acts 27-28, malta, anchors, roman road, syrtis sands, driven along, why doesn’t god save everybody

Acts 27-28

Acts Chapter 27-28, Malta, anchors, Roman Road, Syrtis Sands, driven

along, Why doesn’t God save everybody

Ceiling in Smoking

Room

In Review

• Acts is a Transition Book• Ch. 20, Farewell to Ephesians• Ch. 21, Paul’s arrest in

Jerusalem• Ch. 22-26, Paul’s trials &

imprisonment

Acts 27-28

• In 2004 Dave & Judith got to celebrate the discovery of the long lost anchors of Paul’s shipwreck, described in Acts 27, at Malta.

Many disagree with Bob

Robert G. Cornuke

Boarding the Aegean 1

Arriving Ephesus

Arriving at Patmos, Greece

Acts 27:1-8• When it was decided that we would

sail for Italy…2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium

• I wonder if they got Dramamine there?

• …3 The next day we landed at Sidon…4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

Caesarea-Sidon-Cyprus

Sidon• Sidon is a

town in Lebanon twenty miles N of Tyre, it is now called Saida (Sayda).

• Sidon Sea Castle: Photograph of the Crusader Sea Castle, Off Shore of Sidon, Lebanon

Acts 27:1-8• 5 When we had sailed across the

open sea off the coast of Cilicia [where they get silica?]

• and Pamphylia [where they make pamphlets?] ,

• we landed at Myra in Lycia…arriving off Cnidus…we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8 We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

Cilicia- Pamphylia- Myra- Crete- Lasea

Lycian Rock

tombs of Myra

Acts 27:7, Paul Sailed To The Lee Of Crete,We Arrived at Crete

Titus 1:5

• Titus 1:5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

Basilica of St. Titus, Crete

Basilica of St. Titus, Crete

Basilica of St. Titus, Crete

Crete, Roman Road

Crete, Roman Road

Acts 27:9-10

• …So Paul warned them, 10 "Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also...

Acts 27:13-20

• …so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the "northeaster," swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. 17 When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together.

Cilicia- Pamphylia- Myra- Crete- Lasea

Acts 27:14 "northeaster"

• NT:2148 Eurakulon (yoo-rak-oo'-lohn) or Eurokludon (yoo-rok-loo'-dohn); from Euros (the east wind) and NT:2830; a storm from the East (or Southeast), i.e. (in modern phrase) a Levanter:

• KJV - Euroklydon.• This has been described as a “gale-

force leading winds of a disastrous Mediterranean weather phenomenon known as a Euroclydon.”

Modern Computers Plotted Drift

• Bob was given access to a very expensive computer at the Rescue Coordination Center of the Malta Armed Forces to plot the drift of Paul’s ship.. Pg. 190-193

• They lowered the sea anchor• "northeaster“• an Alexandrian grain ship loaded

Acts 27:13

• Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along.

SYRTIS

• SYRTIS SANDS, THE

• [SUR tis] -- the sandbanks of the northern coast of Africa which posed a danger to ships in Bible times. The ship on which the apostle Paul was traveling was in danger of running aground on these banks (Acts 27:17; the quicksands, KJV; the Syrtis, RSV; the sandbars of Syrtis, NIV; the shallows of Syrtis, NASB, NEB).

• (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

Almost Aground on Paul’s Last Trip

Acts 27:17, “ropes under the ship ”

Acts 27:17 When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together….

This is called “flapping”

Acts 27:17, “driven along”

evfe,ronto,, 5342 fe,rw phero {fer'-o} verb indicative imperfect passive 3rd person plural

• 2 Peter 1:21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along [passive] by the Holy Spirit.

Acts 27:21-26

• After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “…You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."

Acts 27:27-32

• On the fourteenth night …28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight…"Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.

Acts 27:38

• 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

• Desperate sailors

Acts 27:39-41

• When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.

Where Are They?

• They did not recognize the land,

• they saw [while anchored in 90 ft.] a bay with a sandy beach

• the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground

• two seas meet

Where Two Seas Met

• Acts 27:41 But striking a reef where two seas met… NASU

• <1337> diqa,lassoj dithalassos• Meaning: divided into two seas,

dividing the sea (as a reef)• Origin: from 1364 and 2281• Usage: where two seas met(1).

Malta Map

St. Thomas Bay Map

Acts 27:44 1st. Mention of

Surfing

• Acts 27:44 The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship…

Acts 28:1-6, Paul a god?

• Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. …When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live." 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.

Acts 28:6, People Are Watching Our Suffering To See Christ

• Acts 28:6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

• The worlds perspective?

• Job 2:9…"Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

Our Arriving at Malta

Malta

Malta

Malta

Horsed Carriages

Malta P.D.

Golden Arches

Malta the bus country

Malta Countryside

Malta

Catacombs, Malta

Catacombs, Malta

Agape Table, Catacombs, Malta

Vineyards, Malta

Malta Countryside

Acts 28:7-10

• There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably…10 They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

On the Way To Publius’

On the Way To Publius’

Publius

• Publius, ‘the chief man’

Cistern at Publius House, Malta

Cistern at Publius House, Malta

Publius House, Malta

Olive Grinder at Publius House, Malta

St. Paul's Bay, Malta

Cocktail Party Reception at the Palazzo Parisio, Malta

The Palazzo Parisio, Malta

The Palazzo Parisio, Malta

The Palazzo Parisio, Malta

The Palazzo Parisio, Malta

The Palazzo Parisio, Malta

The Palazzo Parisio, Malta

The Palazzo Parisio, Malta

The Scuba Divers, Malta

Malta Maritime Museum

Malta Maritime Museum

Reconstructed Roman anchor

Reconstructed Roman anchor

Other Roman anchors

Another Roman anchor (background), Paul's anchor

(foreground)

Another Roman anchor (background), Paul's anchor

(foreground)

The Anchors From the Stern

• They found the 4 anchors from the stern in about 90 feet at the outer Munxar Reef. They were in a 120 foot spread pattern (ship was only 40-50 ft. wide), over 3,000 feet from the shore. The 1st. Anchor found (it was melted into diving weights) was ripped in two from the force of stopping the ship.

The Anchors From the Bow

• They found the anchors from the bow and a lead sounding weight in about 30 feet at the inner Munxar Reef. Bob Cornuke says, “From the site where the 4 anchors were cut loose on the outer Munxar, it sat a little over 3,000 feet in toward the shore in a direct line on the inner reef…. He found the 2 anchors at the shallow break in the Munxar Reef, known today as the Munxar Pass.”

• The Lost Shipwreck of Paul, Bob Cornuke, Page 213

Paul's anchor (top)

Another of Paul's anchor

Maltese Falcon

Lead Sounding Weight

Lead Sounding Weight This particular sounding weight is not from Malta or Pal’s shipwreck.

Acts 27:41

41 But striking a reef where two seas met, they ran the vessel

aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but

the stern began to be broken up by the force of the waves.

NASU

Boat to St. Thomas Bay, Malta

2 Seas meet, St. Thomas Bay, Malta

2 Seas meet, St. Thomas Bay, Malta

2 Seas meet, St. Thomas Bay, Malta

Scuba Dive over sight where anchors were found

Scuba Dive, St. Thomas Bay, Malta

Malta busses

ACTS 28:5 And He

Shook Off The Beast

Into The Fire

Acts 28:11-16

• After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14 There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.

End of Ours & Paul’s Stay on Malta

Paul Went To Rome

• Acts 28: 13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium…

• RHE'GIUM (re'ji-um; "broken off," alluding to the abrupt character of the coast). A town on the SW coast of Italy, at the southern entrance of the Strait of Messina, mentioned incidentally (Acts 28:13) in the account of Paul's voyage from Syracuse to Puteoli. It is now called Reggio, a city of about 165,000 inhabitants.

• (from The New Unger's Bible Dictionary)

Acts 28:11-16

• 15 The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged…

When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

Acts 28:25, The Holy Spirit Spoke So He Is Not An Impersonal Force

• Acts 28:25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet:

• Who spoke?• “he said through Isaiah”

ACTS 28:30 Paul Received All

Paul Went To Rome

• We Went To Corinth

Corinth Canal by day

Acts 28:20, Resurrection Again

• 20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain."

Acts 28:22

• 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect."

Acts 28:24, Apologetics Again

• …tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.

Acts 28:26-27, Why Doesn’t God save

everybody?• "'Go to this people and say, "You

will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving." 27 For this people's heart has become calloused; [it wasn’t completely hard already]

they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes [who

closed them?] . Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them [God

would, 2Pe 3:9] .'

Faith Comes By Hearing, Rom 10:17

• Acts 26:15-18 "'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,…. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.‘

• Acts 28:27-28…they have closed their eyes [arorist active indicative, not a passive]… God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles…

Acts 28:30, Two Whole Years

• Acts 28:30-31 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

• During this imprisonment, Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon

Paul’s Death Is Not In The Bible

• Ray Stedman says, “According to tradition, Paul was executed in Rome in Feb., A.D. 62”

• Dr. Ryrie lists it in A.D. 67

Even the Non-

Smokers You Know Will Die

The End Of The Book Of Acts

THE END• An old pearl diver in

La Paz, Mexico, reminisces about an encounter with a shark,

• 1972. PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL E. LONG, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Unwilling Not Willing, Would Not Believe

• NAU John 7:39, 5:40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

• NAU Matthew 22:3, 23:37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

• NAU Isaiah 30:15 For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength." But you were not willing,

• NAU Ezekiel 20:8, 3:7 yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate.

• NAU Acts 28:24 Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe.

• 1 Co. 7:12, 1 Co. 14:24, 2 Co. 6:15, 1 Tim. 5:8