Soon it became evident that the sailing season was at a close and it was now or never. Paul told them that it wasn't safe for them to sail, but the captain of the ship convinced the officer that it would be fine, so they sailed for Phoenix. As a soft wind began to blow, they thought they had found luck, but soon it turned ugly. They did everything they could think of to save themselves, like throwing cargo overboard, lowering the sail and dragging the anchors. After some time passed, they had lost all hope, and Paul stood and told them they should have listened to him earlier, but that all was not lost. An angel had appeared to Paul the night before and told him that everyone would survive. After 14 days Paul urged them to eat, so he took bread, broke it, gave thanks to God and ate it. The others ate food too. There were 276 men on board. Then they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat overboard. They saw a beach and tried to get the ship there, but it broke apart, so they swam or floated on planks or broken ship pieces. They all made it to shore.
They had landed on Malta. It was cold and rainy, but the natives were warm and friendly. They built a fire. Paul was gathering wood and a snake bit him in the hand and dropped into the fire. The natives were sure that Paul would swell up or drop dead, but that didn't happen, so then they thought he must be a god! The chief of the island invited them to his estate. The chief's father was very sick and Paul healed him. All the other sick people on the island came to be healed too. They wintered there for 3 months. The people brought many gifts and provided for their journey. They set sail and made their way up the coast of Italy and met believers along the way. They made it to Rome and Paul thanked God for the believers who were there to meet him. Paul was allowed to live by himself, guarded by only one soldier. After 3 days, Paul called all the Jews there for a meeting. Paul told them his story. They didn't know anything about it, but they were interested in what he had to say, so they set a date and they all came and listened. They came to the place where Paul was staying and he taught and preached. Paul continued in this way for 2 years.
Romans
In Paul's letter to the Romans, he begins by way of introducing himself and his beliefs to the Roman believers. Paul offered thanks for his fellow believers and their faith in God. He told them he thanked God for them every time he prayed. Paul was happy to finally be in Rome. Paul was eager to preach the Good News to the Romans.
Tomorrow read Romans 1:16-5:11
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