“And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a MURDERER, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a GOD.” Luke writing in Acts 28:3-6.

No sooner shipwrecked … then Paul is snake bit!

“When it rains, it pours!”

The Story (our Text printed above) is fairly simple. Little explanation needed.

By the way, clearly God’s Hand is still on Paul. The man is literally living (illustrating) Psalm 91. “Surely the Lord shall deliver thee from the noisome pestilence. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” Wow, I’d say God is certainly not through with this Preacher yet!

But today I am interested in the reaction of the people of the island … to Paul’s snakebite and its aftermath.

At first they thought him a murderer!

At last they thought him a god!

I’d call these two evaluations … “extremes!”

And to that extent this miracle is a “parable.” The old British Preacher Alexander Maclaren used to say … “Every Bible Parable is a Miracle, and every Bible Miracle is a Parable!” He may have been right!

Folks today are extremists, even a lot of us Christians!

It’s all about “Hell” (Judgment) with some Preachers. And that doctrine needs to be preached, granted! But then it’s all about “Heaven” (Grace) with other Preachers. When truthfully the Bible is about both Heaven and Hell! All I am saying … there needs to be “balance!”

Paul was not a murderer!

Neither was he a god!

He was a Holy Spirit filled Proclaimer of the Word, the Truth!

Soul winning is a human responsibility. Because Jesus died for all! (Easy believe-ism is an extreme! “Repeat these 12 words after me and you will go to Heaven!”)

Yet real soul-winning also requires the convicting Power of the Holy Spirit! But man does indeed have “to believe” in order to be born-again! (It is not regeneration first, then faith! That’s an extreme! It is faith, then regeneration! This of course is a Holy Ghost induced application of man’s faith!)

Somehow even in soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) … there must be balance!

And this principle applies to nearly every area of life!

Think of Jesus … the most Balanced Person to ever grace the earth!

One example … “Bring Me a penny, that I may see it. And they brought it. And He saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s. And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at Him.” Mark 12:15-17

If that’s not balance, I need a level!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

By the way, there is a “balanced approach” to this influenza pandemic that’s infecting the whole world right now as well!

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5

.

“And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.” Acts 28:1-2

Did Paul swim to shore?

What about Luke?

Or did they both grab a piece of the ship and drift to land? (And if that, what a blessing that the current was pulling inward, not further out to sea!)

Interesting questions, the answers to which the Holy Spirit has not decided to reveal to us.

The verb “escaped” is built on the “sozo” root, meaning they were “saved!” Physically delivered! This verb is passive too, God Himself being the Deliverer! (Though He clearly used the Centurion and boards and planks from the vessel!)

“Melita” in Paul’s day is called “Malta” today, a small island at the “toe” of the “boot” of Italy! It’s just a “dot” on many maps, south of Sicily. It’s only 28 miles long and 8 miles wide (at its extremes). There’s a coastal area there to this day named “Saint Paul’s Bay!”

In Greek the noun “island” is spelled “nesos,” probably because a ship is a “naus,” (and “nao” is “to float”) … the only way to get to an island being by sea! (I thought this little fact interesting.)

“Melita” means “honey,” my lexicon says. I forgot to tell you that. And it was a “sweet” place in reference to their deference to Paul and the other men.

“Barbarous people” translates one word, “barbaros,” an onomatopoeic adjective. To the Romans anyone not speaking their language (Latin) simply spouted gibberish! They sounded like they were grunting “bar, bar, bar, bar, bar!” Hence the term “bar-bar- barbarians!” (Interesting as well.)

The Jews were trying to kill Paul.

And the gentiles couldn’t be kind enough to him!

Hint, hint: preach to the people to whom God sent you, dear little Apostle friend! “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office.” Romans 11:13, finally realized! (Though we can’t help but admire Paul’s fervent passion to see Israel saved!)

These island people “showed” Paul and his company much kindness! This verb is “para” (a prefix) plus “echo” (the root) and just means “held out, reached out, put forward” some genuine hospitality!

The noun “kindness” is our word philanthropic, literally suggesting “brotherly love!”

Wow!

Then we benefit form Luke’s eyewitness testimony. It was a rainy and cold day when they splashed ashore!

That verb “received” implies the inhabitants ran out to the sea edge and actually helped the crew and passengers reach firmer, drier ground. “Proslambano” in Greek.

Wow again!

I’d say the Lord did for Paul here what He had earlier done for Daniel in Babylon, another gentile land! “Now God had BROUGHT Daniel into FAVOUR and TENDER LOVE with the prince of the eunuchs.” Daniel 1:9

Yes, God gives us our (true) friends!

Including One who “sticketh closer than a brother!” That would be Jesus our Saviour!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

During this shut-down ordered by the government for our health’s sake ,,, we have learned several friends have specially prayed for us. Some have even done more than that! To the three or four who read/study here daily, thank you sincerely!

And these friends … gifts from God for such a time as this!

For whom we praise His Name!

.

Our little Two-Verse Text this morning says a lot!

“But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: and the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.” Acts 27:43-44

The ship has been destroyed, in the fierce cyclone. And the crew and passengers (276 men) have been told to “do the best they could” to reach land!

No lifeboats mentioned!

Now watch this … some “swam” to shore!

Others grabbed a piece of floating wood, a plank of some sort, and drifted to land!

Then others again latched onto larger pieces of the ship itself, which gradually inched toward dry ground!

But … the bottom line … “they all escaped to land safely!”

Why, how?

Fundamentally, because God had made Paul a PROMISE! Here it is … “Be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you.” Acts 27:22

And while their guaranteed deliverance was not all that smooth … everybody was still breathing!

The stronger men just (under their own power) swam and paddled and got themselves to the island!

The weaker ones used “props” to get there! But God must have made sure the “props” were there! Fulfilling His Word!

Which brings me to the point of today’s Lesson. There are at least 7,000 promises in the Bible! (Numbers vary based on who is counting and how one defines a “promise.”)

Get yourself one or two of them today … and “hang on” to it or to them until you rest your head tonight, until bedtime.

I believe God will (as He did to each of these storm ridden men) keep His Word!

After all, “God cannot lie!” (Titus 1:2)

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

For example, Psalm 91:10 … “There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.”

Wow!

Or, if you’ve never been saved … “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24, Jesus teaching on “How to be saved!”

.

The ship is gone! Half gone, anyway. Useless, destroyed! Broken into pieces by the waves, the storm!

Luke gives us the details, since he was on the scene!

“And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose.” Acts 27:41-43

Normally the soldiers would have killed any prisoners on board. Not to do so might have cost them their own lives! (See Acts 12:19 for an example.)

But Julius (the Centurion in charge of Paul) would not allow his murder! He intervened on the Apostle’s behalf.

Isn’t it amazing (thrilling) how God brings people into our lives, some of whom aid us greatly at some point in our journey Heavenward.

Read this. “Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.” Daniel 1:9, and this friendship helped Daniel avoid the King’s wrath time and time again! It helped Daniel not to eat of that idol tainted meat, too!

And God miraculously brought Mordecai and Ahasuerus together as acquaintances … resulting in the sparing of the whole Israelite Nation!

What about Elijah and Elisha?

Or later in the New Testament … Philemon and Paul! From jail Paul hopes, trusts … “But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.” Philemon 22

Stop now.

Thank of someone God has brought into your life!

Someone who has helped you tremendously!

My mind has already been flooded, but several names could be cited (but will remain anonymous) this very second.

Next … thank God for that person.

Then perhaps, if led of the Spirit … thank that individual later today.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother (an even more loyal friend) is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17

.

We tend to think of ancient ships as being rather small. Steam engines had not yet been invented, hence the wind drove all these sailing vessels. Or else they were propelled by slaves rowing them slowly to some distant port!

But the ship that carried Paul (at least on the first segment of that now famous journey to Rome) housed hundreds of men!

Luke the historian now becomes mathematician and reports: “And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.” Acts 27:37, surprising!

This large number includes all crewmembers, no doubt. Even the ship’s owner was a passenger! Plus a sizeable contingency of Roman soldiers. Then we must add Paul (and Luke) at least, the great Apostle seldom being alone.

Yes, 276 people!

And the point of today’s Lesson?

Paul’s being “right with God,” hearing and obeying the angelic vision he had earlier received, essentially spares the lives of all others onboard! (No doubt many, if not all, would have died in the storm otherwise.)

Paul’s witnessing and sharing that miraculous message with others precipitated their deliverance from harm!

And Paul’s kindness to the soldiers (especially the Centurion it appears) contributed to a spirit of cooperation rather than animosity among the travelers.

I’m saying this. The way we live can easily bring life or death to those around us! (Either physically or spiritually!)

Even in what we say, or don’t say … “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21

And in how we live … “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life.” 2 Corinthians 2:15-16

Our actions, too … Aaron and his “golden calf” debacle led to the deaths of thousands of Israelites! “And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.” Exodus 32:35, and thousands died!

Paul did right … and 275 other people lived!

Jesus did right … dying on that old rugged Cross … and millions upon millions have been spared! (Can you count “whosoever?”)

May we also do right … bringing life to our loved ones and acquaintances!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Remember … they’re watching you.

.