Chapter 27 closed with the ship Paul was traveling on being shipwrecked and those aboard used the wreckage to get to shore.

Map shows Paul’s entire trip from Caesarea to Rome and the stops in between, and where they are in chapter 28 on the Island of Malta as noted on map. Despite the storm, they managed to sail from Crete to Malta before being shipwrecked. Did God, in His sovereignty, bring Paul to Malta to share the Gospel with Malta’s inhabitants? I believe so. Even a storm served His sovereign decree and purposes. Is America facing such a storm at this time? Will God use it to serve His sovereign purposes? Absolutely. 

We reached the end of Acts and the finality of Paul’s sea voyage to Rome. Please see important message on prayer at the close of this chapter. For it truly glorifies God and enhances our prayer life. 

Everyone survived the shipwreck just as the angel had told Paul in Acts 27:23. Using the ship’s wreckage, they made it to shore, where they were comforted by Malta’s inhabitants. 

Paul is bitten by a deadly viper. Those of the Greek/Roman culture of the time believed that the gods brought justice through events. Since Paul was bitten by the viper—a deadly poisonous snake—they presumed he was a murderer and that justice was being served by the wrath of their gods, through the viper.

Map on slide shows the Bay (red arrow) believed to be the location of Paul’s landing on Malta. Yellow arrow on smaller map pinpoints the location of Malta off the coast of Sicily. Lower right shows a viper snake, similar to the one that bit Paul. Our goal is to accompany Paul and living the Word, and not just read about him. 

We see a miracle validating to the inhabitants that Paul wasn’t a murderer. The venom from a viper is fast acting—by his survival, they presumed he was a god in the form of a man, a common belief for that time. For those who had professed Christ onboard ship during the storm, possibly the Roman centurion Julius, it helped reinforce Paul’s ministry and message. 

 

Some attribute the snake handling practices shown to Acts 28:3-6, as a means of demonstrating their faith. It is also attributed to chapter 15 of the Gospel of Mark, noted on the next slide. Regardless of the Bible verses that prompted it, it shows the danger of making it up as we go along, versus adherence to the Bible, both in words and intent. 

This slide provides further insight into the practice of these churches. The problem is that their focus is on the snake as a demonstration of faith, rather than on Jesus Christ, Himself. In Galatians, that we’re currently studying Sunday morning, the people turned away from the Gospel of grace in Christ Jesus, and focused instead on their religious works as insisted on by the Judaizers. Missing the Gospel message that we are saved by grace alone and not by what we do, including handling snakes as a demonstration of faith. They missed the message of the Gospel that Paul shared in his journey throughout Acts. Verses in the Bible have to be interpreted within the context of the book they appear, and the message it is taken from, and what it was intended to convey. 

Back to Malta. Starting in v.7 we see the power of miracles. The Holy Spirit was active in Paul’s ministry. Have you ever wondered why not today? Paul prayed over Publius’ father. What role did prayer play? Would he have been cured without prayer? Paul was in a state of prayer because of his relationship with and commission by Jesus. His prayer demonstrated that healing came from God and not by some magical power within Paul. For more on effectual prayer see Pastor Adrian Rogers’ powerful message at the end of this chapter. 

We can be certain that Paul preached the Gospel throughout his healing ministry on Malta, although Luke doesn’t record the results. Why draw that conclusion? He healed the sick. He told those aboard the ship, including the soldiers, crew and other prisoners, that none would be lost. If Paul preached Christ in other difficult situations, why would he not preach him here? All these questions will be answered in heaven when we see the true glory of God shining through all the mysteries that are veiled now. 

After a three month stay in Malta, they resumed their voyage to Italy on another ship, stopping at the port city of Syracuse in Sicily, as shown on map, for a short stay, before proceeding to the Italian mainland. 

As Luke noted in v.11 the Alexandrian ship’s bow was adorned with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux, shown on the slide, and described on the next slide. People not only believed in but depended on various pagan gods, for almost every occasion. 

A figurehead on a ship's bow, was to obtain protection from those gods. The Roman/Greek world of Paul, believed in many gods. Jesus would have been accepted as just another God, if Paul preached Him as such. But as one of many gods, the Gospel of saving grace would cease to exist. There is a movement underway today that was initiated by Pope Francis, to unite all religions with Rome.  If you would like to know more about it, let me know. 

Map shows all of the ship's stops, from Malta onto Italy, and stops along the coast of Italy, landing at the port city of Puteoli. After a week there, they proceeded on a land route called the Appian way, to the City of Rome. What that road looked like is shown on the next slide. 

Appian Way from the port city of Puteoli to the City of Rome. Remnants of that road exist today as shown in the photo. 

The “brothers” were Christians from Rome who had heard of Paul’s arrival. As a Roman citizen, Paul received certain courtesies, especially in light of the questionable nature of the charges against him. Most likely, he was still being accompanied by the centurion, Julius, who may have accepted Christ as his personal Savior. The other prisoners are not mentioned, but as non citizens, most likely they were sent on to a Roman prison. 

The Forum of Appius (map) was about 39.5 miles from Rome. “Three Taverns” (map) was a way station on the Appian Way Road, about 30 miles from Rome. 

By this time, knowledge of Christianity as a Jewish sect, had spread even to the Jews in Rome. We see Paul calling together the Jewish leaders to explain why he was arrested. Paul was still under guard by one or more Roman soldiers. What an earful they were getting regarding a Jewish sect in Judea. 

The “they” noted in v.18 were Governor Festus and King Agrippa. Paul is inferring, as a Roman citizen, he could have brought charges against the Jews who brought him to trial. But of course, it would not have done any good. Let sleeping dogs lie. But, he was determined to plead his case to these Jews, regarding the charges against him. We can be certain word traveled across the Jewish communities in Rome and elsewhere in Italy. 

The difficulty, as we saw in Acts 15, and in Galatians, and elsewhere in Paul’s letters, many of the Jews sharing Christ, insisted that Gentiles must become Jewish and follow Mosaic Law in order to receive Christ as Savior. The covenant promise God made with Abraham was fulfilled by Christ and no longer binding, as it had been under Mosaic Law.  

Apparently, the complaints against Paul that brought him here, had not yet reached Rome. “This sect” they are asking about, indicates they are not Christians but want to know about “the sect” (Jewish followers of Jesus of Nazareth). Those Christian-Jews believed the Levitical laws of the O.T. were still binding on all Christians including Gentiles. The brothers in this case being the other Jews.

Those Jews reassembled with Paul, with an even larger number showing up. Paul used the occasion to share the gospel in regard to the Old Testament prophesies. Some believed but others did not. (v.24). For an answer, we can only refer to Jesus’ parable of the seeds sowed on the ground in Matthew 13, which points to the doctrine of predestination and election. A future topic. 

Paul explains what the Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets, but with similar objections as Paul had experienced in Jerusalem. His final statement before they left is in regard to the Holy Spirit as prophesied by Isaiah the prophet (v.25-27). Isaiah prophesied about hearing and not hearing, just as Jesus tells us in Matthew 13 (next slide).

In Matthew 13, Jesus explains why some listen and believe, and others do not. This is equally true of the Jews confronting Paul and the Gentiles that accepted the Gospel message from Paul. 

For the Jews, insistence on the Mosaic Law became a hindrance.  

In Matthew 13:3-6, Jesus tells the parable of a farmer who sowed seed, and the conditions that prevented it from thriving (continued on the next slide).

The conditions Jesus describes is comparable to the Word being preached in the world. Did you ever wonder about the moment you accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior? Did you hear it (the seed) on the radio or TV? Did you hear it from a parent, or friend, or church sermon? Did you ever share that “seed” with someone else? What was their reaction? Jesus explains the meaning of the parable in Matthew 13:18-23 as noted on the following slides. 

Jesus tells how Satan comes and snatches away the Gospel message from those who do not understand it; their minds were not receptive. We can imagine circumstances where that would be true. Perhaps some of the sailors that were saved with Paul during the storm. As long as the storm raged, they accepted Paul’s word and believed. But as soon as they were ashore, and safe, the words left them, as being no longer relevant. 

Many people believe sermons that are materially comforting, such as “promises that assure prosperity”—just as we see with certain mega churches on TV—and reject the Word as soon as troubles abound; the seed never took root as Jesus tells us in v.21. The Word that doesn’t take root will not last for all the reasons Jesus notes. One may feel encouraged during an uplifting church service, and soon after return to worries and concerns for their own well being and financial status forgetting what they heard in church. 

When a person ponders the Word deep in his or her heart, and it seeps deep inside their mind and soul, that person will persevere. Those who persevere in the Word of God are part of the Body of Christ, as Paul was. The rewards aren’t always apparent, but they are everlasting and eternal. Not only will the Word persevere, it will produce fruit. 

Paul reminds those Jews, that God’s Word was also being sent to the Gentiles, who will listen and accept it, unlike the Jews who reject it. One may wonder why v.29 appears in the NKJV, but not in the NIV. Was it added as a historical fact or inspired and inadvertently dropped? An explanation is provided at the conclusion of the chapter. 

Scholars generally agree that Paul was acquitted after two years, and then left Rome. He was eventually arrested again and taken back to Rome where he was beheaded in 67 AD. 

A little background on how his case could have been handled under Roman law, as noted on the slide, with option 4 as the logical outcome. 

Chapter 28, the last chapter of Acts, is jammed packed like an action novel, with shipwreck and imprisonment, without telling us about Paul’s internment and eventual release. The following slides tell us why verse 29 was omitted from the NIV, yet appeared in the NKJV.

Continued on next slide.

Continued on next slide.

You’ll have to answer these questions for yourself. We have other study topics Sunday morning at 9:00 in Heritage Lounge. Do you have a desire to pray effectively? I’m sure you do. Listen to Pastor Adrian Rogers’ sermon noted on the next slide. 

Pastor Adrian Rogers’ 43-minute message on “The Secret of Effectual Prayer”. Praying is one of our callings as Christians, for it is something we all can do. God doesn’t need our prayers, but invites us to pray. Definitely an important message, especially as we close on the Acts of the Apostles and Paul missionary journeys to share Christ with a pagan world. Copy and paste the following link into you web browser"

https://youtu.be/XpS7I2JoECw 

End of

The Acts of the Apostles

Chapter 28

We ended chapter 26 with both Festus and Agrippa finding Paul not guilty…and yet, chapter 27 is the political answer to the Jewish opposition, with Paul being sent to Rome to stand trial. Chapter 27 is somewhat of a travel log of Paul’s journey to Italy, but worth your time. My goal here is, instead of just reading the Word, to live in the Word as best can, always prayerfully.

Although not mentioned, Luke, as the author of Acts, is believed to have accompanied Paul on his trip to Rome. As we saw in chapter 26, neither Festus nor King Agrippa could find probable cause to convict Paul. Being a Roman citizen, gave them an easy out to grant his request and send him to Rome, under guard, to stand before Caesar. The Augustan Regiment was an auxiliary regiment of foreign troops who served in the Roman army, led by a Roman officer. They served a number of designated roles, such as guarding prisoners.   

This particular centurion may have been on temporary assignment in Judea, or on special assignment to Rome, thus assigned to bringing Paul and possibly other prisoners there, as implied in v..42. 

Chapter 27 begins with Paul boarding the ship for his journey to Italy under Roman Imperial Guard. The “we” in v.1 and “us” in v.2, includes Paul and Luke. The “When it was decided” was by Festus. We don’t know if Aristarchus was also a prisoner or perhaps a companion of Paul. Most likely, a companion—if so, he would have to pay his own passage. The ship would sail from Caesarea to Asia Minor as shown on the following map.

Map shows the sea route taken for Paul’s journey to Italy, beginning at Caesarea on a ship from Adramyttium in Asia Minor. The final leg of the journey would be by land up to the City of Rome.  

It’s interesting that Luke in writing the account, named the ship and port city it belonged to. That entire region of Roman Asia is now part of modern Turkey.  The image shows what the ship, typical of its day, is thought to have looked like. 

The location of the Asian port city of Adramyttium is shown on the maps. Ships carried trade goods in both directions.  Again, the ancient Roman province of Asia is now modern day Turkey, shown in the lower right corner of the map in relationship to Italy. 

Beginning their trip, after loading the ship in Caesarea, they sailed up the coast and stopped at Sidon, probably for more cargo or to pick up more passengers, or both. The purpose of the arrow is to put the two maps into perspective since Sidon is farther north, beyond Galilee, than is Caesarea. So, lets get aboard with Paul and Luke, but brace yourself for a bumpy ride. 

As previously noted, Julius was the Roman centurion (v.3). As stated, their first stop from Caesarea was at Sidon, as shown on previous slide. From there they sailed to Cyprus. The “lee” side (v.4) is the sheltered side of the island. Was Julius converted by Paul (v.3)—which led to his kindness and trust? We won’t know until we get to heaven and see him face to face. 

Their next stop was Myra in Lycia. Myra was the capital city of Lucia, located on the southern coast of Roman Asia (modern day Turkey).

Headwinds hindered travel of the ship which depended on a tail wind to propel it. The lee side is the sheltered side of the island away from the wind, as described in v.12. 

The “Fast” noted in v.9 was the Jewish great day of atonement, which was always celebrated on the tenth day of the seventh month, which would coincide with the latter end of our September (from Adam Clarke's Commentary). V.11 tells us that the owner was also onboard. We shouldn’t be surprised at the centurion’s decision to follow the advice of the pilot and the owner, especially since Paul did not have any nautical experience. 

At this time the storm was churning the sea and making it dangerous. Their current location wasn’t suitable for a long winter stay, and it was best thought to head to the more appropriate harbor city of Phoenix also on Crete as show on next slide. 

Red arrows point to the Cape of Salmone (Sal-mo-ne) (v.7) and Fair Haven near Lasea (La-se-a) (v.8) The insert on this map shows the location of the island in regard to their final destination of Italy. 

A “promontory” is a point of high land that jots out into the sea.

It’s interesting the amount of detail Luke provides, regarding the pending storm. It’s almost like we are there with them. Maybe that’s the Holy Spirit’s intent. The map shows the direction of the northeaster (dark blue arrow) sweeping across the island pushing them further out to sea. 

Luke even goes so far as to name the small island they passed. This is the Word of God inspired by Holy Spirit, even in detail. Have you ever wondered why? Not just here, but elsewhere in the Bible. I believe it’s because God wants us to engage with the words and its message. In this case, the cost of sharing the Gospel came at a great price, something we’re not faced with, but many others around the world deal with it on a regular basis. That’s why our prayers should always be part of our reading of the Word, and for those Christians facing similar challengers. 

This map provides a visual representation of Luke’s description passing the small island of Cauda, of this leg of their journey. Instead of sailing directly to Phoenix, as intended (v.12), the wind drove them south past Cauda. 

In such a raging storm, it would be easy to lose hope. The storm was so fierce that they had to lighten their load by dumping cargo overboard, and lose the profit associated with its value (v.18). A big loss for both the cargo and the ship owners. 

They spent three days wrestling with the storm. The crew most likely were experienced sailors, yet it was a struggle to the degree that they gave up any hope of being saved from the storm’s ravages. But Paul’s faith wasn’t in the ship or the weather, or the crew, it was in God Almighty. 

If you were ever in a storm, you can get a sense of what it was like. I was in such a storm on a fishing boat in the Atlantic ocean. It was truly scary. It is hard to imagine unless you experience it or an event like it. Is the Holy Spirit’s message, that we need to experience the Word and have faith in Jesus Christ to guide us? I believe so. 

Luke describes the event clearly….on how Paul encouraged the crew. They were still in the storm as Paul spoke, and still very fearful. So, why should they get any comfort from Paul’s words? We can be certain Luke was comforted by Paul’s words. 

Here we see an angelic visit. It implies that Paul was asleep when the angel appeared. It also indicates his confidence in God’s protection. How do we respond in the storms of life? Like Paul or like the crew? 

Paul once again encourages the crew and all those onboard, but not without cost to the ship and its cargo. We can be certain that the owner may have lost heart realizing all of his cargo and its profits will be lost. Perhaps he had to pay some for the lost of their products. Either way it was a great weight for him. If he professed Jesus Christ in this event, he gained greater riches. 

The sailors were at their last hope, as Luke emphasizes the depth of the sea to show that they were approaching land. Who were those aboard praying to, perhaps their pagan gods? Perhaps Paul had shared to gospel of Jesus Christ with them, before the storm. And now they are praying to Him. 

The centurion believed Paul and ordered the soldiers to cut the ropes. With that cut, any hope that went with the lifeboats was gone along with the boats. Did this strengthen their hope in Christ? Luke doesn’t tell us. 

In a time of uncertainty and danger, Paul offered encouragement and gave thanks to God, breaking bread as he spoke. Was it the Lord Supper? We’re not told. Perhaps his angelic vision literally brought additional encouragement to all aboard. Did it bring them to Christ? I think we can be sure it did for some, perhaps even most of them. This again, brings us to election and predestination, regarding whom God has chosen. 

The fact that they ate food under the circumstances, in and of itself is encouraging. His encouragement worked and they followed his instructions to eat to retain their strength. Their last meal on ship, while the storm was still raging. 

Last hope! Luke gives a detailed account that a sailor would recognize…neither Paul nor Luke were sailors. Unlike the other apostles, Paul was a Pharisee, Luke was a physician.  

Can you picture yourself in this situation or something close to it? Did they lose their encouragement when they hit the sandbar, hoping instead to have reached the shore? For those who accepted Christ, it definitely would be a test of their faith in this new found God. 

The soldiers were attempting to follow their training and not let prisoners escape under any circumstance (v.42). A soldier that disobeyed was severely disciplined, except for their order from the centurion. What did this centurion know about Paul to spare his life? It raises the question again, did he come to faith in Jesus Christ? Was he, Julius, the same centurion from Caesarea? Again, Luke’s account is jam packed like an adventure novel. 

Julius’ kindness to Paul…and trust. The sailors, soldiers and prisoners onboard, did they come to faith? Since all of human history is laid out before God, past, present and future, at one time, can we pray for past events and people? If we prayed now, would God have taken it into consideration then? Just a thought. 

End of

The Acts of the Apostles

Chapter 27