Chapter 22
Paul proceeded to give his witness before his fellow countrymen, a thing he had desired to do for years. This was his long waited for opportunity. But on account of having acted on mixed principles and not having been guided by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem to witness in this way, it was not blessed of God. Not one person in this great multitude of Jews received his testimony and was saved. If anything, they were more decidedly against his testimony than ever. Paul had been specially chosen of the Lord to be “the apostle of the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13) and was directed by the Lord to go “far hence unto the Gentiles” (vs. 21). He was clearly in the wrong place and the Lord couldn’t bless his testimony.
Looking over the salient points of Paul’s address, we see that he didn’t really preach the gospel. He didn’t mention God’s love for the world and the sending of His Son to be their Saviour (John 3:16). Nor was there any mention of Christ’s atoning work on the cross (Heb. 9:26) and His shed blood by which sins could be forgiven (Eph. 1:7). Nor did he mention the Lord’s triumphant resurrection by which believers are justified (Rom. 4:25-5:1). Rather, he directed their attention to himself and his conversion. He gave what the evangelical churches in modern day Christendom call a “testimonial.” The problem with testimonials is that they tend to direct the focus of the audience toward the person giving his testimony, rather than to Christ. Paul spoke of himself here over 40 times! It is simply not possible, humanly speaking, to speak of ourselves without the flesh getting involved and we put ourselves in a more favourable light than we should (John 7:18). This is why in addressing an audience it is best to preach Christ and not speak of ourselves at all (2 Cor. 4:5). Another thing of note is that he did not quote Scripture, which was his usual habit.
Moreover, G. V. Wigram pointed out that Paul spoke to his brethren from an elevated place on the stairs, suggesting that he was not only speaking down to his audience literally, but also morally, and consequently he lost their ear. In his article, The Beauty of Going Down to the Very Bottom, he said, “Often I feel myself called upon to see how Paul carried out his doctrine—he failed, I always see, on the side that people do not fail upon now. He was devoted beyond discretion sometimes—a devotedness that was not always quite discreet. He spoke to the people from the stairs!” (Memorials of the Ministry of G. V. Wigram, vol. 1, pp. 320-321). All these things played a part in the outcome of his address.
His Pre-Conversion Days as a Jew
Vss. 3-5—Paul began by giving his audience an account of himself as a zealous Jew. This was something that was calculated to gain their approval. He confirms his zeal by pointing to his diligent studies “at the feet of Gamaliel,” the preeminent scholar and teacher of the day (Gal. 1:14), and to his unparalleled hatred for the Church of God, which he calls “this way” (Gal. 1:13).
Paul then recounts two occasions in which the Lord appeared to him—each marked by the phrase: “And it came to pass” (vss. 6, 17). One took place just outside of Damascus (Acts 9:1-17) and the other was in the temple in Jerusalem, three years later (Gal. 1:18). The first had to do with his conversion and second had to do with his commission to preach among the Gentiles.
His Conversion
Vss. 6-16—Paul reiterates the manner in which he was converted to impress his hearers with the fact that the change in him had been by a work of God—the very God in whom they professed to believe! Another thing which he brings out clearly is that “Jesus of Nazareth,” whom the nation crucified, was now in heaven—and it was He who had called Paul and who had effected the change in him! These were things that the people would not have wanted to hear, for it put them in the place of being guilty before God.
Luke has already recorded the details of Paul’s conversion in the 9th chapter, but there are a few extra things that Paul mentions. One of which is the light that shone on him (vs. 6). Here, he says that it was not just a light, but "a great light." In chapter 26, he says that it was "a light...above the brightness of the sun." In his subjective reflections, the light got brighter. Also, Paul emphasized the need for baptism by which his sins would be washed away in a governmental sense (vs. 16). Whereas in chapter 9, Luke mentions his baptism, but not the government forgiveness connected with it.
His Commission
Vss. 17-23—Paul then moved forward in his life to relate what happened three years later in the temple in Jerusalem. This was his first visit to Jerusalem after he was converted (Acts 9:26-29; Gal. 1:18-19). This incident in which the Lord appeared to Paul is not recorded in Acts 9, or in Galatians 1. He brings it in here to explain why he had been going into regions beyond with the gospel. Simply put, he had been commissioned by the Lord to do so! He got his commission while he was praying in the temple. The Lord had said to him: “Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning Me” (vs. 18). In reiterating this, Paul was inadvertently condemning himself. The Jews could easily have responded: “So what are you doing here then, Paul?” His life’s ministry had been laid out for him by the Lord; it was to reach out to the Gentiles, not to minister to the Jews in Judea. The Lord made this very clear, saying: “Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles” (vs. 21).
When the Jews heard Paul speak of God’s intentions to bless the Gentiles through his gospel, it was too much for their national prejudice, and they cried: “Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live” (vs. 22). And that brought an end to his testimony before the people. It was a failed testimony, as far as conversions were concerned. No one believed.
Paul is Taken into Custody in the Fortress
The Jews created such a commotion that the chief captain had his men bring Paul into the “fortress.” He could not understand from what Paul said to the Jews why the Jews were so angry with him. He thought that there was some deeper reason and resolved to get it out of Paul by having him “examined by scourging.” This was a normal procedure of the Romans when they wanted information from someone. This was terribly unjust, but the Romans were not so careful about following the laws when it came to people of foreign nations (vss. 23-24). When Paul realized what they were going to do, he asked the centurion in charge whether they were intending to “scourge a man that is a Roman” citizen before he was found guilty. The centurion then informed the captain of Paul’s legal status. Learning that he was a Roman citizen, surprised the captain and he was “afraid’ to proceed with the scourging, and straightway abandoned it (vss. 25-29). Paul’s clever thinking here saved himself from getting a beating!
In order to find out what the Jews’ issue against Paul really was, the captain ordered “the chief priests and their council” to appear before him “on the morrow” to accuse Paul before the captain’s face (vs. 30).
Paul’s Witness Before the Sanhedrin
Chapter 23
Being assembled the next day before the chief captain, Paul was to speak to “the Council” (the Sanhedrin) first. Thus, he was given a second chance to witness for Christ before his Jewish brethren—this time it was before the responsible leaders of the nation. The net result, however, was the same as the previous chapter—it produced no conversions. As far as content is concerned, he never got much of a chance to speak for Christ, on account of being interrupted again by the “great dissension” that occurred in the Council—something that he himself had created (vs. 10). F. B. Hole commented on its being “a minimum of testimony and a maximum of confusion” (The Gospels and Acts, p. 373).
Vss. 1-5—Paul, it seems, started out on the wrong foot, speaking of himself again, and trying to exonerate himself before the Jewish leaders. His opening remark incensed the high priest: “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (vs. 1). He was not lying, as Ananias supposed. He did some terrible things with a good conscience because his conscience was unenlightened. Paul’s pre-conversion life is a proof that conscience is of itself no safe guide; it must be enlightened by the Word of God (Psa. 119:130). Its value depends upon the measure in which it is controlled by the Word. L. M. Grant said, “No doubt what Paul said of himself was true, but he was on the defensive rather than bearing witness to the Lord Jesus” (Comments on the book of Acts, p. 135).
The high priest ordered that Paul be hit on the mouth for making that comment. This was breaking the Mosaic Law, which stipulated that an offender should not be beaten until after a proper trial, and then only in a proper way (Deut. 25:1-3). This transgression of the priest drew from Paul the retort: “God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the Law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the Law?” But in doing that, he himself broke the Law! His words were appropriate, but not on this occasion, for the one to whom he had said it was the high priest. When he was told that he had rebuked the high priest, he quickly withdrew his words. He even quoted the Scripture that condemns what he did (Ex. 22:28). Paul had spoken “unadvisedly with his lips” (Psa. 106:33), and clearly not from his usual nearness to the Lord. To Paul’s defense, some have suggested that since the council had assembled rather hurriedly, the high priest may not have been attired in his normal dress which would have distinguished him as such, and therefore, Paul wouldn’t have known who he was. Still, it was no way to speak to someone that he was trying to win (vss. 2-5).
Vss. 6-10—In proceeding with his defense, Paul noticed that part of the Council was from the Sadducean sect and part was from the sect of the Pharisees. He then tried to use this to his advantage, and cried out: “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question” (vs. 6). Given the chance to speak, he again directs the attention of his audience to himself, rather than to the Lord Jesus. His intention here was to divide the Council and thereby weaken its accusation against himself before the chief captain. This was finagling, but it worked to do just that. “When he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided” (vs. 7). Luke tells us that the main bone of contention between the two sects was that “the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both” (vs. 8).
By stating his belief in resurrection, the Pharisees in the Council rallied to Paul’s defense. “The scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God” (vs. 9). This antagonized the Sadducees, and they let out their animosity by pulling at Paul, and would have pulled him to pieces, had not the chief captain commanded his men to take Paul by force and bring him back into the fortress (vs. 10).
And that ended Paul’s attempted witness for Christ before the Sanhedrin. It was another failed testimony. F. B. Hole said, “We cannot help thinking that the whole of this Jerusalem episode had fallen below the high standard that had characterized all of his earlier service” (The Gospels and the Acts, p. 374).
The understanding that the orthodox Jews had of resurrection was far inferior to that which the gospel has brought to light for Christians. It is not that what they knew was wrong, it is that the Old Testament Scriptures (which is all they had) do not give a full revelation of the subject. Hence, they believed in resurrection in a general sense, and that it would result in all the saints being together with the Lord in the end. This basic belief is reflected in Martha’s confession regarding her brother: “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24). The Old Testament saints, like Martha and the Pharisees in the Council here, knew nothing of the state in which they would rise from the dead. All they knew was that they would arise in the Lord’s “likeness” (Psa. 17:15). Such things have now been “brought to light” through the gospel (1 Cor. 15:51-56; 2 Cor. 5:1-4; Phil. 3:21). We now know that God has secured for the redeemed “life” for the soul and “incorruptibility” for the body (2 Tim. 1:10).
We also know that all the dead will not rise simultaneously. There are actually two resurrections—one for “the just” and one for “the unjust” (Acts 24:15). The Lord called them “the resurrection of life” and “the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29). The resurrection of the just is a resurrection “from among” the dead because the righteous will rise from among the unrighteous, as a selective thing. The Lord first taught this to the apostles, which was a completely new thing to them (Mark 9:9-10). In fact, the resurrection of the just (called the “first” resurrection in Revelation 20:5) has three phases:
“Christ the firstfruits” (1 Cor. 15:23a)—The Lord Jesus was the first to rise from among the dead (Acts 26:23).
“Afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming” (1 Cor. 15:23b)—This includes all who have died in faith in both Old and New Testament times. They will arise from among the dead at the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:16-17; Heb. 11:40).
The “blessed” “dead” who will die during the 70th week of Daniel (Dan. 9:27) will be raised from among the dead at the end of the Great Tribulation, just prior to the Appearing of Christ (Rev. 14:13).
After the Millennium, the unjust (who will be the only dead persons left in their graves) will be raised to receive their sentence of judgment (Rev. 20:11-15).
The Lord Encourages Paul in the Night
Vs. 11—“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.” Judging from the Lord’s words here, Paul was discouraged at the way things were going, and the Lord came and cheered him up. He graciously credited him with bearing witness of Him in Jerusalem when it was largely a failure. Paul may have done a lot of things wrong in trying to bear witness for the Lord, but the Lord still loved him, and stood by him with words of encouragement. L. M. Grant said, “The Lord would not forsake his servant, whatever may be the sadness of his failure which was mixed with his fervent devotedness to his Master” (Comments on the Book of Acts, p. 136). Moreover, telling him that he would bear witness of Him in Rome, meant that he was going to somehow get out of this mess he had gotten into in Jerusalem. This would have encouraged Paul also.
Later in Paul’s life when this Jerusalem fiasco was behind him and judged, he said, “Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me” (2 Tim. 4:17). This signifies the Lord’s full identification “with” His servant. The Lord could not do that here, for in doing so, He would have condoned Paul being in a wrong place. Nevertheless, the Lord did stand “by” him, signifying that He hadn’t forsaken him (Heb. 13:5-6). It’s gracious to see the Lord giving Paul credit for his testimony in Jerusalem, even though it failed to produce anything in the way of conversions. This shows that the Lord rewards our motives (1 Cor. 4:5) as well as our works in service (1 Cor. 3:12-15). Paul’s motives were pure and good, even if his service wasn’t.
Paul is Transferred to Caesarea
Vss. 12-35—The hostility of the Jews reached a peak with over 40 men putting themselves under an oath to kill Paul before they ate another meal! They informed the Jewish leaders of their plans to assassinate Paul and asked for their complicity, to which they readily agreed. The Jewish leaders’ part was to ask the captain to bring Paul to their Council under the pretense of wanting to further examine him on some point in their Law. The 40 plus men would lie in wait and ambush them when they came by a certain place on their way to the Council (vss. 12-15).
With divine providence working for Paul, it just happened that his nephew heard of the plan and went and told Paul, and he in turn had the boy tell the captain (vss. 16-22). The chief captain realized that Jerusalem was not the place to keep Paul, and immediately made plans to transfer him to Caesarea. He mustered 470 of his soldiers “at the third hour of the night” (9 p.m.) to set forward on a quick journey to bring him to “Felix the governor” at Caesarea, about 65 miles away (vss. 23-24). The captain (“Claudius Lysias”) included “a letter” to the governor explaining the reason for sending Paul there (vss. 25-30). The soldiers brought him on horseback to “Antipatris,” a station about 35 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Being safely out of danger from the Jews, the 400 foot-soldiers returned to Jerusalem “on the morrow,” while the 70 horsemen took Paul the rest of the way (30 miles) to Caesarea.
Just one question remains to be asked: “What became of 40 plus men under an oath not to eat until they had killed Paul? Did they die of starvation?” It is highly unlikely that they carried out their vow.
Paul’s Witness Before the Governor—Felix
Chapter 24
Vss. 1-6a—Paul’s “accusers” had been told to bring their case to the court of Felix (chap. 23:35), and “five days” later “the high priest” and “the elders” assembled before him. That the high priest would make the trip to Caesarea shows the importance the Jews placed on this case. To put their “best foot forward” in trying to convince the governor of their cause, they hired “a certain orator named Tertullus” to represent their case (vs. 1). Judging from his name, he was a Roman! The Jews had carefully picked him because they believed that he would know better than themselves how to appeal to the Roman mind, and thus produce the result they were looking for from Felix. Tertullus proceeded to over-praise the governor with accolades and flattery to gain his ear (vss. 2-4). He then accused Paul with four charges:
He was “a pest” (troublemaker) in the Jews’ religion (vs. 5a).
He was “a mover of sedition” (stirring up riots) among the Jews all over the world (vs. 5b).
He was “a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes” (vs. 5c).
He “attempted to profane (desecrate) the temple” (vs. 6a).
(Verses 6b-8a have little manuscript authority. Some critical translations do not include the passage in the text. Mr. Darby and Mr. Kelly include it in their translations, using square brackets to indicate that it is doubtful.)
Tertullus ended his discourse by expressing his confidence in Felix’s ability to determine such cases with accuracy, and assured him that after examining Paul, he would find these accusations to be true. The Jews present all agreed to the same (vss. 8b-9).
Paul’s Defense Before Felix
Vss. 10-21—Encouraged by the Lord in the night, Paul’s defense was simple and straightforward. He did not use the sophistry and eloquence that marked Tertullus; such would be leaning on the arm of the flesh (Jer. 17:5). Paul did acknowledge that Felix had many years of experience as a judge among the Jews, but refrained from flattery (vs. 10). He proceeded to deny, one by one, the accusations levelled against him (vss. 11-12). He pointed out that while the Jews had plenty of accusations, they had no proofs for any of their accusations (vs. 13).
This led to a confession of his faith. He announced his belief in all that was written in “the Law” and “the Prophets” (Old Testament Scriptures), and that they affirm the truth of resurrection upon which “the way” (Christianity) is based (1 Cor. 15:3-23). The Jews call Christianity “heresy,” but resurrection upon which it is founded is the “hope” promised in the Scriptures (vss. 14-15). By adding that there will be “a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust,” Paul aimed at reaching the conscience of his audience and affirmed that no one will remain in the grave and escape their accountability to God (John 5:28-29). These two resurrections will take place about 1000 years apart. The “just” will be raised at the Lord’s coming (the Rapture) before the Millennium (1 Thess. 4:15-18), and the “unjust” will be raised after the Millennium (Rev. 20:11-15). The Lord’s personal resurrection is the “firstfruits” of the resurrection of the just (1 Cor. 15:23).
Paul went on to confirm that his conduct had been in keeping with what he believed, and his “conscience” was clear as to this (vs. 16). He had come to Jerusalem to bring “alms” and “offerings” (Rom. 15:25-28), and his conduct in the temple had been orderly, being ceremonially clean for the occasion. He asserted that it was the “Jews from Asia” who were in Jerusalem for the feast, who stirred up the “tumult” in the city; it was not he. And now having their opportunity to present their charges against him at the court of Felix, they were nowhere to be found! Paul implied that their absence was evidence that they knew that they couldn’t substantiate their accusations (vss. 17-19). They should have been there to “accuse” him if they had anything against him, or at least, had “these themselves” represent them and “say what wrong they found” in him (vss. 20-21).
At that point, Felix interjected—“knowing accurately the things concerning the way”—he felt that Paul didn’t need to prolong his discourse explaining it. He, therefore, “adjourned them,” saying, “When Lysias the chiliarch is come down, I will determine your affair” (vs. 22). He knew very well that the accusations were not true and chose to defer the judgment of the case under the pretext of waiting for the chief captain to come down so that he could hear his side of the affair. Paul was then taken and guarded by a centurion but given a measure of liberty while waiting for the chief captain to arrive (vs. 23). There is no record that he ever came down to Caesarea; thus, the trial was postponed indefinitely, and the Jews were defeated in their attempt to condemn Paul.
Being interrupted in his testimony, Paul never got to bear witness of his faith in Christ and the truth of the gospel. Again, there is no mention of anybody being saved.
Paul’s Private Testimony Before Felix
Vss. 24-27—“And after certain days, when Felix came [arrived] with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ” (vs. 24). We are introduced here to the moral character of Felix. (He had been married three times, and as to his present wife, Drusilla, he had broken up her marriage to the king of Emesa, to have her.) She was the daughter of Herod Agrippa I who killed the Apostle James (Acts 12) and was the sister of Herod Agrippa II (Acts 26). It was curiosity, not exercise of soul, that led to his calling for Paul.
Luke tells us that Paul emphasized three things in his reasoning with the governor:
1) “Righteousness”—The righteousness of God has to do with how God is able to save sinners without compromising what He is in Himself as a holy and a just God. Man’s sin has seemingly created a dilemma. Being that God is a God of love, His very nature calls for the blessing of man. But being holy, His nature justly demands that man should be punished for his sins. If God acted according to His heart of love and brought men into blessing without judging their sins, it would be at the expense of His holiness, and thus He would cease to be just. On the other hand, if God acted only according to His holy nature and judged men according to the claims of divine justice, all men would be sent to Hell, and the love of God would not be known. How then can God save men and at the same time remain just? This is where the gospel comes in so sweetly. It declares God’s righteousness and announces the good news that He has found a way to meet His holy claims against sin, and at the same time, can reach out in love to save sinners who believe. This is all a result of what God accomplished at the cross of Christ; there He took up the whole question of sin and settled it for His own glory and for the blessing of man. He sent His Son to be the Sin-bearer, and in His sacrificial death, God judged sin according to the demands of His holiness. On the cross, the Lord Jesus took the believer's place before God and bore the judgment of his sins, and His finished work has rendered a full satisfaction to the claims of divine justice. God’s love has been displayed in the greatest way, for He gave His only-begotten Son as the Sin-bearer, and now His love is calling sinners to come in faith to Christ to be saved.
2) “Temperance”—This is self-control. It is a practical thing in the life of a believer when he walks in the Spirit. The excesses of the lusts of the flesh are suppressed and he lives a holy life for the glory of God.
3) “Judgment to come”—This is the portion of all those who will not believe.
Thus, the righteousness of God enables God to call sinners into blessing by the gospel; temperance results in the lives of those who receive the gospel, and judgment to come is what awaits those who refuse the gospel.
Luke tells us that “Felix trembled [being filled with fear]” when he heard these things from Paul. This shows that there was power in his words. Many prisoners had trembled before Felix as he pronounced his judgment on them; now he trembled before a prisoner! He was a judge in the Roman legal system, but some day he will stand before the Judge of all earth—Christ (John 5:22; Acts 17:31; Rev. 20:11-15). When Felix’s conscience was touched, he immediately broke off the conversation, and said, “Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee” (vs. 25). He wanted time to think about it. Those who procrastinate, and thus, put off getting saved to a time that they think would be more convenient are foolish because no one knows the future (Prov. 27:1). An old preacher once warned: “Those who want to wait for ‘the eleventh hour’ to get saved, usually die at ten-thirty!” We cannot trifle with the longsuffering patience of God. Scripture says: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). Felix was clearly making a mistake by deferring his salvation to another time.
Luke then reveals what was hindering Felix—he had “a love of money.” He sent for Paul the “oftener” and talked with him, hoping that Paul would offer him money in the way of a bribe! (vs. 26). What folly! He put that before the salvation of his soul! Paul told Timothy that “they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition” (1 Tim. 6:9-10). Felix was one of those foolish men, for there is no indication that he ever got saved.
Justice demanded that Paul should be set at liberty, but Felix showed no concern to free the innocent man. He would rather placate the Jews by leaving him “bound” and have peace in the land. So, Paul remained “two years” in Caesarea, after which time “Felix was relieved by Porcius Festus as his successor” (vs. 27).
Paul’s Witness Before the Governor—Festus
Chapter 25
“Three days” after taking office as the new governor, “Festus” visited “Jerusalem.” The Jews took advantage of this and revived their accusations against Paul, urging the governor to bring Paul to Jerusalem to try him there. Luke tells us that their real reason for wanting him to be tried there was so that they could carry out their plot to kill Paul by ambushing him along the way (vss. 1-3). Festus refused their request and said that “Paul should be kept at Caesarea,” and if they had any complaints against him, they could make their accusations before Festus there (vss. 4-5).
After being in Jerusalem “eight or ten days,” Festus returned to Caesarea. The next day, he “sat down on the judgment-seat and commanded Paul to be brought.” This hearing turned out to be a repetition of the hearing before Felix. “The Jews who were come down from Jerusalem” brought their “many and grievous charges” against him, but “they were not able to prove” them (vss. 6-7). Paul, given an opportunity to speak for himself, defended against the allegations of the Jews as he did at the previous hearing (vs. 8). Festus then interjected, with a desire to please the Jews, and asked Paul if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to be tried before him there (vs. 9). Paul knew that Festus was trying to placate the Jews, and that he could very well give in to their desires when he got to Jerusalem, and thus, turn him over to them to deal with him as they wished. With that as a possibility, Paul realized that his only alternative was to appeal to Caesar, and answered: “I stand at Caesar’s judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews I have done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. For if I be an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar” (vss. 10-11). The Lord had said to Paul that he would bear witness in Rome (Acts 23:11), and perhaps he thought that this would be the way he would do it. Festus “conferred with the (Jewish) Council” briefly, and then answered: “Has thou appealed unto Caesar? Unto Caesar thou shalt go” (vs. 12). Thus, his case would be transferred to the highest court in the empire. Being interrupted by Festus, Paul again had no chance to witness for Christ.
King Agrippa Visits Festus
Vs. 13—With Festus being appointed as the new governor, “King Agrippa” and his sister “Bernice” decided to pay him a friendly visit. Agrippa was a professed Jew, having adopted their religion as a political move to win the favour of the Jews and maintain peace in the land, which was one of the reasons he was there. He had been given his title by the Romans and had an obvious interest in maintaining good relations with the Roman governors, in order to keep his position secure. It was, therefore, prudent for him to come to Caesarea and congratulate Festus on his new appointment.
Vss. 14-22—Being a Roman, Festus knew little or nothing of Jewish Law and customs, but he had heard that Agrippa (like Felix) was fully acquainted with those things (Acts 24:22; 26:3). Since the king was there in Caesarea, Festus asked him if he could shed some light on this strange case, rehearsing to him the history of the case. His way of speaking of divine things as being a “superstition” of the Jews and of the gospel concerning “One, Jesus, which is dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive,” shows that he was benighted in pagan darkness; these things were all a mystery to him. He had no idea that the gospel is based on the death and resurrection of Christ. Agrippa said he would be glad to “hear the man” and offer his opinion on the matter. So, they arranged a time on the “morrow.”
Vss. 23-27—The next day, Agrippa and Bernice were conducted into “the hall” where the hearing would take place “with great pomp” and worldly ceremony. “The chief captains and principle men of the city” were all in attendance. This was definitely an unusual occasion. It was an assemblage of great and important men of this world, gathered to hear a prisoner in chains! In introducing the affair, Festus informed the audience that in sending Paul to Rome, which he had been forced to do by Paul’s appeal to Caesar, he had “no certain thing to write” to Caesar as far as a charge was concerned, since the things that the Jews charged him with did not concern Roman affairs. He hoped that Agrippa might see something in what Paul was about to say that would give Festus something to charge him with.
Paul’s Witness Before King Agrippa
Chapter 26
Vss. 1-3—Wasting no time, King Agrippa gave permission to Paul to speak, who “stretched forth the [his] hand,” and expressed his happiness to do so, considering it a privilege. He respectfully requested to be heard “patiently.” He made this request because both Felix and Festus had interrupted him in his appeals before them.
Paul proceeded to take the same line of defense as he did in chapter 22, and thus, gave his audience the account of his former life and his conversion. The details of which were essentially the same, with a few exceptions. The main difference was in the audience. In chapter 22, his testimony was before Jews; here it was before Gentiles.
His Defense of the Hope of Resurrection
Vss. 4-8—Paul’s great point was that he was being accused of wrong by the Jews for believing and acting on what every Jew should do regarding “the hope of the promise made by God” to the “fathers” of the nation (vs. 6). The hope of this promise had been observed by the “twelve tribes” of Israel “incessantly” throughout their history as a nation—though it had become dim and blurred in the eyes of the present generation (vs. 7). This hope was in a resurrected Messiah—who died to put away the sin of His people by the sacrifice of Himself—who would eventually reign over Israel and all the world with unmeasurable blessing. These things were all foretold in the writings of the Prophets, but the Jews had lost sight of it through unbelief; the leading sect among them (the Sadducees) didn’t even believe in resurrection! (Matt. 22:23) Nevertheless, the two great themes in the Scriptures pertaining to the promised Messiah are “the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow” (1 Peter 1:11; Luke 24:25-26). Thus, He would suffer and die (Isa. 53:8; Dan. 9:26) before taking His place as a glorious, reigning Messiah (Rev. 11:15, etc.). (The calling of the Church comes between these two things.) Paul, therefore, asked the king, “Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?” (vs. 8) A large number of Old Testament Scriptures clearly speak of it (Job 14:12-14; Psa. 16:10; 17:15; 18:4-19, etc.). Yet because he preached a resurrected Christ, he was bitterly assailed by the Jews!
His Conversion
Vss. 9-15—Paul went on to explain that he fully understood the position of the unbelieving Jews, for he was once one of them. In fact, no one was filled with more hatred against Christ than himself, and he expressed it by persecuting the Church of God “beyond measure” (Gal. 1:13).
Upon this mad course of hatred for Christ and the gospel, the Lord intervened and he “obtained mercy” (1 Tim. 1:13). Paul then recounted his experience in journeying to Damascus through which he was converted (vss. 12-15). In telling the story, he mentions that the “light” which shone on him was brighter than that which he stated in the two previous accounts. This was a subjective impression indicating that the reality of those heavenly things was gripping him more deeply as time went on.
His Commission
Vss. 16-23—Paul explained that there was a divine “purpose” for his conversion. The Lord said to him: “For this purpose have I appeared to thee, to appoint thee to be a servant and a witness both of what thou hast seen, and of what I shall appear to thee in, taking thee out from among the people, and the nations [the Gentiles], to whom I send thee, to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission [forgiveness] of sins and inheritance [portion] among them that are sanctified by faith in Me” (vss. 16-18). These details are not mentioned in the two previous accounts of Paul’s conversion.
We learn from his call that when the gospel is believed, it takes a person “out” of his former position of being either a Jew or a Gentile, and makes him a part of the new creation race of men in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) wherein there is neither Jew nor Gentile (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11). The believer is also made a member of Christ’s body wherein he is linked to Christ by the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 5:30).
A Five-Fold Description of Paul’s Witness Among the Gentiles
The Lord gave Paul a five-fold description of what was to mark his witness among the Gentiles. These things would not result from any goodness or power in Paul, but rather, the Lord would use Paul as His instrument through which He would effect these things in people. They are:
“To open their eyes”—This refers to the initial awakening in a person’s soul through the quickening power of the Word preached (Eph. 2:1, 5; Col. 2:13).
“To turn them from darkness to light”—This refers to being enlightened by the truth through receiving the gospel, whereupon a person abandons his ignorant thoughts of God that once enshrouded him in spiritual darkness (2 Tim. 1:10).
“From the power of Satan unto God”—This refers to God’s power to deliver a person from Satan’s domination (through sin) by believing the gospel (Rom. 1:16).
“That they may receive forgiveness of sins”—This refers to a person’s having the conscious knowledge that the debt of his sins has been lifted through Christ’s work of redemption (Eph. 1:7).
That they would receive the “inheritance [portion]”—this refers to the treasure of spiritual blessings that the believer has in Christ (Eph. 1:3).
These things which God’s grace overcomes in those who believe show the tragic condition of depravity into which the human race has fallen through sin. But the gospel reveals that “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20).
It is significant that Paul did not mention his baptism and the governmental washing away of his sins here, as he did in his testimony before the Jews in chapter 22. This is because it was necessary for believing Jews to be baptised, whereupon they would dissociate themselves from their national sin of crucifying Christ (Acts 2:38), and thus, “save” themselves from God’s governmental judgment (Acts 2:40; 1 Peter 3:21). It shows that Paul tailored his message to his audience. He was addressing Gentiles here and they were not guilty of Christ’s death. This doesn’t mean that believing Gentiles do not need to be baptised; they are to be baptized to dissociate themselves from the heathendom in which they have lived before they were saved (Acts 8:38; 10:48; 16:15, 33; 18:8, etc.).
Paul appealed to the king that all he was doing was being obedient to “the heavenly vision.” Surely, no one could find fault with that! He witnessed in “Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet [worthy] for repentance” (vss. 19-20). And “for these causes” the Jews went about to “kill” him! (vs. 21) But through divine providence, he “obtained help of God” and continued to that very day. The things he testified of were “none other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come: that Christ should suffer, and that He should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people (Jews), and to the Gentiles” (vss. 22-23).
Festus Interjects
Vss. 24-32—The things which Paul had been speaking about were heavenly and spiritual, and completely outside the realm in which Festus lived, being purely a materialistic man. He thought that Paul was mentally instable, and interjected with a loud voice: “Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.” But Paul graciously and respectfully answered the insult: “I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness” (vss. 24-25). Paul then addressed the king, stating that he not only knew these things, but also believed them—but not to the saving of his soul. Paul added, “For this thing (the death and resurrection of Christ) was not done in a corner;” it was public information (vss. 26-27). This put the king at variance with Festus who had given his assessment of it being madness! Agrippa’s response was purely in jest. He said, “In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian” (vs. 28). He did not mean, as the KJV renders it, that he was thinking of becoming a believer on the Lord Jesus as a result of Paul’s convincing preaching. He was saying: “Paul, if you keep this up, you’re going to make a Christian out of me!” Paul fully understood Agrippa’s mockery, but made one last plea, supposing that he was serious: “I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds” (vs. 29). In other words, he was saying, “King Agrippa, I just wish you had what I have!” This was quite a statement coming from a man dressed in prison clothes and bound with a chain, who was speaking to a man who had everything the world could offer!
King Agrippa stood up, and those who were with him did the same; this signaled the end of Paul’s defense. As in the previous testimonies in chapters 22-25, there is no mention of any conversions, but Christ had been faithfully testified. Agrippa gave Festus no help in suggesting a possible charge that could be laid before Caesar. In talking together on the side, he as much as admitted that Paul could be “set at liberty,” but since he had “appealed unto Caesar,” it was out of their hands. There was nothing more to do but to send him to Rome (vss. 31-32).
Paul’s Voyage
Chapter 27
We now come to the penultimate chapter of the book, which would mean very little to us if all we saw in it was the record of a nautical voyage that ended in shipwreck. Surely, the Spirit of God had a reason for having Luke take the time to include a detailed account of this voyage in the book. Taking a closer look at the chapter, we see that it is an allegorical picture of the history of the Church on earth in relation to Paul’s doctrine. It is fitting that the book of the Acts which has given us the historical record of the birth and early years of the Church, would also give us a brief summary of its whole history.
This is one of two passages in our Bibles that present the moral history of the Christian testimony; the other is Revelation 2-3. This passage is to be interpreted allegorically, but in doing so, we must exercise restraint on our imagination. The question is: “Why didn’t God tell us these things literally, rather than in an allegorical story?” We believe the answer is that if the Church knew that there would be many long years of history to be fulfilled before the Lord would come to take it home, it would destroy the imminence of that hope and encourage believers to settle down in the world (Matt. 24:48-49). God has, therefore, not given His people insight on these passages until these closing days. They have remained generally unknown down throughout the years of Church history. Even though God has withheld the understanding of these passages from His people, the Church has still settled down in the world, but God, at least, has not been surprised by it. Having these things revealed to us in these last days has made the hope of the Lord’s coming burn more brightly in our hearts. Learning from these divine records that we are at the very end of our time here on earth causes us to have great exercise of heart to be ready, as far as our state of soul is concerned (Luke 12:36-37).
In this picture, presented in Acts 27, the sailing ship represents the Christian testimony, and the sea through which the ship passed represents the world through which the Church is travelling. The people on board (some believers and some unbelievers) represent the mixture of real and false professors in Christendom. The true believers who were on board on this voyage were: Paul, Luke (“we”), and Aristarchus (vss. 1-2).
From Caesarea to Myra
Vss. 2-5—The first leg of the journey from Caesarea to Myra gives us a picture of the early days of the Church when things were bright and fair, and the blessing of the Lord was abundant. The vessel which they set out on was “a ship of Adramyttium.” Adramyttium means “abiding in death,” and speaks of the state in which the early saints lived, having applied the truth of Christ’s death to themselves, and thus walked in newness of life in the power of the Spirit (Rom. 6:4, 11; 7:4-6; Gal. 2:20).
Travelling northward up the coastline, the first place they came to was “Sidon,” about 70 miles from Caesarea (vs. 3). Sidon means “to catch much fish.” This answers to the great blessing that went out through the gospel in those days (Matt. 4:19). The centurion gave Paul “liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.” At this point, Paul still had friends; all they in Asia hadn’t turned away from him yet (2 Tim. 1:15).
They then sailed by the island of “Cyprus” on their left and went through “the waters of Cilicia and Pamphylia” where they came to the city of “Myra” in Lycia (vss. 4-5). Myra means “myrrh,” which suggests suffering, and might speak of the persecution which the saints faced in those days (Acts 14:22; Phil. 2:28-29; 1 Thess. 2:14; 3:3-4; 2 Thess. 1:4, etc.).
From Myra to Fair Havens
Vss. 7-12—The second leg of the voyage was from Myra to Fair Havens. It gives us a picture of the early days when the first signs of declension became noticeable. It is significant that the centurion in charge of taking the prisoners to Rome, changed ships here. They boarded “a ship of Alexandria” which was headed to Italy (vs. 6). Alexandria is a large seaport on the North African coast of Egypt. Thus, this ship was an Egyptian vessel. Egypt is a type of the world in its independence of God, and this suggests that the influence of the world would come into the Christian testimony. Under the control and direction of the Alexandrian “shipowner,” this ship ended up getting away off course and being smashed to pieces!
The “master and owner” of this Egyptian vessel (vs. 11) took them on a different course from which they had been going in the other ship. The new ship “sailed slowly many days” with “difficulty,” because “the wind” was against them. It seems that the Lord was hindering their progress in that new direction, for He controls the weather (Psa. 148:8). They barely got past “Cnidus,” a town on a piece of land jutting out into the sea, near the island of Rhodes. Cnidus means “chafing,” which is irritation. Sailing under the island of “Crete” (meaning “fleshly and carnal”), they rounded “Salome” (meaning “commotion”) and came to “Fair Havens,” a seaport on Crete (vss. 7-8). These places speak of the unhappy results that are felt when the world influences the saints. Fair Havens might speak of being content to settle down in comfortable but carnal conditions.
When “much time was spent” at Fair Havens, the approach of winter weather made “sailing” unsafe, for the time of “the fast” on the 10th day of the seventh month (the Day of Atonement – Lev. 23:27-28) had “already past” (vs. 9). This points to the passing of the days of deep exercise of soul that once characterized the early saints. Paul, who had been in three prior shipwrecks (2 Cor. 11:25), could see that to continue on at that time of the year would be “dangerous.” He, therefore, “counselled” the mariners that it would be best to stay on the island for the winter. He prophesied that to continue would be “with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo,” but also of “the ship” (vs. 10). This speaks of the warnings given in Paul’s epistles of the perilous times that were coming (1 Tim. 4:1-5; 2 Tim. 3:1-9; 4:3-4). The loss of the cargo would be the loss of the truth which the saints have been entrusted with (2 Tim. 1:14; 2:2; Jude 3) and the ship being broken would be the shattering of the public testimony of the Church. Regardless of his warning, “the centurion believed the master and owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken of Paul” (vs. 11). This speaks of the disregard the Church generally gave to the seriousness of these things and the warnings of the Apostle.
Since “the harbour” at Fair Havens was “ill-adapted to winter in,” the consensus of “the more part” of the people was to sail around to the other side of the island, to the seaport of “Phenice,” and winter there (vs. 12). It was a “haven” 40 miles away which was much more “commodious” (comfortable). When they saw that “the south wind blew softly,” they believed that it was their opportunity to get around to Phenice. But their “loosing thence” from Fair Havens was their undoing.
From Fair Havens to Melita
Vss. 14-44—The third leg of the voyage was from Fair Havens to Melita. It presents pictures of the Church during the Dark Ages (vss. 14-20) and in the last days when there has been a recovery of the truth of Paul’s doctrine (vss. 21-37), and also, of the ensuing giving up of the truth by the masses in Christendom (vss. 38-44).
“Not long after” setting sail from Fair Havens with the intention of getting to the other side of Crete for winter, “a hurricane called Euroclydon” swept over the ship. It “caught” the vessel in its mighty force and drove her off course. The Lord may have been in the wind mentioned in verse 7, but Satan was surely behind this wind. After struggling against it for some time and getting nowhere, they gave in to it. Luke says with sad admission: “We let her drive” (vs. 15). With the Euroclydon in control, it blew the ship west toward Rome. Since bad doctrine is correlated with ill winds in Scripture (Eph. 4:14; Jude 12), we take this “tempestuous wind” to answer to the bad doctrines of Roman Catholicism which took hold of the professing Church in the Dark Ages.
Struggling for the mastery of the ship, they turned to human appliances and organization. They applied “helps” in “frapping (putting cables around the hull) the ship” (vss. 16-17). This was done to keep the ship from shattering into pieces. It might speak of using false principles to maintain unity—e.g. Early Ecumenism. Their fear was that they might “run aground” in the shallow waters of “Syrtis,” the dreaded quicksands of North Africa. Hence, they “lightened the ship” by throwing the “cargo overboard” (vs. 18). This would speak of discarding the truth that was once delivered to the saints (2 Tim. 4:4; Jude 3). On the third day of the storm, they threw out “the tackling of the ship” (vs. 19). This is gear used for navigation. It suggests the disregard of practical principles for guidance in the Christian path. Such is the mistake we get into when we rely on worldly wisdom. Luke says, “Neither sun nor stars appeared for many days.” This would refer to the fact that virtually all heavenly light and truth was lost sight of in those dark times. It was replaced with Catholic dogma. Luke adds, “All hope that we should be saved was then taken away” (vs. 20). Thus, the sad effect of the false doctrines of Catholicism that gripped the Church for many long centuries was that the simple gospel and the way of salvation was not known! It was replaced with doing works for the church.
Paul Speaks After a Long Silence
Vss. 21-26—After being silent “a long while,” Paul began to speak in the darkness. The mariners wouldn’t listen to him back at Fair Havens, so he had stopped giving his advice. But he begins to speak again. This refers to the time in Church history when there was an awakening to Paul’s doctrine, after having disregarded it for many centuries. This took place in the times of Reformation, when men began to search the Scriptures—especially Paul’s epistles. The reformers brought back to public knowledge, through their preaching, two great truths: the supremacy of the Holy Scriptures over all church dogma, and justification being by faith alone. This is depicted in Paul’s statement: “I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me” (vs. 25). Men began to believe what God has said in His Word (the Bible) rather than what the Catholic Church was saying. Paul’s other statement about the men’s lives being saved in spite of the storm, might suggest that salvation is only by faith.
The End of the Voyage Nears
Vss. 27-32—The Reformation was not a full recovery of Paul’s doctrine; it wasn’t until the 1800s that this took place. In those days, men were greatly interested in prophecy, and through searching the Scriptures, they discovered that the Church was nearing its end on earth and that the Lord was coming to take it home to heaven. This is depicted in the fact that at “midnight” the mariners sensed that they “drew near to some country [land]” (vs. 27). This correlates with the midnight cry in Matthew 25:6. They learned this, not from looking at the position of the stars in the sky (which is the normal way of navigation), but from sounding the floor of the sea. Sounding might suggest the looking into prophecy—which has to do with the earthly side of Christ’s coming kingdom—rather than the heavenly side of things, of which the sun and the stars might speak (vs. 28).
With the voyage drawing near to an end, we have a picture of the Church’s “last days” on earth (2 Tim. 3:1; 2 Peter 3:3; 1 John 2:18; Jude 18). Fearing that they might fall upon the “rocks” serves to remind us that the last days are in spiritually “perilous times” (2 Tim. 3:1). To keep the ship from being dashed by the waves against the rocks, “they cast four anchors out of the stern” (vs. 29). These “anchors” answer to the four things mentioned in chapter 2:42—“they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” These four things were given to the Church at its outset for the very purpose of keeping the saints from going off course. They are things that every believer needs to have in his or her life.
The “sailors” saw the danger and planned to abandon the ship. Knowing that it would meet with disapproval from the others, they used deception, and under the “pretext” of using the lifeboat to put out anchors off the bow, they thought to escape to land. This answers to the “many deceivers” and the increase of deception that marks these last days (2 Tim. 3:13; 2 John 7). But Paul saw it and exposed it. He said, “Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved” (vss. 30-31). To abandon the Christian profession (the ship) is apostasy—a position from which a person cannot be saved (Heb. 6:4-6). “Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the [life] boat, and let her [fall away].” The good thing to see here is that Paul was speaking again, and the mariners were listening!
The “daylight” drew on (vs. 33). This speaks of the heavenly light of the truth, which had been virtually lost from sight for centuries, coming into view again. Paul “exhorted them” to take some “meat.” Meat answers to the Christian revelation of truth, especially as taught in Paul’s epistles (1 Cor. 3:2; Heb. 5:13-14). Paul also “took bread, and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all: and when he had broken, he began to eat” (vs. 35). This points to the re-commencement of the Lord’s Supper being partaken at the Lord’s Table on the ground of the one body. Luke says: “Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat” (vs. 36). This points to the fact that virtually all of Christendom has benefitted from the full recovery of the truth in the 1800s.
The Carelessness That Marks the Last Days
Vss. 38-44—In this last part of the chapter, we have a picture of the carelessness and indifference that marks the Christian profession generally in the last days. We might call it a “Laodicean” state (Rev. 3:14-22). Luke tells us: “And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea” (vs. 38). This speaks of getting complacent with the truth which has been given to us for spiritual food, and thus, giving it up (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Note: Paul didn’t tell them to do this; it was their own idea. “And when it was day, they knew not the land;” this might speak of the loss of discernment that goes along with discarding the truth (1 Tim. 1:6-7). Seeking a more comfortable landing, they tried to get the ship into “a certain creek [bay]” and to run it “ashore.” To do this, they “cut off the anchors” and “left them in the sea” (vss. 39-40). Again, Paul didn’t tell them to cut off the anchors. So, the Church has generally given up meetings for learning “the apostle’s doctrine and fellowship,” and meetings for “the breaking of bread,” and “prayer” meetings (Acts 2:42).
The result of committing themselves to the sea by “loosening the lashings of the rudders, and hoisting the foresail to the wind” was disastrous. “Falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground, and the prow having stuck itself fast remained unmoved, but the stern was broken by the force of the waves” (vs. 41). The ship was shattered to pieces. This speaks of the many divisions and splinter groups that have appeared in these last times. It was then every man for himself (Judg. 21:25). Some got to shore by swimming, which implies having the spiritual energy necessary for the day. The others paddled to shore, “some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship” (vss. 43-44). This suggests clinging to one of the denominational affiliations into which the Christian testimony has been shattered. All getting “safe to land” on the island of “Melita” (meaning “sweetness”), which is Malta today, makes us think of the sweetness of getting home to heaven safely with the Lord.
The History of the Church in Acts 27 Correlated With the Seven Churches in Revelation 2-3
Verses 1-4—Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7).
Verse 5—Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11).
Verses 6-13—Pergamos (Rev. 2:12-17).
Verses 14-20—Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-28).
Verses 21-25—Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6).
Verses 26-37—Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13).
Verses 38-44—Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22).
Paul’s Preservation to the End
Chapter 28
In this last chapter, we see Paul being delivered safely to the authorities at Rome and held captive there under house arrest for two full years. If we take Paul to represent all that is Pauline in doctrine and practice, we learn from this chapter that there will be a testimony preserved to the end of all that God gave to the Church through Paul. The fact that he remained in captivity in Rome to the end of the book, suggests that this testimony would be small and restricted and which exercised Christians would have to search for to find—due to the broken state of things and the confusion that exists in Christendom (2 Tim. 1:16-18).
A number of attacks by the enemy were leveled at Paul, but he, by the grace of God, survived them all. This would tell us that any testimony rendered to Paul’s doctrine will come under fire from the enemy. There was, first of all, the storm from which he “escaped” (vs. 1). This was an obvious attempt of Satan to cause Paul and all that sailed with him to be lost at sea, and that would have been the end of him. Then, on the island of Melita, when gathering sticks to build a fire, Paul was attacked by “a viper” (a poisonous snake), which he shook into the fire without harm. This was another attempt of the enemy to kill him (vss. 2-6). In spite of the intentions of the enemy, Paul was a blessing to the people there (vss. 7-10).
After being on the island for “three months,” they made their way to Rome, a journey which took about two weeks (vss. 11-16). He had promised the Roman saints that he would come there (Rom. 15:22-32) and the Lord had confirmed to him that he would (Acts 23:11), but he never expected that it would be in this way. After being there three days, Paul contacted those who were the chief of the Jews in the city, and they came to visit him. They knew nothing of the charge that the Jews in Jerusalem had against him, except that “this sect” (Christianity) was “spoken against” everywhere (vss. 17-22).
They “appointed him a day,” when the Jews could come to Paul’s lodging when they could hear him (vss. 23-29). He “expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the Law of Moses, and out of the Prophets, from morning till evening.” When there resulted a division among the Jews (“some believed” and some “believed not”), Paul applied Isaiah 6 to the unbelieving portion of the Jews, as did the Lord in Matthew 13 and as the Apostle John did in the 12Th chapter of his Gospel. Paul used their rejection of the truth to justify his turning to the Gentiles with the gospel (vs. 28).
Paul Continues to Minster in a Restricted Sphere
The result was that “Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired (rented) house, and received all (not just Jews) that came in unto him.” The Roman authorities permitted him to carry on in his ministry unmolested (vss. 30-31). During Paul’s time in Rome, Onesimus was converted (Phile. 10), and likely others too. He also wrote four inspired epistles—Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. In each of these epistles, he mentions his “bonds,” signifying his captivity. Traditionally, these have been called “prison” epistles, even though he wasn’t really in a prison.
Paul remained in captivity right to the end of the book; Rome would not give him full liberty to minister. So it is in professing Christianity; it does not give Paul full liberty, though it shows some respect. The truth in his epistles is only partially recognized as having authority over believers; certain passages are disregarded as being irrelevant or inapplicable for today’s Christian.