Apostle Paul: Paul's Arrival in Rome (Day 6)

The Bible reading plan comes from here. I am using the Matthew Henry's Commentary which can also be found here on BibleGateways's website (Study > More Resources > Commentaries > Matthew Henry's Commentary). Previous reflections on my study of Apostle Paul can be found by the following links: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4-5.

Day 6: Acts 28- Paul Arrives in Rome

When Paul arrived on the island of Malta, he came across inhabitants of the island who were considered barbarous. They were considered barbarous people due to their nonconformity, in language and customs, to both the Greeks and the Romans. Although, Greeks and Romans "looked upon all but themselves as barbarians;" so these inhabitants were civilized in a way, "and perhaps in some cases more civil than [Greeks and Romans]" (p. 1747). Thus upon arriving, Paul was not expecting the generosity that was given.

While I was reading the commentary on this section, two sentences caught my attention: "Providence continues its care of them, and what benefits we receive by the hand of man must be acknowledged to come from the hand of God" (p. 1747), and "If our friends be kind to us, it is God that makes them so, and we must give him the glory of it" (p. 1749). I am in need of constant reminder. Often times I see my success as just that "my successes." But they are far from mine; God is the one who wills it, and I often forget this. Someone once told me that coincidences in life are not coincidences at all, but God working. Paul could have thought that it was a coincidence that they landed (remember the shipwreck in Acts 27) on this island but were not attacked by the barbarous people. It wasn't a coincidence; God was watching over them. God put these people in Paul's life to be apart of it.

Three months later, they were ready to leave Malta. Paul was not discouraged by their hardship of a shipwreck and reaching land through floating on broken pieces of the ship (Acts 27:44). He was going to push through and not let it hinder his goal of arriving in Rome; "The difficulties and discouragements we have met within our Christian course must not hinder us from pressing forward" (p. 1748). Bad events in our lives are not to bring us down and are not signs of our unfaithfulness. You learn through experiences, good or bad, and experiences shape who you are. James 1: 2-4 (My favorite verse- you should ask me about it some time) says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Long story short, Paul arrives in Rome. My commentary, again bringing my attention to what I would overlook, says, "We are here taking our leave of the history of blessed Paul. We should carefully take notice of every particular of the circumstances in which we must here leave him. It cannot but be trouble to us that we must leave him in bonds for Christ. Two whole years of that good man's life are here spent in confinement. He appealed to Ceaser, in hope of a speedy discharge from his imprisonment, and yet he is detained a prisoner. .... During these two years' imprisonment he wrote his epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and to Philemon" (p. 1751). Paul has come full circle; I began reading about a vengeful and hateful Saul to read about an apostle of Jesus, in bonds for Christ. God's plan for our lives is mystical to me. Who would have thought this up? Paul's life isn't some type of fairy-tale where the characters live "happily ever after." There is no doubt that all of this has God working; Paul's life is a testament to God's glory.

Up Next: Romans 3. I'm excited to learn from Paul's wisdom.