Paul Survives a Shipwreck
aka
Paul Sails for Rome
Acts 27:1, 2, 33-44
International Sunday School Lesson
November 11, 2012
Commentary
By
Jed Greenough
“Into each life a little rain must fall.” A true enough thing Mr. Longfellow but how do we deal with it when it does? Let’s see how Paul deals with those kinds of moments.
As we join our writer Luke and the Apostle Paul the request we heard from Paul to be heard by Caesar has progressed to the point where we now see Paul ship bound for Rome for that purpose.
This account of Paul’s journey beginning with Acts 27:1 is replete with rich historical details that we might not have thought of as we see the difficulty of travel and some of the details of the Roman Empire.
But that isn’t what I am interested in today as I considered this account. Quite frankly what came into my mind and stayed there is that we aren’t like Paul. Oh, I have been accused of that by my wife but really when you read this entire series of events I can see I am more like Luke when I consider how he reacted to the peril they faced in the fury of the Northeaster.
He said, “we finally gave up all hope of being saved.” He of course meant that they were going to die at sea. But he wasn’t privy to the connection that Paul had as Paul goes on in 27:23 to say that an angel of God spoke with him telling him not to fear and informed him that all would survive.
Do you think that an encounter or two with God’s representatives would embolden Paul? Of course it would, so what is the lesson for us for today since that maybe isn’t going to happen to us anytime soon?
Well, as you can see we mustn’t restrict ourselves to the chosen scripture for today but look at the entire chapter to see that if they had listened to Paul to begin with (verse 11) they wouldn’t be in this pickle to begin with.
Again Paul says something that not all would listen to. He said that the ship would be destroyed but the men on board would survive but they needed to run aground (verse 26). This time the centurion who seemed to favor Paul did listen and when the sailors attempted to lower a boat he had the soldiers cut its ropes to keep everyone together as Paul instructed.
After that Paul was able to encourage everyone on board and as the events progressed all that Paul had been told would occur did materialize.
Well, it’s a good thing for us that this man who God spoke to also spoke through him and inspired him to write so much of what we have to survive the storms that enter our lives. I think that should give us encouragement just as everyone in verse 36 was encouraged.
Listen to what Paul and of course all that God had to say and apply it the first time around and you will weather the storms that enter your life.
For Discussion:
1. Discuss how when we bend our interpretation to fit what we want we really aren’t following instruction at all.
2. Paul was allowed courtesies and protected on this journey. My thoughts are it was a result of how he presented himself. Discuss what we can learn from that.
3. Discuss how God could have provided smooth sailing but did not.
4. Discuss a bit about Aristarchus.
5. Discuss travel, life, food and shelter back at that time. For example the goal had been to winter in Phoenix but as we will see they winter next week in Malta for 3 months!
6. Discuss always and in all occasions giving thanks as Paul did in verse 35.
7. Discuss what would happen to a Roman soldier who had a prisoner escape. See Acts 16:27.
Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries
11-18-12: Paul Ministers on Malta aka Paul Ministers in Malta Acts 28:1-10
11-25-12: Paul Evangelizes in Rome Acts 28:16, 17, 23-31 or Acts 28:23-31
12-2-12: Blessed in Christ aka Spiritual Blessings in Jesus Christ Ephesians 1:3-14
12-9-12: One in Jesus Christ Ephesians 2:11-22
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
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