Act 28:14 | KingComments | STEP | It is now the end of January / beginning of February when they board another Alexandrian ship ( ) to continue their journey to Rome. The ship has, as Luke notes, “the Twin Brothers for its figurehead”. With these are meant the ‘sons of Zeus’. They were regarded as protectors of the sailors and were therefore worshiped in many port cities. By mentioning the figurehead of this ship, where Paul is on board, we are made aware that the proclamation of the gospel of which Paul is the representative, is a spiritual battle. This battle is still in full swing ( ). The first port visited is Syracuse on the Italian island of Sicily. They stay there for three days, possibly to unload cargo or to wait for a favorable wind. From Syracuse they cross over to Rhegium on the mainland of Italy. Because they have to go north and there is a southern wind, the rest of the sea voyage goes very well. After two days they come to Puteoli, the port of Naples. In Puteoli Paul and his companions went looking for “brethren” and they found them. “Brethren” is at that time the general name for the believers. The brethren ask Paul and his companions to stay for seven days. Seven days always means including a Sunday ( ). Then they go further over land on their way to Rome. While Paul was in Puteoli for seven days, the message accelerated ahead to Rome. From there the brothers came to meet him. When Paul sees them, he thanks God and takes courage. He has never seen those brothers before, but the fact that they are brothers, who greet him warmly and embrace him, is a great gift and could only have been worked by God. From Luke’s account of Paul’s meeting with the various groups of brethren, it seems that Paul was depressed. He is a man with a nature like ours. On an earlier occasion of despondency, the Lord Himself came to him to encourage him ( ). Here the Lord does it through the brethren. The love of the brethren encourages and animates Paul again. He experiences what he wrote earlier in his letter to “all who are beloved of God in Rome, called [as] saints” ( ). A group of brethren meet him about sixty-five kilometers from Rome. He embraces them in the Market of Appius. Another group, who may have left Rome a little later, meets him about fifty kilometers and he embraces them in Three Inns. Thus the Lord has a double encouragement for Paul on the final part of the journey to Rome. Then Paul finally arrives at the former heart of the world. What must have been on his mind when he entered the city he had wanted to visit for so long ( ). As mentioned before, he arrived there in a different way than he would have imagined. The fact that he would come there as a prisoner would not have arisen in his mind. But that is how God determined it and what a blessing came out of that imprisonment! Just think of the letters he wrote during this imprisonment and which we now have in the Bible. Furthermore, Paul, as a prisoner, was given an opportunity that others in Rome did not get, namely, to bring the gospel to the court of the emperor, which was also an encouragement for others ( ). At the same time, his imprisonment put the trueness of the faith of many to the test. There are those who were ashamed of his captivity and forgot him in Rome, while someone like Onesiphorus was not ashamed, but visited him in Rome ( ). That may have been during his second imprisonment, but the principle remains the same. Paul was a prisoner. During this first imprisonment Paul was given permission to stay by himself, being constantly chained and guarded by a soldier. In comparison with staying in a prison, this form of imprisonment can be called mild.

‏ Acts 28:14

Arrival at Rome

It is now the end of January / beginning of February when they board another Alexandrian ship (Acts 27:6) to continue their journey to Rome. The ship has, as Luke notes, “the Twin Brothers for its figurehead”. With these are meant the ‘sons of Zeus’. They were regarded as protectors of the sailors and were therefore worshiped in many port cities. By mentioning the figurehead of this ship, where Paul is on board, we are made aware that the proclamation of the gospel of which Paul is the representative, is a spiritual battle. This battle is still in full swing (Phil 1:27-28).

The first port visited is Syracuse on the Italian island of Sicily. They stay there for three days, possibly to unload cargo or to wait for a favorable wind. From Syracuse they cross over to Rhegium on the mainland of Italy. Because they have to go north and there is a southern wind, the rest of the sea voyage goes very well. After two days they come to Puteoli, the port of Naples.

In Puteoli Paul and his companions went looking for “brethren” and they found them. “Brethren” is at that time the general name for the believers. The brethren ask Paul and his companions to stay for seven days. Seven days always means including a Sunday (Acts 20:6-7 ; Acts 21:4). Then they go further over land on their way to Rome.

While Paul was in Puteoli for seven days, the message accelerated ahead to Rome. From there the brothers came to meet him. When Paul sees them, he thanks God and takes courage. He has never seen those brothers before, but the fact that they are brothers, who greet him warmly and embrace him, is a great gift and could only have been worked by God.

From Luke’s account of Paul’s meeting with the various groups of brethren, it seems that Paul was depressed. He is a man with a nature like ours. On an earlier occasion of despondency, the Lord Himself came to him to encourage him (Acts 23:11). Here the Lord does it through the brethren.

The love of the brethren encourages and animates Paul again. He experiences what he wrote earlier in his letter to “all who are beloved of God in Rome, called [as] saints” (Rom 1:7 ; 12). A group of brethren meet him about sixty-five kilometers from Rome. He embraces them in the Market of Appius. Another group, who may have left Rome a little later, meets him about fifty kilometers and he embraces them in Three Inns. Thus the Lord has a double encouragement for Paul on the final part of the journey to Rome.

Then Paul finally arrives at the former heart of the world. What must have been on his mind when he entered the city he had wanted to visit for so long (Rom 1:10 ; Rom 15:23). As mentioned before, he arrived there in a different way than he would have imagined. The fact that he would come there as a prisoner would not have arisen in his mind. But that is how God determined it and what a blessing came out of that imprisonment! Just think of the letters he wrote during this imprisonment and which we now have in the Bible.

Furthermore, Paul, as a prisoner, was given an opportunity that others in Rome did not get, namely, to bring the gospel to the court of the emperor, which was also an encouragement for others (Phil 1:12-14). At the same time, his imprisonment put the trueness of the faith of many to the test. There are those who were ashamed of his captivity and forgot him in Rome, while someone like Onesiphorus was not ashamed, but visited him in Rome (2Tim 1:16-17). That may have been during his second imprisonment, but the principle remains the same. Paul was a prisoner.

During this first imprisonment Paul was given permission to stay by himself, being constantly chained and guarded by a soldier. In comparison with staying in a prison, this form of imprisonment can be called mild.