Paul travelled to Phillipi before setting sail for Jerusalem, where he hoped to celebrate the anniversary of when the Holy Spirit first came to the followers of Jesus. His ship stopped at several ports in Asia Minor along the way. While he was docked he sent for the elders of the Ephesian church and when they arrived he said to them, “You remember when I first came here. I served God humbly and had to go through a lot of struggles because people were plotting against me. I never hesitated to publicly tell you everything I could think of to help you in your faith. I have told both Jews and Greeks the story of Jesus. But my life is nothing when compared to the task Jesus has given me, to tell everyone the good news of forgiveness, and that is a task I plan to finish.
“Now I know that I am never going to see any of you again. But I am okay leaving you because I know that I have clearly said what God wants from all of you. Take care of yourselves and this church that you are a part of and that Jesus bought with his own blood. I know that when I leave you are going to face those that want to see the church destroyed. Even some of your own will distort the truth to lead people away from the church. I trust that God will watch over you as you strengthen yourselves with his words.” When Paul finished he knelt down and prayed with them. They all hugged him and cried and were very upset when he suggested that they would never see him again.
After tearing themselves away, Paul put out to sea. His voyage eventually ended in Tyre. The followers of Jesus met him there and, hearing the words of the Holy Spirit, warned him not to continue to Jerusalem, but Paul would not be deterred. All of them, men, women, and children, followed him out of the city to the docks and prayed on the beach as he set sail for Caesarea Maritima. When he arrived, a prophet who had come from Judea took Paul’s belt and tied his own hands and feet with it, saying, “The Holy Spirit says that the owner of this belt will be tied up by the religious leaders in Jerusalem and arrested.”
The believers there begged Paul not to return, but he said, “Why are you crying, it’s breaking my heart. I’m willing to be arrested, even die for Jesus.” When the people realized he could not be dissuaded they prayed a blessing on him and sent him on his way, with some accompanying him.
When Paul arrived in Jerusalem he met with the church leaders there and told them everything that had been happening on his most recent journey. They thanked God for this good news, but also said, “thousands of Jews here have become followers of Jesus, but they also follow the laws of Moses very seriously. They have been told that you are telling Jews living in other countries that they do not need to follow any of the laws of Moses or put the mark of Abraham on their children. What should we do? They are going to find out that you are here. There are four men who are planning on purifying themselves according to the laws of Moses. Why don’t you join them and also pay their fees so everyone will see that you are obedient to the laws.”
So, the next day Paul was purified with the four men. He went to the temple to record the date the purification would end and also pay their fees. When the seven days of purification had nearly ended some Jews from Asia Minor saw Paul and stirred up the crowd, saying, “This is the man who is teaching everyone all over the world to turn against our people, our law, and our temple.”
People from all directions ran and grabbed Paul intending to kill him. When the Roman commander learned the city was in an uproar he sent soldiers into the crowd and the rioters stopped beating Paul. The commander ordered Paul arrested and bound him with chains, hand and foot. He asked the crowd who Paul was and what he had done, but people yelled from every side so he couldn’t understand them. The commander then had Paul taken back to the Roman barracks, but when they arrived, the crowd there was so violent Paul had to be carried in by the soldiers.
As Paul was being carried he said to the commander in Greek, “May I say something?”
“You speak Greek?” he replied, “Aren’t you that Egyptian terrorist who led 4000 rebels into the desert a while ago?”
Paul answered, “No, I’m a Jew from the city of Tarsus. Please let me speak to the crowd.””
The commander consented and so Paul stood on the steps and said to the crowd, “My fellow Jews, listen to me. I am one of you. I was born in Tarsus and raised right here in Jerusalem. I was thoroughly trained in the laws of our ancestors. I am as passionate about God as all of you. I hunted down, arrested, and killed the followers of Jesus wherever I could find them in Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin will verify that. But when I was on the way to Damascus to continue my hunt, my life was changed.” Paul continued to tell them how he saw Jesus on the way to Damascus, went blind, was healed, became a follower, and began sharing the story of Jesus everywhere he went.
But when Paul said that God had told him to speak to the gentiles the crowd turned on him and shouted for his death. They became violent, so to calm them down, the Roman commander ordered that Paul be whipped and questioned. As they raised their whips Paul said, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t been found guilty of any crime?” When they realized he was a Roman citizen they put their whips down and were worried what would happen because they had chained him.
The next day the commander called for the Sanhedrin and Paul to stand before him to explain the whole situation.”Paul looked at them and said, “I have fulfilled my duty to God in good conscience my entire life.”
When he heard this, the high priest, Ananias, ordered that Paul be struck in the face. Paul said, “God will strike you, hypocrite. You judge me according to our laws, but break them by ordering that I be hit.”
Then Paul said, “I am on trial because I have hope that people can be brought back to life by the power of God.”
The Pharisees and Sadducees began to argue with each other over this point, with some of them saying, “This man hasn’t done anything wrong.” The argument was so violent that the Roman commander, fearing for Paul’s life, had his soldiers take Paul away.
That night, God spoke to Paul, saying, “Stay strong. Just like you spoke about me in Jerusalem, you will soon speak in Rome.”
The next day, a number of the religious leaders took an oath to kill Paul by telling the Roman commander to call them together again so they could get more information. But a friend of Paul’s found out and delivered this information to the commander so Paul would be safe.
The commander sent Paul with more than 400 soldiers to the Roman governor, Felix, in Caesarea Maritima along with a letter:
Greetings to you, Governor Felix. This man was captured by Jews who meant to kill him before I had my men rescue him because I learned he was a Roman citizen. I wanted to understand why they wanted him dead, so I called together their religious leaders, but I didn’t hear any charges brought up that deserved death or prison. I learned of another plot to kill him so I sent him to you. I’ve also told his accusers to bring their case to you.
So Paul was kept under guard by Felix until his accusers arrived. Five days later Ananias came with some of the Sanhedrin and a Roman lawyer named Tertullus to bring their case to Felix. Tertullus said, “We have enjoyed peace and prosperity under your rule, Felix, and we thank you. This man, Paul, is a troublemaker. He causes riots among the Jews everywhere he goes. He is the leader of the Nazarene religious sect and he even disrespected the temple. If you question him, you will learn the truth for yourself.”
When Felix told Paul to answer these charges he said, “No more than 12 days ago I went to Jerusalem to worship. I wasn’t arguing with anyone or stirring up the crowd. My accusers can’t prove anything they are saying about me. But I do admit to worshipping the God of my ancestors and that I am a follower of Jesus, which they call a religious sect. I believe everything in the law and all the words of the prophets just like they do. I had been gone from Jerusalem for years and I was coming back with gifts for the poor. I was ceremonially purified along with four other men when they found me at the temple. There was no crowd and no disturbance. I have done nothing wrong.”
After this Felix dismissed them all. Felix hoped that Paul would offer him a bribe to let him go, so he spoke with him frequently, in private, and Paul shared the story of Jesus with him, but never offered him the money he sought. So Felix left Paul in prison for two years hoping to curry favor with the Jews.
When Felix was replaced by Festus, the new governor immediately traveled to Jerusalem where the Sanhedrin came to him and once again made their case against Paul, but were once again unable to prove the charges. They requested that Paul be transferred back to Jerusalem, hoping to ambush and kill him along the way, but Festus instead suggested they return to Caesarea Maritima to hold Paul’s trial. During this trial, Paul once again professed his innocence so Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul if he would be willing to stand trial in Jerusalem, as they wanted. Paul replied, “Right now I am in Caesar’s court, where I should be tried. I’ve done nothing wrong to the Jews and you know that. If I was guilty, I would accept my punishment, even if it was death. But if what they are saying about me isn’t true, I should not be handed over to them. I appeal to Caesar.
Festus answered, “you’ve appealed to Caesar, so that’s where you will go.”
By this time, Herod Agrippa had been succeeded by his son, Herod Agrippa II, who came to Festus to pay his respects to the new Roman governor. Over the course of their time together, Festus started talking about Paul, saying, “Felix left this man in prison and when I visited Jerusalem the Jews brought charges against him. I told them I wouldn’t just hand him over to them without a fair trial. When they convened here they did not accuse him of any crime I would have expected. Instead they brought up this strange dispute about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claims is alive. I didn’t really know how to handle this, so I asked Paul if he would be willing to move his trial to Jerusalem and he appealed his case to Caesar. I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner to Rome without listing his charges. I was hoping if you spoke with him you might be able to determine what I should write.”
When he was brought before them and was given permission to speak he said, “King Agrippa, I’m lucky to speak to you about what the Jews are saying about me because you understand Jewish law so well, but the story is long so I request your patience.
“The Jews know my life story, both in Tarsus and Jerusalem. They can tell you, if they were willing, that I followed the religious laws of our people more strictly than anyone. It is because of my understanding of the promises God made our ancestors that I am on trial today. All of our people have hope in these promises as they serve God every day. Why should anyone consider it impossible that God can raise the dead?
“I was convinced that I needed to do everything I could to stop the story of Jesus from spreading. I imprisoned his followers and sentenced them to death. I traveled all over hunting them. But as I was travelling to Damascus I was surrounded by a blinding light and the voice of Jesus asked me why I had made myself his enemy. He told me he had chosen me to share his story with the world, to turn the people back to God, and to offer people forgiveness from sin and eternal life. So I obeyed and began speaking about Jesus everywhere. This is why I was arrested and brought here. I haven’t said anything other than what Moses and the prophets said would happen, that our savior would suffer, die, be brought back to life, and bring a message of hope to the whole world.”
At this point Festus interrupted, “You’re insane, Paul. All your time studying has made you lose your mind.”
Paul replied, “Respectfully, Festus, I am not insane. What I’m saying is true and makes sense. King Agrippa is aware of the prophecies I’ve referenced. King Agrippa, do you believe in the words of the prophets? I know you do.”
Agrippa replied, “Do you think you can make me a follower of Jesus so fast? “
Paul said, “Whether it is sooner or later, I pray that you and everyone listening today will become like me, minus the chains.”
After he left them, Festus and Herod agreed that Paul had done nothing to deserve death. Herod said, “he might have been freed if he hadn’t demanded to be sent to the emperor.”
Paul was then transferred to a soldier named Julius who took him and some other prisoners aboard a ship headed for Rome. The journey was difficult and Paul received a premonition that their voyage would end in disaster. But when he warned Julius to turn aside he was ignored and they pressed on because bad weather had already put them behind schedule.
As they continued a Nor’easter of hurricane force came out of nowhere and buffeted the ship. They tied ropes under the ship fearing it would break apart if they were dashed against the rocky coast. They lowered their anchor so they would be dragged along slowly, but it wasn’t enough. The next day they threw their cargo overboard. After many days of this they had given up all hope of survival.
They were hungry and scared when Paul finally stood up and said, “Though you should have listened to my warning, don’t be scared. Last night an angel told me that I must speak to Caesar and that all of your lives are tied to mine. None of you will die, though the boat will be destroyed. I have faith that God will rescue us from this storm soon, even though we will run aground.”
After 14 days at sea they sensed they were approaching land. Again, fearing they would be smashed by the rocks, they dropped more anchors. Some of the crew tried to secretly escape, but when Paul told the captain that if any of them left the ship they would all risk dying their lifeboats were cut and floated, empty, away from the ship.
Paul then told them all to eat because they wouldn’t survive otherwise once they were shipwrecked. So Paul took some bread, broke it, and gave thanks to God. Everyone else on board was encouraged and soon all 276 of them had eaten. The next morning they didn’t recognize where they were, but they saw a sandy beach and tried to make for it. But they hit a sandbar and were stuck a ways from the shore. The soldiers planned to kill all the prisoners to prevent their escape, but Julius wanted to spare Paul so he ordered them to stand down. Then everyone jumped the water and either swam or floated on boards to the shore.
Once they were safely ashore they found out they were on the isle of Malta, hundreds of miles south of Rome. The islanders were unbelievably kind to the shipwrecked men, building them a fire so they could dry off and warm up. Paul helped by gathering wood but as he threw it on the fire, a viper quickly slithered out and bit Paul’s hand.
The islanders said, “He must be a murderer. Even though he survived the shipwreck, the goddess of justice will not let him live.” But Paul shook the snake off and though he was expected to quickly collapse and die he showed no signs he had been poisoned. Then the islanders were amazed and decided that, instead, he must be a god.
The island was governed by a man named Publius, who personally looked after their wellbeing for three days. When Paul learned that the Publius’ father was sick, he placed his hands on him, prayed, and he was healed. When they heard what happened everyone on the island who was sick came to Paul for healing.
After spending the three winter months in Malta they finally set sail for Rome on another ship which had also wintered there. They landed at Syracuse in Sicily before setting sail again and finally landing at Rhegium on the Italian peninsula. When they finally arrived at Rome, Paul was greeted by some followers of Jesus who had traveled there to encourage him. Rather than be sent to prison, Paul was given a place to stay and kept there under house arrest with a lone guard.
Three days later, the Jews in Rome asked to speak with Paul. When they came together, Paul said, “Even though I have done nothing to our people or violated any of our ancestors’ customs, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They didn’t think I had done anything wrong and were going to release me, but the Jews objected and so I had to appeal to Caesar. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am a prisoner.”
They replied, “We haven’t heard anything about you from the Jews in Jerusalem. We want to know what your views are because people everywhere are speaking out against this story of Jesus.”
So Paul spoke all day to them about God’s kingdom and using the words of Moses and the prophets he tried to persuade them to believe. Some were convinced and others were not, so they argued with each other as they prepared to leave. Before they left, Paul concluded by saying, “The Holy Spirit was telling the truth when he spoke through Isaiah the prophet, ‘you hear but don’t listen, you see but don’t understand.’ This is why God’s salvation is also going to the gentiles, who are listening!”
For two years, Paul was under house arrest, but was able to welcome anyone who came to see him. He continued to share the story of Jesus with boldness to everyone who would listen.
“Now I know that I am never going to see any of you again. But I am okay leaving you because I know that I have clearly said what God wants from all of you. Take care of yourselves and this church that you are a part of and that Jesus bought with his own blood. I know that when I leave you are going to face those that want to see the church destroyed. Even some of your own will distort the truth to lead people away from the church. I trust that God will watch over you as you strengthen yourselves with his words.” When Paul finished he knelt down and prayed with them. They all hugged him and cried and were very upset when he suggested that they would never see him again.
After tearing themselves away, Paul put out to sea. His voyage eventually ended in Tyre. The followers of Jesus met him there and, hearing the words of the Holy Spirit, warned him not to continue to Jerusalem, but Paul would not be deterred. All of them, men, women, and children, followed him out of the city to the docks and prayed on the beach as he set sail for Caesarea Maritima. When he arrived, a prophet who had come from Judea took Paul’s belt and tied his own hands and feet with it, saying, “The Holy Spirit says that the owner of this belt will be tied up by the religious leaders in Jerusalem and arrested.”
The believers there begged Paul not to return, but he said, “Why are you crying, it’s breaking my heart. I’m willing to be arrested, even die for Jesus.” When the people realized he could not be dissuaded they prayed a blessing on him and sent him on his way, with some accompanying him.
When Paul arrived in Jerusalem he met with the church leaders there and told them everything that had been happening on his most recent journey. They thanked God for this good news, but also said, “thousands of Jews here have become followers of Jesus, but they also follow the laws of Moses very seriously. They have been told that you are telling Jews living in other countries that they do not need to follow any of the laws of Moses or put the mark of Abraham on their children. What should we do? They are going to find out that you are here. There are four men who are planning on purifying themselves according to the laws of Moses. Why don’t you join them and also pay their fees so everyone will see that you are obedient to the laws.”
So, the next day Paul was purified with the four men. He went to the temple to record the date the purification would end and also pay their fees. When the seven days of purification had nearly ended some Jews from Asia Minor saw Paul and stirred up the crowd, saying, “This is the man who is teaching everyone all over the world to turn against our people, our law, and our temple.”
People from all directions ran and grabbed Paul intending to kill him. When the Roman commander learned the city was in an uproar he sent soldiers into the crowd and the rioters stopped beating Paul. The commander ordered Paul arrested and bound him with chains, hand and foot. He asked the crowd who Paul was and what he had done, but people yelled from every side so he couldn’t understand them. The commander then had Paul taken back to the Roman barracks, but when they arrived, the crowd there was so violent Paul had to be carried in by the soldiers.
As Paul was being carried he said to the commander in Greek, “May I say something?”
“You speak Greek?” he replied, “Aren’t you that Egyptian terrorist who led 4000 rebels into the desert a while ago?”
Paul answered, “No, I’m a Jew from the city of Tarsus. Please let me speak to the crowd.””
The commander consented and so Paul stood on the steps and said to the crowd, “My fellow Jews, listen to me. I am one of you. I was born in Tarsus and raised right here in Jerusalem. I was thoroughly trained in the laws of our ancestors. I am as passionate about God as all of you. I hunted down, arrested, and killed the followers of Jesus wherever I could find them in Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin will verify that. But when I was on the way to Damascus to continue my hunt, my life was changed.” Paul continued to tell them how he saw Jesus on the way to Damascus, went blind, was healed, became a follower, and began sharing the story of Jesus everywhere he went.
But when Paul said that God had told him to speak to the gentiles the crowd turned on him and shouted for his death. They became violent, so to calm them down, the Roman commander ordered that Paul be whipped and questioned. As they raised their whips Paul said, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t been found guilty of any crime?” When they realized he was a Roman citizen they put their whips down and were worried what would happen because they had chained him.
The next day the commander called for the Sanhedrin and Paul to stand before him to explain the whole situation.”Paul looked at them and said, “I have fulfilled my duty to God in good conscience my entire life.”
When he heard this, the high priest, Ananias, ordered that Paul be struck in the face. Paul said, “God will strike you, hypocrite. You judge me according to our laws, but break them by ordering that I be hit.”
Then Paul said, “I am on trial because I have hope that people can be brought back to life by the power of God.”
The Pharisees and Sadducees began to argue with each other over this point, with some of them saying, “This man hasn’t done anything wrong.” The argument was so violent that the Roman commander, fearing for Paul’s life, had his soldiers take Paul away.
That night, God spoke to Paul, saying, “Stay strong. Just like you spoke about me in Jerusalem, you will soon speak in Rome.”
The next day, a number of the religious leaders took an oath to kill Paul by telling the Roman commander to call them together again so they could get more information. But a friend of Paul’s found out and delivered this information to the commander so Paul would be safe.
The commander sent Paul with more than 400 soldiers to the Roman governor, Felix, in Caesarea Maritima along with a letter:
Greetings to you, Governor Felix. This man was captured by Jews who meant to kill him before I had my men rescue him because I learned he was a Roman citizen. I wanted to understand why they wanted him dead, so I called together their religious leaders, but I didn’t hear any charges brought up that deserved death or prison. I learned of another plot to kill him so I sent him to you. I’ve also told his accusers to bring their case to you.
So Paul was kept under guard by Felix until his accusers arrived. Five days later Ananias came with some of the Sanhedrin and a Roman lawyer named Tertullus to bring their case to Felix. Tertullus said, “We have enjoyed peace and prosperity under your rule, Felix, and we thank you. This man, Paul, is a troublemaker. He causes riots among the Jews everywhere he goes. He is the leader of the Nazarene religious sect and he even disrespected the temple. If you question him, you will learn the truth for yourself.”
When Felix told Paul to answer these charges he said, “No more than 12 days ago I went to Jerusalem to worship. I wasn’t arguing with anyone or stirring up the crowd. My accusers can’t prove anything they are saying about me. But I do admit to worshipping the God of my ancestors and that I am a follower of Jesus, which they call a religious sect. I believe everything in the law and all the words of the prophets just like they do. I had been gone from Jerusalem for years and I was coming back with gifts for the poor. I was ceremonially purified along with four other men when they found me at the temple. There was no crowd and no disturbance. I have done nothing wrong.”
After this Felix dismissed them all. Felix hoped that Paul would offer him a bribe to let him go, so he spoke with him frequently, in private, and Paul shared the story of Jesus with him, but never offered him the money he sought. So Felix left Paul in prison for two years hoping to curry favor with the Jews.
When Felix was replaced by Festus, the new governor immediately traveled to Jerusalem where the Sanhedrin came to him and once again made their case against Paul, but were once again unable to prove the charges. They requested that Paul be transferred back to Jerusalem, hoping to ambush and kill him along the way, but Festus instead suggested they return to Caesarea Maritima to hold Paul’s trial. During this trial, Paul once again professed his innocence so Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul if he would be willing to stand trial in Jerusalem, as they wanted. Paul replied, “Right now I am in Caesar’s court, where I should be tried. I’ve done nothing wrong to the Jews and you know that. If I was guilty, I would accept my punishment, even if it was death. But if what they are saying about me isn’t true, I should not be handed over to them. I appeal to Caesar.
Festus answered, “you’ve appealed to Caesar, so that’s where you will go.”
By this time, Herod Agrippa had been succeeded by his son, Herod Agrippa II, who came to Festus to pay his respects to the new Roman governor. Over the course of their time together, Festus started talking about Paul, saying, “Felix left this man in prison and when I visited Jerusalem the Jews brought charges against him. I told them I wouldn’t just hand him over to them without a fair trial. When they convened here they did not accuse him of any crime I would have expected. Instead they brought up this strange dispute about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claims is alive. I didn’t really know how to handle this, so I asked Paul if he would be willing to move his trial to Jerusalem and he appealed his case to Caesar. I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner to Rome without listing his charges. I was hoping if you spoke with him you might be able to determine what I should write.”
When he was brought before them and was given permission to speak he said, “King Agrippa, I’m lucky to speak to you about what the Jews are saying about me because you understand Jewish law so well, but the story is long so I request your patience.
“The Jews know my life story, both in Tarsus and Jerusalem. They can tell you, if they were willing, that I followed the religious laws of our people more strictly than anyone. It is because of my understanding of the promises God made our ancestors that I am on trial today. All of our people have hope in these promises as they serve God every day. Why should anyone consider it impossible that God can raise the dead?
“I was convinced that I needed to do everything I could to stop the story of Jesus from spreading. I imprisoned his followers and sentenced them to death. I traveled all over hunting them. But as I was travelling to Damascus I was surrounded by a blinding light and the voice of Jesus asked me why I had made myself his enemy. He told me he had chosen me to share his story with the world, to turn the people back to God, and to offer people forgiveness from sin and eternal life. So I obeyed and began speaking about Jesus everywhere. This is why I was arrested and brought here. I haven’t said anything other than what Moses and the prophets said would happen, that our savior would suffer, die, be brought back to life, and bring a message of hope to the whole world.”
At this point Festus interrupted, “You’re insane, Paul. All your time studying has made you lose your mind.”
Paul replied, “Respectfully, Festus, I am not insane. What I’m saying is true and makes sense. King Agrippa is aware of the prophecies I’ve referenced. King Agrippa, do you believe in the words of the prophets? I know you do.”
Agrippa replied, “Do you think you can make me a follower of Jesus so fast? “
Paul said, “Whether it is sooner or later, I pray that you and everyone listening today will become like me, minus the chains.”
After he left them, Festus and Herod agreed that Paul had done nothing to deserve death. Herod said, “he might have been freed if he hadn’t demanded to be sent to the emperor.”
Paul was then transferred to a soldier named Julius who took him and some other prisoners aboard a ship headed for Rome. The journey was difficult and Paul received a premonition that their voyage would end in disaster. But when he warned Julius to turn aside he was ignored and they pressed on because bad weather had already put them behind schedule.
As they continued a Nor’easter of hurricane force came out of nowhere and buffeted the ship. They tied ropes under the ship fearing it would break apart if they were dashed against the rocky coast. They lowered their anchor so they would be dragged along slowly, but it wasn’t enough. The next day they threw their cargo overboard. After many days of this they had given up all hope of survival.
They were hungry and scared when Paul finally stood up and said, “Though you should have listened to my warning, don’t be scared. Last night an angel told me that I must speak to Caesar and that all of your lives are tied to mine. None of you will die, though the boat will be destroyed. I have faith that God will rescue us from this storm soon, even though we will run aground.”
After 14 days at sea they sensed they were approaching land. Again, fearing they would be smashed by the rocks, they dropped more anchors. Some of the crew tried to secretly escape, but when Paul told the captain that if any of them left the ship they would all risk dying their lifeboats were cut and floated, empty, away from the ship.
Paul then told them all to eat because they wouldn’t survive otherwise once they were shipwrecked. So Paul took some bread, broke it, and gave thanks to God. Everyone else on board was encouraged and soon all 276 of them had eaten. The next morning they didn’t recognize where they were, but they saw a sandy beach and tried to make for it. But they hit a sandbar and were stuck a ways from the shore. The soldiers planned to kill all the prisoners to prevent their escape, but Julius wanted to spare Paul so he ordered them to stand down. Then everyone jumped the water and either swam or floated on boards to the shore.
Once they were safely ashore they found out they were on the isle of Malta, hundreds of miles south of Rome. The islanders were unbelievably kind to the shipwrecked men, building them a fire so they could dry off and warm up. Paul helped by gathering wood but as he threw it on the fire, a viper quickly slithered out and bit Paul’s hand.
The islanders said, “He must be a murderer. Even though he survived the shipwreck, the goddess of justice will not let him live.” But Paul shook the snake off and though he was expected to quickly collapse and die he showed no signs he had been poisoned. Then the islanders were amazed and decided that, instead, he must be a god.
The island was governed by a man named Publius, who personally looked after their wellbeing for three days. When Paul learned that the Publius’ father was sick, he placed his hands on him, prayed, and he was healed. When they heard what happened everyone on the island who was sick came to Paul for healing.
After spending the three winter months in Malta they finally set sail for Rome on another ship which had also wintered there. They landed at Syracuse in Sicily before setting sail again and finally landing at Rhegium on the Italian peninsula. When they finally arrived at Rome, Paul was greeted by some followers of Jesus who had traveled there to encourage him. Rather than be sent to prison, Paul was given a place to stay and kept there under house arrest with a lone guard.
Three days later, the Jews in Rome asked to speak with Paul. When they came together, Paul said, “Even though I have done nothing to our people or violated any of our ancestors’ customs, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They didn’t think I had done anything wrong and were going to release me, but the Jews objected and so I had to appeal to Caesar. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am a prisoner.”
They replied, “We haven’t heard anything about you from the Jews in Jerusalem. We want to know what your views are because people everywhere are speaking out against this story of Jesus.”
So Paul spoke all day to them about God’s kingdom and using the words of Moses and the prophets he tried to persuade them to believe. Some were convinced and others were not, so they argued with each other as they prepared to leave. Before they left, Paul concluded by saying, “The Holy Spirit was telling the truth when he spoke through Isaiah the prophet, ‘you hear but don’t listen, you see but don’t understand.’ This is why God’s salvation is also going to the gentiles, who are listening!”
For two years, Paul was under house arrest, but was able to welcome anyone who came to see him. He continued to share the story of Jesus with boldness to everyone who would listen.
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