Paul The Apostle: Part 16.
We left off with Paul having to go before Festus and was found innocent. But because Paul had appealed to Caesar, he was not set free.
Paul’s voyage to Rome:
No formal trial of Paul had yet taken place. After a while, arrangements were made to carry “Paul and certain other prisoners,” that were in the custody of a centurion named Julius, were to be carried to Italy; and among them, whether by favor or for whatever reason, we find the historian of the book of Acts. The narrative of this voyage is accordingly minute and circumstantial in a degree which has heightened our attention.
The nautical and geographical details of Luke’s account have been examined in detail thorough investigation by many competent critics. The account in Acts is shown to be written by an accurate eye-witness, not himself a professional seaman, but well acquainted with nautical terms and matters. We will move along in the narrative concerning the voyage, referring to the works above mentioned, and to the articles written concerning the names of places and nautical terms which occur in the narrative.
The land on which the wreck took place was found to belong to Malta. The inhabitants of the island received the wet and exhausted voyagers with kindness and they immediately built a fire to warm them. This particular kindness is recorded on account of the incident connected with it. The apostle was helping to make the fire, and had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, when a viper came out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they thought him to be poisoned by the bite, and said to themselves, “No doubt this man is a murderer, though he has escaped from the sea, yet vengeance suffers him not to live.” But when they saw that no harm came to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
The circumstance, as well as the honor in which Paul was held by Julius, would account for Paul being invited with some others to stay at the house of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius. By him they were shown hospitality and were entertained for three days.
Now “After a three-months” stay in Malta, the soldiers and their prisoners left in an Alexandrian ship for Italy. They touched at Syracuse, where they staid for three days, and as well at Rhegium from which place they were carried with a fair wind to Puteoli, where they left the ship and the sea.
At Puteoli they found “brethren” for it was an important place and especially a chief port for the traffic between Alexandria and Rome; and by these brethren they were encouraged to stay for a while with them. Permission seems to have been granted by the Centurion; and while they were spending seven days at Pateoli, news of the apostle’s arrival was sent on to Rome.
Paul at Rome:
On their arrival at Rome, the centurion delivered up his prisoners into the proper custody, that of the Praetorian Prefect. Paul was at once treated with special consideration, and was allowed to dwell with the soldier who guarded him. He was now therefore free “To preach the gospel to them that were at Rome also;” and proceeded without delay to act upon his rule, “To the Jew first.”
He invited the chief persons amongst the Jews to come to him, and explained to them that, though he was brought to Rome to answer charges made against him by the Jews in Palestine, he had really done nothing disloyal to his nation or the law, nor desired to be considered as hostile to his fellow-countrymen.
The Roman Jews replied that they had received no tidings to his prejudice. The sect of which he had implied he was a member they knew to be everywhere spoken against; but they were willing to hear what he had to say. But the reception of his message by the Jews was not favorable.
He turned therefore again to the Gentiles, and for two years he dwelt in his own hired house; these are the last words of the Acts. But Paul’s career is not abruptly closed. Before he fades out of our sight in the twilight of ecclesiastical tradition, we have letters written by him, which contribute some particulars to his external biography, and give us a far more precious insight into his convictions and sympathies.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com