Lesson 9 - Paul's Voyage to Rome

 Lesson 9

Paul's Voyage to Rome

Objective: To have the courage to face perils and trials. Even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, fear no evil. The ever-present god will help you.

Bible Portion: Acts - Chapter 27, 28

Memory Verse: Rom 8:35-39

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake, we are killed all day long: We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Introduction:

Paul was sent to Rome under guard from Caesarea because he had appealed to Caesar. During the voyage, he faced many a calamity even to the extent of a shipwreck. We will study it in detail.

The distance Paul traveled by sea from Caesarea to Rome was about 2870 miles. It took him a total of seven months, including the three months stay in Malta Island. The account given in Acts 27 of Paul's voyage gives us a clear picture of the ancient voyages. In this account, we find about 40 naval terms or words related to navigation. The voyage began before the winter of 60 AD.

Paul Sails For Rome

Paul and other prisoners were sent under the centurion named Julius Luke and Aristarchus with Paul. To assist him. Paul being an exceptional prisoner, was granted certain special privileges like this. Julius was so kind to Paul that he allowed him to receive entertainment and helps from his friends (27:3). They reached Sidon in the north. The next important place they reached was "Myra" in Lycia during this voyage of about 500 miles. Paul got one more chance to recall to memory his early fields in places like Cyprus, Pamphyllia, and Cilicia, as well as the Churches planted there.

ABORD ALEXANDRIAN SHIP

Paul and his fellow passengers continued their sail from Myra in an Alexandrian ship shipping corn from Egypt to Rome. The next city they were to touch was Fair Havens on the island of Crete. Crete is one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Later we find that there were Churches on the island, which were 150 miles long and 30 miles wide, and that they were under the care of Titus (Titus 1:5). From Myra, they had already sailed 350 miles now... Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because of the storm.

Here Paul warned them, "Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and will bring great loss to ship and cargo and to our own lives also." This was God's counsel spoken through Paul. But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and the owner of the ship. For Paul, in their sight, was only a prisoner. During this voyage, Paul spoke 4 times to his fellow sailor. Though he was merely a prisoner, he behaved on the ship as a servant of God.

THE STORMCALLED NORTHEASTER' (Euroclydon):

The calculation of the navigators was to start from Fair Havens and arrive at another port city in Crete called Phoenix and spend the winter there. They thought things would go well when a gentle south wind began to blow. But before very long, contrary to their calculations, a wind hurricane force called Northeaster swept down from the island. They gave up all hope of being saved. The Ship was not engine-driven but driven (sailboat) and went out of control. As they passed to the lee of a small island called Clauda, they were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. But again, the ship was out of control. This is a clear picture of his own whimsical way of rejecting God's counsel. They began to throw the cargo overboard. They even threw the ships of anyone going tackle. Since they let the ship be driven by the wind, they were lost in the sea, not knowing where they reached or where to go next. 

PAUL ADDRESSES THEM (Acts 27:21-27)

There were 276 people on board. Because of fear, the men on board had not eaten anything for a long time. Then Paul stood up before and said: Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Where did this prisoner get courage from in order to preach to the others? He had one thing which the others lacked 'trust in God". While aboard that uncontrolled ship, he was fully aware of the presence of the Lord whose he was and whom he served. Though the Sun, Moon, and Star were lost, God spoke to Paul even in that darkened night. God's people are the memorials of God's wonders in the world (Psa 71:7). Perhaps by now, they realized the worthlessness of the words of the Pilot and ship owner (Acts 27:11, 21). Those who follow the advice of men shall be ashamed. But those will be honored who proclaim and believe God's word.

FROM CLAUDIA TO MALTA:

The voyage from Clauda to Malta, about 500 miles, was the most difficult one. Paul's words were the only source of encouragement. Then sailors had some hope that they would be ashore in a fortnight. Then the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Paul found out his deception. Man's selfishness and wickedness are revealed at any time, even during calamity. If the sailors had escaped all the passengers would have perished in the depth of the sea. Only a child of God truly cares for and works for the deliverance and welfare of others.

PAUL AGAIN ENCOURAGES:

Among these desperate passengers, Paul was the only man with courage. This time, he encouraged them with words and his own example. He took bread, gave thanks to God, and ate it before all others (Act 27:33-38). Then others were also encouraged to eat. The life experience of God's people, especially the courage shown in adverse circumstances, leads others to the Lord.

ASHORE ON MALTA:

It happened as Paul had predicted (Acts 27:26). They reached a merging point at sea where two waters were joined. By the strong battering waves, the shipwrecked. The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners. Nevertheless, the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and keep them from carrying out their plan. Thus all men on board survived as God had told Paul (Act 27:22, 44). The goodness which God shows to the wicked world is on account of His Son and His people on earth. This shipwreck was the fourth one in Paul's life (2Cori 11:25). All the passengers in the ship swam to the land and reached an island that was later found to be Malta.

Malta is a small island in the Mediterranean Sea which is 17 miles long and 8 miles wide. On this island, void of rivers, lakes, and trees, only a thin population was found in Paul's day. Although 5 Lakhs people live there today, there is a cave on this island believed to have been occupied by Paul. He lived there for three months time. The Islanders were known as barbarians. The Greeks called the non-Greeks barbarians. They, however, showed unusual kindness to these victims (Acts 28:1-2). They built a fire and welcomed all of them as it was raining and cold. Paul, while gathering a pile of wood and putting it into the fire, a viper fastened itself on his hand. The islanders saw this and said to each other. "This man must be a murderer." But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. When the people waited for a long time and saw this and said to each other, unusual happened to him, they changed their minds and said he was a God. From this, we can understand that the basic truths of morality and religion are universally latent in all people. The chief officials of the island Publuis welcomed Paul and his party to his home and entertained them for three days. His father's healing from fever and dysentery drew all the sick people of the island to Paul. They were all healed, and a good ministry was performed there. They honored Paul in many ways. When they were ready to sail, they furnished them with the supplies they needed.

ARRIVAL AT ROME (Acts 28: 11-16): 

After three months at Malta, they set sail to Rome in another Egyptian ship that was wintering there. This is the third ship on this voyage. Past eighty miles, they reached Syracuse in Cicili, Again, it took a voyage of ninety miles to Rhegium, on the south end of Italy. Sailing further about 180 miles, they arrived at Puteoli; they were to travel 120 miles by land to reach Rome. There were believers at Puteoli, where he spent one week. Meanwhile, the brothers in Rome had learned about Paul's arrival. They traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet Paul. At the sight of these brothers, Paul thanked God from his heart forgetting all his sufferings.

He was encouraged by these brothers. During the rest of the journey of 30 miles, Paul traveled without the least thought that he was a prisoner. Paul arrived at Rome as a prisoner, contrary to his earlier expectation that he could take the Gospel to Rome as he did to other places with freedom. Pleased the Lord that he should reach Rome as a prisoner (Acts 19:21, Rom 15:22-29).

When Paul got to Rome, he was allowed to live by himself with a soldier to guard him (Acts 28:16). There were a large number of Jews in Rome. They had a separate Jewish colony in the trans-Tiber area. Inevitably they had many synagogues also there. As soon as Paul got to Rome, he made an occasion to explain the Gospel to the Jews and learn their reaction. He had two meetings with them (Acts 28: 11-22, 23-28). In the second meeting, he could take the Gospel home to them. In that day-long meeting, Paul explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Old Testament. What was their response?. They had disagreed among themselves and began to leave. The Jews who were given the gospel first rejected it. So Paul closed the meeting with a warning that God's salvation was going to be sent to the Gentiles. Luke, the author of the Acts of the Apostles, concludes his records by briefly recounting Paul's two years of prison life in Rome and how he worked there, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about Jesus Christ... For the rest of the story, we have to depend on Paul's writings from Rome.