55 Bible Verses about Paul, Life Of
Most Relevant Verses
Though I, if any man, have cause to rely even upon them. If any one thinks he can rely upon external privileges, far more can I! I was circumcised when eight days old; I am an Israelite by race, and of the tribe of Benjamin; I am a Hebrew, and the child of Hebrews. As to the Law, I was a Pharisee;
So the Commanding Officer went up to Paul and said: "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," replied Paul. "I had to pay a heavy price for my position as citizen," said the Officer. "I am one by birth," rejoined Paul.
"I am a Jew, a native of Tarsus in Cilicia, but I was brought up in this city under the teaching of Gamaliel, and educated in accordance with the strict system of our ancestral Law. I was as zealous in God's service as any of you who are here to-day.
"No," said Paul, "I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of a city of some note; and I beg you to give me permission to speak to the people."
On leaving Athens, Paul next went to Corinth. There he met a Jew of the name of Aquila, a native of Pontus, who, with his wife Priscilla, had lately come from Italy, in consequence of the order which had been issued by the Emperor Claudius for all Jews to leave Rome. Paul paid them a visit, And, since their trade was the same as his, he stayed and worked with them--their trade was tent-making.
I was circumcised when eight days old; I am an Israelite by race, and of the tribe of Benjamin; I am a Hebrew, and the child of Hebrews. As to the Law, I was a Pharisee; As to zeal, I was a persecutor of the Church; as to such righteousness as is due to Law, I proved myself blameless.
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the High Priest, And asked him to give him letters to the Jewish congregations at Damascus, authorizing him, if he found there any supporters of the Cause, whether men or women, to have them put in chains and brought to Jerusalem.
'Lord,' I answered, 'these people know that I used to imprison and scourge, in Synagogue after Synagogue, those who believed in you; And, when the blood of your martyr, Stephen, was being shed, I was myself standing by, approving of his death, and took charge of the clothes of those who were murdering him.
You heard, no doubt, of my conduct when I was devoted to Judaism--how I persecuted the Church of God to an extent beyond belief, and made havoc of it,
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the High Priest, And asked him to give him letters to the Jewish congregations at Damascus, authorizing him, if he found there any supporters of the Cause, whether men or women, to have them put in chains and brought to Jerusalem. While on his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, suddenly a light from the heavens flashed around him.read more.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him-- "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" "Who are you, Lord?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," the voice answered; "Yet stand up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." The men traveling with Saul were meanwhile standing speechless; they heard the sound of the voice, but saw no one. When Saul got up from the ground, though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So his men led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus; And for three days he was unable to see, and took nothing either to eat or to drink. Now there was at Damascus a disciple named Ananias, to whom, in a vision, the Lord said: "Ananias." "Yes, Lord," he answered. "Go at once," said the Lord, "to the 'Straight Street', and ask at Judas's house for a man named Saul, from Tarsus. He is at this moment praying, And he has seen, in a vision, a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him, so that he may recover his sight." "Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I have heard from many people about this man--how much harm he has done at Jerusalem to your People there. And, here, too, he holds authority from the Chief Priests to put in chains all those who invoke your Name." But the Lord said to him: "Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to uphold my Name before the Gentiles and their kings, and the people of Israel. I will myself show him all that he has to suffer for my Name." So Ananias went, entered the house, and, placing his hands on Saul, said: "Saul, my Brother, I have been sent by the Lord--by Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here--so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Instantly it seemed as if a film fell from Saul's eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, And, after he had taken food, he felt his strength return. Saul stayed for some days with the disciples who were at Damascus,
"I am a Jew, a native of Tarsus in Cilicia, but I was brought up in this city under the teaching of Gamaliel, and educated in accordance with the strict system of our ancestral Law. I was as zealous in God's service as any of you who are here to-day. In my persecution of this Cause I did not stop even at the taking of life. I put in chains, and imprisoned, men and women alike-- And to that the High Priest himself and all the Council can testify. For I had letters of introduction from them to our fellow Jews at Damascus, and I was on my way to that place, to bring those whom I might find there prisoners to Jerusalem for punishment.read more.
While I was still on my way, just as I was getting close to Damascus, about mid-day, suddenly there flashed from the heavens a great light all round me. I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' I replied. Then the voice said 'I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.' The men with me saw the light, but did not hear the speaker's voice. Then I said 'What am I to do, Lord?' 'Get up and go into Damascus,' The Lord said to me, 'and there you shall be told all that you have been appointed to do.' In consequence of that dazzling light I could not see, but my companions held me by the hand, till I reached Damascus. There a man named Ananias, a strict observer of our Law, well spoken of by all the Jewish inhabitants, came to see me. Standing close to me, he said 'Saul, my Brother, recover your sight.' And then and there I recovered my sight and looked up at him. Then he said 'The God of our ancestors has appointed you to learn his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear words from his lips; For you shall be a witness for him to all the world of what you have just seen and heard. And now why wait any longer: Be baptized at once, wash away your sins, and invoke his Name.
I myself, it is true, once thought it my duty to oppose in every way the Name of Jesus of Nazareth; And I actually did so at Jerusalem. Acting on the authority of the Chief Priests, I myself threw many of the People of Christ into prison, and, when it was proposed to put them to death, I gave my vote for it. Time after time, in every Synagogue, I tried by punishments to force them to blaspheme. So frantic was I against them, that I pursued them even to towns beyond our borders.read more.
It was while I was traveling to Damascus on an errand of this kind, entrusted with full powers by the Chief Priests, That at mid-day, your Majesty, I saw right in my path, coming from the heavens, a light brighter than the glare of the sun, which shone all round me and those traveling with me. We all fell to the ground, and then I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew-- 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? By kicking against the goad you are punishing yourself.' 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. And the Lord said: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; But get up and stand upright; for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you a servant and a witness of those revelations of me which you have already had, and of those in which I shall yet appear to you, Since I am choosing you out from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; so that they may receive pardon for their sins, and a place among those who have become God's People, by faith in me.'
But when God, who had set me apart even before my birth, and who called me by his love, Saw fit to reveal his Son in me, so that I might tell the Good News of him among the Gentiles, then at once, instead of consulting any human being, Or even going up to Jerusalem to see those who were Apostles before me, I went to Arabia, and came back again to Damascus.
When I was in Damascus, the Governor under King Aretas had the gates of that city guarded, so as to arrest me, But I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
And, after he had taken food, he felt his strength return. Saul stayed for some days with the disciples who were at Damascus, And at once began in the Synagogues to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God. All who heard him were amazed. "Is not this," they asked, "the man who worked havoc in Jerusalem among those that invoke this Name, and who had also come here for the express purpose of having such persons put in chains and taken before the Chief Priests?"read more.
Saul's influence, however, kept steadily increasing, and he confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by the proofs that he gave that Jesus was the Christ. After some time the Jews laid a plot to kill Saul, But it became known to him. They even watched the gates day and night, to kill him; But his disciples let him down by night through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
Three years afterwards I went up to Jerusalem to make the acquaintance of Peter, and I stayed a fortnight with him.
On his arrival in Jerusalem, Saul attempted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, as they did not believe that he was really a disciple. Barnabas, however, taking him by the hand, brought him to the Apostles, and told them the whole story of how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord, and how the Lord had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out fearlessly in the Name of Jesus. After that, Saul remained in Jerusalem, in close intercourse with the Apostles; and he spoke fearlessly in the Name of the Lord,
Talking and arguing with the Jews of foreign birth, who, however, made attempts to kill him. But, when the Brethren found this out, they took him down to Caesarea, and sent him on his way to Tarsus.
Afterwards Barnabas left for Tarsus to look for Saul; And, when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And so it came about that, for a whole year, they attended the meetings of the Church there, and taught a large number of people; and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called 'Christians.'
Among the members of the Church at Antioch there were several Prophets and Teachers--Barnabas, Simeon who was known by the name of 'Black', Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, foster-brother of Prince Herod, and Saul. While they were engaged in the worship of the Lord and were fasting, the Holy Spirit said: "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them." Accordingly, after fasting and prayer, they placed their hands on them and dismissed them.read more.
Barnabas and Saul, sent on this mission, as they were, by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there sailed to Cyprus. On reaching Salamis, they began to tell the Message of God in the Jewish Synagogues; and they had John with them as an assistant. After passing through the whole island, they reached Paphos, where they found an astrologer who pretended to be a Prophet--a Jew by birth, whose name was Barjoshua.
The same thing occurred in Iconium, where Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish Synagogue, and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed in Christ.
Fourteen years afterwards I went up to Jerusalem again with Barnabas, and I took Titus also with me. It was in obedience to a revelation that I went; and I laid before the Apostles the Good News that I am proclaiming among the Gentiles. I did this privately before those who are thought highly of, for fear that I might possibly be taking, or might have already taken, a course which would prove useless. Yet even my companion, Titus, though a Greek, was not compelled to be circumcised.read more.
But, on account of the false Brothers who had stolen in, the men who had crept in to spy upon the liberty which we have through union with Christ Jesus, in order to bring us back to slavery-- Why, we did not for a moment yield submission to them, that the Truth of the Good News might be yours always! Of those who are thought somewhat highly of--what they once were makes no difference to me; God does not recognize human distinctions--those, I say, who are thought highly of added nothing to my Message. On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the Gentiles, just as Peter had been for the Jews. For he who gave Peter power for his mission to the Jews gave me, also, power to go to the Gentiles. Recognizing the charge entrusted to me, James, Peter, and John, who were regarded as pillars of the Church, openly acknowledged Barnabas and me as fellow-workers, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. Only we were to remember the poor--the very thing I was myself anxious to do.
And this they did, sending it to the Officers of the Church by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
But certain persons came down from Judea, and began to teach the Brethren that, unless they were circumcised, in accordance with the custom enjoined by Moses, they could not be saved. This gave rise to a serious dispute, and much discussion, between Paul and Barnabas and these men, and it was therefore settled that Paul and Barnabas and others of their number should go up to Jerusalem, to consult the Apostles and Officers of the Church about the matter under discussion. The Church, therefore, sent them on their journey, and they made their way through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling the story of the conversion of the Gentiles, to the great joy of all the Brethren.read more.
On their arrival at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the Church, as well as by the Apostles and the Officers, and gave an account of all that God had helped them to do. Some of the Pharisees' party, however, who had become believers in Christ, came forward and declared that they were bound to circumcise converts and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses. The Apostles and the Officers of the Church held a meeting to consider this question.
Some time after this, Paul said to Barnabas: "Let us go back and visit the Brethren in every town in which we have told the Lord's Message, and see how they are prospering." Barnabas wished to take with them John, whose other name was Mark; But Paul felt that they ought not to take with them the man who had deserted them in Pamphylia, and had not gone on with them to their work.read more.
This caused such unpleasant feeling between them that they parted, Barnabas taking Mark and sailing for Cyprus, While Paul chose Silas for his companion and, after he had been committed by the Brethren to the gracious care of the Lord, Started on his journey and went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the Churches in the faith.
They next went through the Phrygian district of Galatia, but were restrained by the Holy Spirit from delivering the Message in Roman Asia. When they reached the borders of Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. Passing through Mysia, they went down to Troas;
And there one night Paul saw a vision. A Macedonian was standing and appealing to him--'Come over to Macedonia and help us.' So, immediately after Paul had seen the vision, we looked for an opportunity to cross over to Macedonia, concluding that God had summoned us to tell the Good News to the people there. Accordingly we set sail from Troas, and ran before the wind to Samothrace, reaching Neapolis the next day.read more.
From there we made our way to Philippi, which is the principal city of that part of Macedonia, and also a Roman Settlement. In that city we spent several days.
After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica. Here the Jews had a Synagogue;
The friends who escorted Paul took him as far as Athens, and, after receiving a message for Silas and Timothy to join him as quickly as possible, they started on their return.
Paul remained there some time after this, and then took leave of the Brethren, and sailed to Syria with Priscilla and Aquila, but not before his head had been shaved at Cenchreae, because he was under a vow. They put into Ephesus, and there Paul, leaving his companions, went into the Synagogue and addressed the Jews. When they asked him to prolong his stay, he declined, saying however,read more.
As he took his leave, "I will come back again to you, please God," and then set sail from Ephesus. On reaching Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and exchanged greetings with the Church, and then went down to Antioch.
After making some stay in Antioch, he set out on a tour through the Phrygian district of Galatia, strengthening the faith of all the disciples as he went.
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland districts of Roman Asia, and went to Ephesus. There he found some disciples, of whom he asked: "Did you, when you became believers in Christ, receive the Holy Spirit?" "No," they answered, "we did not even hear that there was a Holy Spirit." "What then was your baptism?" Paul asked.read more.
"John's baptism was a baptism upon repentance," rejoined Paul, "and John told the people (speaking of the 'One Coming; after him) that they should believe in him--that is in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the faith of the Lord Jesus, And, after Paul had placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit descended upon them, and they began to speak with 'tongues' and to preach. There were about twelve of them in all. Paul went to the Synagogue there, and for three months spoke out fearlessly, giving addresses and trying to convince his hearers, about the kingdom of God. Some of them, however, hardened their hears and refused to believe, denouncing the Cause before the people. So Paul left them and withdrew his disciples, and gave daily addresses in the lecture-hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all who lived in Roman Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the Lord's Message. God did miracles of no ordinary kind by Paul's hands; So that people would carry home to the sick handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body, and their diseases would leave them and the wicked spirits go out of them.
If with only human hopes I had fought in the arena at Ephesus, what should I have gained by it? If the dead do not rise, then-'Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die'!
I intend, however, staying at Ephesus till the Festival at the close of the Harvest; For a great opening for active work has presented itself, and there are many opponents.
With this conviction in my mind, I planned to come to see you first, so that your pleasure might be doubled-- To visit you both on my way to Macedonia, and to come to you again on my return from Macedonia, and then to get you to send me on my way into Judea.
I wrote to you in sore trouble and distress of heart and with many tears, not to give you pain, but to let you see how intense a love I have for you.
I have said it, and I say it again before I come, just as if I were with you on my second visit, though for the moment absent, I say to those who have been long sinning, as well as to all others--that if I come again, I shall spare no one.
When the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and, with encouraging words, bade them goodbye, and started on his journey to Macedonia. After going through those districts and speaking many encouraging words to the disciples, he went into Greece, where he stayed three months. He was about to sail to Syria, when he learned that a plot had been laid against him by the Jews; so he decided to return by way of Macedonia.read more.
He was accompanied by Sopater the son of Pyrrhus, of Beroea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, as well as by Tychicus and Trophimus of Roman Asia. These men went to Troas and waited for us there; While we ourselves sailed from Philippi after the Passover, and joined them five days later at Troas, where we stayed for a week.
When I went to the district round Troas to tell the Good News of the Christ, even though there was an opening for serving the Master, I could get no peace of mind because I failed to find Titus, my Brother; so I took leave of the people there, and went on to Macedonia.
While we ourselves sailed from Philippi after the Passover, and joined them five days later at Troas, where we stayed for a week.
When we had torn ourselves away and had set sail, we ran before the wind to Cos; the next day we came to Rhodes, and from there to Patara, Where we found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, and went on board and set sail. After sighting Cyprus and leaving it on the left, we sailed to Syria, and put into Tyre, where the ship was to discharge her cargo.read more.
There we found the disciples and stayed a week with them. Speaking under the influence of the Spirit, they warned Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem. However, when we had come to the end of our visit, we went on our way, all the disciples with their wives and children escorting us out of the city. We knelt down on the beach, and prayed, And then said good-bye to one another; after which we went on board, and they returned home. After we had made the run from Tyre, we landed at Ptolemais, and exchanged greetings with the Brethren there, and spent a day with them. The next day we left, and reached Caesarea, where we went to the house of Philip, the Missionary, who was one of 'the Seven,' and stayed with him.
Just now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem, to take help to Christ's People there. For Macedonia and Greece have been glad to make a collection for the poor among Christ's People at Jerusalem.
But, just as the seven days were drawing to a close, the Jews from Roman Asia caught sight of Paul in the Temple, and caused great excitement among all the people present, by seizing Paul and shouting: "Men of Israel! help! This is the man who teaches every one everywhere against our People, our Law, and this Place; and, what is more, he has actually brought Greeks into the Temple and defiled this sacred place." (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in Paul's company in the city, and were under the belief that Paul had taken him into the Temple.)read more.
The whole city was stirred, and the people quickly collected, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the Temple, when the doors were immediately shut. They were bent upon killing him, when it was reported to the Officer commanding the garrison, that all Jerusalem was in commotion. He instantly got together some officers and men, and charged down upon the crowd, who, when they saw the Commanding Officer and his men, stopped beating Paul. Then he went up to Paul, arrested him, ordered him to be doubly chained, and proceeded to inquire who he was, and what he had been doing. Some of the crowd said one thing, and some another; and, as he could get no definite reply on account of the uproar, he ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks.
In the morning the Jews combined together, and took an oath that they would not eat or drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than forty in the plot; And they went to the Chief Priests and the Councillors, and said: "We have taken a solemn oath not to touch food till we have killed Paul.read more.
So we want you now, with the consent of the Council, to suggest to the Commanding Officer that he should bring Paul down before you, as though you intended to go more fully into his case; but, before he comes here, we will be ready to make away with him." However, the son of Paul's sister, hearing of the plot, went to the Fort, and on being admitted, told Paul about it. Paul called one of the Captains of the garrison and asked him to take the lad to the Commanding Officer, as he had something to tell him. The Captain went with the lad to the Commanding Officer, and said: "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this lad to you, as he has something to tell you." The Commanding Officer took the lad by the hand, and, stepping aside, asked what it was he had to tell him. "The Jews have agreed," answered the lad, "to ask you to bring Paul down before the Council to-morrow, on the plea of your making further inquiry into his case. But do not let them persuade you, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him, who have taken an oath that they will not eat or drink, till they have made away with him; and they are at this very moment in readiness, counting upon your promise."
Then he called two Captains, and ordered them to have two hundred men ready to go to Caesarea, as well as seventy troopers and two hundred lancers, by nine o'clock that night, And to have horses ready for Paul to ride, so that they might take him safely to Felix, the Governor. To him he wrote a letter, somewhat as follows--read more.
'Claudius Lysias sends his compliments to His Excellency Felix the Governor. The man whom I send with this had been seized by the Jews, and was on the point of being killed by them, when I came upon them with the force under my command, and rescued him, as I learned that he was a Roman citizen. Wishing to ascertain exactly the ground of the charges they made against him, I brought him before their Council, When I found that their charges were connected with questions of their own Law, and that there was nothing alleged involving either death or imprisonment. Having, however, information of a plot against the man, which was about to be put into execution, I am sending him to you at once, and I have also directed his accusers to prosecute him before you.' The soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took charge of Paul and conducted him by night to Antipatris; And on the next day, leaving the troopers to go on with him, they returned to the Fort. On arriving at Caesarea, the troopers delivered the letter to the Governor, and brought Paul before him. As soon as Felix had read the letter, he enquired to what province Paul belonged, and, learning that he came from Cilicia, he said: "I will hear all you have to say as soon as your accusers have arrived." And he ordered Paul to be kept under guard in Herod's Government House.
So he gave orders to the Captain in charge of Paul to keep him in custody, but to relax the regulations, and not to prevent any of his personal friends from attending to his wants. Some days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was herself a Jewess, and, sending for Paul, listened to what he had to say about faith in Christ Jesus. But, while Paul was speaking at length about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became terrified, and interrupted him--"Go for the present, but, when I find an opportunity, I will send for you again."read more.
He was hoping, too, for a bribe from Paul, and so he used to send for him frequently and talk with him. But, after the lapse of two years, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and, wishing to gain popularity with the Jews, he left Paul a prisoner.
Three days after Festus had entered upon his province, he left Caesarea and went up to Jerusalem. There the Chief Priests and the leading men among the Jews laid an information before him against Paul, And asked a favor of him, to Paul's injury--to have Paul brought to Jerusalem. All the while they were plotting to make away with him on the road.read more.
But Festus answered that Paul was in prison at Caesarea, and that he himself would be leaving for that place shortly. "So let the influential men among you," he said, "go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, charge him formally with it." After staying among them some eight or ten days, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he took his seat on the Bench, and ordered Paul to be brought before him. On Paul's appearance, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him, and made many serious charges, which they failed to establish. Paul's answer to the charge was--'I have not committed any offence against the Jewish Law, or the Temple, or the Emperor.' But, as Festus wished to gain popularity with the Jews, he interrupted Paul with the question: "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried on these charges before me there?" "No," replied Paul, "I am standing at the Emperor's Bar, where I ought to be tried. I have not wronged the Jews, as you yourself are well aware. If, however, I am breaking the law and have committed any offence deserving death, I do not ask to escape the penalty; but, if there is nothing in the accusations of these people, no one has the power to give me up to them. I appeal to the Emperor." Upon that, Festus, after conferring with his Council, answered: "You have appealed to the Emperor; to the Emperor you shall go."
As it was decided that we were to sail to Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were put in charge of a Captain of the Augustan Guard, named Julius. We went on board a ship from Adramyttium, which was on the point of sailing to the ports along the coast of Roman Asia, and put to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, went with us. The next day we put in to Sidon, where Julius treated Paul in a friendly manner, and allowed him to go to see his friends and receive their hospitality.read more.
Putting to sea again, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the wind was against us; And, after crossing the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia. There the Roman Officer found an Alexandrian ship on her way to Italy, and put us on board of her. For several days our progress was slow, and it was only with difficulty that we arrived off Cnidus. As the wind was still unfavorable when we came off Cape Salmone, we sailed under the lee of Crete, And with difficulty, by keeping close in shore, we reached a place called 'Fair Havens,' near which was the town of Lasea. This had taken a considerable time, and sailing was already dangerous, for the Fast was already over; and so Paul gave this warning. "My friends," he said, "I see that this voyage will be attended with injury and much damage, not only to the cargo and the ship, but to our own lives also." The Roman Officer, however, was more influenced by the captain and the owner than by what was said by Paul. And, as the harbor was not a suitable one to winter in, the majority were in favor of continuing the voyage, in hope of being able to reach Phoenix, and winter there. Phoenix was a Cretan harbor, open to the north-east and south-east. So, when a light wind sprang up from the south, thinking that they had found their opportunity, they weighed anchor and kept along the coast of Crete, close in shore. But shortly afterwards a hurricane came down on us off the land--a north-easter, as it is called. The ship was caught by it and was unable to keep her head to the wind, so we had to give way and let her drive before it. Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we only just managed to secure the ship's boat, And, after hoisting it on board, the men frapped the ship. But, afraid of being driven on to the Syrtis Sands, they lowered the yard, and then drifted. So violently were we tossed about by the storm, that the next day they began throwing the cargo overboard, And, on the following day, threw out the ship's tackle with their own hands. As neither sun nor stars were visible for several days, and, as the gale still continued severe, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. It was then, when they had gone a long time without food, that Paul came forward, and said: "My friends, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and so incurred this injury and damage. Yet, even as things are, I urge you not to lose courage, for there will not be a single life lost among you--only the ship. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong, and whom I serve, stood by me, and said-- 'Have no fear, Paul; you must appear before the Emperor, and God himself has given you the lives of all your fellow-voyagers.' Therefore, courage, my friends! for I believe God, that everything will happen exactly as I have been told. We shall, however, have to be driven on some island." It was now the fourteenth night of the storm, and we were drifting about in the Adriatic Sea, when, about midnight, the sailors began to suspect that they were drawing near land. So they took soundings, and found twenty fathoms of water. After waiting a little, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.
After three months, we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island. She was an Alexandrian vessel, and had the Twin Sons of Zeus for her figure-head. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days, And from there we worked to windward and so got to Rhegium. A day later a south wind sprang up and took us to Puteoli in two days.read more.
There we found some of the Brethren, and were urged to stay a week with them; after which we went on to Rome. The Brethren there had heard about us, and came out as far as the Market of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At sight of them Paul thanked God and was much cheered. On our reaching Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, except for the soldier who was in charge of him.
I beg you, as I did when I was on my way into Macedonia, to remain at Ephesus; that you may instruct certain people there not to teach new and strange doctrines,
Bring with you, when you come, the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments.
My reason for leaving you in Crete was that you might put in order what had been left unsettled, and appoint Officers of the Church in the various towns, as I myself directed you.
As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, join me as quickly as possible at Nicopolis, for I have arranged to spend the winter there.
