THE ROOT OF BITTERNESS IS IN ALL MEN 

Chapter 14

PAUL’S IMPREGNATION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE WITH THE SEED OF JESUS CHRIST (Part 1)

09-03-06

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(Acts 27:1-5)  And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul [the man chosen to preach to the Gentiles] and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band [title of the Roman emperor]. And entering into a ship of Adramyttium [not ultimately going where they were going], we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia [Turkey]; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian [a country north of Greece] of Thessalonica, being with us. And the next day we touched at Sidon [a place in Palestine]. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary [opposite; fig. antagonistic: against]. And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

1.       The Living Bible: Through a series of legal trials, Paul was delivered to Rome where his presentation of the gospel would penetrate even to the walls of the emperor’s palace.

(Acts 27:6-8)  And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria [an Egyptian ship symbolizing apostasy carrying a cargo of wheat] sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.

1.       (Mat 14:24) But the ship [wooden; symbol of the church: Noah’s ark, Tabernacle of Moses, barn of Jesus (Mat 13:30)] was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

(Acts 27:9-12)  Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading [cargo] and ship, but also of our lives. Nevertheless the centurion believed the master [captain] and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. And because the haven was not commodious [inconvenient] to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.

1.       The Living Bible: Ships in ancient times had no compasses and navigated by the stars. Sailing was doubtful in September and impossible by November. This event occurred in October (A.D. 59).

2.       The Companion Bible: “the fast was already past” = the tenth day of the seventh month, the day of Atonement, about October 1.

3.       atonement = Heb: kippur, kip-poor'; expiation [the making of amends for wrong or injury done] /// to cover (spec. with bitumen); cancel:--appease, make (an) atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, to pitch, purge away, put off, (make) reconcile (-liation).

4.       (Lev 23:27-29)  Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering [sacrifice] made by fire [at the brazen altar] unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off [to cut (off, down or asunder); destroyed or consumed] from among his people.

5.       afflict = Heb: (through the idea of looking down or browbeating); to depress:--abase self, afflict (-ion, self), chasten self, deal hardly with, humble (self), hurt, submit self, weaken, X in any wise. [“But let a man examine himself” (1 Cor 11:28), the Lord’s Supper]

(Acts 27:13-15)  And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind [typhonic; stormy (as if smoky)], called Euroclydon [evidently a hurricane]. And when the ship was caught [to snatch together, i.e. seized], and could not bear up into [face] the wind, we let her drive [to give over (by hand or surrender)].

  (Acts 27:16-19)  And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat [skiff (carried aboard a large vessel for landing)]: Which when they had taken up, they used helps [ropes or chains for frapping a vessel], undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands [shoals and sandbanks], struck sail, and so were driven. And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.

(Acts 27:20-26)  And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared [“the sixth seal” Rev 6:12,13; the Feast of Atonement], and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. But after long abstinence [fasting] Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship [the Egyptian church; false doctrine]. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.

(Acts 27:27-29)  But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; And sounded [to heave the lead], and found it twenty fathoms [120 feet]: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms [90 feet]. Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks [or reefs], they cast four anchors [what four anchors does the church possess?] out of the stern, and wished for the day. [What saved the ship from the rocks?]

1.       fathom = Dict: 1. a unit of length equal to six feet: used chiefly in nautical and mining measurements. 2. to reach in depth by measurement in fathoms; sound; try the depth of; penetrate to or find the bottom or extent of. 3. to measure the depth of by sounding. 4. to penetrate to the bottom of; understand thoroughly. [Acts 27 is a very deep multileveled chapter which we are sounding only a few fathoms]

(Acts 27:30-32)  And as the shipmen [church leaders and staff] were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though [an outward showing, pretext] they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship [the church], ye cannot be saved. Then the [now converted] soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

1.       (John 15:4,5)  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

2.       Commentary: The shipmen made a deceptive attempt to depart from the church and find safety (be saved) through “another way.” [Example: the “life” boat of Mr. Harold Camping on Family Radio]

3.       (John 14:6)  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

  (Acts 27:33-38)  And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer [having thoroughly examined themselves, and been purged], and they also took some meat [symbolic of the Lord’s Supper]. And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls [276]. And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

(Acts 27:39-44)  And when it was day [light], they knew not the land [land is a biblical symbol of woman; here the woman of the Roman Empire: Rev 17 & 18]: but they discovered a certain creek [vaginal canal] with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship [penis]. And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves [all fully trusted God] unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands [testicles], and hoisted up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. And falling into a place where two seas met [legs or vaginal lips], they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part [of the ship] was broken with the violence of the waves. And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out [sperm], and escape. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim [were the strongest] 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 [were assisted by clinging to certain church doctrines of whole or partial truth]. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.

1.       The Companion Bible: “and loosed the rudder bands” = lashings of the rudders. There were two great paddles, one on either side, used for steering. The tackle by which the paddles were lashed to the hull when the ship was at anchor.

Amen

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