Grace Bible Church Gillette, Wyoming

1. They stayed in Malta, waiting for better weather and an opportunity to sail. Surely, in that three month period, Paul preached the gospel. Tradition tells us that a church was started on Malta and its first pastor was named Publius.

2. The same bad weather that blew Paul’s ship to Malta, had caused an Alexandrian ship to winter at the Malta.

3. They boarded the ship, which was famous for the Twin Brothers figurehead. The mythological brothers, named Castor and Pollux (diskouroi - “Dioscouri”, sons of Zeus), were tutelary gods of Greek sailors, who supposedly appeared in the natural phenomenon known as St. Elmo’s fire. The Latin name for the brothers is Gemini (“twins”) and there is a constellation named after them.

B. Stayed at Syracuse (12)

1. Syracuse is roughly 100 miles from Malta. It was the home of mathematician and engineer Archimedes.

2. When they put in at port, they most likely had to wait for good sailing weather. Therefore, they were there for three days.

3. Luke did not tell us what happened in those three days. But if we discern Paul’s character we are inclined to say that he went ashore and looked for brethren and preached the gospel.

C. Sailed to Rhegium and Puteoli (13)

1. When they gained good passage, they sailed to Rhegium. It is located on the “toe” of the Italian Peninsula. Ancient coins of Rhegium give homage to the twin brothers.

2. A south wind was needed for the ship to make it to Puteoli (modern Pozzuoli) in a day.

3. The town of Rhegium (modern Reggio) is located at the Straits of Messina and faces the island of Sicily. To make the passage through these straits (known for the [mythological] whirlpool of Charybdis and the rock of Scylla) to the harbor of Puteoli, sailors would need a favorable wind to carry them there in twenty-four hours. Puteoli (Pozzuoli), a harbor in the Bay of Naples, is about 120 miles southeast of Rome. (Kistemaker, Baker Commentary)

4. Puteoli was the main harbor for Rome, about 150 miles away where it conducted business with the rest of the inhabited world.

D. Stayed with Brethren (14)

1. There were believers in Italy already. These could have been some who were present in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (cf. Act 2:10). Or perhaps they were Christians originally from Rome, but when Claudius expelled Jews in 49 A.D. from the imperial city, many moved to Puteoli (cf. Act 18:2b).

2. In his usual custom, Paul sought out the brethren in order to have fellowship with them. Paul’s life revolved around fellowship with believers, as it should for all believers.

3. He stayed for seven days at their request and Julius’ permission. Obviously, Julius continued to treat Paul with considerable kindness (Act 27:3). We will only know in heaven whether Julius trusted in Christ.

E. Support by the Brethren (15)

1. Luke related many of the events that Paul and his companions went through on their way to Rome. Luke completes his narrative with the final events into Rome (Act 28:14b).

2. The news traveled fast about Paul’s soon arrival at Rome. It probably started when Paul was with the brethren at Puteoli.

3. Two groups set out from Rome to meet Paul. One group met him at the “Market of Appius” and the other at the “Three Inns.” Both places were well known in the writings of Horace and Cicero.

a) The Market of Appius was approx. forty-three miles from Rome on the Appian Road. The Appian road was built by the Roman censor Appius Claudius Caecus as a military road in 312 BC. Later a marketplace was established for weary travelers on the Appian road.

b) Three Inns was a tavern and a trading store thirty-three miles away from Rome

4. The effect that these believers had on Paul was immense. We would imagine that he thanked God not only for the encouragement of the brethren, but also for being a faithful God who keeps His promises.

5. Paul also took courage in the encouragement from the love and interest of these believers for Paul. Though Paul was an apostle, he was also a man with like passions and struggles as much as the next Christian.

6. Paul was both affectionate and inspired by the efforts of others, especially on his behalf (2Co 2:13; 2Co 7:6; 2Ti 1:16-18).

7. As the prisoner Paul entered Rome, the respected apostle paraded into Rome with an escort by Roman soldiers and a Christian entourage.

II. FINALLY ARRIVED IN ROME (16)

A. Paul Entered Rome (16a)

1. Luke thus recorded Paul’s mission and goal that was the arrival in Rome.

a) Rome was where the emperor lived to whom Paul appealed (Act 25:11-12).

b) Rome was a city that Paul was burdened to go (Rom 1:13-15).

c) Rome was the Lord’s will for Paul (Act 23:11).

d) Rome was the fulfillment of the “remotest part of the earth” (Act 1:8).

2. There was a progression with Paul’s trip to Rome. Paul certainly had the motivation to go to Rome. Paul persevered in God’s will in going to Rome. There must have been great satisfaction in finally arriving in Rome according to God’s will.

B. Paul under House Arrest (16b)

1. The normal procedure for prisoners sent for trial in Rome was to place them in cells adjoining the Praetorian Camp. On occasion, some prisoners were allowed to choose their own residence under the custody of a Praetorian guard.

2. So Paul was able to stay by himself, in his own rented quarters (30), but in chains (20), and chained to a Roman guard (16).

3. In his prison epistles, which he would be writing in the next two years he made mention of those chains (Eph 6:20; Php 1:7; Php 1:13; Php 1:18; Col 4:18).

4. The plain truth of Paul’s chains was that the Roman soldier was chained to him. Each soldier would then be relieved in intervals. In this way, the cause of Christ became known “throughout the whole praetorian guard” (Php 1:13).

III. FOUND THE LEADING JEWS (17-20)

A. Paul Met with the Leading Jews (17)

1. Paul met with the leading men of the Jews, having only been there three days. For Paul’s sake, we might have thought that he should have waited before entering the lion’s den again.

2. Nevertheless, Paul was an apostle commissioned by Christ to preach the gospel, and his theology and his heart always led him to the Jews first (Rom 1:16; 2:9-10).

3. Though informal, this meeting could come under the heading of Paul’s Sixth Defense.

B. Nothing Against Custom of Jews (17b) – Paul’s defense (and truth) was that he had done nothing in violation against God, the Jews, or the Temple. Yet, as divine circumstances had it, he was delivered a prisoner from the Jews to the Romans (Act 24:25:8 cf. Act 21:10-11).

C. Nothing Worthy of Death (18) – All of examinations led the Romans to the same conclusion, namely that there were no grounds for putting him to death.

D. Forced to Appeal to Caesar (19) – In desperation to keep out of clutches of the Jews, Paul was forced to appeal to Caesar (Act 25:11-12).

E. Chained for the Hope of Israel (20) - However, this was all (including his chains) for the hope of Israel, the Messiah and the gospel concerning His death and resurrection.

IV. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

1. Encouraging Life with the Brethren (14a, cf. Act 2:42)

a) In Acts 2:42, Luke gave today’s church the model of the early church. One of its main characteristics was that they were devoted to fellowship. Paul was a case in point of this characteristic of believers of the early church.

b) Furthermore, life with the brethren was more than a mere outward ritual; it was the response of true believer with the love of the brethren (1Th 4:9).

c) This ought always to be our characteristic with great fervency and commitment to body life, life with the brethren.

2. Encouragement by Unnamed Brethren (15, cf. Rom 1:12)

a) The apostle Paul needed encouragement just like we need encouragement today. Other than God’s word and Spirit, He encourages us through many unnamed believers doing ordinary acts of kindness.

b) Their name were not important as was the act of love and encouragement upon the apostle Paul.

c) Our names are not so important either, but our acts of love and encouragement to the brethren will prove to be God’s method of encouragement.

3. Encouragement from Faithful Ministry (17, cf. Pro 28:20; 1Ti 1:12)

a) Paul was so faithful in ministry that he made a bee-line for the Jews upon arriving in Rome.

b) Can you imagine the blessing Paul received from God when he entered Rome with his Christian entourage.

(1) Burdened With God’s Will

(2) Continued To Pursue God’s Will

(3) Satisfaction Of Doing God’s Will

(4) God is Faithful To His Faithful (Pro 28:20; 1Ti 1:12)

(a) Faithful to ministry.

(b) Should we let the work of God fail because there are too few laborers?

(d) Should we let the work of God fail because we our lives cannot be preoccupied with the Lord’s work?

(e) Paul is our example. He was the first. He was undaunted. And He was rewarded. How about us?

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd · PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516