the bootblack, and the coal heaver beneath our notice: not so Paul. Many of us, on the other hand, think the millionaire, and the statesman, and the nobleman above our reach: not so Paul. “Both to small and great", let us write that down in our memories and hearts. And note also what it was to which Paul witnessed—Christ on the cross, Christ risen again, Christ the light-giver. Tuesday, May 8 . Acts 26 : 24 - 26 . Festus was getting excited. The Spirit of God was gripping his heart. As Festus was unwilling to yield, he called the preacher a crank, The devil has cheated many a man out of eternal life in that way. He has also cheated many a Christian out of a deeper experience and a larger life in the same way. If we get our message from God, we must expect to be called crazy. That is what they called Jesus, too (John 8:48, 52). Many a preacher has been frightened by this sort of treatment, and, therefore, has turned away from preaching the whole truth of God, that God bade him preach, into saying the nice things that Festus would applaud. Poor fools; Notice carefully Paul’s unfailing courtesy. Many a man is loyal to the truth and is called “mad”, and then goes to scorning his accusers; but in Paul unflinching fidel ity to the truth went hand in hand with unfailing courtesy, Let us learn a lesson from Paul in this matter. Through the centuries that have passed $ince Festus’ day, many have taken up his accusation that Paul was mad. They say that Paul’s supposed sight of the Risen and Ascended Lord Jesus on the way to Damascus was an illusion. They are forced to say this or else admit that Jesus rose, ascended and now is in the glory, that therefore the whole Christian system is true. To avoid such admission they say that Paul was crazy or out of his mind at the time. Some put it that Paul suffered a sunstroke and in his delirium fancied he saw Jesus, which amounts to saying that he was tem
porarily mad. But the recorded facts do not at all fit the madness theory, or deli rium or illusion theory. Paul was not declaring the illusions of a madman, or the deliriums of sunstroke, but “speaking forth words of truth and soberness (rather, as the Greek signifies, sound sense).” He was declaring indisputable facts. Happy is the man who accepts his testimony. Wednesday, May 9 . Acts 26 : 27 - 29 . Paul now turns directly to Agrippa with a tremendous, startling and soul-awaken ing question: “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets ?” It was a master stroke on 'Paul’s part, Agrippa was all ears, his eyes were fixed on Paul in intense attention, his guard was thoroughly down, and at that most opportune moment Paul drove in this tremendous blow. The ques-. tion that Paul put to Agrippa is a good question to put to the unconverted Jew today. It is also a good question to put to unconverted Gentiles, and then show them how wonderfully the prophecies have been fulfilled in the person and history and work of Jesus. The argument for the inspiration of the Bible drawn from pro phecy is unanswerable. Many of the “Higher Critics” are trying to break its force, but they have failed utterly. They have succeeded, however, in turning the eyes of some foolish people from the con tents of the prophecies to questions of authorship, but if anyone will study the prophecies themselves, instead of wasting time in the endless jangle of words about their authorship and “sources”, he will soon find that God is the real author, that the destructive criticism cannot be true and that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God”. Agrippa’s answer is full of suggestion: “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Chris tian.” While the Authorized Version is not a literal translation of the Greek, it comes far nearer to being a literal trans lation than that found in the Revised Ver sion. Thte literal translation of Agrippa's words is “In a little thou persuadest me to make a Christian”. It is said by many,
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