We are, however, not so concerned here with a grammatical parenthesis

as to make sure that the reader understands a remark that occurs more than

once in

our articles, namely that the present dispensation is parenthetical.  The

idea is that the promise made to Abraham and the fulfilment in the age to

come, can be likened to the two outside positions of the sentence shown

above, while the Mystery finds its place between the break which occurred at

Acts 28 and the resumption of the promise to the Fathers that will mark the

close of the present dispensation.  We give a drawing above of a method often

adopted to exhibit this feature.

Parousia -- see Second Coming4 -- terms used.

The conversion and commission of Paul, his apostleship to the Gentiles,

and his stewardship of the Mystery as the Prisoner of Jesus Christ, are dealt

with in articles, entitled Acts of the Apostles1; Apostle1; Dispensation1;

Galatians2; Good Deposit2; Mystery (p. 59); and Prison Epistles (p. 160).  In

the present article we are concerned with the man himself, his background,

his character, his equipment.  The fact that he was a Roman citizen by birth

has an influence both on his attitude to the Gentile world, to illustrations

used in his epistles, and particularly in connection with his appeal unto

Caesar and his trial at Rome.  We will, therefore, give consideration to

these backgrounds, hoping that the apostle himself will be all the more

clearly discerned and more deeply loved.

The second half of the Acts devotes a great deal of space to an

account of Paul's apprehension and subsequent trials, culminating in his

imprisonment for two years at Rome.  When the apostle arrived at Jerusalem

with the contribution for the poor saints there, he was obliged to meet the

charge made against him, that he taught all the Jews that were among the

Gentiles to forsake Moses.  In order to refute this charge publicly, he

associates himself with some men who had taken upon themselves the Nazarite

vow.  While thus engaged, he is recognized by some Jews from Asia, who raise

the cry that he has defiled the Holy Place by taking Trophimus into the

sacred enclosure.  The Romans had given power to the Jews to inflict the

death penalty for this act of sacrilege, and the marble slab warning any

intruder of the consequences of such an act may still be seen in the office

of The Palestine Exploration Fund.  See article entitled Middle Wall p. 12.

The following extract from Josephus' Wars of the Jews will show how

serious was the apostle's position.

`Now Titus was deeply affected with this state of things, and

reproached John and his party, and said to them,-- "Have not you, vile

creatures that you are, by our permission, put up this partition-wall

before your sanctuary? Have not you been allowed to put up the pillars

thereto belonging, at due distances, and on it to engrave in Greek, and

in your own letters, this prohibition,-- That no foreigner should go

beyond that wall?  Have not we given you leave to kill such as go

beyond it, though he were a Roman?"` (Josephus, Wars. vi. ii. 4).