Acts 27:1-20
Dear RTB’ers,
Paul on his way to Rome. Luke is back to his “we” and “us” writings. It’s intriguing to have this first-hand account of Paul’s ministry. As we begin the trip to Rome in today’s reading, I recall my first time reading through Acts and feeling like I was on board ship with Paul and Luke. Especially intriguing to me is Luke having been through it all personally. Certainly he had the same fears for his own safety as all the others on board, but he could look to Paul for leadership in a way that the others could not.
And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. (v. 3b) Because Luke is on this journey with Paul, we are able to see this more intimate relationship between Paul and his centurion keeper. Luke even calls him by name, Julius, in verses 1 and 3, and mentions him as “the centurion” in verses 6 and 11. What’s interesting in verse 3b is the trust that Julius has for Paul. Presumably there’s no reason for Paul to escape – since he appealed to Caesar and he had already wanted to go to Rome he’s getting a free ride! But still, Julius letting him go off on his own is nice.
Blessings!