Talmidim Devarim

Talmidim Devarim

Acts 27:1-28:31

Act 27:1 When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Sha’ul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band.

“We” being Luke, Paul and other followers.

Acts, continued:

Act 27:2  Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea; Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

Act 27:3  The next day, we touched at Tzidon. Julius treated Sha’ul kindly, and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself.

Act 27:4  Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

Act 27:5  When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

Act 27:6  There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board.

Act 27:7  When we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.

Act 27:8  With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

Act 27:9  When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast had now already gone by, Sha’ul admonished them,

Act 27:10  and said to them, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”

The “Fast” is Yom Kippur – they are coming into the fall season when the storms begin to sweep out of the north into the Mediterranean region.  It is likely late October or later, since the Fast had “already gone by,” some time in the past – perhaps a week or two.  At any rate, November is fast approaching.

Acts, continued:

Act 27:11  But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Sha’ul.

Act 27:12  Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking northeast and southeast.

Act 27:13  When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore.

Act 27:14  But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euroclydon.

Act 27:15  When the ship was caught, and couldn’t face the wind, we gave way to it, and were driven along.

Act 27:16  Running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat.

Act 27:17  After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along.

Act 27:18  As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard.

Act 27:19  On the third day, they threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands.

Act 27:20  When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small storm pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away.

Act 27:21  When they had been long without food, Sha’ul stood up in the middle of them, and said, “Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss.

Act 27:22  Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

Act 27:23  For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the Elohim whose I am and whom I serve,

Act 27:24  saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, Sha’ul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, Elohim has granted you all those who sail with you.’

Act 27:25  Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe Elohim, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me.

Act 27:26  But we must run aground on a certain island.”

Act 27:27  But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land.

Act 27:28  They took soundings, and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms..

Act 27:29  Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight.

Act 27:30  As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow,

Act 27:31  Sha’ul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these stay in the ship, you can’t be saved.”

Act 27:32  Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let it fall off.

Act 27:33  While the day was coming on, Sha’ul begged them all to take some food, saying, “This day is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing.

Act 27:34  Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.”

Act 27:35  When he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to Elohim in the presence of all, and he broke it, and began to eat.

Act 27:36  Then they all cheered up, and they also took food.

Act 27:37  In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship.

Act 27:38  When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

Act 27:39  When it was day, they didn’t recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it.

Act 27:40  Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.

Act 27:41  But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.

Act 27:42  The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape.

Act 27:43  But the centurion, desiring to save Sha’ul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land;

Act 27:44  and the rest should follow, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. So it happened that they all escaped safely to the land.

Act 28:1 When we had escaped, then they learned that the island was called Malta.

Act 28:2  The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

Act 28:3  But when Sha’ul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

Act 28:4  When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said one to another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.”

Act 28:5  However he shook off the creature into the fire, and wasn’t harmed.

Act 28:6  But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

Act 28:7  Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and courteously entertained us for three days.

Act 28:8  It happened that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Sha’ul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him.

Act 28:9  Then when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came, and were cured.

Act 28:10  They also honored us with many honors, and when we sailed, they put on board the things that we needed.

Act 28:11  After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose sign was “The Twin Brothers.”

It is now probably April, give or take a couple of weeks.

Acts, continued:

Act 28:12  Touching at Syracuse, we stayed there three days.

Act 28:13  From there we circled around and arrived at Rhegium. After one day, a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli,

Act 28:14  where we found brothers, and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome.

Act 28:15  From there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. When Sha’ul saw them, he thanked Elohim, and took courage.

Act 28:16  When we entered into Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Sha’ul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

Act 28:17  It happened that after three days Sha’ul called together those who were the Jewish leaders. When they had come together, he said to them, “I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Yerushalayim into the hands of the Romans,

Act 28:18  who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.

Act 28:19  But when the [unbelieving] Judeans spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation.

Act 28:20  For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Yisra’el I am bound with this chain.”

Act 28:21  They said to him, “We neither received letters from Yehudah concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you.

Act 28:22  But we desire to hear from you what you think. For, as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.”

Both the Phariesses, who refused to give up their Oral Law, nor the Hellenists (those collaborating with Rome) would have been at all in favor of the Way, and the Sadducees would also have been unhappy with their emphasis on Resurrection and the apostle’s stories of being helped on various occasions by angels, neither of which they believed in.

Acts, continued:

Act 28:23  When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about the Kingdom of Elohim, and persuading them concerning Yeshua, both from the Torah of Moshe and from the prophets, from morning until evening.

Act 28:24  Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.

Act 28:25  When they didn’t agree among themselves, they departed after Sha’ul had spoken one word, “The Ruach HaKodesh spoke rightly through Yeshaiyahu, the prophet, to our fathers,

Act 28:26  saying, ‘Go to this people, and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive.

Act 28:27  For this people’s heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them.’

Note, of course, that this does not apply to all the Jews living in Rome, as it says clearly in verse 24 that some believed and some did not – there was no blanket rejection of Paul by the Jews of Rome.

Acts, continued:

Act 28:28  “Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of Elohim is sent to the nations. They will also listen.”

Act 28:29  When he had said these words, the [unbelieving] Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.

Act 28:30  Sha’ul stayed two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who were coming to him,

Act 28:31  preaching the Kingdom of Elohim, and teaching the things concerning Adonai Yeshua the Messiah with all boldness, without hindrance.

Next:  Epistle Devarim.