“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. 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. 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. From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lea of Cyprus because the winds were against us.” –Acts 27:1-4.Scholars believe Paul spent about two years as a prisoner in Caesarea. Finally, Festus and others with control over prisoners decided Paul should be sent on to Rome for his hearing before the Emperor. Assigned to accompany and guard Paul was a centurion named Julius. He was a well-trusted officer, a member of the Augustan Cohort. He treated Paul with great respect and when they arrived at their first stop on the journey, Sidon, Julius allowed Paul to go ashore to his friends so that they might provide him with needs for his journey. Dr. William Barclay in his scholarly writing on Acts states: “It may be that when Paul and Julius stood face to face, one brave man recognized another.”
Notice that the account in Acts of Paul’s journey from Caesarea to Rome is written in first person plural: “we”. This indicates that Luke, the physician, and writer of the Gospel of Luke and of the Acts of the Apostles was also accompanying Paul to Rome. And another companion was Aristarchus from Macedonia in Thessalonica. He had deliberately chosen to accompany Paul because of his love and respect for the apostle. He had been with Paul from Greece to Jerusalem as Paul finished his third missionary journey, and probably had remained with Paul during the entire two years of Paul’s hearings before the Jewish Sanhedrin and the governors in Caesarea. Dr. Barclay suggests that Aristarchus voluntarily placed himself as “the slave of Paul” so that he could remain with him on the journey to Rome. In the letters of Colossians and Philemon, Paul mentions the name of Aristarchus as a “fellow prisoner.” Church tradition holds that faithful Aristarchus was put to death in Rome by Nero. But on the voyage to Rome, we know at least three in the “we” of those sailing: Luke the writer, Paul the Apostle, and Aristarchus, faithful friend to Paul.
“The winds were against us.” It was not smooth sailing. Winds tossed the merchant ship that also carried passengers. The captain chose the long way around on the leeward side of Cyprus because of the poor sailing weather. I can imagine the seasickness, the crowded conditions on the ship. Our journeys are not always easy. But also in the “we” of the company on that ship was God, ever present, working His miracles despite the weather and Paul’s condition of imprisonment.
Julius, a Roman centurion, was kind to Paul. Aristarchus and Dr. Luke were looking after Paul. And God’s presence was always amidst the prevailing winds. And so He is with each of us as we plough through life’s troubled seas! Today is my birthday. I have been a Christian for 71 of my 80 years. I am most grateful to have reached this milestone in my life. I’ve lived a long, long time! And through symbolic seas and adverse winds, as well as in the relative calm parts of my journey, like Paul, I have known and experienced the marvelous and miraculous presence, protection and power of God. God has provided many others who have helped me on the journey. I pay particular tribute to my dear husband of 61-plus years, a faithful minister of the gospel, who was the greatest helpmeet and companion anyone could have. May we thank God today for the “we” persons in our life who have helped us to become who we are. To God be the glory!
c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Thursday, May 13, 2010
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