11At the end of three months we set sail on an Alexandrian ship which had wintered at the island, and which had the Twin Brothers for its figurehead. 12After we put in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. 13From there we sailed around and arrived at Rhegium, and a day later a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. 14There we found some brethren, and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and thus we came to Rome. 15And the brethren, when they heard about us, came from there as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.
Ships in the ancient world often had deities as their figureheads. The two mentioned in our passage are believed to be the twin patron-gods of the mariners. Julius, the centurion in charge of marshaling the prisoners to Rome, may have considered it good fortune to find passage aboard this Egyptian vessel. But, as Luke tells the story, any fortune would be found not because of the carving on the bow, but because of the Christlike passenger. The islanders may have thought Paul was a deity, but it was Paul’s God who would protect the vessel until it arrived at the Roman port. After three months on Malta, the weather turned favorable with the change of seasons, and they booked passage and departed. Again, Luke’s journal records the itinerary details, with ports at Syracuse, the main city on the island of Sicily, and then Rhegium, a port on the toe of Italy’s boot, then Puteoli, the principal southern port of Italy, located on the Bay of Naples. Paul and company—including Luke—disembarked and stayed there for seven days. They found lodging with some Christians. Imagine the centurion spending seven days among Christians who were fellowshipping with Paul. This must have made quite an impression on the soldier and the others who presumably enjoyed the hospitality as well. Everywhere they went, Paul was held in high regard, even among the barbarians of Malta. From Puteoli, they made their way toward Rome and were greeted outside the city by some fellow Christians from Rome. Again, the anticipation of Paul’s visit was great. No further mention is made in Acts of the centurion Julius who “brought” Paul to Rome. In Luke’s telling, the centurion was simply a bit player; his purpose in the story was accomplished. The focus is on Paul, and the apostle is about to enter Rome, as the Lord had promised. Paul’s reputation and stature among the dispersed Christian community was widespread. He had never been to Rome before (contrary to some who believe that Paul, along with Peter, established the church in Rome).
Lord, help me so live that others will see Christ in me like they did Paul.
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