Acts 28:17-31

17 Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. 19 The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”

21 They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”

23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:

26 “‘Go to this people and say,

“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

27 For this people’s heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’

28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” [29] 

30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!

-Acts 28:17-31

---

We’ve reached the end of the Book of Acts!  We see here the Apostle Paul trying to evangelize to his fellow Jews with some difficulty.  The Jews already have a works-based understanding for their faith.  This means that they believe that they can only earn God’s favor by following God’s rules.

What the Apostle Paul was teaching was utterly radical—it was an anti-works-based kind of faith.  He was saying that there is nothing you can do to earn God’s love.  In fact, you already have God’s love and it is from the overflow of His love that you desire to follow His rules.  This is grace-based theology.

Many of the Jews in Rome just couldn’t wrap their heads around grace.  They were stuck in their old works-based kind of thinking.  Perhaps they were struggling with a type of spiritual pride that refuses to allow them to view their faith in a different way.

This is a warning to us.  For those of us who grew up in the church, it’s easy to think that you already know everything you need to know about Christianity.  There’s a danger to this kind of spiritual pride.  As Christians, we need to always be in a posture of learning.  Only then will we begin to see facets of God that we’ve never seen before.  If you think you already know it all when it comes to Christianity, it will crush your ability to learn and grow.

Do you struggle with spiritual pride?  Do you think you already know everything there is to know about Christianity?  Do you maintain a posture of learning?

Acts 28:11-16

11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14 There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

-Acts 28:11-16

---

God has you exactly where you need to be.  We’re nearing the end of the Book of Acts which means we’re nearing the end for Paul’s journey toward Rome.  From historical records, we know that Rome would be the place where Paul would be executed and martyred.  He would never gain his freedom, at least not in this life.

God wanted Paul to be in Rome.  There were people like the brothers and sisters in this passage that He wanted Paul to meet.  From Rome, the Apostle Paul would write a large majority of his letters to churches that are now immortalized in the Bible.  Even under house arrest, God was able to use Paul in a mighty way.

Whatever your situation you’re in, you are not alone.  God is using all the good and all the bad in your life to draw you closer to Him.  Just like He did with Paul, God is using your circumstances to further His Kingdom and to bring about His glory.

Acts 28:1-10

Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

7 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. 8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10 They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

-Acts 28:1-10

---

Wherever the Apostle Paul went, he carried with him the power of God.  He was a conduit for God’s healing power and love.  For those of us who call ourselves Christians, the same is true for us.  Because the Holy Spirit lives inside of us we have the opportunity to bring the power of God wherever we go.

For those of you in high school, you’re bringing God’s power into the high school where you have the opportunity to help change the lives of your friends.  If you’re in college, same thing.  If you’re working, same thing.  Whatever life stage you’re in and whoever you are, you have the ability to use God’s power within you to help others.

Are you a conduit for God’s power and love?  How are you loving the people around you?

Acts 27:27-44

27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.

33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.

42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.

-Acts 27:27-44

---

The Bible has many stories that involve some sort of trouble on sea - some notable ones include Jesus calming the storm, Jesus walking on water, Jonah running away from Nineveh, and Paul’s shipwreck. As in all stories, and as expected when encountering a storm, many characters are afraid and fear for their lives. However, as we read here, Paul displays bravery and confidence that God will save them,, similar to Jesus’s demeanor and calmness amidst a great storm.

Even as a prisoner onboard the ship, Paul seems to command authority over the crew as all are fearful, even to the point where the sailors are willing to abandon everyone else and flee on lifeboats. However, Paul displays his confidence in God and the power/authority that comes with God’s provision by directing the crew in two ways that may not seem to make sense under a great storm. First, Paul tells the soldiers to cut the ropes to let the lifeboats drift away, not only preventing the sailors from fleeing, but also possibly getting rid of the only escape off the ship. Second, Paul tells everyone to eat to the point that they are full before they throw the rest of the grain overboard, seemingly depleting one of their food supplies.

These two orders may seem ridiculous when it comes to surviving a storm while on a ship, but to Paul, all that mattered was God’s promise of saving everyone on board. Through this promise, Paul was able to act bravely and even encourage everyone on board to have faith that they would indeed live. As a result, everyone’s lives were spared, even though the ship became wrecked. Furthermore, Paul’s life was protected by God once again as the Centurion stopped the soldiers from killing the prisoners.

There are many storms in life, and God helps us navigate them in many unique ways, some of which may seem odd. However, we are called and encouraged to have faith and trust that God will deliver, and that He may grant us his power and authority to rise out of difficult situations as we see with Paul during the shipwreck.

Acts 27:13-26

13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[b] and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

-Acts 27:13-26

---

Paul was on went through a whole lot before Paul spoke up and gave a word of encouragement from the Lord.  Paul only said something after people “gave up all hope of being saved.”  It must have been a pretty horrible situation.

But the Apostle Paul waited patiently.  He didn’t start preaching until he knew everyone was at their wits end and had exhausted all their human solutions.  It is in desperation that people are often able to see God.

When all hope was lost, Paul spoke up to give them hope.  He let them know that God has not forgotten them and that in time, He will save them from their present predicament.

Oftentimes, this is what God has to do for us to get us to the point of humble desperation.  We’re hit the bottom of the barrel with no human solutions left but to cry out to God to save us.  And then He speaks to us through the Bible or through a godly person or through a fortuitous divine appointment and reminds us that He has not forgotten us and that He will help us through the present storm.

Are you struggling with something right now and trying to use your own might and intellect to fix the problem?  Let go.  Give it over to Jesus.  Stop struggling.  Let Him take over and lead you out of the storm.  Do you trust Jesus?

Acts 27:1-12

27 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. 2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

3 The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. 4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5 When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8 We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement.[a] So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.

-Acts 27:1-12

---

Are you good at listening to godly advice even when it’s difficult to hear?  The Apostle Paul is giving the sailors some advice about the dangers facing the ship, but the sailors decided to ignore Paul’s advice.  In the end, the ship was wrecked.

Having the humility to listen and to follow godly advice is a trademark of a wise Christian.  There have been numerous times when I’ve received really difficult advice—suggestions that I need to end an ungodly relationship, a personality trait that I need to work on or fix, or a tough ministry decision that has no good outcomes.  Listening to hard advice can be tortuous, but those are also the moments when I grew the most as a Christian.  These situations stretched my faith and challenged me to be more like Jesus.

What are some difficult godly advice that have been given to you?  Are you listening to them and incorporating them into your life or are you ignoring them to our own peril?

Acts 25:23-26:32

25:23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. 27 For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”

26:1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”

So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,[a] ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 21 That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”

24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”

25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31 After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”

32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

---

Transformative Encounter with Christ

Today's passage is a little lengthier than usual, but it describes Paul's powerful testimony before those with high position of power. King Agrippa was very familiar with the Jewish customs and religion, and he was the one who can ultimately vouch for Paul's innocence. Paul's testimony was very eloquent, and again he used this platform to testify and preach the gospel of Christ. He described his youth as a zealous Pharisee that persecuted Christians and even went to other regions to kill Christians. Then he described the encounter of the resurrected Christ and his transformation afterwards. To a secular King, Paul sounded insane and even retorts that his testimony would not convert him to be a Christian. In some sense, today's passage sounds a little depressing because Paul's testimony does not have convert anyone to Christianity nor does it free him from the court.

I think the key point here is not necessarily focusing on the outcome of his testimony but rather the testimony itself. His testimony is divided into three parts: life before Christ, an encounter with Christ, and a transformation after meeting Christ. There are times when I see a lot of young Christians doubt their faith and salvation, and I ask them to share their testimony or talk about their relationship with God. For those who had a genuine encounter with the Lord, the three parts are usually very clear. Your testimony will be different from others, but a common thread in all testimonies is that their encounter with Christ transformed their lives. What if I don't have a "three part" testimony? Ask the Lord to reveal himself to you just as he revealed himself to Paul. What if I have had a geniune encountered God but do not feel close to him? Remember that Jesus's transformative power is not a one-time deal but rather a daily occurrence. Ask the Lord to transform you on a daily basis.

I want to get back to Paul in the passage. If Paul did not appeal to stand before Caesar, he would have been set free. But this was all part of God's plan. Paul's deepest desire in his mission work was to go to Rome because he believed that Rome was the center of culture back then. This was made possible as a prisoner headed to Rome. Paul was willing to sacrifice his freedom so that he can preach the gospel to all people groups by heading to Rome as a prisoner. It is so ironic that the city where Paul died for his faith is now where the Vatican is and the Pope resides. The Lord has the power to not only transform lives but cities and nations as well.

Have you experienced the transformative power of Jesus? Ask him to encounter you today.

- Maria