BRUCE C WEARNE, in his series on the Acts of the Apostles, writes about how Paul set sail for Italy in the care of a Roman centurion…
So after it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul, with some other prisoners, to a centurion of the Augustan cohort, named Julius. We put to sea, embarking on a ship of Adramyttium, which would sail to the ports along the coast of Asia. We were accompanied by a Macedonian from Thessalonica, Aristarchus. The next day we put in at Sidon. Julius treated Paul very kindly, having given him leave to go to his friends and be cared for by them. From there we put to sea sailing under the lee of Cyprus, the winds being against us. And sailing across the stretch of water off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and put us on board. We sailed slowly for a number of days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go on, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near to which was the city of Lasea. – Acts 27:1-8
A more modern sailing vessel across the sea. Paul sailed across the Mediterranean to reach Rome. PICTURE: Geran de Klerk/Unsplash
IN A NUTSHELL
Luke recounts another of his travel journeys.
After giving us his report of Paul’s audience with Agrippa, Luke continues: “And without further ado off we went to Italy.”
He reverts to his previous travelogue style. If, before he became a Christian, Luke had not been used to sea travel, he certainly gained his sea legs by travelling with Paul, first to Jerusalem, and then from Caesarea to Sidon and on to Rome.
Luke also told us of Jesus’ ministry around Lake Galilee, an inland “land- locked” sea. Now, in his second book, he tells us how sea travel on the Mediterranean became an important part of the spread of the Gospel. Sea travel is also an important part of God’s creation. When God blessed the man and the woman at creation, He said to them “Have dominion over the fish of the sea…” God intended that they care for the earth and develop it (Genesis 2:15). And so we can say that sea travel is also, from beginning to end, a wonderful part of God’s plan for His creation, just as air travel is now.
That ancient cultural mandate still pertains to our life today in its entirety, including those things that relate to the sea. God’s purposes continue to give our life on earth meaning and direction. Here we read about sea travel and we detect that it too finds its place, we might say its fulfilment, as the Gospel goes into all the world by land and sea. Those who travel on the sea are to honour the Lord God just like those on land. Many work at their God-given tasks on ships.
Luke tells us a decision had to be made to travel to Rome by sea. They could have gone by land, via Syrian Antioch, Galatia and Macedonia. But the decision was made and they arranged their travel by ship. And in this way we come to the final chapter of Luke’s second book. Paul, sent by Jesus, was going to Rome.
In the Gospel of Luke, we are told how soldiers asked John the Baptist: “What should we do?” God’s law is plain, John said, “…be content with your pay!” (Luke 3:14) Here, Luke tells us, that early on in the trip Julius, the centurion, showed Paul special kindness. Paul visited friends in Sidon who gave him what he needed for his journey. Julius is depicted by Luke as a man with a calling, capable of dealing kindly with those in his charge.
OPEN BOOK – HINTS FROM THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS: PAUL SETS SAIL
BRUCE C WEARNE, in his series on the Acts of the Apostles, writes about how Paul set sail for Italy in the care of a Roman centurion…
So after it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul, with some other prisoners, to a centurion of the Augustan cohort, named Julius. We put to sea, embarking on a ship of Adramyttium, which would sail to the ports along the coast of Asia. We were accompanied by a Macedonian from Thessalonica, Aristarchus. The next day we put in at Sidon. Julius treated Paul very kindly, having given him leave to go to his friends and be cared for by them. From there we put to sea sailing under the lee of Cyprus, the winds being against us. And sailing across the stretch of water off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and put us on board. We sailed slowly for a number of days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go on, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near to which was the city of Lasea. – Acts 27:1-8
A more modern sailing vessel across the sea. Paul sailed across the Mediterranean to reach Rome. PICTURE: Geran de Klerk/Unsplash
IN A NUTSHELL
Luke recounts another of his travel journeys.
After giving us his report of Paul’s audience with Agrippa, Luke continues: “And without further ado off we went to Italy.”
He reverts to his previous travelogue style. If, before he became a Christian, Luke had not been used to sea travel, he certainly gained his sea legs by travelling with Paul, first to Jerusalem, and then from Caesarea to Sidon and on to Rome.
Luke also told us of Jesus’ ministry around Lake Galilee, an inland “land- locked” sea. Now, in his second book, he tells us how sea travel on the Mediterranean became an important part of the spread of the Gospel. Sea travel is also an important part of God’s creation. When God blessed the man and the woman at creation, He said to them “Have dominion over the fish of the sea…” God intended that they care for the earth and develop it (Genesis 2:15). And so we can say that sea travel is also, from beginning to end, a wonderful part of God’s plan for His creation, just as air travel is now.
That ancient cultural mandate still pertains to our life today in its entirety, including those things that relate to the sea. God’s purposes continue to give our life on earth meaning and direction. Here we read about sea travel and we detect that it too finds its place, we might say its fulfilment, as the Gospel goes into all the world by land and sea. Those who travel on the sea are to honour the Lord God just like those on land. Many work at their God-given tasks on ships.
Luke tells us a decision had to be made to travel to Rome by sea. They could have gone by land, via Syrian Antioch, Galatia and Macedonia. But the decision was made and they arranged their travel by ship. And in this way we come to the final chapter of Luke’s second book. Paul, sent by Jesus, was going to Rome.
In the Gospel of Luke, we are told how soldiers asked John the Baptist: “What should we do?” God’s law is plain, John said, “…be content with your pay!” (Luke 3:14) Here, Luke tells us, that early on in the trip Julius, the centurion, showed Paul special kindness. Paul visited friends in Sidon who gave him what he needed for his journey. Julius is depicted by Luke as a man with a calling, capable of dealing kindly with those in his charge.
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