THE KING’S BUSINESS
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illustration o f the courtesy and tact o f the Apostle Paul. Paul was in the best sense a gentleman and a diplomat, he would by all proper means win the favor o f those whom he sought to gain for Christ. Felix in reality was a very bad man in his per sonal conduct and an utterly unjust man in his official position, yet Paul found some thing to praise even in him. Paul never shrank from declaring the whole counsel o f God (ch. 20:27). He told Felix before he got through with him the whole truth about himself with the most fearless and unflinching plainness (v. 25) : one can xbe frank and faithful without being brusque and boorish. But the combination o f utter fidelity and courtesy which we find in Paul is exceedingly rare. W e shall see the same thing again in Paul’s address before Agrippa (ch. 26:2), and over and over again in his epistles. In his epistles we find him uniformly beginning his letters with considerate compliments, but there are very plain and unsparing words before he closes. This Spirit-given tact and winsomeness of address is as much needed by the one who would acceptably serve Christ as is Spirit- given boldness o f utterance. Paul says, “ answer fo r m yself’ (or “make my defense” ), but before he finishes it is really his Lord whom he is defending (or declaring) and we find him dwelling upon his favorite theme, the great truth o f the resurrection (vs. 14, 15). vs. 12, 13, “And they neither found me in the temple (neither in the temple did they find me) disputing with any man, neither raising up the people (or stirring up a crowd), neither (nor) in. the syna gogues, nor in the city: (,) neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.” Paul takes up the terms o f the indictment brought against him (cf. v. 5), and meets them with a flat and unanswer able denial. Paul exposed the utter hol lowness o f the charges which had been made against him by saying: “neither can they prove to be' the things whereof they now accuse me.” It is one thing to make an accusation, it is quite another thing to
prove the accusation made. Many men forget this, they fancy that assertion is p roof; and there are not a few in this world who are ready to accept assertion for proof, provided the assertion is very positive. For example, many superficial, but loud mouthed “higher critics” aré asserting that, “no scholar now believes in the Mosaic authorship o f the Pentateuch,” and immediately a gaping crowd o f admir ing men and women who are too lazy to think for themselves, but who itch for a reputation for scholarship and “advanced thought” accept the mere assertion as proven fact; when in fact it is a bald and utter lie. Some one else asserts, with the air o f unquestionable infallibility, that “the early chapters o f Genesis cannot be recon ciled with the established conclusions o f natural science,” and that “ either the inspi ration o f these chapters must be given up, or they must be interpreted as allegory and not as history,” and lo, another admir ing and wondering crowd accept that wholly unwarranted and absolutely baseless asser tion as a proven fact. W e sorely need today a few modern Pauls to call a halt upon the accusers, and to demand proof- instead o f mere baseless assertion. Let us say with Paul “ Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse” the Bible. The writer has had great satisfaction for many years in demanding proof o f those who make wild assertions against Christ’s apostles and God’s prophets and law givers and in then watching the confusion o f those who have made these stout assertions but were, utterly unable to bring forward facts to prove, their assertion. They make no attempt to produce the proof, but con tent themselves with reasserting “all scholars are agreed” and that any one who questions it is very dogmatic and narrow. In point o f fact, there is no proof, “neither can they prove the things” they say. Not only are not “all scholars agreed” but the very best Semitic scholars now repudiate the views which these pseudo-scholars say are settled. v. 14. “But this I confess unto thee,
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