Journey to Rome

MEMORY VERSE: “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.” —Acts 27:25

ACTS 27:21-26, 33-38

OUR memory verse suggests the secret of Paul’s unusual spiritual strength and courage. “I believe God,” he said, that it shall be even as it was told me.” God had told Paul that he would appear before Caesar. Paul possessed mountain-moving faith. He believed that when the Lord gave him an assignment it would be made possible for him to fulfill it. As one follower of the Master has said, “If God does not remove the mountains, then he gives us strength to climb over them.”

Today’s lesson finds Paul on the way to Rome as a prisoner. While this was not the ideal way to travel, under the circumstances it was probably the only way Paul could travel to Rome without the risk of being killed by his Jewish enemies; for he was under protection of his Roman guards.

Because the bad weather of winter was approaching, Paul advised that their ship put up in Fair Haven for the winter. But the master and owner of the ship did not agree with this. So against Paul’s advice they continued their journey, only to run into treacherous weather, which caused the loss of the ship. This was a very difficult experience, but the Lord was with Paul and assured him, even before the ship was wrecked, that neither he nor any of the passengers or crew would lose their lives.

And so it resulted, although only because those on board followed the instructions of Paul as to when they should abandon the ship and get to shore the best way they could. “The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose.” (Acts 27:42,43) It was God’s purpose that Paul should be taken to Rome, and he permitted nothing to interfere with that purpose.

Just as Paul was taken to Rome under the protective custody of Roman soldiers, so his whole journey in the narrow way was under the protection of his Heavenly Father. This did not mean, however, that his life as a follower of the Master was an easy one. He knew from the beginning that it would not be. At the time of Paul’s conversion the Lord said to Ananias, “I will show him [Paul] how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (Acts 9:16) So Paul embarked on his service to the Lord with this certain knowledge that it would entail much suffering.

In II Corinthians 11:23-28 Paul refers to some of his experiences as an ambassador of Christ. We quote: “In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches”

Thus Paul describes his life’s experiences as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. One of these is the wrecking of the ship that forced a landing of the 260 aboard on the Island of Melita—now known as Malta. The people on the island received their shipwrecked visitors kindly. It was evidently late in the fall of the year. It was cold and rainy; so the island people, spoken of in the record as Barbarians, built a fire to provide as much warmth and comfort as possible, and gave them food.

There came a viper out of the heat, and fastened itself on Paul’s hands. When the Barbarians saw this they concluded that Paul was a murderer and doomed to die. But when he did not die, “they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.” (Acts 28:1-6) The chief man of the island was Publius. He received Paul and his friends and provided lodgings for them three days. Publius’ father was sick, and Paul healed him.

Although the record does not so state, in all probability Paul and his companions used whatever opportunities came to them to bear witness to the Gospel. They remained on the island for three months, which would bring them to early spring, and in that length of time they would have made many acquaintances. In the spring a new vessel was acquired, and they moved on toward Italy.

QUESTIONS

Under what circumstances did Paul journey to Rome?

How did Paul appraise the meaning of the many difficulties of his Christian life?

What were some of his experiences on Melita?

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