Acts 28:17-31
English Standard Version

Paul in Rome
17 After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18 When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. 19 But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. 20 For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” 21 And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”

23 When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. 24 And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. 25 And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

26 “‘Go to this people, and say,
“You will indeed hear but never understand,
    and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
27 For this people's heart has grown dull,
    and with their ears they can barely hear,
    and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
    and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
    and turn, and I would heal them.’

28 Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”

​30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

Today marks the end of our study of the book of Acts together.  Next, I'll be returning to the Old Testament to cover much of what we have missed there.  The Old Testament is full of lessons that are still for us as the people of God today, and while the priesthood and sacrificial system we see in it are "old" in that Christ has fulfilled them, there is still much to be learned about who God is and how He wants us to live so that we may experience the blessings of His covenant (which come through Christ) and not the curses of the covenant (which were all put on Christ for those who are in Christ, but for those who remain in sin, they will drink the fullness of the wrath that has been stored up for them).  We will see this not only in the Old Testament but also when we come back to look at the book of Revelation, which is probably one of the last books of the Bible we will study together.

Now to today's passage.  First, Paul makes the case to the local brothers (the Jews that lived in Rome, but clearly not the Jewish Christians because of their response at the end that they wanted to hear more about the gospel).  I would consider this as both practice for Paul as he laid out his legal arguments but also one of "don't believe everything you hear."  These are the facts from my side.

Paul explained that he had to appeal to Caesar because the Jews wished to seek jurisdiction and a change in venue only so they could assassinate Paul either on the way or while he was in their custody.  The only way that he could guarantee a fair trial, especially with his life on the line was to make use of his Roman citizenship to appeal to Caesar.

The Jewish brothers in Rome assured Paul that the Jews in Jerusalem had not sent letters ahead of time telling a different story and they didn't even know he was coming.  It seems like the Jews weren't interested in trying the case in the court of public opinion and they may not even have been willing to put much effort into the prosecution for this case.  Paul leaves his argument with the Jews of them wanting to hear more about what they thought was just a sect of Judaism, the followers of the Way, and how they interpreted the Word of God differently and how they are claiming that it had been fulfilled in the person of Jesus the Christ.  All they have heard about them is that they are spoken against everywhere by the Jewish leaders, but Paul seems to have persuaded them that he is knowledgeable in the Scriptures and sure of what he believes about the gospel.

They set a time and day for them to all come to his house where he was under house arrest and he shared with them from the Law and the Prophets (the entire Old Testament) how Jesus had to be the Christ.  The text tells us that some believed, but others rejected this message.  That's to be expected.  However, Paul spoke through the Holy Spirit to tell these Jews (and all the Jews) that Isaiah was right in what he prophesied about them that their hearts were cold and callused and they didn't hear or see what they didn't want to, and God was going to now cause them to not be able to see, hear or understand the gospel they had rejected and that this very gospel message they rejected that was meant to go to them first was now also going to go to the Gentiles, and they would accept it first and beat many of the Jewish people into the kingdom of God.

This was very upsetting to the Jews, as they imagined their eternal security to be certain because they were children of Abraham and they had done everything within their power to keep the gospel form the Gentiles so that they might stay lost in their darkness and wickedness and idolatry.  They didn't want any of them in the kingdom of God with them, and if the Gentiles were going to be there, the Jews weren't sure they wanted to be there.  That's how much bigotry there was there not just of Gentile against Jew (which we still see today) but also Jew against Gentile.

The book of Acts ends telling us that Paul lived there for two year under house arrest at his own expense (probably working as a tent maker again) and freely sharing the gospel with anyone and everything there in Rome without hinderance.  The text doesn't tell us the end of the story that we would want to know (what happened with the trial before Caesar?), but we find that out from Paul's epistles that he wrote during this time that it became more and more evident to him that he was going to die for the gospel and even the means by which he was to die (beheading) seemed to become more obvious as he was talking of being poured out like a drink offering at the end.  He seemed to know what was coming either by how the trial was going or by the Holy Spirit revealing it to him.  However, it is great to see that God have him two years of unfettered ministry in Rome with the Jews and the Gentiles there, which was one of the greatest desires of Paul's heart.  We know he wanted to go to some other places as well, like Spain, but it doesn't seem like he would ever make it there as it had been his plan to no longer go to the region of Asia Minor or Greece and Macedonia and to visit Rome on his way to Spain, but upon his return to Jerusalem, he was arrested and it seems he was never set free.

As I mentioned in earlier journal entries, it's important for us to realized this is not the end of the story.  This is only the beginning of Church history and you and I are still living today in the midst of Church history unfolding.  The Holy Spirit is still at work today in the Church all around the world and persecution of Christians today is stronger than ever.  Therefore there are many who read this history and immediately connect with it because the gospel is both flourishing and believers are being persecuted as well, just like here in the book of Acts.  I can't say whether there are areas of the world in which the kinds of miracles and signs and wonders that we see in the book of Acts are still taking place.  Part of me says "probably not" because those were usually signs for the Jewish people who God wanted to call to repentance, and we don't see another massive effort to redeem the Jews until the book of Revelation when God actually sends two evangelists from heaven to witness to all of Israel so that there are 144,000 Jews saved who themselves become evangelists and go out to all the world.  God's plan is for His people to understand and receive the gospel and there is some prophecy in the Old Testament that seems to indicate that the end will not come until the Jews recognized who Jesus was and sing "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD," and then the feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled when the Lord Jesus returns for His people and brings in the new year of the LORD's favor.

Acts 28:11-16
English Standard Version
​
Paul Arrives at Rome
11 After three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, with the twin gods as a figurehead. 12 Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. 13 And from there 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. 14 There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. 15 And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. 16 And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him.

While the island of Malta had been unknown to the crew of the ship that Paul and the other prisoners were originally on, it was not unknown to other sailors, as, after three months of being the guests of the people of Malta, a ship of Alexandria (probably referring to the Alexandria that is in Egypt since it is probably the largest and most well-known of the cities that Alexander the Great named after himself), made port and took these men aboard and offered them passage to Rome.  Luke notes that the ship had the heads of the twin gods (I assume Gemini) as a figurehead that showed the allegiance of the crew and was supposed to say "if you mess with us, you mess with these gods that are supposed to protect us, because we have sworn allegiance to them."

The next several verses tell of the exact route they took to get to Rome.  It's probably not very direct because the Alexandrian ship likely had other goods to deliver first and the soldiers and prisoners would have to wait until they had completed their promised deliveries before they could be ferried to Rome.  However, God knew the exact route and allowed Paul to find some Christian brothers to fellowship with right before they were to leave for Rome, so that he could be encouraged and could encourage them.   So they stayed there for seven days before leaving for Rome.

When Paul arrived in Rome, news of his arrival spread far and wide and people from far away came to see him (we'll learn later that his friends Aquilla and Priscilla have been in Rome and leading the church there, so it is not too surprising that they were expecting him and had the Christians in Rome ready to meet him and encourage him).  The text does say how they were greatly encouraged.

Now Paul finally arrived in the city of Rome, and was allowed to live under house arrest, but even so he was given great liberty as he was given his own house to live in where his friends could come and go as they please and many came bringing letters to him and Paul would write letters back to the churches that he had ministered to.  Yet there was always a soldier there with him.  Imagine being one of those soldier being with Paul as he was writing these letters and being visiting by the church members of Rome and having guests from other churches far away come and visit him.  All this man did day in and day out would be pray and study the Scriptures and write letters to inform and instruct the churches, and the home that was meant to be a prison turned into a place for him to disciple others and have Bible study with them.  In this way we will see Paul say in later letters that the whole Pretorian guard and all of Caesar's household (which probably included all the government officials near Caesar too) had heard the gospel and many of them greeted the saints Paul was writing to as brothers and sisters in the Lord.  We would never imagine that the Lord would have a plan to let someone be arrested so that his gospel could go forth to the officials and authorities of a country, but we saw the LORD do that with Joseph and in a way with Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and Daniel, and now again with Paul.  God uses these kinds of circumstances to allow his people to stand before kings and governors to share the gospel and now look at all the people that Paul has shared the gospel with even as the ship was talking him to Rome--places that he had never imagined going to, but God directed those ships to take him to unreached people groups and then to places where there were brothers and sisters to encourage him.

Acts 28:1-10
English Standard Version

Paul on Malta
28 After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. 2 The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. 3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 4 When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

​7 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 hospitably for three days. 8 It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him, healed him. 9 And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. 10 They also honored us greatly, and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.

Everyone either swam ashore or made it to shore on pieces of driftwood, just like we saw Paul told them would be the case last time.  They eventually found out that they had landed on the island of Malta, just south of Sicily and east of Tunisia in the Mediterranean Sea.  They are almost to Italy where they were trying to get to.  The sailors had apparently never seen this small island before, but the native people showed great kindness to the ship's crew, the soldiers, the captives, and Paul's companions.  It began to rain and was cold so that if it had not been for the help for the native people, it is likely that some of the would have succumbed to the elements.  The native people helped them build a fire to stay warm and dry off.  Paul was tending to the fire putting another bundle of sticks in it to add fuel to the fire when a viper came out of the sticks and bit Paul on the hand.  Luke tells us that it was because of the heat that the snake was attracted to that it struck out at Paul's hand assuming it was some kind of prey, and the text also tells us that the native people interpreted this as some kind of sign that Paul must have been some kind of terrible criminal (remember this was a prisoner transport), perhaps even a murderer, that was worthy of death.  Paul was indeed a murderer worthy of death, but Jesus had made Paul into a new person and forgiven him, and Paul indeed was going to die, but not because of any murder he had committed--he would die for the sake of the gospel.

Mark 16:18 comes to mind here as Jesus made a special promise to the apostles before He left and as Jesus also made Paul to be an apostle, then this promise was meant for Paul as well, but I'm not sure we can all claim this promise for ourselves today in the way that the "snake handler" Christians in Appalachia have come to interpret this verse where they will intentionally handle poisonous snakes and drink poison as a test of someone's faith.


Mark 16:14-20
English Standard Version

The Great Commission
14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

​19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

The natives and I'm sure the other passengers from the ship were all waiting for Paul to swell up and die from the viper's bite, but that did not happen, so they changed their minds about him and now imagined him not to be a murderer worth of death, but some kind of god that needed to be worshiped.  This would not be the first time that Paul had to stop people from worshiping him as a god.  Remember Paul's first missionary journey when he got to Lystra in the province of Lycaonia? Paul and Barnabas healed a man that had been crippled from birth and they were mistaken for Zeus and Hermes because the people understood that only a god could do miracles like this (they were pagan people that did not believe in the one true God, but they understood that this was outside the will or power of any mortal man).  In the same way the natives of Malta understood that this was a miracle.

The islanders took Paul and those with him to the chief man of the island, Publius,  who housed them and took care of them for three days, and then they find out that his father was sick with a fever and dysentery.  Paul visited Publius's father and prayed for him and laid hands on him and he was healed.  Then all the people of the island heard about it and all of them with diseases also came and were cured.  The text doesn't tell us that Paul shared the gospel with them, but we know Paul and he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to share Christ with anyone.  He would know that he was sent to these people and these signs would have confirmed it.  So then the people seemed to feel indebted to Paul and those with them so that they cared well for them giving them everything they needed.  The text doesn't mention where the ship came from that rescued--only that it was time for them to set sail which is consistent with how Luke and Paul have been talking about this event.  This is all about God's timing and His purposes and once His purposes were fulfilled, then it was time for them to move on and be obedient to the next thing that God had planned for them, even if that next thing was to stand before Caesar and possibly be put to death.

Acts 27:39-44
English Standard Version
​
The Shipwreck
39 Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. 40 So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. 41 But striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. 42 The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.

Things begin to unfold exactly as Paul said they would because God is the one who told Paul what would happen and God is both omniscient (knowing all things) and sovereign (in control of all things).  He is also the one who is omnipotent (all-powerful) and controls things that we would consider to just be random or forces of nature like the weather.  God has already used the weather to delay the trip and driven them to this place because He is getting Paul to Rome in His way and in His time--this is certainly not the way any of us would have planned out the trip for ourselves if we were the apostle Paul or any of his companions.

The sailors who were familiar with these seas who had not been able to see sun, moon, or stars for weeks now can finally see land, but they don't recognize the landmarks and are still completely lost.  They do however see a bay where they might be able to land the ship, but to do so they will have to cut away the anchors, loosen the restraints on the rudders and hoist the sails so that they have some ability to steer the ship towards where they want it to go.

However, they hit an obstacle that they could not see--a reef of some kind, and the ship ran aground on the reef well before reaching the shoreline that they were trying to get to.  Because the bow of the ship (the front) was immobilized on the reef and the stern of the ship (the rear) was still moving freely with the waves and tides, they ship got torn apart as it was broken up by the surf.

The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners so that none of them would escape, but the centurion stopped them because he wished to save Paul's life.  He had seen and heard enough to know that Paul was a man of God that he should protect.  Those who could swim were ordered to jump overboard and swim for land and those that could not swim were to grab onto driftwood and let the waves and tide take them ashore (though it's just as feasible that they could have gotten caught in a current that would have pulled them out to sea, but God is in control of the waves and the currents of the ocean and brought them safely to shore through means that may not appear to have been directed, but He definitely made sure that the wind and the waves obeyed Him just like when He spoke and called the storm and the disciples marveled saying, "Who is this that even winds and water obey Him?" (Luke 8:25) and they bowed down and worship Him.)  So then even when things looked to be out of control, God is still sovereign and is directing and orchestrating events according to His will, His good pleasure, and to bring glory unto His great Name.  For the Christian there is no such thing as fate or chance like these pagans believed in.  God intentionally took the ship to Malta (for that is the island they shipwrecked on) so that Paul might share the gospel with one last people group before being taken to Rome, and everyone else on that ship--the centurion, soldiers, sailors, prisoners, and Paul's travelling companions would be amazed to see who God used the winds and the waves and storm and gale to keep the ship away from Italy (where they were trying to go) because He had another destination in mind for them.

Acts 27:13-38
English Standard Version

The Storm at Sea
13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And 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 no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.

21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.”

27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms. 29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go.

​33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves.  37 (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

Last time we left Paul under arrest and on a prison transport (though with much liberty given to him and his companions who were there to attend to his needs), but the ships were not making the kind of progress that their captains and the Romans were hoping for.  While trying to sail for Italy, they were forced to take port in Asia and Macedonia and now they have been pushed back to the southeast towards Crete.  Once the winds shifted directions, they assumed that this would indicate more favorable sailing conditions and they prepared to leave port, but the Lord told Paul to warn the captain and the centurion that if they left now they were going to lose the ship, the cargo and put the life of everyone on board at risk.  The centurion will listen to the captain and the crew of the ship who claim expertise in knowing the waters and the weather patterns in the area and they will leave anyways against the counsel of Paul.

The ship comes up against a nor'easter that forces the crew to jettisoned all the cargo and the ship's tackle to make the ship lighter, but this didn't help at all.  They were tossed to and fro for several days with no view of the sun by day or the stars by night to guide them, and the text even says that they had lost all hope of being saved.  They were lost at sea in the middle of a storm that was making even these seasoned sailors scared for their lives.  Paul does say "You should have listened to me," but not as an "I told you so" moment, but instead because he has additional information to share with them now and he needs them to see that they need to listen to him this time.  An angel appeared to Paul to comfort him and tell him not to worry because his life must be saved so that he can stand before Caesar and testify (that is to share the gospel with him).  It was not enough for Paul to know that he himself would make it out alive and he pleaded with the Lord that the lives of all these other men with him would be saved as well--however, they must run the ship aground.  If they continue to try to stay out at sea to save the ship they will lose the ship and their lives as well, but there was another condition that everyone must stay on the ship.  No one was to try to save themselves by swimming to shore.  They must stay with the ship and cling to the driftwood when the ship broke apart and let the driftwood and winds and the currents take them to the place where God wanted them to end up.

The sailors halfway listen to Paul this time as they got the part about running the ship aground, but they are still trying to save the ship as they are taking sounding depths to see where the best place to put in is, and they are trying to put down anchors to secure the ship and try and save it against the very instructions that they had received, then the sailors tried to escape in the lifeboats which would have lead to their deaths of everyone.

Paul tells the centurion and the soldiers that, "Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved."  For the sake of being interested in saving their own lives, the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboats and let them go.  All the men had to stay with the ship!

After two weeks of them going through this storm, Paul encourages them by telling them that they should eat some food to gain some of their strength back for they will need it, but none of them will die and he took break and broke it and shared it with them.  Did he possibly share the gospel with them through the symbols used by Jesus at the Last Supper?  It's uncertain because the breaking of bread may refer to any normal fellowship meal, but it is often used in the New Testament to specifically refer to what we'd call Holy Communion.  It would at least be reasonable to assume that Paul and his companions that were believers with him were probably thinking of the Lord's Supper when they broke bread together even if it did not have the same meaning for the unsaved prisoners, soldiers and sailors.  God used these events to encourage everyone on the ship but it also changed how everyone saw Paul and they started to listen to him more.  This will not be the only sign that the Lord will use to validate the message of the gospel that Paul is going to preach to them.  Now imagine the testimony that the soldiers and especially the centurion will give when they finally deliver Paul to Rome and they tell their superiors and Caesar himself how this man of God who did nothing wrong prayed to his God for the lives of these Gentile, pagan soldiers, criminals, and sailors and that God, for some reason, respected Paul's request and saved them all when they were clearly in a situation where they had given up all hope of salvation.

In one final acts of faith, once they had all eaten their fill, which was a lot of food to feed the 276 people on board, they threw all their provisions overboard to make the ship as light as possible.  Typically you would want to hold onto your supply of food and water even if you were going to crash so that you wouldn't be left to forage for these things, but they knew that any efforts they made to save their lives would result in their lives being lost and that they had to lose the ship and all of its cargo to save the lives of the crew, soldiers, prisoners, and other passengers.  They may not understand it all, but God is teaching them some lessons about faith and salvation and how we think we can save ourselves by our own wisdom and strength and the provisions we have stored up, but none of those things can do anything to help us--in fact, reliance on them will certainly lead to our eternal death.  No, we must by faith fully rely on the Lord to save us and take us where He wants us to go by letting the ship drift into the rocks and then clinging to the driftwood when it breaks apart.  When there seems to be no hope we can have confidence and assurance that He has promised that He will bring us safely through, though we cannot come through if we are clinging to anyone or anything else.

Acts 27:1-12
English Standard Version

Paul Sails for Rome
27 And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. 4 And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

​9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

There is no indication how much time passes between the end of chapter 26 and the beginning of chapter 27, but there is some indication from other passages that the sailors knew the weather patterns fairly well and knew the best time of year to make a trip when the winds, currents and other weather conditions would most likely be in their favor.  Paul was put in the custody of a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius.  This doesn't mean much to us today, but at that time, this would be enough information for anyone wanting to confirm the details of this account to find this particular officer.  Luke also mentions that Paul was transported with some other prisoners whose names are not mentioned (likely because they would not be found if they were going to be executed or exiled.  Luke even gives the details of what nation's flag the ship they boarded was flying under and then gives a synopsis of the route they took to get from Caesarea to Rome.  The centurion was even kind enough at least once in the journey to have Paul and his friends some shore leave so that Paul could have his needed tended to.

I won't give all the details of all places that the various ships stopped and passed by (I encourage you to read this section with a good Bible Atlas though so that you can see for yourself that they are battling to make progress).  I would summarize by saying that the trip was long and hard and there were all kinds of opposition against them--the weather was against them, they didn't make it to their destination before winter, they faced shipwreck, and there was even the threat of death from malnutrition and disease because they did not bring enough supplies with them for such a long journey.  Paul knew that he would be delivered safely to Rome, that was for sure, but Paul would pray for the men that were with him--the soldiers and the other prisoners as well as his companions and the crew that were transporting them, that not one of them would be lost to the sea, the weather, or the harsh conditions they would find themselves in, for God was still in control even in these circumstances that would make most normal people wonder if there was a God and if there was a God why He would not intervene and do something to help them.  In these trying times, Paul's faith was a witness to the crew, the captives (we'll see that next time as the ship goes through a storm that should have killed all of them, but they are all delivered safely through the storm though the ship and cargo are lost).

Acts 26:12-32
English Standard Version

Paul Tells of His Conversion
12 “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. 26 For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.”

​30 Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Paul is standing before King Agrippa II, the grandson of King Herod the Great, who is hearing Paul's case to help the newly appointed Roman governor Festus write a charging document to send along with Paul when they send him to Caesar, for Paul has appealed his case to Caesar since it was obvious to him that his life was in jeopardy and that was his right as a Roman citizen.

Paul starts his gospel presentation with Agrippa not at the cross or the empty tomb, but with his own changed life.  He has laid the groundwork for who he used to be in the opening statements that he made in the last passage we looked at.  Now he is going to tell King Agrippa about the encounter that he had with the risen, living, glorified Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Son of God, and how he cannot deny the resurrection because he has seen the risen Christ, not in a vision or a dream, but in physical, bodily form.  This is Paul's moment where God changed him from the inside out--what we call conversion and regeneration, and Paul could never go back to being the same man that he was before this.

Paul gives specific details when recounting his Damascus Road conversion that we did not see before.  First Paul tells us that Jesus spoke to him in Hebrew (only the highly-educated, scholarly, religious elites learned and spoke in Hebrew--the common people spoke a mixture of Aramaic and Greek).  Jesus also tells Paul here that it is hard for him to kick against the goads, that is, that Paul is rebelling against that which Jesus is trying to use to push Paul in the right direction even though it hurts much like a rod can be used to drive an animal in the direction you want it to travel or you can poke or prick someone to get them to wake up and get moving (think of the angel that hit Peter in the side and told him to get up and get moving earlier in the book of Acts when Peter was still half-asleep when God had already removed the chains from him).  God is going to use events, sometimes painful events, to push us in the direction he wants us to go--towards repentance and obedience, and being fully reliant and dependent on Him for our salvation and everything that we need for life and godliness.

Paul tells King Agrippa of how he was sent as an apostle to the Gentiles to share the gospel with them that their eyes may be opened, that they may turn from darkness to light, and that they may turn from the power of Satan to God.  These things would all make sense to Agrippa who was well-versed in the Old Testament where the Jews were told that they were to be a light unto the Gentiles and the idea of the Gentiles living in darkness and ignorance apart from the revelation of God and being under the influence of the power of Satan and his demons was evident.  God wanted these Gentiles to to be made holy and to receive forgiveness for their sins--this was one of the main issues with the Jews because they did not want the Gentiles to be saved, but if King Agrippa is being honest, he is one of these Gentiles, for he is an Edomite.  He is one of the people that the Jews wanted to keep out of the kingdom of God, but Paul is saying that he's been sent to people like King Agrippa and Festus.

Paul then says that he did not and could not disobey the message that he had received through this vision.  He's already laid the foundation for how he is a devout Jew who wanted to obey God's Law and do what was pleasing to Him.  Now God had spoken directly to him through His Son.  How could he disobey Him?  Paul reiterates that it is because he was preaching the gospel to the Gentiles and because they were repenting and believing and being baptized and God was welcoming them into His family, the family that was promised to Abraham that the Jews that they had exclusive rights to, that the Jews became jealous and attacked Paul in the Temple and tried to kill him, first by their own hand, and then by the hand of the Roman authorities.

Paul then tells Agrippa he should not be surprised by these things that he is saying, for it was all foretold by God through Moses and the Prophets (what we would call the Old Testament, but what the Jews would call the Scriptures and the Greeks would call the Septuagint--their Greek translation of the Old Testament).  That is that Paul has declared that the Christ, that is Jesus of Nazareth, must suffer and die as a penal, substitutionary atonement for our sins, but that He would rise again on the third day, and that after rising from the dead, that He would proclaim light to both the Jews and the Gentiles alike.

Agrippa seemed to understand these things, but Festus, being a Gentile with no background in the Old Testament did not.  Festus though Paul to be out of his mind, and Festus interrupted Paul's presentation to let him know that he thought Paul was insane (maybe even looking for a way out of this whole ordeal by declaring Paul not fit to stand trial).  Paul stops to address Festus and assures him that he is very much in his right mind and speaking intelligently and rationally, and that the words that he is speaking are true.  Then he reminds Festus that his argument was being delivered to King Agrippa and Agrippa was aware of these facts and knew them to be true, even if Festus did not.  Is that not part of why Festus asked Agrippa for help, since he was unaware of the issues surrounding the Jews, the Way, and the gospel? Paul says that he is sure that Agrippa has taken note of all these things that occurred in his territory because none of it was done in secret, and then Paul turns to King Agrippa and puts him in a very hard spot.  He directly asks King Agrippa, "Don't you believe the Prophets? I know you do."  This was Paul saying that if King Agrippa truly believed the Prophets then he would have to admit that Jesus fulfilled those prophecies and did everything according to the Scriptures just as Paul was saying.  However, to deny Paul's message would be to deny the Prophets and to alienate King Agrippa from the Jews (though they did not believe in Jesus) and even his wife Berniece who was a Jew.  Paul knows exactly the corner that he has painted King Agrippa into.

King Agrippa responds by telling Paul he knows that Paul is trying to use this time of defending his own life to try to persuade Agrippa to become what Agrippa calls a Christian (Paul had not used that world, and it was used by the Romans as a pejorative of the followers of the Way, which they later took upon themselves with honor because it meant "little Christ" or "Christ-like").  Agrippa is asking if Paul really expected him to become one of the followers of the Way, and Paul said that he hoped that all of them listening to him that day would be like him in every way (that they would have the salvation that he experienced, that kind of testimony, and that kind of calling) with the exception that he would not wish the chains he was in on anyone--he wishes that one day they may all know God and worship him freely.

At this, the king, that is King Agrippa, rose from the tribunal (a sign to say that he had heard enough and was ready to deliberate).  All those in attendance rose when King Agrippa did, and the text tells us that Festus, Bernice, and Agrippa all withdrew to discuss these matters (it seems that perhaps Bernice had a lot of influence) and they all said to one another that they were now convinced that Paul and done nothing wrong and that he would have had to have been let go had he not appealed to Caesar, but there was nothing they could do now that the appeal had been made (and Paul knew that God wanted him to go before Caesar and his court to present the gospel, even if it was going to cost him his life).

The next couple of chapters will tell the details of Paul's trip to Rome (apparently Luke and some others accompany Paul), and we will see Paul deliver his final message of this book as recorded by Luke at the end of chapter 28.  We'll talk about this more when we get there, but the story will be left open-ended and feel like it does not have an ending or conclusion because it is not the end of the story, as the Holy Spirit is still at work within the Church to continue all the works that Jesus began when He was among us as we were told in the Gospels (see Acts 1:1-5).  There is therefore a call for us to continue the work that these men started--to take the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost ends of the earth just as Jesus commanded us to do in the Great Commission.  Paul may have started that process, but there are many other people groups unknown to Paul and his companions.  We have the opportunity like never before to reach the whole world with the gospel in a single generation.  If someone like Luke were to follow you around and record your life, what events would be added to this story to show others what Jesus has done to you, in you, and through you?  Who are the unreached and least reached peoples that you have taken the gospel to?  We will never know the entirety of this story until we one day get to heaven and we will see all that Jesus has accomplished to redeem a people to Himself and put all people in subjection to Him--those in heaven and on earth and under the earth.