Acts 28:11-16
English Standard
Version (ESV)
11 After three months we set sail in (A)a
ship that had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, with the twin gods[a] as
a figurehead. 12 Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there for
three days. 13 And from there we made a circuit and arrived at
Rhegium. And after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we
came to Puteoli.14 There we found (B)brothers[b] and
were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. 15 And(C)the
brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius
and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, (D)Paul
thanked God and took courage. 16 And when we came into Rome, (E)Paul
was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him.
Spring had finally arrived and
Paul once again was back in the seas traveling to Rome. These scriptures, at first sight, just
explain the pathway of Paul’s journey to Rome.
It may seem that there is not specific reason to share these details,
however, it was important enough to write down for some apparent reason.
First of all I think we need to
recognize how the Christian brothers responded at the sight of Paul. Theses people welcomed him into their homes, they
traveled many miles to see him, they greeted him, and they visited him in his
home. They needed fellowship and they
were able to have this with Paul. I am
sure there was a lot they wanted to learn and they knew Paul was the one that
could teach them. But they also wanted
to give him encouragement and cheer him on to the finish.
Looking at Paul we see a man, a
human, who had feelings and emotions just like we do. He needed these brothers for encouragement
and strength. He also needed to share
the Gospel which I am sure he did, in
Syracuse, where he stay a week, and in
Rome where he was under house arrest.
Paul never stopped talking about the Gospel.
Paul was thankful for friends who
gave him courage, which means he must have been lacking after all the events
that occurred. Paul spent many months
traveling to Rome and many months of heartbreak and disappointment. I don’t know about you but when I share my
deepest beliefs I want others to receive it and believe me. When they don’t, I get somewhat discouraged
and I have a feeling Paul was feeling like this as well. Then he gets placed on a ship that has two
goddess on the front of it. This was the
owners idea of safe travels, put the goddess at the front and they guide your
ship. When, in actuality, God is the only one that will guide the
ship. This is just another incident that
shows us that Paul was among unbelievers and he was getting a little dragged
down by the unbelief of those around him.
As you seek Him today, remember
to surround yourselves with men/women of God.
Choose friends that remind you how much our Heavenly Father loves
us. Surround yourselves with people who
will encourage and strengthen you and you will be able take courage and renew
your strength.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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