Bible Stories for Adults

Paul's Journey to Rome and Shipwreck

Acts 27-28

This is the Last Week of the Bible Stories for Adults Curriculum
Bible Words to Remember:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Did Paul have any idea that going to Jerusalem would bring prison and hardship?
Acts 20:22-24
How certain was he that this would happen?
Acts 20:25
How did Christians respond to the fate that awaited Paul in Jerusalem?
Acts 21:10-12
Did all of this change Paul's mind?
Acts 21:13-14

How was Paul arrested?
Acts 21:27-29
What did the Jerusalem commander do when he couldn't decide what to do with Paul?
Acts 23:25-30
With no basis to punish Paul, but in trouble with the Jews for other reasons, what did Felix do?
Acts 24:22-23, 27
With Paul tied up in prison these two years, what did Luke likely do?
Luke 1:1-4

How long did it take the new governor to learn about Paul's case?
Acts 25:1-2
What did the Jewish leaders ask Festus to do?
Acts 25:3-5
How did the prosecution and defense arguments go during this trial?
Acts 25:7-8
Faced with upsetting his new constituency with an inevitable acquittal, what did Festus do?
Acts 25:9
What did Paul think of this idea?
Acts 25:10-12

Who came to visit the new governor just a few weeks after Festus took office?
Acts 25:13
Why was Paul brought to trial before King Agrippa?
Acts 25:24-27
How did King Agrippa reply after Paul told his story?
Acts 26:28-29
What did King Agrippa think about everything he had heard?
Acts 26:30-32
With Nero as Caesar, why would Paul have been so quick to appeal to Caesar?
Emperor Nero was too young to rule at this time, so his tutor, Seneca, led in his place
Seneca was a positive & just leader, Paul would have stood trial before Seneca
Seneca's brother was Gallio, Achaia proconsul who sided with Paul (Acts 18:12-17)

How was Paul to get to Rome for trial before Caesar?
Acts 27:1-2
Being shipped with other prisoners (Greek means other types), was Paul treated as a criminal?
Acts 27:3
Why didn't the ship sail directly across the sea to its destination at Myra?
Acts 27:4-5
Note: Mediterranean sailing was difficult after mid-September & impossible after mid-November

What did Julius do in Myra to keep from being stuck by winter weather on a puddle-jumper ship?
Acts 27:6
Was this large ship able to make better headway?
Acts 27:7-8
What insight did Paul share with the others on the ship?
Acts 27:9-10
Why should Julius and the ship's crew listen to a land-based tent maker?
2 Corinthians 11:25
Did they take Paul's advice and decide to stay the winter in Fair Havens?
Acts 27:11-12

How well did this short journey up the coast go?
Acts 27:13-17
Did things improve the next day?
Acts 27:18-20
What did Paul think about all of this?
Acts 27:21-26

How much longer did the storm last?
Acts 27:27-29
How was the safety of the passengers threatened by this news?
Acts 27:30-32
How did this man who began the journey as a prisoner become the leader?
Acts 27:33-38
What happened at daylight?
Acts 27:39-41
Did everyone on board reach land safely as Paul promised?
Acts 27:42-44

Where had they landed?
Acts 28:1-2
How did these unusually kind islanders learn that Paul was someone special?
Acts 28:3-6
How did this lead to further special treatment?
Acts 28:7
How did this further open the door to a new effective ministry for Paul?
Acts 28:8-10

How did they get to Rome after the seas were safe again in February?
Acts 28:11-14
Note: Puteoli was on Bay of Naples, near Herculaneum & Pompeii
H & P were buried under lava by eruption of Mt. Vesuvius around 20 years later
Digging in Herculaneum found home with outline of a metal cross in wall over small altar
Did the Christians in Rome know that Paul was on his way?
Acts 28:15
Was Paul treated as a common criminal in Rome?
Acts 28:16

Finally in Rome, did Paul start working with the Roman Christians he had longed to see?
Acts 28:17-20
Were these Jews ready to kill Paul as the Jews in Jerusalem had been?
Acts 28:21-22
How interested were they in hearing what Paul had to say?
Acts 28:23-24
What happened as a result of this day-long seminar?
Acts 28:25-28

How long did Paul have to wait to get his day in court before Nero?
Acts 28:30
How did God use this to further His purpose?
Acts 28:31
Did Paul recognize that God was using his situation to spread His Gospel further?
Philippians 1:12-14

Luke had shown the Gospel spread from Jer. to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth (1:8)

Why might it have taken two years for Paul to have his day in court?
Claudius had been poisoned 5 yrs earlier by his wife, Agrippina II (Caligula's sister)
As Paul arrived in Puteoli, Nero and his mother, Agrippina II, were vying for power
Nero sent her across the bay on a boat designed to sink, levers didn't work
She escaped by swimming, but was clubbed to death in bed by Nero's marines
Nero stayed out of Rome (in southern Italy) for 18 months after this

Was Paul convicted or acquitted?
Jewish accusers might not have bothered to testify against Paul in Rome
Ananias had been deposed, his successor might not have been interested
Flimsy charges were okay in Caesarea, but were penalized in Rome
Paul likely met Nero in court and was acquitted on lack of grounds

Then what happened to Paul after being released?
After release, Paul returned to the East via Crete, leaving Titus in Crete - Titus 1:5
Paul stopped in Ephesus and left Timothy while he went to Macedonia - 1 Timothy 1:3
Paul planned to visit Colossae and Philippi - Philemon 22, Philippians 2:24
Paul proceeded to Nicopolis in Epirus (Western Greece) - Titus 3:12
According to tradition, Paul next may have visited Spain as he planned - Romans 15:28
Paul circled back through Miletus, Troas and Corinth - 2 Timothy 4:13,20
Paul is imprisoned and tried again in Rome - 2 Timothy 1:17, 4:16-18
Paul expects death and later is executed under Nero - 2 Timothy 4:6-8
Tradition says Paul was decapitated by sword, buried by friends along the Ostian Way
Marble slab from time of Constantine (300 AD) covers Paul's presumed sepulcher