Study Desk

Now when it was decided that ^(C1)we ^(C2)would sail for ^(C3)Italy, they proceeded to turn Paul and some other prisoners over to a centurion of the Augustan ^(F1)(C4)cohort, named Julius.

And we boarded an Adramyttian ship that was about to sail to the regions along the coast of ^(F1)(C1)Asia, and put out to sea accompanied by ^(C2)Aristarchus, a ^(C3)Macedonian of ^(C4)Thessalonica.

The next day we put in at ^(C1)Sidon; and Julius ^(C2)treated Paul with consideration and ^(C3)allowed him to go to his friends and receive care.

From there we put out to sea and sailed under the shelter of ^(C1)Cyprus, because ^(C2)the winds were contrary.

When we had sailed through the sea along the coast of ^(C1)Cilicia and ^(C2)Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia.

There the centurion found an ^(C1)Alexandrian ship sailing for ^(C2)Italy, and he put us aboard it.

When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, ^(C1)since the wind did not permit us to go farther, we sailed under the shelter of ^(C2)Crete, off Salmone;

and with difficulty ^(C1)sailing past it, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

When considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even ^(C1)the ^(F1)fast was already over, Paul started admonishing them,

saying to them, "Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with ^(C1)damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives."

But the centurion was more persuaded by the ^(C1)pilot and the ^(F1)captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul.

The harbor was not suitable for wintering, so the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of ^(C1)Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

^(F1)When a moderate south wind came up, thinking that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began ^(C1)sailing along ^(C2)Crete, closer to shore.

But before very long a violent wind, called ^(F1)Euraquilo, ^(C1)rushed down from ^(F2)the land;

and when the ship was caught in it and could not head up into the wind, we gave up and let ourselves be driven by the wind.

Running under the shelter of a small island called Cauda, we were able to get the ship's ^(F1)boat under control only with difficulty.

After they had hoisted it up, they used ^(F1)supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might ^(C1)run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the ^(F2)sea anchor and let themselves be driven along in this way.

The next day as we were being violently tossed by the storm, ^(F1)they began to ^(C1)jettison the cargo;

and on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands.

Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was slowly abandoned.

^(F1)When many had lost their appetites, Paul then stood among them and said, "^(F2)(C1)Men, you should have followed my advice and not have set sail from ^(C2)Crete, and thereby spared yourselves this ^(C1)damage and loss.

"And yet now I urge you to ^(C1)keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

"For this very night ^(C1)an angel of the God to whom I belong, ^(C2)whom I also serve, ^(C3)came to me,

saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; ^(C1)you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has graciously granted you ^(C2)all those who are sailing with you.'

"Therefore, ^(C1)keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that ^(F1)it will turn out exactly as I have been told.

"But we must ^(C1)run aground on a certain ^(C2)island."

But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to suspect that ^(F1)they were approaching some land.

And they took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and a little farther on they took another sounding and found it to be fifteen fathoms.

Fearing that we might ^(C1)run aground somewhere on the ^(F1)rocks, they cast four anchors from the stern and ^(F2)prayed for daybreak.

But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down ^(C1)the ship's boat into the sea, on the pretense that they were going to lay out anchors from the bow,

Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men remain on the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved."

Then the soldiers cut away the ^(C1)ropes of the ship's boat and let it fall away.

Until the day was about to dawn, Paul kept encouraging them all to take some food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day that you have been constantly watching and going without eating, having taken in nothing.

"Therefore, I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your survival, for ^(C1)not a hair from the head of any of you will perish."

Having said this, he took bread and ^(C1)gave thanks to God in the presence of them all, and he broke it and began to eat.

All ^(C1)of them ^(F1)were encouraged and they themselves also took food.

We were 276 ^(F1)(C1)people on the ship in all.

When they had eaten enough, they began lightening the ship by ^(C1)throwing the wheat out into the sea.

Now when day came, ^(C1)they ^(F1)could not recognize the land; but they did notice a bay with a beach, and they resolved to run the ship onto it if they could.

And casting off ^(C1)the anchors, they left them in the sea while at the same time they were loosening the ropes of the rudders; and they hoisted the foresail to the wind and were heading for the beach.

But they struck a ^(F1)reef where two seas met and ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck firmly and remained immovable, while the stern started to break up due to the force of the waves.

The soldiers' plan was to ^(C1)kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim away and escape;

but the centurion, ^(C1)wanting to bring Paul safely through, kept them from accomplishing their intention, and commanded that those who could swim were to ^(F1)jump overboard first and get to land,

and the rest were to follow, some on planks, and others on various things from the ship. And so it happened that ^(C1)they all were brought safely to land.

When ^(C1)they had been brought safely through, ^(C2)then we found out that ^(C3)the island was called ^(F1)Malta.

^(C1)The ^(F1)natives showed us extraordinary kindness, for they kindled a fire and ^(C2)took us all in because of the rain that had started and because of the cold.

But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out ^(F1)because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.

When ^(C1)the ^(F1)natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, "^(C2)Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, ^(F2)justice has not allowed him to live."

However, ^(F1)(C1)Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.

Now they were expecting that he was going to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and ^(C1)began to say that he was a god.

Now in the neighboring parts of that place were lands belonging to the ^(F1)leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us warmly for three days.

And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with a recurring fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after he ^(C1)prayed, he ^(C2)laid his hands on him and healed him.

After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and being cured.

They also showed us many honors, and when we were about to set sail, they ^(F1)supplied us with ^(F2)everything we needed.

After three months we set sail on ^(C1)an Alexandrian ship which had wintered at the island, and which had ^(F1)the Twin Brothers for its figurehead.

After we put in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days.

From there we sailed around and arrived at Rhegium, and a day later a south wind came up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli.

^(F1)There we found some ^(C1)brothers and sisters, and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and that is how we came to Rome.

And from there the ^(C1)brothers and sisters, when they heard about us, came as far as the ^(F1)Market of Appius and the ^(F2)Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

When we entered Rome, Paul was ^(C1)allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

After three days ^(F1)Paul called together those who were ^(C1)the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying to them, "^(C2)Brothers, ^(C3)though I had done nothing against our people or ^(C4)the customs of our ^(F2)fathers, yet I was handed over to the Romans as a prisoner from Jerusalem.

"And when they had ^(C1)examined me, they ^(C2)were willing to release me because there were ^(C3)no grounds ^(F1)for putting me to death.

"But when the Jews ^(F1)objected, I was forced to ^(C1)appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation.

"For this reason, therefore, I ^(F1)requested to see you and to speak with you, since I am wearing ^(C1)this chain for ^(C2)the sake of the hope of Israel."

They said to him, "We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor has any of ^(C1)the brothers come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you.

"But we desire to hear from you what ^(F1)your views are; for regarding this ^(C1)sect, it is known to us that ^(C2)it is spoken against everywhere."

When they had set a day for ^(F1)Paul, people came to him at ^(C1)his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly ^(C2)testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, ^(C3)from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.

^(C1)Some were being persuaded by the things said by Paul, but others would not believe.

And when they disagreed with one another, they began leaving after Paul said one parting statement: "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers,

saying, '^(C1)GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, "^(F1)(C2)YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, AND WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND ^(F2)YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, AND WILL NOT PERCEIVE;

^(C1)FOR THE HEARTS OF THIS PEOPLE HAVE BECOME ^(F1)INSENSITIVE, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY ^(F2)HARDLY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM."'

"Therefore, let it be known to you that ^(C1)this salvation of God has been sent ^(C2)to the Gentiles; they will also listen."^(F1)

Now Paul stayed two full years ^(F1)in his own rented lodging and welcomed all who came to him,

^(F1)(C1)preaching the kingdom of God and teaching things about the Lord Jesus Christ ^(C2)with all openness, unhindered.