Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, August 25, 2013 Read – Acts 27:1-12 Luke does not tell us how much time passed between the time of Paul’s hearing before King Agrippa and his departure to Rome. We will recall that both King Agrippa and Procius Festus had declared Paul innocent. Yet, they are intent on sending Paul to appear before the emperor because of Paul’s appeal to do so. As readers of Luke’s gospel we also know that Paul is travelling to Rome because God has set his destiny to do so (Acts 23:11). The opinions of kings and rulers ultimately do not matter. Yet, readers are left wondering what Festus finally decided to write as the charges against Paul. Luke never tells us. The Roman centurion who is put in charge of Paul is described by Luke as an honorable man. He will remain so during the whole journey. Readers of Acts are reminded of Cornelius, another centurion who became a Christian (Acts 10). Luke does not tell us that Julius becomes a Christian – there are good and honorable people who are not Christians. Perhaps Julius was one of them. Luke also tells us that a man by the name of Aristarchus from Macedonia accompanies Paul on the voyage. Aristarchus was one of the people who accompanied Paul on his final journey to Jerusalem – likely he was one of the people who were chosen to assure that the offering Paul had collected for the poor in Jerusalem was properly delivered. We are left to wonder if Aristarchus was also a prisoner – though we are given no reason to believe that he was. He was likely on this journey by his own volition – perhaps designated by the friends of Paul to that role or more likely he was simply committed to Paul and cared about his safety and so he went along. There is one more person on this journey – the same unnamed person who we have encountered on the other sea voyages. Luke begins to use the pronoun “we” once again. We had last encountered this person at least two years prior to this time when Paul arrived in Jerusalem in about 57 AD. I have speculated before that perhaps the author of Acts really was present during these sea voyages as an acquaintance of Paul. Others have suggested other theories about Luke’s use of the pronoun “we” and we will never be sure what the truth is. In the end it really does not matter much. The detailed itinerary and a few other specific details do suggest that even if the “we passages” come from a source used by Luke that the author of that source was along on the journey. Some have suggested that Aristarchus is the “we source.” Perhaps that could be true, however then one would need to go back and explain how Aristarchus was at Troas before Paul’s first missionary venture to Macedonia, which was Aristarchus’ home. He would have needed to be away from home and become a companion of Paul before the vision of Paul at Troas through which Paul was led to Philippi and eventually to Thessalonica where Aristarchus was from. Nothing is impossible. And all of this does point out the speculative nature of all attempts to identify unnamed people. We will never really know who is behind the “we” passages. Luke does provide us with some historical data that helps us to understand the time of year when all of this is taking place. Luke says the Fast had already gone by (Acts 27:9). The Fast Luke is talking about is the Day of Atonement which would have been in the fall – late September or early October. Shipping season in the northern Mediterranean ends by November and does not begin again until March. Luke does not say exactly how much time has passed but the implication is that the journey will be very dangerous if they proceed. It appears that everyone is basically in agreement about that – the only question is which harbor will be the safest for spending the winter. Paul is on the losing side when a vote is taken. The group hopes to get to a harbor in Phoenix on the island of Crete. One wonders what kind of sea captain would poll his passengers about a judgment the sea captain only ought to make. Perhaps Luke is using this scene to lift up the ability of Paul to foresee the future – he will make more specific prophecies later on in the story.