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to be a resurrection o f the dead, both of the righteous dead and the wicked dead. v. 16. "and (omit, and) herein do 1 exercise myself to have always ( omit, always) a conscience void o f offence toward God, and toward (omit . toward) men (add, always)." As the athlete keeps himself in rigid physical training, so Paul kept him self in rigid spiritual training (cf. 1 Cor. 9:24-27). The purpose o f this spiritual discipline was “to have a conscience void o f offence”—i. e., a conscience that did not stjimble nor cause others to stumble. He sought diligently and disciplined himself carefully to have such a conscience not only toward God, but also “toward men.” Furthermore, he sought to have it not only most o f the time but all the time. This form o f athletics cultivated by Paul is sorely in need o f cultivation today. Would that we all might put ourselves under this kind o f training. v. 17-21. “ Now after many (some) years I came to- bring alms to my nation, and offerings. Whereupon ( : amidst , which) certain Jews from Asia (they) found me purified in the temple, neither with multi tude (with no crowd) nor yet (omit, yet) with tumult. ( : but there were certain Jews from Asia) who ought to have been here before thee, and object ( to make accu sation), if they had ought (aught) against me. Or else let these same here (men themselves) say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while (what wrong doing they found when) I stood before the coun cil, except it be fo r this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection o f the dead I am called in question by■(before) you this day.” It was “to bring alms” that Paul had come to Jerusalem; so he had come as the friend and not as the foe (as his accusers would have it appear) o f his people. Further more it was obeying the law and not denouncing it that they found him in the temple. Furthermore still, it was for a teaching o f a truth contained in their own scriptures that he was “called in question.”
that after the way (W a y) which they call heresy (a sect), so worship (serve) I the God o f my ( our) fathers, believing all things which are written in (according to) the law and in the prophets: (which are written in the prophets:") The way which men call “heresy” is often times the way that is really according to “what is writ ten” in the W ord o f God, and so it was in Paul’s case. Paul was certainly a model preacher for he could say “ I believe all things which are written in the law and in the prophets.” But Paul would be awfully out o f date if he were living now. >Just think o f a preacher “ believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets.” Paul ought to have taken a course in some o f our modern theological seminaries to have found out which part o f the Pentateuch and which part o f the prophets to believe and which part not to believe. Yet poor Paul was a pretty successful preacher after all, and possibly his name may endure after some o f these modern scholars who, “pro fessing themselves to be wise have become fools” (Rom. 1:22), are forgotten. Happy is the man who can say what Paul here says, “I believe all things which are accord ing to the law, and which are written in the prophets.” ’ Can you say it? Jesus could say it (Luke 24:27, 44; John 10:35; Matt. 5:18; Mark 7:13). v. 15. “And have (having) hope toward God,' which they themselves (these also themselves) allow (look fo r ), that there shall be a resurrection o f the dead, (omit, o f the dead,) both o f the just and unjust.” Paul’s enemies accused him o f departing from their ancient scriptures but he goes to work to sho\v them that so far from depart ing from their scriptures he believes them more fully than they did themselves. It is often the case that the real infidels call the believer a heretic. The one point upon which Paul was constantly called in ques tion was hip preaching that Jesus had risen from the dead but he showed them that their own scripture? taught that there was
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