Acts 27-28

These two chapters contain the story of Paul's first journey to Rome. Luke is evidently on this trip with Paul as they make the 2,000 mile journey to Rome. They experience all kinds of problems which causes the trip to be far longer than it should have been. It is a the bad time of year to be sailing and Paul advises them not to go, but they give him no heed. They experience no wind, contrary winds, a small hurricane, and many days with clouds and rain so they can't calculate their course. They are nearly killed on a number of occasions. At one point, the soldiers want to kill the prisoners rather than risk them escaping (for which they would be punished). But Julius, the centurion who seems to have liked Paul and gave him liberties that other prisoners probably didn't have, refuses their request and lets them all live. They end up jumping ship and swimming to the island of Malta where the 276 passengers are all safe as Paul promised they would be after having been visited by an angel. Paul is bit by a poisonous snake and because he isn't harmed they think he must be a god. Probably more so after he heals many on the island. After two months on Malta, they enter a third ship which takes them to the southern coasts of Italy. From there, they take the Appian Way, the most famous of all Roman roads. It was built about 300 years BC and by the time of Paul was 344 miles. At one time, after a slave rebellion led by Spartacus, 6,000 slaves were crucified and hung on poles the whole length of the road. What a message that must have been to everyone.

Paul was given a certain amount of freedom during his two years in Rome (61-62 AD). He is evidently the first Christian missionary in the city. During this time, he wrote Colossians, Ephesians, Philemon, and Philippians. During his second captivity in Rome (64-66AD), he wrote Hebrews, I Timothy, Titus and II Timothy before he was finally martyred sometime before 68 AD during the time the Nero began persecuting the Christians. Peter was also martyred prior to 68 AD. That ends the book of Acts. We'll learn a little more about Paul in his letters.