Lesson 371 - Senior

Memory Verse

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine"  (II Timothy 4:2).

Cross References

 

I Perilous Journey

1. Paul and other prisoners were put into the custody of a centurion who was responsible for their being delivered to Rome, [ACT:27:1]; [ACT:26:32].

2. Paul was given kind treatment by the centurion, [ACT:27:3]; [ACT:24:23]; [ACT:28:16], [ACT:28:30-31].

3. Paul's ship was much delayed by adverse winds, and finally wrecked on the island of Melita, [ACT:27:1-20], [ACT:27:27-44]; [ACT:28:1].

4. Paul had advised the centurion and ship's master against sailing, but they had ignored his advice, [ACT:27:10-11], [ACT:27:21].

5. Paul was encouraged by the Lord that all persons would be saved, but the ship would be lost, [ACT:27:22-26]; [LUK:8:23-25]; [PS:107:25-30].

II Journeys from Melita to Rome

1. At Melita God was with Paul in protecting him from a venomous serpent, and in healing the sick, [ACT:28:1-10]; [MAK:16:17-18].

2. Paul was encouraged by brethren at Puteoli, and by brethren who met him at Rome, [ACT:28:11-15].

3. Paul was allowed to dwell in his own hired house at Rome for two years. Here he preached the Gospel, no man forbidding him, [ACT:28:16], [ACT:28:30-31].

4. Paul reasoned with the Jews at Rome, but many of the Jews would not believe, [ACT:28:17-29]. 

Notes

Troubled Waters

The events of Paul's voyage to Melita and its subsequent ending by shipwreck is a story with a potent lesson. It is extremely dangerous to ignore the counsel of God. The centurion who had the custody of Paul was advised by him that their journey would be hazardous, if undertaken at that time. Paul was in touch with the Lord and his advice was of such quality that it deserved mature consideration. However, the centurion chose to listen to the shipmaster, and they set sail. Nevertheless, the ending of their journey proved the correctness of Paul's predictions. It was only the presence of Paul on board the ill-fated ship that caused the Lord to save the lives of all those on board.

Because of a few righteous, God will oftentimes spare the while, as God promised in the case of Abraham's pleading with God for his nephew Lot. (Read [GEN:18:20-32].) Because it was the will of God that Paul should stand before Caesar and kings, God spared his life. Because of Paul's fasting and prayer for the safety of the lives of those who sailed with him, the Lord spared their lives, and not one was lost.

How much the world has been spared from harm and injury because of God's people in their midst and their intercessory prayers, God alone knows. Again, only God knows how many unwary people have been spared from certain death because of the importunity of some Christian's prayers.

This truth is brought out in a similar manner by the Prophet Isaiah when he said, "Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all" (Isaiah 65;8).

The argument can be raised that if it was God's will for Paul to be brought to Rome, and he is the Master of the elements, why did He let the storms wreck Paul's ship in the first place? The Scripture answers such arguments thus: "How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?" [ROM:11:33-34]).

The centurion had been advised by Paul, who had been warned of the Lord not to undertake the voyage. The voyage was undertaken anyway; yet God's mercy, which is from everlasting to everlasting, was extended to them and they escaped with their lives. After their experience, all on board were undoubtedly convinced of God's saving grace. As a secondary result, the residents of Melita received the Gospel from Paul and their sick were healed, which probably would not have been accomplished had not Paul been shipwrecked upon their island. Once again the Scripture bears proof that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" [ROM:8:28]).

When a man is doing the will of God so much as lieth in him, God's protection is invoked in his behalf. Shipwreck and all its hazards did not harm Paul, neither did a viper, suddenly fastening itself upon Paul, do him any harm. It was not because Paul had any great power within himself to counteract the serpent's poisons, but because God's omnipotent power was able to nullify any ill effects. Jesus had promised: "They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them" [MAK:16:18]). What God has promised, God will perform. There are those who have twisted this passage of Scripture to mean that they can take up deadly serpents at their own will and that God is honour-bound not to let them be injured. Some such snake-handlers have died from snake bites for their rash presuming on God's mercy and their twisting the true meaning of God's Word into something else. The Lord protected Paul, as He has and will again protect any of His own who are accidentally bitten by a serpent or who accidentally drink a poisonous substance.

Satan tempted Christ by quoting the Scripture passage to him regarding the charge, which God gave the angels concerning him -- that they would bear Him up in their hands lest at any time He should dash His foot against a stone. Satan thought to tempt Christ into throwing Himself off a pinnacle of the Temple to prove that the angels would indeed pick Him up before He was injured, and thereby prove He was the Son of God. Anyone who misapplies the Scripture in order to carry on some fanatical procedure is tempting God rather than invoking divine protection in his own behalf. (Read [MAT:4:5-7].)

On to Rome

Paul's journey from Melita to Rome was uneventful, and they met brethren on the way who gave courage to Paul. After arriving at Rome, Paul was permitted to dwell in his own hired house for two years. Although he was guarded continually by a centurion, and apparently wore a chain, or was chained to the centurion, he was given freedom to receive any and all visitors he chose. Furthermore, his freedom was not restricted in publishing the Gospel.

Imprisonment, instead of being a great hindrance to Paul, only helped to intensify the preaching of the Gospel in Rome and surrounding areas. His house became the headquarters of much activity. It was from there that he wrote his Epistles to the Ephesians, the Philippians and to Philemon. Paul wrote that he was an ambassador in bonds; and so he was, both spiritually and physically. He was in bonds of love to his Lord, and he was in physical bonds because of his love and service for his Lord. (See [EPH:6:20].) With perfect faith in God's working in his life, Paul accepted his imprisonment as being within God's guiding providence for him, and wrote to the church at Philippi: "But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places" [PHL:1:12-13]).

Paul could see that God was being glorified by his imprisonment. Many who would not have known of the Lord were seeing at firsthand the workings of the Lord, were meeting and seeing the men with whom Paul daily met. Those in the palace were daily confronted with godly faith in contrast to the rich, sinful, idolatrous ways of pagan Rome and the degenerate practices of the Caesars. Christ was preached in the face of sin, and successfully preached to the salvation of men's souls. Paul was a prisoner of Rome, yet God was able to make the mighty Roman empire bow to His will and let Paul preach the Gospel successfully in the palace of the Caesars. (See [PHL:4:22].) Paul, meditating upon the workings of God, continued to write in encouragement, "Many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: the one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice" [PHL:1:14-18]).

Paul set the example of fortitude in the face of imprisonment, and retained an enthusiasm and faith in God, which stirred many more to arise to the challenge of the Gospel. Although enemies arose also, thinking to hinder and cause Paul more harm, the Gospel was only the more forcibly preached. The world, the flesh, and the devil, since the sin of Adam, have sought to lock up, to hinder, and to make powerless the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By the killing of its preachers, they have thought to silence forever the voice of God, only to learn that the Lord can indeed raise up voices from the very rocks to praise Him if need be, and to carry on His work.

The Book of Acts is a record of men of God, who, supremely confident in their Lord, and rejoicing in the salvation He had brought to them, went out into all the world to preach the good news of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Let modern-day Christians be as bold in their faith as were the Apostles of old, who feared neither men nor devils who opposed them, and longed only for the approval and commendation of their Lord for their reward. How fitting are the closing words of the Book of Acts! The writer speaks of the prisoner Paul as "preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him" [ACT:28:31]). 

Questions

 

1. Why was Paul being sent to Rome?

2. How was Paul treated on his voyage under custody of a Roman centurion?

3. Why did Paul advise the centurion not to sail when they did?

4. What kind of voyage did they have?

5. Who was responsible for saving the lives of those aboard ship?

6. What happened to Paul at Melita that proved the truth of the words of Christ?

7. How was Paul treated at Rome by the Romans?

8. With what kind of success did Paul preach at Rome?

9. How did Paul manage to preach while he was chained to a Roman soldier?

10. Name two of the Epistles Paul wrote while in imprisonment.