🙏🏽 Dear Heavenly Father – As we finish reading the book of Acts, we thank You for Luke’s recording of how the early Church began. We see Your hand in spreading of the Gospel message of salvation. We praise You for two thousand years of communicating through the Spirit so that today, we can still hear Your voice. Let us respond in a way that honors, pleases, and glorifies You. We pray this in the name of our Savior, Jesus. Amen.
Paul Sails for Rome
27 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. 2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
3 The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. 4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5 When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8 We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.
Points to Ponder: Paul has now been in the role of a traveling missionary/teacher/church-planter for over 25 years. Jewish upbringing included the regular observance of specific holidays, so I can see how Paul would have picked up some weather-related patterns to tie with the area and the holidays. Just as people have ignored his warnings before, they ignore him again.
It is interesting to note that Luke makes a concerted effort to let the readers know that he is an eyewitness to these events. Over 10 times in this section, Luke uses ‘we’.
Anyone familiar with Scripture will recall… God caused a storm to get Jonah’s attention… Jesus spoke to a storm to calm the wind and waves. We anxiously look at the warning… the harbor was unsuitable to winter in… the majority decided to sail on… (Our take-away? The majority is not always right!)
The Storm
13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
Points to Ponder: At this last statement, Luke tries to explain… as best as human words permit… what it is like to be caught on a ship in a Nor’easter!
21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”
Points to Ponder: Contrasting the hopelessness expressed by Luke, Paul displays the steadfast perseverance of a mature Christian that has absolute faith that ALL things are under the watchful eye of God.
Anyone who thinks that their Christian faith comes with a guarantee of an easy life has not read the Scriptures. (Paul recounts some of his trials to the Corinthians – see 2 Corinthians 11:24,25,26,27)
As the Scriptures follow Paul’s journey, this is what we see – Paul courageously living out his faith.
The Shipwreck
27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.
Points to Ponder: This is bold and I won’t pretend to fully understand it. The centurion and the soldiers did not listen to Paul before AND he just called them out for it.
Does the centurion remember the conversation with the ship’s owner… that said it was okay to sail? Is he thinking, ‘Fine for him to say… he’s not here!’ Paul told him not to sail… Paul was right… yet Paul is still composed in the middle of a raging storm.
Why Paul delivers an ultimatum right now, I’m not sure –is he asking them to trust him now and to take definitive steps to prove that trust. No, I think it is more than that.
There are many times in Scripture where God’s own reputation is on the line… think Gideon. God would not let them go to battle with many men… only a few men… (Judges 7:2) and those men held bowls and lanterns in each hand… not weapons! Yet the battle is won and it is clear that the battle was won by the Lord. Think David, who before slinging a stone, called out to Goliath claiming the name of the LORD! (1 Samuel 17:45) And Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, i.e. Rack, Shack, & Benny, boldly telling the king that the God they serve can deliver them from the burning fire… so they will not bow down to the king’s statue. (Daniel 3:17)
Paul has already announced the message from the angel, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ And like we’ve seen before when Paul knows the will of God, he also sees the opportunities that he must take to partner with God. And now the centurion plays a part as well.
33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.
42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.
Points to Ponder: Two weeks of chaos for these 276 men on the boat and it is not until they have worn themselves out and are exhausted that they will take encouragement and food from Paul. They all survive, just as God had told Paul… and just as Paul had boldly proclaimed to them.
Paul Ashore on Malta
28 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
7 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. 8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10 They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.
Points to Ponder: In the beginning of Acts, before leaving His disciples, Jesus told them to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8) Paul, who became an apostle, later, apparently understood the mission.
The people of Malta were kind to the shipwrecked group. Paul responds with Spirit-filled acts of kindness… loving others they way Jesus loved His disciples. (John 15:8,12)
Paul’s Arrival at Rome
11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14 There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
Points to Ponder: Paul’s trip to Rome is finally over and the company of fellow believers is a welcome sight. Personal note: I commit to regular gatherings of fellow believers because I do not know what ‘journey’ they have just gone through or are going through. It is interesting to reflect that when I used to go to church because I thought I had to… it was a difficult commitment. Now when I realize that I can make the most of an opportunity to comfort or encourage another person, it really is a joy!
Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard
17 Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. 19 The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
21 They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”
23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
26 “‘Go to this people and say,
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
27 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’ [Isaiah 6:9,10]
28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” [29]
30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!
Points to Ponder: House arrest for Paul was just as productive. From morning till evening, he offered the Gospel. Some believed… some would not. (Yes, I see the pattern, but it still breaks my heart.)
It is now around 59-62 AD where Paul is under house arrest. He will write to the Philippians, the Colossians, and the Ephesians during this time. In those letters we read about some of the people who came to see him. He will write personal letters to Philemon, Timothy, and Titus as well. He would be executed most likely in 64.
Summary: In these final chapters, we see Paul, single-focused, on delivering the Gospel and serving his King. No difficult circumstances can thwart Paul. His courage and commitment are inspiring. I am reminded of a recent teaching from Alistair Begg on Christian faith and courage. He writes: “Only once we are unafraid to die are we free to live.” (From the example of Queen Esther… if I perish, I perish.)
🙏🏼 Heavenly Father – Thank You for Your Word. Let this study take root in our hearts. Let us spend our time in Your presence, so that we may know Your will. And when we know it, let us be brave to take part in bringing You glory, honor, and praise. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.