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The Voyage to Rome Paul's
Perilous Journey 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.—2 Corinthians 11:26 Carl Hagensick In a very real sense, Paul’s journey to Rome was his journey home; not to his ancestral residence in Tarsus, nor to his spiritual home in Antioch, nor yet to his missionary base in Ephesus, but to prison and the execution that would end his earthly pilgrimage and bring him home to eventually be with the Lord. Each Christian, likewise, is on a life-long journey with the same hoped-for destination. There are several parallel lessons between Paul’s literal voyage and the spiritual trek the Christian travels to reach his heavenly rest. Caesarea to Sidon, Acts 27:1-3 Though the legal document to send Paul to Rome was evidently signed by Festus, the determination to do so had already been made by God, for we read: “And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome” (Acts 23:11). Likewise for Christians, though their lives are turned over largely to the world around them, the predetermination of their course, under wise and benevolent direction in all matters, is under the control of their loving God (Romans 8:28). Paul and the other prisoners were placed under the guard of Julius, a centurion who treated his charges with dignity and generosity. This may have been largely due to his natural disposition. It is also possible that he was a freed servant himself. The Alexandrian manuscript gives his name as Julianus, suggesting that he had been freed by the Julian family and had adopted their name. On the other hand, it is likely that Paul’s dignified demeanor had won his respect as it had with the other Roman officials with whom he had come in contact—Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:6-12), Gallio (Acts 18:12-17), Felix (Acts 24:22,23), and Festus (Acts 25:12-14). Julius not only allowed Luke, Aristarchus, and possibly others to accompany Paul on his journey (as is indicated by the “we” in Acts 27:1), but also granted the apostle liberty to visit the church in Sidon (Acts 27:3). Such companionship along the way undoubtedly refreshed Paul for the trials that lay ahead. Do not we also find the liberty to fellowship with those of like minds truly strengthening for the ordeals that accompany our walk on the narrow way of sacrifice? The first day at sea was apparently uneventful and on calm waters as the ship sailed near the shore to the port of Sidon. So, generally speaking, the Christian pathway starts smoothly enough, giving time to fortify one for the rigors that lie ahead. Sidon to Myra, Acts 27:4,5 Contrary winds caused the captain of the ship to change course. Rather than go due west from Sidon to Crete, the skipper plied the shoreline of Cilicia and Pamphylia to the Lycian seaport of Myra, today’s Demre in the Antalya Province of Turkey. This brought them north of the coast of Cyprus that afforded protection from the wind-tossed waters of the open Mediterranean. It is often, too, in the Christian’s journey home that he faces troubled seas. It is in times like these that the Lord changes our course to the calmer waters nearer shore where help is readily available. Myra to Crete, Acts 27:6-11 At Myra those bound for Rome changed vessels, taking “a ship of Alexandria” to cross the choppy waters of the open sea. Alexandria, in Egypt, was famous for its large ships, some reaching up to two hundred fifty feet in length. This particular boat was carrying a large shipment of wheat into Italy (see Acts 27:38). Calm winds forced them to continue to proceed slowly{FOOTNOTE: The Greek word molis, Strong’s #3433, translated “scarce” in Acts 27:7 and “hardly” in Acts 27:8, means “with difficulty.”} and with great difficulty, hugging the shore of Asia Minor until they came near its southwestern tip at the island city of Cnidus, today’s Turkish city of Tekir. From Cnidus, with the winds still calm, they managed to round the cape of Salmone at the eastern edge of Crete until they arrived at the port of Fair Havens on the southern shore of the island. There they remained for a short period, probably restocking the ship’s supplies from the nearby town of Lasea. They observed a Jewish fast day, probably Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, about October 1. This was just long enough to bring them into the seasonal equinoctial storms that traditionally haunt the Mediterranean. Noticing the jeopardy, Paul proffered his advice that they delay their journey until the weather was more favorable. Commenting on this counsel, Pastor Russell remarked: “This may have been the result of some inspiration, but quite possibly was merely the result of his own judgment of the weather, etc. He had already had large experience in seeing disasters as we are informed in one of his epistles written previous to this time: ‘Thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep’ (2 Corinthians 11:25). Besides, his trade as a sail-maker would naturally bring him in contact with sailors, and interest him in all matters pertaining to the craft.” (Reprints, p. 3204) The ship’s master, however, decided to proceed onward, a decision he would later regret. Carrying the lesson forward to the Christian life, it is sometimes in the calm periods of life that one finds the toughest going. There come times in each of our lives when we seem to be in a rut and see no progress in our journey. Prosperity frequently holds more danger than persecution. However, the doldrums of life can also fortify one for the stormy waters ahead. Both the warp and the woof are necessary in the divine weaving of the Christian’s “robe of righteousness.” As Solomon wrote, using a still different metaphor, “Awake, O north wind [of adversity]; and come, thou south [winds of prosperity]; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits” (Song of Solomon 4:16). After refortifying spiritually for the journey ahead, as the ship did from the merchants of Lasea, and noting the threatening storm, the Christian bears the responsibility to warn those around him of the impending dangers (Ezekiel 3:18-20). It is interesting to note that, whereas Paul had been given the freedom to visit his friends in Sidon, he was not given liberty to visit his beloved Titus or other brethren in Crete (Titus 1:5). So at times the world gives the church the blessings of fellowship with those of like minds, at other times such privileges are withheld. It is also possible that the apostle, never one to miss an opportunity, desired to remain at Fair Havens for the winter because of its proximity to Gortyna, a Cretan city with a large Jewish population and possibly one of the missionary outposts of Titus. Crete to Clauda, Acts 27:12-17 Finding the harbor at Fair Havens too small, they wished to proceed along the south coast of Crete to the larger harbor at the southwestern Cretan port of Phenice (Phoenix), to spend the winter there. They were encouraged by a soft southerly wind and set off. However they had not gone far before a typhonic wind arose, pushing them south toward Africa. Unable to maintain course, they let the wind drive the ship where it may. Fortuitously, they spotted the small island of Clauda, only two by seven miles in size. Sailing to the lee side of the island, they prepared to secure the ship for the stormy waters ahead. With great difficulty they hoisted the small dugout boarding boat up onto the deck and secured it. Then they strung rope cables around the bottom of the ship to strengthen the hull against the battering wind and waves. A lesson here is not to be too precipitous in striking out upon the slightest hint of what we may assume to be providential direction. It is the course of wisdom that, when the time seems favorable to venture forth, to make preparations in case a sudden change of circumstance and a spiritual typhoon upsets the former favoring gale. However, even though we are unprepared for the raging seas of life, we can safely trust in the Lord and be on the lookout for our spiritual Claudas. Like these storm-tossed mariners, we find that the Lord will provide the lee of some small island to enable us to undergird our lives with the ropes of faith for the dangers that lie ahead. No matter how small the God-given blessing, it is still a cause for thankfulness. The quicksand they feared was off the coast of Africa between Carthage and Cyrenaica. These treacherous sandbars are formed by winds in a northerly direction blowing sand from the Sahara into the Mediterranean. The Christian, like these sailors of old, has good reason to be concerned with earthly sands of hobbies or materialism that lurk hidden under our pathway seeking to suck us into unnecessary earthly involvement. Clauda to Melita, Acts 27:18-44 Putting forth from Clauda, they sought to make the four-hundred-fifty mile crossing of what was then called the Adriatic Sea to Italy. However, the storm was far worse than they feared, lasting a full two weeks. They knew they were in deep trouble almost as soon as they set out. On the second day they cast all of the less expensive merchandise overboard and the next day they jettisoned most of the ship’s tackling. Before the end of the storm they even cast their main cargo of wheat into the sea. Their plight soon worsened when they had neither sunlight nor the night luminaries of moon and stars by which to navigate. They had come to utter despair, convinced they would all perish. It was at this extremity that Paul seized the opportunity to give a witness. Standing in the midst of the 276 persons on board, he first remonstrated against them for not heeding his warnings at Crete. Then he informed them that his God had sent an angelic messenger to assure him that he would arrive safely in Rome and that all aboard would be saved for Paul’s sake. In what must have been a surprise to his audience, the apostle speaks of himself, not as a prisoner going to his judgment, but as an emissary from his God with an important message for Caesar. In their desperation all had been fasting and praying, undoubtedly each to his own god. Paul used this as a further opportunity to demonstrate his faith. Urging them to break their fast and eat to get the necessary nourishment for the ardors ahead, he took bread, broke it, publicly offered a prayer to Jehovah, and ate. Encouraged by the strength of the apostle’s faith, the others also partook of food. Despite their best efforts and the thwarted attempt of some to abandon ship, the boat broke up on a sandy reef of an unknown island. All aboard were saved, either by swimming or floating ashore on wooden planks from the shipwrecked vessel.
Once again, this narrative holds rich lessons for us. When sore beset by the raging storms of life, we must be willing to divest ourselves of, first, all the trivial baggage of earthly life; second, of the unnecessary tackling of our earth-bound lives; and, ultimately, of our most precious worldly cargo, even, if required, of our means of earning a living. We must also seize upon life’s most troublous moments as an opportunity to exercise our inner peace and confidence that no harm can befall us until the Lord sees our earthly ministry is finished. Furthermore, we can tell those around us that they can be of good courage because no permanent harm will befall them for our sakes. On Melita, Acts 28:1-10 The natives of the island, though not speaking Greek or Latin, treated them hospitably. They first started a fire to warm the cold and wet men. Paul, in assisting them by putting wood on the fire, was suddenly bitten by a poisonous viper. When he showed no harm from the bite, the natives assumed he must be a god. The governor of the island (Melita, now called Malta) was a man named Publius. He invited Paul and his companions to stay with him three days. While there, Paul healed Publius’ father who lay ill, suffering intermittent attacks of fever and dysentery. Word soon spread and many of the islanders came to Paul and he healed them also. As a result the apostle was highly honored by the natives. Three months passed before they were able to book passage for Italy on another Alexandrian ship. The three days Paul spent with Publius calls to mind many other periods of the same length pointing to Christ’s kingdom on the third thousand-year day after his first advent. It is in that kingdom that all the diseases of the human race will find their cure. The ones who work with Christ in performing those miracles are those who, like Paul, are bitten by Satan, the serpent of Eden, and survive with no harm. Melita to Rome, Acts 28:11-17 The balance of their sea voyage was short and uneventful, with brief stops at Syracuse in Sicily and Rhegium in Calabria, before finally arriving at Puteoli, the seaport that serviced the land-bound capital of Rome. In Puteoli, the Romans showed great generosity to Paul, allowing him to spend a full week with the brethren there. Word of his arrival spread quickly to Rome and they traveled twenty and fifty miles respectively to meet him at both the towns of Appii Forum and The Three Taverns, stops along the famous Appian Way. How precious those visits and the sacrificing of the brethren to meet him must have been to Paul! And so it is with all of the Church. As they near the end of their course, how refreshing and vital is the fellowship of kindred minds and how important that every opportunity to meet together in local gatherings or in traveling to conventions be taken advantage of: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). |
