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RUSSELL SANDERS
8-25-2021
THE APOSTLE PAUL – LESSON 55
THE JOURNEY TO ROME PART 9
FROM MELITA TO ROME
Paul’s miraculous healing from the poisonous snake bite gained him much respect and reverence in Melita. This was good because they were stranded there for the entire three months of winter (60-61-A.D.). These 276 shipwrecked souls were treated kindly and graciously by these barbarians of Melita on the Island of Malta.
They were not the only winter visitors to this remote island. Wintered there was also a ship from Alexandria, Egypt.
Paul was taken in for three days by a prominent man named Publius, apparently of some Italian (Roman) heritage. At some point in time, perhaps days or weeks later, the father of Publius lay very sick with a “bloody flux” and a fever. Paul came to him, laid hands on him in prayer, and the man was healed.
Word of this quickly spread through the island. Many people then came from all over the island for this man from God to heal them also. Paul was busy with ministry for most of the winter.
As spring arrived, they made arrangements to travel on the Alexandrian ship. They had lost everything in the shipwreck, but they had such favor that the island people freely gave them all they would need to complete their journey.
They left Melita and sailed to Syracuse on the Italian island of Sicily where they spent three days. They then sailed to Rhegium on the southernmost tip of the “boot” of Italy to stay one day, then onward by land to Puteoli (near modern day Naples) where they found some brethren. They fellowshipped with those brothers for a week.
Upon departing Puteoli to journey the final distance to Rome, brothers from other cities who had heard of their stay in Puteoli, met them along the way. This outpouring of greetings was a great encouragement to Paul.
Yes, it is an encouragement when a person has been on a difficult “life journey” when other brothers and sisters “show up” in support.
Have you been “an encourager” to other people in difficult situations, or have you ever been a recipient of such encouragement from others? This is an outworking of the love Jesus commanded of us. Don’t let a brother or sister “go it alone” in tough times.
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