Hechos 27:1-9

ACT27:1-9
J. H. Smith
(continuación del número anterior)
“Mas como fue determinado que habíamos de navegar para Italia, entregaron a Pablo y a algunos otros presos a un centurión, llamado Julio, de la compañía Augusta. Así que, embarcándonos en una nave adrumentina, partimos, estando con nosotros Aristarco, macedonio de Tesalónica, para navegar junto a los lugares de Asia” (Hechos 27:1-21And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band. 2And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. (Acts 27:1‑2)).
Pablo había apelado a César y a él se encaminaba. Lucas (el historiador) “el médico amado” estaba con él (pues escribe, “embarcándonos”), también “Aristarco, macedonio de Tesalónica”. Ambos no estaban obligados a acompañar a Pablo, pues no eran presos. Su amor para con su amado hermano Pablo les motivó a identificarse con el siervo fiel del Señor en cadenas, aceptando cualquier circunstancia que se presentase.
Hoy en día “Pablo”, simbólicamente, aún está llevado cautivo por los hombres: quiere decir que la “doctrina” que el Señor, la cabeza de la Iglesia, dio a Pablo por “revelación” (Efesios 3:33How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, (Ephesians 3:3)) está siendo rechazada por la cristiandad. Los jerarcas religiosos no quieren reconocer a Cristo como “la Cabeza”: ellos quieren “tener el primado” (3 Juan 9). Tampoco se someten a la guía del Espíritu Santo, el cual no tiene voz en sus concilios ni en sus directivas. De la “vocación celestial” (Hebreos 3:11Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; (Hebrews 3:1)) no quieren saber nada: “sienten lo terreno” (Filipenses 3:1919Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) (Philippians 3:19)). ¡Cuán pocos están decididos a acompañar a Pablo el preso!
“Y otro día llegamos a Sidón; y Julio, tratando a Pablo con humanidad, permitióle que fuese a los amigos, para ser de ellos asistido” (Hechos 27:33And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. (Acts 27:3)).
¡Imagínense un preso que había de ser llevado a César, el gran emperador, teniendo libertad para tomar refrigerio espiritual con sus “hermanos en Cristo” en el puerto de Sidón! El Señor había inclinado el corazón del centurión Julio de manera maravillosa, pues un soldado romano encargado de la custodia de un preso si se le escapaba, pagaba la negligencia con su propia vida (compárese con Hechos 16:2727And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. (Acts 16:27)).
“Y haciéndonos a la vela desde allí, navegamos bajo de Cipro, porque los vientos eran contrarios” (Hechos 27:44And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. (Acts 27:4)). El capitán de la nave se había propuesto “navegar junto a los lugares de Asia”, es decir, navegar costeando, tocando tal vez varios puertos; pero los vientos contrarios le obligaron a cambiar de rumbo y escapar de la fuerza de los vientos “bajo de Cipro”, una isla grande en medio del Mar Mediterráneo. A veces en nuestro viaje de la vida tenemos que abandonar ciertos propósitos a causa de los vientos contrarios.
“Y habiendo pasado la mar de Cilicia y Pamphylia, arribamos a Mira, ciudad de Licia. Y hallando allí el centurión una nave alejandrina que navegaba a Italia, nos puso en ella. Y navegando muchos días despacio, y habiendo apenas llegado delante de Gnido, no dejándonos el viento, navegamos bajo de Creta, junto a Salmón. Y costeándola difícilmente, llegamos a un lugar que llaman Buenos Puertos, cerca del cual estaba la ciudad de Lasea” (Hechos 27:5-85And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. 6And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. 7And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; 8And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea. (Acts 27:5‑8)).
A pesar de todas las dificultades y los vientos contrarios, la nave pudo llegar a “Buenos Puertos”. En los primeros días de los apóstoles, a pesar de la oposición de Satanás y de “hombres importunos y malos”, la “nave evangelista” seguía su ruta.
Ahora, para comentar sobre el viaje desde “Buenos Puertos” hasta la isla de “Melita”, vamos a aprovechar la mayor parte de un folleto llamado EL VIAJE DE PABLO DESDE LOS BUENOS PUERTOS A MELITA, Y SUS LECCIONES, escrito sobre el significado espiritual de esta travesía, pues el autor expresa la verdad doctrinal cristiana en buena forma.
La primera parte del viaje desde Cesarea a los Buenos Puertos (versículos 1-7) es descrita en pocas palabras, mas en la segunda etapa desde los Buenos Puertos hasta la llegada a Melita (Hechos 27:9-449Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, 10And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. 11Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. 12And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west. 13And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. 14But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. 15And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 16And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: 17Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. 18And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; 19And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. 20And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. 21But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. 22And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. 23For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 24Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 25Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. 26Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. 27But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; 28And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. 29Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. 30And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, 31Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 32Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. 33And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. 34Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. 35And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. 36Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. 37And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. 38And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. 39And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. 40And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. 41And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. 42And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. 43But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: 44And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. (Acts 27:9‑44)), se escribe con tantos detalles que nos brinda profunda instrucción. Podemos considerar la nave como una figura del testimonio cristiano, la gente a bordo como la de los cristianos, y a Pablo mismo como representando la verdad llamada la ‘doctrina de Pablo’ acerca de la Iglesia (compárese 2 Timoteo 3:1010But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, (2 Timothy 3:10)), la cual comprende todo lo que es propiamente cristiano. Cuando decimos ‘propiamente cristiano’, significamos esa porción de la verdad como distintiva y peculiar a esta era de la Iglesia y que nos relaciona con el cielo y con Cristo la Cabeza allí de la Iglesia.
Los de a bordo de la nave decidieron zarpar de los Buenos Puertos —no conforme al consejo de Pablo, sino de los otros—. Los ‘Buenos Puertos’ nos hablan del principio —de la unidad feliz evidenciada en los ‘buenos’ tiempos de la historia de la iglesia primitiva—. Todo marchaba bien mientras los cristianos andaban en la verdad, y en el temor del Señor (compárese Hechos 9:3131Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. (Acts 9:31)); pero tal posición nunca es agradable a la carne, y sólo se puede mantener si andamos con Dios. El ‘tiempo’ lo pone todo a prueba; así leemos: ‘Y pasado mucho tiempo, y siendo ya peligrosa la navegación, porque ya era pasado el ayuno, Pablo (les) amonestaba’ (5:9).
Siempre es comparativamente fácil entrar en el camino de la fe, pero la carne nunca puede continuar en él. ‘La navegación’ dirigida por la sabiduría humana es siempre ‘peligrosa’; por lo tanto precisamos de la Palabra de Dios para guiarnos. Debemos tener nuestras conciencias guiadas por las Escrituras en todo tiempo, pues sólo de tal manera podemos reclamar Su promesa, ‘Andarás por tu camino confiadamente, y tu pie no tropezará’ (Proverbios 3:2323Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. (Proverbs 3:23)).
Hay algo muy triste en las palabras, ‘ya era pasado el ayuno’. Aquella devoción primitiva, aquel ‘ayuno y oración’ que caracterizaba a la iglesia al principio (compárese Hechos 13:33And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. (Acts 13:3)) se pasó. Uno se acuerda del comentario de otro: ‘No hay ningún sustituto para la comunión con el Señor’. Cuando no hay la reposada comunión con Dios y el esperar en su presencia, estemos seguros de que la turbación nos acecha. ¡Ojalá estas cosas ejerciten cada uno de nuestros corazones, a fin de que andemos en el poder del Espíritu de Dios, más bien que en los caminos de la prudencia humana!
(seguirá, Dios mediante)