And when it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band.
\nActs 27:1<\/p>\n
This segment of Scripture covers the last two chapters of the Book of Acts and deals with Paul\u2019s journey to Rome, his imprisonment in Rome, and his last years.<\/p>\n
I. THE JOURNEY TO ROME\u2014ACTS 27:1\u201328:16<\/p>\n
There are differing opinions as to the date of Paul\u2019s journey to Rome, but probably the best view is A.D. 59\u201360 or A.D. 60\u201361. This section can be divided into four units.<\/p>\n
A. The Voyage from Caesarea to Melita\u2014Acts 27:1\u201344<\/p>\n
1. From Caesarea to Fair Havens\u2014Acts 27:1\u20138<\/p>\n
a. The Decision to Sail to Italy\u2014Acts 27:1<\/p>\n
And when it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band.<\/p>\n
Verse 1 is a transitional statement. The timing was: when it was determined that we should set sail for Italy. Paul\u2019s various trials and imprisonment in Jerusalem and Caesarea were now over. He had appealed to Caesar, and it was time for him to go to Italy.<\/p>\n
The first person plural pronoun \u201cwe\u201d shows that Luke, the writer of the Book of Acts, had joined the party. Obviously, Luke was in Caesarea, at least at this point in time. Luke now rejoined Paul, which is the reason there is such a detailed description of the journey from Caesarea to Rome. Luke was apparently in Caesarea the entire two years that Paul was imprisoned there. He very well may have written his Gospel during this time, since he would have had easy access to Jerusalem and time to interview eyewitnesses. According to his own testimony in Luke 1:1\u20134, he did use eyewitness accounts. Now he will journey with Paul all the way to Rome.<\/p>\n
The action was that they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners. These may have been prisoners who also had appealed to Caesar, but more likely, they were being taken to Rome under escort to become part of the spectacle of the Roman sports arena, in which, as prisoners, they would have to do battle with wild beasts.<\/p>\n
Paul was delivered to: a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band. The Greek word for band means \u201ccohort.\u201d He was the leader of one of five such cohorts stationed in Caesarea. The name Augustan implies that this was an imperial cohort, rather than a senatorial cohort.<\/p>\n
b. From Caesarea to Myra\u2014Acts 27:2\u20135<\/p>\n
The embarkation on the first ship begins with in verse 2: And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail unto the places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.<\/p>\n
Adramyttium was the home port of this ship. It was a maritime city of Mysia, which was located at the northwest corner of Asia Minor, south of the city of Troas.<\/p>\n
The first ship was a small coastal vessel which stopped at most of the small ports along the way home for the winter. Today, we would describe such a voyage as a \u201cmilk run.\u201d The fact that it was about to sail gives the reason why Julius decided on this ship. He probably had to settle for any ship that was available, but he was anticipating finding a larger one heading for Rome at one of these small coastal ports.<\/p>\n
Luke writes: we put to sea. The plural pronoun \u201cwe\u201d shows once again that Luke was one of Paul\u2019s party, which also included Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica. He is mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament (Acts 19:29; 20:4; Col. 4:10; Philem. 24).<\/p>\n
Verse 3 describes the stopover in Sidon: And the next day we touched at Sidon: and Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him leave to go unto his friends and refresh himself.<\/p>\n
They sailed north from Caesarea for a distance of about seventy miles; this was a one day trip to Sidon. At this point: Julius treated Paul kindly. The Greek word for kindly is the origin of our English word \u201cphilanthropy.\u201d The Greek word for refresh means \u201cto receive attention.\u201d Julius treated Paul philanthropically in that he gave him permission to go and visit his friends in Sidon, to visit the Church of Sidon, and to refresh himself through fellowship with the believers.<\/p>\n
They then sailed on to Cyprus in verse 4: And putting to sea from thence, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.<\/p>\n
This indicates that they sailed northeast of the island. From Sidon, they set a course for the northeastern corner of the Mediterranean, leaving Cyprus out to the west, heading for the south coast of Asia Minor. The reason they took this route was because the winds were contrary. The prevailing wind was out of the northwest. For that reason, they could not sail straight across from Sidon to Patara, with Cyprus on their starboard side. Instead they had to take the more sheltered route between Cyprus and the coast of Asia Minor, leaving Cyprus on their port side in order to gain some protection from the wind.<\/p>\n
Finally, they arrived at Myra in verse 5: And when we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.<\/p>\n
This means they sailed west, past Cilicia and Pamphylia, and thus came to Myra, a city of Lycia. Myra was a seaport of Cilicia. Today, it is known as Demibrue.<\/p>\n
c. From Myra to Fair Havens\u2014Acts 27:6\u20138<\/p>\n
At that point, the centurion found a second ship in verse 6: And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy; and he put us therein.<\/p>\n
The second ship was an Alexandrian merchant ship from Egypt, which was now heading west for Italy. Myra was the chief port for the grain fleets which sailed between Rome and Egypt. At that time, Egypt was the chief granary for Rome, and the wheat trade between Alexandria and Rome was of the highest importance to the Roman economy. The ships used for plying this trade were organized by the Roman Department of State, and the owners of this type of ship received special recognition from the Roman Senate. Verse 38 shows that this was a ship of that particular fleet. Being much larger than the ship that had brought them from Sidon, the centurion embarked everyone on this vessel for the continuation of the journey.<\/p>\n
Verse 7 describes the next stage of the journey: And when we had sailed slowly many days, and were come with difficulty over against Cnidus, the wind not further suffering us, we sailed under the lee of Crete, over against Salmone.<\/p>\n
From Myra to Cnidus was a distance of one hundred thirty miles. Cnidus was a seaport on the extreme southwest corner of Asia Minor, and at this point, the protection they had been seeking from the strong northwesterly winds ran out; the wind \u201csuffered us no further.\u201d This means they could no longer make any headway westward, as they had been doing since they had left Myra. This necessitated sailing under the lee of Crete. They followed a more southerly route along the sheltered, east side of Crete, instead of sailing straight on, leaving Crete to the east. Sailing southwest, Crete was now on their right or starboard side. This gave them some protection from the wind.<\/p>\n
They finally arrived at Fair Havens and this completed the first major section of their journey in verse 8: and with difficulty coasting along it we came unto a certain place called Fair Havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.<\/p>\n
Fair Havens was a harbor in the City of Lasea, on the south central coast of Crete. Today it is known as Limeomes Kalous. It is situated two miles east of Cape Matala and it opens to the east and southeast, so it was not a good winter port. It would, however, protect them for a time from the winds; that is why the captain decided to make for this harbor.<\/p>\n
2. From Fair Havens to Melita\u2014Acts 27:9\u201344<\/p>\n
a. Paul\u2019s Warning\u2014Acts 27:9\u201311<\/p>\n
Verse 9 gives the reason for the warning: And when much time was spent, and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast was now already gone by, Paul admonished them.<\/p>\n
There was a considerable time intervening since they had first arrived at this harbor: and the voyage was now dangerous. Literally, the Greek states \u201cthe voyage being already dangerous.\u201d They had already passed the date on the calendar when it was still safe to put to sea.<\/p>\n
The dangerous time for sailing on the open sea in those days was between September 14th and November 11th. After November 11th, all sailing in the open seas ceased for the winter. Generally, everyone would sail up until September 14th. But, between September 14th and November 11th, it was already very risky, and the more prudent captains would already have decided not to sail. Come November 11th, no ship would sail until the following spring.<\/p>\n
Luke adds that it was: now dangerous, because the Fast was now already gone by. By mentioning the Fast, he was referring to Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. So by now, it was either late September or early October in A.D. 59 when this journey took place. Yom Kippur fell that year on October 5th. The fact that Luke simply says: the Fast without explaining it shows that he was a Jew. A Gentile would have felt the need to explain it, but a Jewish person finds no such need. Because of the time of year: Paul admonished them. The Greek tense means that he \u201ckept on admonishing them\u201d not to attempt to sail any further.<\/p>\n
Verse 10 records the content of Paul\u2019s warning: and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the lading and the ship, but also of our lives.<\/p>\n
At this point, Paul was not relying on divine revelation. He was not saying that God told him this. He was simply saying: I perceive, using his own knowledge of having traveled frequently by sea. Paul perceived five things. First, that the voyage will be with injury from the elements. Secondly, that the voyage will be with much loss. Thirdly, that the cargo will be lost. Fourthly, that the ship itself will also be lost. And fifth, that their lives will also be lost. At this point, Paul was only expressing his opinion, however, all of the things Paul mentioned came true, except one, there was no loss of life. The cargo and the ship were eventually lost, but no lives were lost. Paul did not realize that there would be no loss of life at this time, because this was only revealed to him later. His opinion was based upon considerable experience gained through his involvement in three different shipwrecks (2 Cor. 11:25). Soon, he was to experience his fourth shipwreck.<\/p>\n
But Paul\u2019s advice was overruled in verse 11: But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship, than to those things which were spoken by Paul.<\/p>\n
The centurion felt that the captain and the owner of the vessel would have much better professional knowledge of these things than Paul, and therefore listened to them rather than Paul. A decision he would later regret.<\/p>\n
b. The Decision to Sail\u2014Acts 27:12\u201313<\/p>\n
The plan is given in verse 12: And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to put to sea from thence, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there; which is a haven of Crete, looking north east and south east.<\/p>\n
The reason they decided to devise their own strategy and not listen to Paul was: because the haven was not commodious to winter in. Literally, the Greek states, \u201cthe harbor being unfit to winter in.\u201d It was an unfit place in which to try and hole up for the winter. The majority voted to go ahead and set sail right then so as not to be trapped there for the entire winter.<\/p>\n
The goal for this trip was to try and reach Phoenix and spend the winter there. Phoenix is now known as Phineka. It is located west of Lutro and served as a harbor for Crete, facing north east and south east. Literally, the Greek states \u201cdown the south west and down the north west wind,\u201d because this is the way the ship\u2019s course would appear to a sailor.<\/p>\n
Verse 13 describes the actual journey: And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close in shore.<\/p>\n
The timing was: when the south wind blew softly. Literally, the Greek states \u201cthe south wind having blown gently.\u201d This was in contrast to the northwesterly they had faced for so long. Suddenly there was a soft, gentle breeze blowing from the south, causing the captain to make a completely false assumption: supposing that they had obtained their purpose; in other words, they were now sure they had made the right decision. So they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete. The Greek means that they were \u201ccoasting\u201d along Crete, staying close in shore for safety\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n
c. The Storm\u2014Acts 27:14\u201320<\/p>\n
(1) The Wind\u2014Acts 27:14\u201316<\/p>\n
Verse 14 gives the name of the wind: But after no long time there beat down from it a tempestuous wind, which is called Euraquilo.<\/p>\n
The timing was: after no long time; in other words, that gentle, southerly wind which they took to be a good omen proved to be only temporary, for suddenly there beat down from it a tempestuous wind. The expression beat down from it is from a Greek word which means \u201cto throw.\u201d The picture is of this wind dashing itself against the ship, resulting in a tempestuous wind. The Greek word for tempestuous is the source of our English word \u201ctyphoon.\u201d It was a typhonic storm, which causes a severe whirling motion of both clouds and sea. This was a storm force wind or a gale at sea.<\/p>\n
It was a particular wind known as the Euraquilo. Literally, the word means \u201ceast north east.\u201d It is a word of both Greek and Latin origin. The first part of the word, Eura, is Greek and means \u201ceast wind.\u201d The second part of the word, aquilo, is Latin, and means \u201cnorth east wind.\u201d So it was called the \u201ceast north-east-wind.\u201d It was a severe northeasterly gale.<\/p>\n
Verses 15\u201316 describe the result of the wind on the ship: and when the ship was caught, and could not face the wind, we gave way to it, and were driven. And running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat.<\/p>\n
In verse 15, the timing was: when the ship was caught. The Greek word pictures the ship as having been seized by a great monster so that it could no longer face the wind. Literally, the Greek states they were \u201clooking into the eye\u201d or \u201clooking eye-to-eye into\u201d the wind, but the ship could not come round to windward enough to gain its destination, Phoenix. So finally they gave way \u2026 and were driven by the wind. The ship could not tack, so it was simply blown along by the force of the wind.<\/p>\n
In verse 16, the wind was now driving them southwest to the Island of Cauda, which is about twenty-five miles from Crete. Today, it is known as Ghaudo. They were able, but only with difficulty, to secure the boat. This boat was a little dinghy, which was normally towed behind the ship, but now it was taken inboard because of the bad weather. They were no longer masters of the vessel.<\/p>\n
(2) The Attempts to Save the Ship\u2014Acts 27:17\u201319<\/p>\n
and when they had hoisted it up, they used helps, under girding the ship; and, fearing lest they should be cast upon the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and so were driven. And as we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw the freight overboard; and the third day they cast out with their own hands the tackling of the ship.<\/p>\n
In verse 17a, the first attempt to save the ship was to bring the dinghy up out of the water; they hoisted it up. They had not done this earlier because they had been under a favorable southerly wind. In the present unfavorable weather conditions, the dinghy had filled with water; it was waterlogged and was just dragging as a dead weight along behind the ship. So to help the ship move better, they hoisted it aboard.<\/p>\n
The second attempt was to stiffen the timbers of the hull in verse 17b: they used helps, which they brought up in order to secure the deck. The Greek word for helps means \u201cundergriders\u201d or \u201cstrapping cables.\u201d<\/p>\n
In verse 17c, the third attempt they made to save the ship was when they lowered the gear. The reason was that they feared they would be cast upon Syrtis. The Syrtis mentioned here is known as the Great Syrtis. This is an area of shallow quicksands off the African coast west of Cyrene. They were being driven toward this area by the wind, so they lowered the gear. They tried anything that would slow the ship down, but they continued to be driven by the wind.<\/p>\n
The fourth attempt, in verse 18, was to jettison the cargo, as it had been done in Jonah 1:5.<\/p>\n
Their fifth attempt, in verse 19, was to throw out the tackling of the ship, which was the ship\u2019s furniture. The timing was: the third day. The act was: with their own hands. This shows how desperate the situation had become.<\/p>\n
(3) The Fear of Death\u2014Acts 27:20<\/p>\n
And when neither sun nor stars shone upon us for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was now taken away.<\/p>\n
The timing was: when neither sun nor stars shone upon us for many days. Literally, the Greek states, \u201cfor many more days than a few.\u201d For many days now, they did not have any proper daylight, because the sky was so deeply overcast. The result was: all hope that we should be saved was now taken away. Even Luke despaired of life at this point.<\/p>\n
d. Paul\u2019s Offer of Comfort\u2014Acts 27:21\u201326<\/p>\n
The background to Paul\u2019s comfort is given in verse 21a: And when they had been long without food.<\/p>\n
They had abstained from eating food for days on end. Even though there was plenty of grain aboard the ship, they were simply too busy to stop and eat.<\/p>\n
At this point, Paul took the initiative in verse 21b: then Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss.<\/p>\n
Paul reminded them that they really should have listened to him when he had said it was not safe to sail on. He was not saying, \u201cI told you so,\u201d only that they should have hearkened unto him while they were still in Fair Havens. Had they listened to him, they would not have gotten themselves into this present mess. Again, he was not being pedantic, but setting the stage for why they should listen to him from now on.<\/p>\n
Paul then gave them a promise in verse 22: And now I exhort you to be of good cheer; for there shall be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.<\/p>\n
He had received a direct message from God so they could now be of good cheer. First, he gave them the good news: there shall be no loss of life among you. This went contrary to Paul\u2019s personal opinion, which he had expressed in verse 10; but now he had direct revelation from God that this would be so.<\/p>\n
Verses 23\u201324 describe this direct revelation: For there stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I am, whom also I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; you must stand before Caesar: and lo, God has granted you all them that sail with you.<\/p>\n
In verse 23, an angel came to him from the God whom Paul served, so he was confident that this was a true revelation. The message of the angel, in verse 24, was that no one aboard the ship would die. Paul would certainly not die, because he was to stand before Caesar in order to give Caesar the gospel. Because this was God\u2019s plan for Paul, God granted him the lives of all those aboard the ship, so all the others would survive as well.<\/p>\n
Therefore, Paul encouraged them again, in verse 25: Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even so as it has been spoken unto me.<\/p>\n
Wherefore, in the light of this new revelation: be of good cheer; they will survive this crisis. Everything that had been revealed to him will surely come to pass.<\/p>\n
But the bad news is given in verse 26: But we must be cast upon a certain island.<\/p>\n
The ship would be wrecked upon a certain island. The name of the island was not revealed to Paul at this time. The wind will have driven them to the island of Meltia, four hundred seventy-six miles off course.<\/p>\n
e. The Shipwreck\u2014Acts 27:27\u201344<\/p>\n
(1) The Attempts to Land the Ship\u2014Acts 27:27\u201339<\/p>\n
Verse 27 records their arrival at the Sea of Adria: But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven to and fro in the sea of Adria, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some country.<\/p>\n
The timing was: when the fourteenth night was come. They had now been blown around the Mediterranean by this wind for two full weeks. They were driven to and fro by the storm in the sea of Adria. The Sea of Adria is not the same as the Adriatic Sea, but what is now called the Gulf of Adria, located in the central portion of the Mediterranean Sea, bordered on the north by Italy, on the west by Sicily, on the south by Cyrene, and on the east by the Island of Crete.<\/p>\n
Around midnight of the fourteenth night, the sailors began to sense that they were drawing close to land. The word surmised means that they began to suspect this because of a sixth sense gained from experience. They probably heard the sound of breakers; that would sharpen their nerves, because breakers could wreck a ship well before she could reach the shore.<\/p>\n
They began to take soundings in verse 28: and they sounded, and found twenty fathoms; and after a little space, they sounded again, and found fifteen fathoms.<\/p>\n
At the first sounding, they found themselves in twenty fathoms of water. At six feet to one fathom, that meant they were about one hundred twenty feet above the seabed. At the second sounding, they were at only fifteen fathoms or only ninety feet. So the seabed was shelving up beneath them.<\/p>\n
At that point, they began dropping the anchors in verse 29: And fearing lest haply we should be cast ashore on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for the day.<\/p>\n
The reason was that they feared they would be cast ashore on rocky ground. The Greek literally means, \u201clest we should fall about down among rocky places.\u201d They were afraid the ship would founder on the rocks and break apart. So they let go four anchors from the stern of the ship to try and keep it from hitting the rocks. In this way, they stopped the ship. Then they simply waited and wished for the day. Literally, the Greek states \u201cthey prayed for day,\u201d they kept on praying for daylight to come. This was probably done only by the believers on board, not by the whole ship\u2019s company.<\/p>\n
The sailors, however, had their own plan in verse 30: And as the sailors were seeking to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, under color as though they would lay out anchors from the foreship.<\/p>\n
The sailors were thinking only to save themselves at the expense of everyone else. They lowered the boat into the sea; the dinghy, which they had hoisted inboard earlier, they now began to lower back into the water. It was a deceptive move, done ostensibly under color. The words under color mean \u201cas a pretense\u201d or \u201ca pretext.\u201d What they were trying to do was to get away from the ship; they pretended they needed the dinghy to lay out anchors from the prow. But Paul knew, from his previous experiences of being shipwrecked, what they were up to.<\/p>\n
Paul warned the centurion and the soldiers about the action of the sailors in verse 31: Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.<\/p>\n
These sailors were still needed to make sure that the ship was properly beached. This illustrates the principle that God not only ordains the end, He also ordains the means. God had already ordained the end in verses 22\u201324: that all lives would be saved. But He also ordained the means: that these sailors must remain on board the ship.<\/p>\n
The immediate response of the soldiers is in verse 32: Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.<\/p>\n
The dinghy dropped back into the sea and was totally out of the picture from then on. Now the sailors were not able to use it to make good their escape.<\/p>\n
Verses 33\u201334 present Paul\u2019s admonition: And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take some food, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore I beseech you to take some food: for this is for your safety: for there shall not a hair perish from the head of any of you.<\/p>\n
The timing was: while the day was coming on. Literally, \u201cwhen daylight was about to come on,\u201d Paul besought them all to take some food. He kept on beseeching them, reminding them that fourteen days had passed while they had been fasting; they had eaten nothing, and this was not good. So because of their lack of nourishment, Paul admonished them to take some food for [their] safety. The Greek word for safety means \u201csalvation,\u201d but it is in reference to physical salvation. This was necessary for their physical salvation.<\/p>\n
Paul set himself as an example in verse 35: And when he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all; and he broke it, and began to eat.<\/p>\n
To encourage them to eat, Paul took bread. Then he: gave thanks to God in the presence of all. Having given thanks, Paul: broke it, which was the traditional Jewish practice when saying a grace: and began to eat.<\/p>\n
The response is given in verse 36: Then were they all of good cheer, and themselves also took food.<\/p>\n
Verse 37 gives the total number of people who were aboard the ship:<\/p>\n
And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.<\/p>\n
By the use of the pronoun we, Luke includes himself among the two hundred seventy-six persons.<\/p>\n
In verse 38, they threw out more cargo: And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.<\/p>\n
The timing was: when they had eaten enough. Now that they had eaten and were satisfied, they had to lighten the ship even further, which they did by throwing out the wheat into the sea. Everything that had not been jettisoned earlier was now thrown out. The purpose was to raise the ship in the water, and so let her run as far up the beach as possible before grounding.<\/p>\n
At long last, they finally sighted land in verse 39: And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they perceived a certain bay with a beach, and they took counsel whether they could drive the ship upon it.<\/p>\n
The timing was: when it was day. The situation was: they knew not the land, meaning they did not recognize which country it was. However, they did recognize that they had made landfall. They gradually headed toward it and perceived a certain bay with a beach. That was when they took counsel whether they could drive the ship upon it. The Greek indicates a process of deliberation and expression of doubt. They needed to discuss how much closer they dared drive the ship toward the beach, because the less swimming required, the better. They deliberated to see if it was worth the effort and what they must do in order to drive the ship as close to the shoreline as they could.<\/p>\n
(2) The Beaching of the Ship\u2014Acts 27:40\u201341<\/p>\n
They then attempted to beach the ship in four stages, beginning in verse 40: And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosing the bands of the rudders; and hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.<\/p>\n
First, they disconnected the ship from the four anchors that had been lowered from the stern in verse 29, and let the ropes fall into the sea. If the ship was to be beached, they no longer needed the anchors. The second step was: loosening the bands of the rudders. Ships of that day had a pair of paddle-rudders, which had to be fastened while the ship was anchored. They were now let loose. The third step was: hoisting up the foresail to the wind. This would help to pick up forward speed in order to drive the ship as far as possible up the beach. The fourth step was: they made for the beach. The Greek literally means they \u201caimed the ship steadily for the beach.\u201d<\/p>\n
Verse 41 records the beaching of the ship: But lighting upon a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground; and the foreship struck and remained unmoveable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.<\/p>\n
The place was: where two seas meet; they came upon a reef which created two strong, opposing currents, with deeper water on each side of the reef. Thus, unexpectedly, they ran the vessel aground, but not ashore as they had hoped, not on the beach, but on a shoal of rock. The ship was now stuck fast. With the prow jammed and immovable, the breakers were pounding the stern, moving it back and forth so that the line of the hull was being wrenched at an angle to the prow. The stern was being quickly broken apart by the fury of the waves.<\/p>\n
(3) The Escape to Shore\u2014Acts 27:42\u201344<\/p>\n
Verse 42 records the counsel of the soldiers: And the soldiers\u2019 counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.<\/p>\n
At this point, the soldiers began to discuss the possibility of killing the prisoners. Under Roman law, Roman soldiers were accountable for their prisoners; should a prisoner escape, the soldier would have to pay for it with his own life according to Acts 12:19 and 16:27. Under the Roman system, if there were a situation where a prisoner might escape, the responsible soldier would rather kill the prisoner than lose his own life. Thus, these soldiers were considering killing the prisoners on board the ship because, even if only one of them escaped, they would all be executed.<\/p>\n
The intervention of the centurion is given in verses 43\u201344, beginning in verse 43a: But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stayed them from their purpose.<\/p>\n
The Roman centurion\u2019s desire was: to save Paul. By this time learned to trust Paul, so he stayed them from their purpose. By so doing, he was risking his own life, for if any prisoner did escape, he alone would be liable now, since he had taken full responsibility in issuing the order to spare them.<\/p>\n
The command of the centurion is in verses 43b\u201344a: and commanded that they who could swim should cast themselves overboard, and get first to the land; and the rest, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship.<\/p>\n
In verse 43b, he gave the command for those who could swim to throw themselves overboard and swim as best they could to land. Everyone was on his own. In verse 44a, those who could not swim had to get buoyant pieces of the ship and try to float ashore: some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. If there were not enough planks to go around, they had to use whatever was to hand. Everyone had to try to make it on their own. If any prisoner got to shore and then made a run for it and succeeded in escaping, the centurion would lose his own life when he got to Rome.<\/p>\n
The result was in verse 44b: And so it came to pass, that they all escaped safe to the land.<\/p>\n
Everybody did make it alive to the land, and in this way Paul\u2019s prophecy of verses 22\u201324 and 34 was fulfilled: not one life was lost.<\/p>\n
B. The Time in Melita\u2014Acts 28:1\u201310<\/p>\n
1. The Viper Incident\u2014Acts 28:1\u20136<\/p>\n
Verse 1 identifies the island where they were shipwrecked: And when we were escaped, then we knew that the island was called Melita.<\/p>\n
The Island of Melita is known today as Malta, an island sixty miles south of Sicily. Melita was a Phoenician name meaning \u201cescape\u201d or \u201crefuge,\u201d because it was a haven or an escape from the elements for Phoenician sailors.<\/p>\n
Verse 2 describes the reception they received: And the barbarians showed us no common kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.<\/p>\n
By barbarians, Luke simply means they were natives who were not Greek speaking. They were not necessarily uncivilized, but they were speaking a foreign language, probably a Phoenician dialect. Elsewhere in the New Testament, the word \u201cbarbarian\u201d is used only by Paul (Rom. 1:14; 1 Cor. 14:11; Col. 3:11). These barbarians showed the shipwreck escapees no common kindness. The Greek tense means that they kept on showing common kindness. The Greek word for no common kindness means \u201cthe love of mankind.\u201d<\/p>\n
The means whereby they showed this kindness was twofold. First: they kindled a fire; secondly, they received us all. Literally the Greek states, \u201cthey took us all to themselves.\u201d This they did for two reasons. First: because of the present rain. Literally the Greek states, \u201cthe rain that stood upon them.\u201d In other words, it was still pouring with rain after all this time. Secondly: because of the cold. The temperature had fallen to its seasonal low, because it was already late fall or early winter.<\/p>\n
With verse 3, the viper incident begins: But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out by reason of the heat, and fastened on his hand.<\/p>\n
The timing was: when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks. He took a bundle of sticks, rolled them together, carried them, and laid them on the fire. As he did that: a viper came out by reason of the heat. Because of the cold, the viper had become stiff and Paul had probably mistaken it for a stick and picked it up in his bundle. But the heat from the fire quickly revived it, and the snake struck out and fastened on his hand, hanging there for a few seconds.<\/p>\n
This incident led to the first conclusion of the natives in verse 4: And when the barbarians saw the venomous creature hanging from his hand, they said one to another, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not suffered to live.<\/p>\n
They saw that a venomous snake, whose bite would normally have been fatal, had sunk its fangs into his hand and was now dangling there. So they began to say: No doubt this man is a murderer.<\/p>\n
These natives were exercising a \u201cJob\u2019s Comforters\u201d type of mentality. The friends of Job had concluded that he must have been guilty of some special sin because of all the physical problems that fell upon him. Here, the natives made the same assumption about Paul: that he must have been a murderer, because the snake had leaped from the fire and now hung by its fangs from his hand. They concluded that, while Paul had escaped from the sea, yet Justice hath not suffered him to live. The word Justice is a reference to a pagan god or a reference to Justice personified. Their point was, that although Paul had escaped from the sea with his life, nevertheless, the god Justice had seen to it that he would die anyway. They fully expected him to die, and they assumed that such a calamity was due to sin.<\/p>\n
But Paul\u2019s reaction was in verse 5: Howbeit he shook off the creature into the fire, and took no harm.<\/p>\n
He simply shook the snake off his hand into the fire and no harm came to him whatsoever.<\/p>\n
So now the natives reached their second conclusion in verse 6: But they expected that he would have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but when they were long in expectation and beheld nothing amiss came to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.<\/p>\n
This conclusion completely contradicted their first one. The Greek tense for expected means that they \u201ckept on expecting\u201d that he would have swollen. They thought that he would swell up as a result of the snakebite and then to drop dead suddenly. But, when this did not happen, and when he showed there was no harm done to him whatsoever, they reached a different conclusion. The reason for this conclusion was: they were long in expectation; or more literally from the Greek, \u201cWhen they were expecting for much time,\u201d they found that nothing amiss came to him. Literally, \u201cnothing out of place coming to him.\u201d What they were expecting to happen to Paul did not happen. The conclusion was: that he was a god.<\/p>\n
This second conclusion was as faulty as the first, because it was based upon a faulty premise: that if something bad happened to a man, it was because of sin. Sometimes bad things happen to people, which are totally unrelated to sin of any kind. The second faulty conclusion was also based upon a faulty premise: that Paul was a god because he was able to sustain a bite from a poisonous snake and not die. God did not allow Paul to die of snakebite, because He had a different plan for him. It was not God\u2019s will to allow a snake to kill him, and that was that. This was the second time in his ministry that Paul was taken for a god: here and in Acts 14:11\u201312.<\/p>\n
2. The Healing of Publius\u2019 Father\u2014Acts 28:7\u201310<\/p>\n
Verse 7 describes the reception that Paul and all the others received from Publius: Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and entertained us three days courteously.<\/p>\n
In the surrounding district where they had come ashore were lands belonging to the chief man of the island. The words chief man of the island literally mean \u201cthe first man on the island,\u201d he was a government official. This was the correct title for the chief officer of Melita or Malta, as archeology has borne out. Here again, one sees Luke\u2019s historical accuracy, for he calls the leader of the island by his proper title. Malta was a part of the Province of Sicily, which was sixty miles away. The Province of Sicily was under a propaetor, and the chief man of Malta was the propaetor\u2019s immediate subordinate.<\/p>\n
His name was Publius, which is a Greek name, showing that his nationality was Greek. This man received us, which included Paul and Luke, and entertained us courteously three days. He entertained them in a friendly manner or a kindly manner, perhaps as a result of hearing about the snake incident.<\/p>\n
In verse 8, Luke records the healing of Publius\u2019 father: And it was so, that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery: unto whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laying his hands on him healed him.<\/p>\n
The problem was: that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. The dysentery that attacked people on the Island of Malta was well known. This illness, called \u201cMaltese Fever,\u201d was due to an organism found in the north end of the Gulf of Malta. The Greek word for fever is in the plural and is a medical term for the intermittent attacks of fever. Once again, this shows Luke\u2019s medical background. Paul went in where the sick man lay and laid his hands on him and, using his gift of healing, he was able to heal Publius\u2019 father. Once again in the Book of Acts, healing was performed only by an apostle or an apostolic legate. It is not true that believers in general were doing acts of healing in the Book of Acts. The Greek word for healed used here means \u201cinstantaneous, miraculous\u201d healing.<\/p>\n
Verse 9 records the effects of the miracle: And when this was done, the rest also that had diseases in the island came, and were cured.<\/p>\n
The timing was: when this was done. This shows a cause-and-effect relationship in that, when the healing was accomplished, the other people on the island who had diseases began coming, and they were cured. The Greek tense means \u201cthey kept on coming\u201d for the entire three-month period. The way the Greek text reads, it was a gradual cure. It appears that Luke may have been somehow involved by using his medical skills, since many of these cures were not necessarily miraculous and sudden. God used Luke\u2019s medical skills as well.<\/p>\n
Verse 10 records the thankfulness of the natives: who also honored us with many honors; and when we sailed, they put on board such things as we needed.<\/p>\n
In Greek literature, the word used here for honor is often used for payment for professional services. The term us shows that Luke was indeed involved in caring for the people. Because the natives were so thankful, when the party was ready to sail again: they put on board such things as we needed. The natives provided what was needed for them on the remainder of their journey to Rome.<\/p>\n
C. The Journey from Melita to Italy\u2014Acts 28:11\u201315<\/p>\n
1. The Embarkation from Melita\u2014Acts 28:11<\/p>\n
And after three months we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose sign was The Twin Brothers.<\/p>\n
The timing was: after three months. These three months cover the period between November and February. Some time in February, navigation in the Mediterranean opened up again. They set sail this time in a ship of Alexandria, which was of the same fleet as the one that had been wrecked in Acts 27:6. This was now the third ship that was being used in trying to get them all to Rome.<\/p>\n
This was also a grain ship, but it had been able to winter at Malta. The sign of this ship was The Twin Brothers. The Twin Brothers were the brothers of Roman and Greek mythology, Castor and Pollux, supposedly the twin sons of Zeus or Jupiter and Leda. These two were the patron gods of mariners, who were responsible for the care of storm-bound ships, and their images were often painted on each side of the prow of the ship.<\/p>\n
2. From Melita to Puteoli\u2014Acts 28:12\u201314a<\/p>\n
And touching at Syracuse, we tarried there three days. And from thence we made a circuit, and arrived at Rhegium: and after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli; where we found brethren, and were entreated to tarry with them seven days.<\/p>\n
In verse 12, they made it to Syracuse, which is situated on the east coast of Italy, eighty miles north of Malta. Syracuse is a seaport for Sicily with a double harbor. It was founded as a Corinthian colony in the year 734 B.C. and fell to Rome in 212 B.C. Cicero, a Roman writer, states that it was the greatest of the Greek cities, and that it was the most beautiful of all cities. They stayed there for three days, though no reason is given for this length of stay. They then went on to Rhegium, in verse 13a, by making a circuit. No reason is given as to why they could not take a straight course. They arrived at Rhegium, which is right on the \u201ctoe\u201d of Italy. Today it is known as Reggio in Calabria.<\/p>\n
In verses 13b\u201314a, they came to Puteoli, after one day at Rhegium. At that point: the south wind sprang up, allowing for easy sailing northbound, and on the second day they came to Puteoli. Today it is known as Puzzuoli. It is located one hundred eighty miles north of Rhegium on the southwest corner of Italy and on the north shore of the Bay of Naples, lying eight miles northwest of the city of Napoli. It is the main seaport of southern Italy. It had an emporium for Alexandrian wheat ships, one hundred fifty miles southeast of Rome. There was a church in Puteoli, for they found brethren, fellow-believers with whom they stayed for seven days. Centurion Julius had learned to trust Paul implicitly, and so allowed it.<\/p>\n
3. From Puteoli to Rome\u2014Acts 28:14b\u201315<\/p>\n
and so we came to Rome. And from thence the brethren, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns; whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.<\/p>\n
In verse 14b, Luke includes himself in this statement. For him, it is the climax of his book. Rome was the capital of the empire that stretched three thousand miles from east to west, and two thousand miles from north to south, with a population of 4,500,000, half of whom were slaves.<\/p>\n
Verse 15 points out something the Church of Rome did. When the believers in Rome heard that Paul was coming, perhaps by messenger from the Church of Puteoli, they chose to send two groups to meet his party along the way. By this time, the Church of Rome had received Paul\u2019s Epistle to the Romans, so they came down to meet him.<\/p>\n
There were two meeting places. The first was: The Market of Appius. This was known as the Appia Forum or the Forum of Appias, located on the Appian Way. The Appian Way was named after Appius Claudius, for it was planned under Claudius\u2019 censorship in the year 312 B.C. The second meeting-place was: The Three Taverns. This is a spot located thirty-three miles southeast of Rome. This meeting had a decisive impact on the Apostle Paul, because, when he saw them: he thanked God, and took courage; he was encouraged by these fellow-believers coming to meet him so far away. They had come thirty-three miles south from Rome to escort him all the way back to the city.<\/p>\n
4. The Arrival into the City\u2014Acts 28:16<\/p>\n
And when we entered into Rome, Paul was suffered to abide by himself with the soldier that guarded him.<\/p>\n
With the statement: And when we entered into Rome, they had arrived in Rome at last. Paul had a desire to come to this city for a very long time, although this is not quite the manner in which he had intended to come! But now that he was in Rome: Paul was suffered to abide by himself with the soldier that guarded him. Literally the Greek states that it was permitted Paul \u201cto abide by himself.\u201d This was, no doubt, a result of the good report the authorities received from Julius. Paul was able to live by himself, and was only chained to a guard by his right hand. Paul may very well have been turned over to the captain of the guard, who was the commander of the Praetorian Guard. At that time, it was Afrianius Burrus who served in that post from A.D. 51\u201362, so his time of service would have included the time Paul was at Rome.<\/p>\n
II. THE TIME IN ROME\u2014ACTS 28:17\u201331<\/p>\n
A. Paul\u2019s Messages to Jewish Leaders\u2014Acts 28:17\u201329<\/p>\n
1. The Message to the Chief of the Jews\u2014Acts 28:17\u201320<\/p>\n
Once in Rome, in verse 17a, Paul again fulfilled the principle of \u201cto the Jew first\u201d as he had been doing throughout the Book of Acts: And it came to pass, that after three days he called together those that were the chief of the Jews: and when they were come together.<\/p>\n
The timing was: after three days. Paul\u2019s general pattern upon entering a new city was to go to the synagogue and proclaim the gospel to the Jews first. But in Rome, he could not do so because he was a prisoner chained to a Roman soldier. However, he fulfilled the command anyway by calling the chief of the Jews to him. Literally, these were \u201cthe first among the Jews,\u201d and they did indeed come together.<\/p>\n
Verses 17b\u201320 present Paul\u2019s message to them, beginning with his arrest in verse 17b: he said unto them, I, brethren, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, yet was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.<\/p>\n
He called them brethren. In this case, he did not mean \u201cfellow believers,\u201d but \u201cfellow-Jews,\u201d since the term brethren could be used either way. He declared: though I have done nothing against the people; he had done nothing whatsoever against the Jewish people. Nor had he violated the customs of our fathers, referring to the laws of Judaism and the Law of Moses. Nevertheless, he was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. Paul was only summarizing what had happened to him; he did not go into detail about how he had to be rescued by the Romans from the mob that was trying to kill him.<\/p>\n
He related the conclusion the Romans had reached in verse 18: who, when they had examined me, desired to set me at liberty, because there was no cause of death in me.<\/p>\n
This was the judicial examination before Felix and Festus, whose verdict was that he was innocent, and they desired to set [Paul] at liberty. The reason was that they found no cause of death; in other words, Paul had done nothing that was contrary to Roman law.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, he had been forced to appeal to Caesar in verse 19: But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had aught whereof to accuse my nation.<\/p>\n
When the Jews spoke against it; that is, when the Jewish leaders spoke against Paul\u2019s being released, he was constrained to appeal unto Caesar. This had been forced upon him by Festus, not that Paul had anything to say against his own nation. In other words, he had not made his appeal to Caesar in order to complain against the Jewish nation; he had done this only because Festus would not release him. By using the term my nation, Paul shows that he still considered himself to be a member of the Jewish nation. All Jewish believers were still members of the Jewish nation.<\/p>\n
Finally, he gave the reason for calling them together in verse 20: For this cause therefore did I entreat you to see and to speak with me: for because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.<\/p>\n
The real issue was: the hope of Israel, the Messianic Hope; specifically, that Yeshua (Jesus) was the Messiah. If Jesus really were the Messiah, then He becomes the hope of Israel, and it was for this Hope that Paul was now chained.<\/p>\n
Four observations should be noted. First, that Paul was not guilty of any offense against the Jewish people or against Jewish customs or against the Mosaic Law. Secondly, that the Roman authorities in the Land of Israel were willing to release Paul, but being intimidated by the Jewish leaders, did not do so. Thirdly, therefore, that Paul was forced to appeal to Caesar. Fourthly, that in doing so, he made no counter charges against the Jewish nation. That was the essence of his message to these Jewish leaders.<\/p>\n
2. The Response\u2014Acts 28:21\u201322<\/p>\n
The response of the Jewish leaders begins with a denial of their knowledge of his case in verse 21: And they said unto him, We neither received letters from Judaea concerning you, nor did any of the brethren come hither and report or speak any harm of you.<\/p>\n
The word letters means \u201cofficial documents,\u201d they received no official communication from the Sanhedrin concerning any charges against Paul. Their statement also shows that Paul\u2019s accusers did not follow him to Rome either. Here again, the word brethren means \u201cfellow-Jews.\u201d This does not mean these Jewish leaders had never heard of Paul; they had certainly heard of him by this time. They were merely saying they had heard nothing about this particular case.<\/p>\n
Then they spelled out their desire in verse 22: But we desire to hear of you what you think: for as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.<\/p>\n
They felt it was only fair to listen to Paul\u2019s side of the affair, because: it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against. The existence of this new faith was well known in Rome (Acts 18:2; 28:14\u201315; Rom. 1:8). They used the term sect to describe the Messianic Jewish movement of that day. They were aware of this movement of Jews who believed in Yeshua, but they were also aware of the negative reaction to it by the Jewish leadership, which was also well known among the Jewish community at Rome.<\/p>\n
3. The Second Message\u2014Acts 28:23<\/p>\n
Verse 23a shows how Paul fulfilled the principle of Romans 1:16: And when they had appointed him a day, they came to him into his lodging in great number.<\/p>\n
The timing was: when they had appointed him a day; they made a definite appointment, then they came in great number to where Paul was living. This was a much larger body of Jews than had come the first time.<\/p>\n
Verse 23b presents Paul\u2019s message to them: to whom he expounded the matter, testifying the kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning till evening.<\/p>\n
The Greek word for expounded means \u201cto set forth,\u201d and the tense means that he did it in detail. He detailed the claims of Yeshua and especially emphasized the Kingdom Program. Because this was a Jewish audience, it was necessary to explain why the Messianic Kingdom had not been set up if Yeshua really were the King.<\/p>\n
The teachings about the Kingdom of God are mentioned seven times in the Book of Acts. A summary explains these various teachings. First, in Acts 1:3\u20136, Yeshua spoke about the Kingdom of God Program to the apostles after His Resurrection. Secondly, in Acts 8:12, it was also explained to the Samaritans, because they had their own concept of the Kingdom. Thirdly, in Acts 14:22, it was taught in Asia Minor, but there it had a future connotation. Fourthly, in Acts 19:8, it was explained in a synagogue in Ephesus. Fifth, in Acts 20:25, speaking about the Kingdom of God was part of his ministry in Ephesus. Sixth, in Acts 28:23, it was expounded upon to the Jewish leaders in Rome. And seventh, in Acts 28:31, it was part of Paul\u2019s teaching ministry in Rome.<\/p>\n
From these seven passages, four observations can be made. First, the objects of the Kingdom message included unbelieving Jews, Jewish believers, Samaritans who also believed in the Messianic Kingdom, and to a church with a future reference. Secondly, it was never presented to an unsaved Gentile audience. Thirdly, it is sometimes described as only part of Paul\u2019s teaching. Fourthly, never are the Kingdom of God and the Church of God equated as being one and the same thing.<\/p>\n
In this message, Paul explained the Kingdom Program to these Jewish leaders and persuaded them concerning Jesus; that is, the role Yeshua has in the Kingdom Program. He did so from two Old Testament sources: the Law of Moses and the Prophets, for the Messiahship of Jesus was the Hope of Israel. This was done during the period of a whole day, from morning till evening. Paul spent the whole day explaining two things. First, the Kingdom Program; and secondly, the Messiahship of Yeshua.<\/p>\n
4. The Response: Acts:28:24<\/p>\n
Verse 24 gives the response of the Jewish leaders: And some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.<\/p>\n
There were two different responses. First: some believed the things that were spoken. The Greek word means \u201csome began to be persuaded.\u201d The second response was that some disbelieved. The Greek means they \u201ccontinued to disbelieve.\u201d In other words, they did not even begin to believe.<\/p>\n
5. Paul\u2019s Final Message\u2014Acts 28:25\u201328<\/p>\n
This disagreement among the leaders led to Paul\u2019s response, beginning with the reasoning behind what he said in verse 25a: And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed after that Paul had spoken one word.<\/p>\n
Because of this division among them, Paul gave them this statement. As they were leaving, he gave them one last word, which was his final message to them.<\/p>\n
In verses 25b\u201327, he quoted Isaiah 6:9\u201310: Well spake the Holy Spirit through Isaiah the prophet unto your fathers, saying, Go you unto this people, and say, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive: For this people\u2019s heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest, haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them.<\/p>\n
He introduced the quotation by stating: Well spake the Holy Spirit through Isaiah the prophet unto your fathers. This again shows the biblical teaching of the dual authorship of Scripture. The divine Author was the Holy Spirit, but the human author was Isaiah the Prophet. Paul states that Isaiah spoke this unto your fathers. The message was originally for Isaiah\u2019s generation, but now Paul makes an application of it to his own generation. This quotation falls into the category of literal plus application. Literally, it was addressed to a nation that disbelieved in the days of Isaiah. The application was that it now applies to a nation that disbelieves Yeshua and the apostles in Paul\u2019s day.<\/p>\n
Paul applied the quotation in verse 28: Be it known therefore unto you, that this salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles: they will also hear.<\/p>\n
His application was to show that the Gentiles were going to receive this message. His declaration was: Be it known therefore unto you, that this salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles. This emphasizes that this salvation is the salvation by grace through faith in the Messiahship of Yeshua. Because the message had been presented to the Jews first, it could now go out to the Gentiles. This is not a dispensational change, but a local change, as it was twice before in the Book of Acts (Acts 13:45\u201347; 18:5\u20136). This was not a total rejection of the Jewish community just because some Jews did not believe in verse 24. Now Paul declared: they will also hear. The Jews heard, and some believed. Now the Gentiles will hear, and some of them will believe.<\/p>\n
B. Paul\u2019s Ministry in Rome\u2014Acts 28:30\u201331<\/p>\n
In these last two verses, Luke summarized Paul\u2019s ministry in Rome, beginning by describing his circumstances in verse 30: And he abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto him.<\/p>\n
The fact that he stayed two whole years in Rome shows that his accusers never came to accuse Paul before Caesar. Under Roman law, two years was the length of time accusers had to come to Rome with their accusations. If they failed to show up within that time, as was true in this case, the accused would be released by default.<\/p>\n
The Jewish leaders realized that they had no grounds for accusing Paul under Roman law. They knew that Caesar would have to free him eventually, just like the Roman officials had been going to free him. So they decided upon a different strategy: to allow Paul to appeal to Caesar, but then fail to show up within the two year period. That would then mean Paul would be kept nicely out of circulation for all that time. They figured that he would be rendered ineffective for the next two years at least. But how wrong they were! During those two years in jail, he wrote four important epistles that have continued to influence the world to this day: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.<\/p>\n
Paul abode in his own hired dwelling. He was officially a prisoner, but he was given a great deal of freedom; this included the freedom to live in his own rented accommodation, rather than being incarcerated in the jail. So he was able to receive all who came. From time to time, people came to see him and he was able to receive them in privacy.<\/p>\n
Verse 31 summarizes his ministry: preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, none forbidding him.<\/p>\n
During this two-year period he proclaimed the Kingdom Program. He also continued: teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the essence of the gospel. Paul did this with all boldness and no one forbade him. Philippians 1:12\u201314 describes his ministry during those two years as even extending to the Praetorian Guard, which was the personal guard of the Roman emperor.<\/p>\n
III. THE AFTERMATH: PAUL\u2019S LAST YEARS<\/p>\n
So with this, the Book of Acts comes to an end, but of course, Paul\u2019s life did not come to an end at this point. What happened to him following Acts 28 can be summarized in five points.<\/p>\n
A. The Two Years in Rome<\/p>\n
The first point concerns the two years in Rome. While he was a prisoner, he had contact with three individuals from the provinces of Asia and Macedonia. The first person was Epaphras (Philem. 23), who helped to establish the Church of Colossae (Col. 1:7; 4:12). In the light of Epaphras\u2019 report to him, Paul wrote his Epistle to the Colossians and sent it by Tychicus with Onesimus around A.D. 61 or 62. The second individual Paul had contact with was Onesimus, who was a slave of Philemon. Paul wrote the Epistle to Philemon, which was sent to Philemon by Onesimus. The third individual Paul encountered during those two years in Rome was Epaphroditus, who visited Paul and brought gifts from Philippi (Phil. 4:18). Paul wrote an Epistle to the Philippians and sent it to the Church of Philippi by Epaphraditus (Phil. 2:25\u201330).<\/p>\n
During this two year imprisonment in Rome, Paul expected to be released (Phil. 1:19, 25\u201326; 2:24; Philem. 22). At this point, Demas was still with him (Philem. 24).<\/p>\n
B. Paul\u2019s Acquittal<\/p>\n
The second point is that Paul was released after two years. Both the biblical record and the historical record imply that Paul was indeed released after the statutory two years, because his accusers failed to show up in Rome. This would have occurred around A.D. 63.<\/p>\n
The historical evidence comes from the church fathers. The first was Clement, who wrote an epistle, which is known as I Clement, some time between A.D. 95 and 96. In chapter 5 of his epistle, he mentions that Paul had been released. Eusebius, the early church historian, also mentioned that Paul was released.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, in the biblical record, there were three events in the life of Paul that indicate he was released, because they cannot be fitted anywhere into the Book of Acts. First, in 2 Timothy 4:20, Paul mentions that he left Trophimus in Miletas. Secondly, in 2 Timothy 4:13, Paul mentions that he left things at Troas. Thirdly, Titus 1:5 mentions Paul\u2019s ministry in Crete. These three things cannot be fitted anywhere into the history of the Book of Acts. It appears, therefore, that these were things Paul did after he was released.<\/p>\n
A third reason for believing that he was released is that he faced a prison situation in his later Epistles that was obviously not the same as here in Acts 28. In other words, the prison situation is different in the later Epistles from that mentioned in his early Epistles. For example, 2 Timothy 2:9 mentions that conditions were more harsh; and 2 Timothy 4:10 states that he had been forsaken by Demas. Furthermore, in 2 Timothy 4:6\u20138, he writes that he expected to die. So this prison situation was totally different in the later Epistles.<\/p>\n
C. The Fourth Missionary Journey<\/p>\n
The third point is that his release after two years was followed by a five year ministry, covering the time between A.D. 63 and 68. During this period, he wrote two Epistles: 1 Timothy and Titus. There is a good possibility that he undertook a fourth missionary journey because of the nine specific places mentioned in his Epistles that are not mentioned by Luke in the Book of Acts: first, according to Philemon 22, he was in Colossae; secondly, there was a journey into Macedonia (Phil. 2:24; 1 Tim. 1:3); thirdly, another journey to Ephesus (1 Tim. 3:14); fourthly, he possibly went to Spain (Rom. 15:24\u201328); fifth, Crete (Titus 1:5); sixth, Corinth (2 Tim. 4:20); seventh, Miletus (2 Tim. 4:20); eighth, Troas (2 Tim. 4:13) and ninth, Nicopolis (Titus 3:12).<\/p>\n
The chronology appears to be as follows. In A.D. 63, Paul faced trial and was acquitted. He then went to Philippi (Phil. 2:24), and then on to Colossae (Philem. 22). In A.D. 64, he probably went to Spain (Rom. 15:24\u201328). In A.D. 66, he went to Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:3), Macedonia (1 Tim. 1:3), and Ephesus again (1 Tim. 3:14). In A.D. 67, he wrote 1 Timothy and came to Miletus and Cornith (2 Tim. 4:20). He then wrote the Epistle to Titus, and went to Nicopolis (Titus 3:12).<\/p>\n
D. The Second Imprisonment in Rome<\/p>\n
The fourth point is his second imprisonment. He was arrested again in A.D. 67, and taken to Rome to face trial. He wrote 2 Timothy during this period.<\/p>\n
E. Martyrdom<\/p>\n
The fifth point is his execution some time in A.D. 67 or 68. The evidence comes from several writings of the early church fathers. First, Clement, who wrote about A.D. 95\u201396, that Paul was beheaded by Emperor Nero (I Clement). Secondly, Dionysius of Corinth, who wrote in the year A.D. 170, mentions that Paul was martyred in Rome. Third, the historian Tertullian, who wrote between A.D. 198 and 200, writes that Paul was beheaded in Rome. A fourth writer, Gaius of Rome, who wrote in the third century A.D., states that he was murdered on the Ostian Way. Fifth, Origen, writing in A.D. 325, mentions that he was martyred under Nero. The sixth writer was Eusebius in A.D. 326, in his work called \u201cThe Ecclesiastical History,\u201d wrote: \u201cAfter defending himself, the apostle was sent again on his ministry of preaching. Coming again a second time to the same city, Rome, suffered martyrdom under Nero.\u201d<\/p>\n
And so Paul\u2019s life ended.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
And when it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band. Acts 27:1 This segment of Scripture covers the last two chapters of the Book of Acts and deals with Paul\u2019s journey to Rome, his imprisonment in Rome, and … <\/p>\n