Paul in Rome: Facing Limitations - Acts 27:1 - 28:21

No mortal man, living or dead, has ever faced as many problems and limitations as Paul did and still remain successful in his witness for Christ up to the day of his martyrdom. His life is a perfect picture of the life of Jesus Christ all the way from his experience on the road to Damascus to his grave with the exception that he did not die on the cross in order to save lost sinners. His life was totally dedicated to the promotion of his Lord and Savior—he forsook all, even his family, for the cause of Christ. He spent all of his time preaching, teaching, even to the performing of miracles trying to reach the lost. He suffered the same kinds of ridicule, and rejection as Christ did including false acquisitions, imprisonment, floggings and beatings, and was stoned as unto death. Many of his most profitable years were spent in prison or under guard on the way to prison. He survived shipwreck, and being lost at sea without a life preserver, snake bite and total rejection by his own Jewish people. In what so ever condition or place without exception, Paul used every circumstance as an opportunity to preach the crucified Christ. All Christian people should follow his example. Fields are ripe for harvest.

Chapter 27 records Paul’s last journey that started in Ephesus at the sea port on the southern shore of Judah. He had dodged the trial in a Jewish court, and any ambush that had been planned to prevent him from receiving a pardon. Paul was still a prisoner with a hardened Roman centurion named Juluis assigned to guard him on the trip. There has never been any doubt, Dr. Luke wrote the book of Acts, and he is present at their departure and all the way to Rome. This is verified by the use of the pronouns “we” and “us” in the first verse of this chapter. The plural pronouns refer to three people, Paul, Luke and Aristarchus who was from Macedonia and who went with them.

This trip started in October of AD 59. If Christ died in AD 33, this means that Paul had been on his journeys for Christ for the last twenty-six [26] years. The date is known because Luke mentions that it was during the time of the fast and that referred to the Day of Atonement which is in October. Ships of that day had no guidance equipment and the captain used the stars, moon and sun to plot his ship. September was considered as the last safe time for a ship to leave the east on a journey westward toward Africa and Italy; therefore they knew they were taking a chance on this dangerous route.

Julius the guard soon became attached to Paul, and trusted him enough to respect him and even allowed him certain privileges that were not common for a prisoner. Later on in the voyage, he intervened in a plan to kill all prisoners to prevent their escape, and Paul’s life was spared. Have you ever wondered how your life would look up close and personal? Would your captors gain that much respect for you in less than a month?

History and the bible both record that bad weather can be expected in October, and that November and December were the two most dangerous months to sail the Mediterranean. The bad weather days were so predictable and so dangerous that the storms during these months were called “Northeasterners” with all prevailing winds blowing from west to east, making it impossible for a ship to successfully sail against the winds. Actually this year the Northeasterners had already started to move in October, and they soon realized it when they started having delays by the time they reached the southern shores of Asia. They sailed north up the coast and their first stop was at Sidon. From there they had to take the route on the lea side of Cyprus to avoid the prevailing winds.

Their second landing was at Myra in Lycia where they changed to an Alexandrian ship that was sailing for Italy. They sailed west holding close to the southern shore of Asia and landed in Cnidus. Trying to sail on west from Cnidus, the winter storms forced them to drift south to the isle of Crete where they went ashore in Lasea and Fair Havens which was not a favorable place to spend the winter. Paul advised the pilot and owner of the ship not to try to get to Phoenix which was less than a hundred miles west. He warned them saying they would lose their ship and cargo and endanger lives.

They decided to reject his advice and the centurion decided to stay with the ship. The next day the winter storm hit and they lost all control of the ship. They immediately had to start trying to save their ship by passing ropes underneath and binding it like a bale of cotton to prevent it from tearing apart. They used all manpower available to throw everything over board to lessen the load, and were soon in fear of being dashed against the treacherous northern banks of Africa since they were traveling south instead of west.

They went several days without food, sleep or rest. Paul was led by the Spirit to address the men. He spoke sternly to them by telling them that he had warned and they did not listen. And their failure to heed his advice had caused them to lose everything but a battered ship and their life. Now that they were beginning to lose all hope, he tried to encourage them by telling them that if they would have faith and continue to work they would be saved from death at sea. He was not being critical but was trying to convince them that he got his wisdom from God. Then he predicted that they would wash ashore and be saved.

There must have been several prisoners on board. Roman law demanded that centurions who allowed prisoners to escape would be punished and they were making plans to kill all prisoners. Julius had gained faith in Paul and was able to save all the prisoners from the massacre. The storm was in its fourteenth day when Paul finally got them to stop rest and eat. They took readings and found the water was less than a hundred feet deep. The next day they run aground on the island of Malta sixty miles south of Sicily and were greeted by friendly strangers.

They were all wet and cold and started fires by which to warm. 376 men made it ashore without the loss of any life. They had begun to respect Paul, and while gathering driftwood, he was bitten by a poisonous snake, which he shook off and did not suffer any effects. This caused everyone to really believe that he was a protected man. God had made Paul a promise and He would let nothing prevent him from preaching in Rome. God was not finished with Paul yet and had some important things left for him to do and Paul had the faith necessary to believe that he was still in God’s protective hands.

The natives on the island were of Phoenician ancestry. They were a superstitious people and believed in many gods. When some of them observed the snake on Paul’s hand, they predicted sudden death. And when this didn’t happen they believed him to be a god. During Christ’s ministry he performed miracles that caused others to believe. And now in Paul’s ministry living through this storm at sea, and the saving of the lives of 376 people, the healing of many who were ill, as well as surviving a deadly snake bite provided the miracles that caused the governor of Malta, some of the centurions, and others to believe in Christ.

No wonder Paul’s ministry was so fruitful. Three months later Paul boarded another Alexandrian ship destined for Italy. He landed first at Rhegium and then Puteoli they traveled by foot the last 150 miles to Rome. A group of Christians heard that he was coming and they met him at the three taverns at the Forum of Appius about thirty-five miles south of Rome and walked back with him. Have you ever thought so much of a minister that you would walk thirty-five mile to meet him just to get to walk back with him, to talk to him and to hear hem expound the gospel?

28:15- Some may wonder where these Roman Christians came from. The answer is that the Gospel message had already traveled to Rome by different methods. There were Jews living there that had traveled back to the motherland and been converted. It is thought that some of these Jews had been present at Pentecost while Christ was preaching, and then had moved to Rome. And then, Paul had written his letter to the Romans ten years before he arrived there, many had read the letter and believed.

28: 17-20- Paul’s ambition was to preach in Rome and he finally got there but in chains, after shipwreck and many other trials. Because of experiences like these he had written in Romans 8:28 that we should not worry because all things work to our good. These things worked to Paul’s good; gave him a message that men would believe; and solidified his message so that it would never fade.

28:22- Christians were denounced everywhere by the Romans because they were seen as a threat to the Roman government. Christians were committed to one God while the Romans had many including Caesar. Christians taught that the Almighty God was higher than any including Caesar and this was an insult to the Romans.

28:30-31- While under arrest he did more than just preach. He wrote the prison letters, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians. He also wrote his personal letters like Philemon. He had several visitors while in prison…Luke, Timothy and Mark and there must have been others.

Tradition says that Paul was released after two years of house arrest in Rome and then set off on his fourth missionary journey. In Philippians, which was written while in prison in Rome, he implied that he would be released from prison and would do further travel. Some think that he traveled to Spain during these years.

The book comes to a sudden end in verse 31, probably because this book is really not about Paul. Can you believe that? No it is not about Paul…it is about the establishment of the church, the growth of the new church and the absolute necessity for the church and its teaching of the new covenant based on the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.