Paul's Voyage to Rome: Why could his faith not save him

The last days of Saul of Taurus aka St Paul have been a controversial issue. His deeds and loyalty towards Christianity were questioned and finally he was sentenced to death. but did he deserve this? If not, why could his faith not save him?

CJ: Bhaskar Banerjee

Sun, Jun 14, 2009 13:29:52 IST

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Religion and Spirituality :

WHEN SAUL of Taurus, later named Paul, appeared in Jerusalem to report to James and the elders regarding his recent missionary journey to Cyprus and Syria, he found the rumor widespread that he was teaching Jews living in Gentile countries to forsake the laws of Moses. Despite all that he could do to show his loyalty to this law, Paul was set up by a mob and would have been killed had not Claudius Lysias, chief captain of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem, rescued him.

Once in the hands of the Romans, who had to determine whether he was guilty of any crime against Roman law, Paul leaned heavily on the fact that he was a Roman citizen by birth. At last, realising that the Roman authorities in Jerusalem and at Caesarea, where he was taken to appear before the governor, were seeking favour with the Jews and would not give him a fair trial, Paul appealed to Caesar. This took the matter out of lesser authorities’ hands and made it necessary for the king to send Paul to Rome, where he could present his case before Caesar himself.

Setting sail from Caesarea in a ship of Adramyttium, Paul, with several other prisoners, was put in charge of centurion named Julius, a member of the Augustan cohort. The first part of the voyage was without incident. Julius was kind to Paul and permitted him to go ashore at Sidon and visit with friends and refresh himself. From Sidon the ship sailed across the Mediterranean Sea 'under the lee' of Cyprus, to Myra, a city of Lycia. Here they changed ships and took one from Alexandria bound for Italy. Sailing, with some difficulty because of the contrary winds, they came after many days to Fair Havens, a harbor near Lesea on the island of Crete.

Here it became evident to Paul that further sailing would be dangerous because winter was near and the winds would be most unfavourable. When he told the centurion of his fears, he was ignored since the master and the owner of the ship wanted to get their cargo to Italy as quickly as possible. Thus, they moved out of Fair Havens and set their course for Phoenix. For a few days the south winds were favourable and it seemed that the voyage would be completed without any of the dangers predicted by Paul. But, after 'no long time', a tempest blew upon them and the ship was tossed helplessly in the stormy waters. Fearful of being destroyed, the sailors began to throw overboard first the freight and then the ship’s gear. This made the boat lighter and easier to handle, but the storm was so severe that it seemed to all only a matter of time before they would be drowned in their ship.

Paul cheered the mariners on and gave them hope with the assurance that an angel of God had appeared to him the night before saying. “Fear not, Paul, thou must stand before Caesar.” This was evidence enough for him that he would not perish in the sea but would complete his journey to Rome.

For 14 days they sailed, no one knew where. The storm beat their ship unmercifully and all that the sailors could do seemed to be of no avail. Then they were about to abandon their ship for their small boats when Paul argued that only by staying with the ship could they be saved. The men harkened to his advice, mindful of the fact that had they listened at Fair Havens they and their ship would have been safe for the winter.

On the morrow they found themselves near a bay, which had a wide beach. This they found to be the island of Melita, a place inhabited by some 'barbarians' who treated them kindly. When Paul was helping gather wood for the fire which the 'barbarians' had kindled for them, a viper crawled out of the bushes nearby and 'fastened on his hand'. When the 'barbarians' saw this, they were certain that Paul was a murderer or some other criminal, and they commented to each other, “No doubt this man is a murderer whom, though he had escaped the sea, yet Justice hath not suffered to live.”

Paul surprised everyone by shaking the creature into the fire and going about his work unharmed. Those near him expected him to fall down suddenly. When nothing happened, they were astonished and changed their minds towards him, saying that he was not a criminal, but rather a God.

After three months on the island of Melita, Paul was taken on a ship from Alexandria which had wintered there and carried north to Syracuse, thence to Rhegium and to Puteoli, and to Rome. At each stop along the way, Paul found Christians, who greeted him joyously and whom he encouraged with words of counsel and praise.

At Rome, he was permitted to live in a house he had rented, but was forced to remain chained by one wrist to a praetorian soldier night and day. Here for more than two years Paul awaited trial. During this period, he worked with the Roman Christians and wrote letters to churches, which he had founded and to the many friends he had made during his long and eventful life.

As time dragged on, it became evident to Paul that his case would inevitably end without a conviction. In his second letter to Timothy he expressed this fear. This was a cry of despair for his life but an expression of faith for the cause for which he had given his life. His work was done and he was about to be 'offered'. So he wrote to Timothy, his companion and friend, whom he longed to see. Others had deserted him and he was alone save for Luke. So he urged Timothy to come with all haste, picking up a few other friends on the way.

Tradition says that Timothy did reach Rome in time to share Paul’s last days but not in time to do anything to save his friend from condemnation under Roman law. Paul was tried, but had no independent evidence to rebut the charges against him and had to bow to the executioner’s sword. The traditional date is June 29 of the year of 62 and the place of execution is said to be the Ostian Way some three miles from Rome, probably at the modern Tre Fontane.

Even a fair trial should not be forthcoming in Faith? I wonder why?

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