I just learned something new in my Bible reading that I never saw before! (The Bible is so awesome like that … no matter how many times you read it there is always something new and fresh that God can show you!)
When it comes to Paul’s journey to Rome, I have always thought of Paul individually traveling across the Mediterranean on that ship with the other prisoners. I have always thought of Paul individually being caught in the terrible winter storm which drove their ship for days at the mercy of the wind.
I have thought of Paul individually in the fury of the storm as the ship broke apart in the pounding surf! I envisioned Paul all alone with no one who knew him or was his friend. Just the crew and the other prisoners.
I have pictured Paul all alone swimming to shore, while clinging to a piece of the ship.
On the island of Malta, I’ve only ever thought of Paul individually by himself when the viper fastened onto his hand, and he shook the snake off into the fire.
In the back of my mind I’ve known that Luke (the author of these events) was there on that ship alongside Paul through it all. But whenever I’ve read the account of Paul’s journey to Rome, it’s usually lost on me that Luke was there too.
But check out what I just discovered today!
“When it was decided that we [that would be Luke including himself] would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. We [that’s Luke including himself] boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we [that’s Luke including himself again] put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.” – Acts 27:1-2
Aristarchus was on that ship alongside Paul too! This blew my mind!
Who is Aristarchus?? And why does he matter??
We first see Aristarchus mentioned in the city of Ephesus. (Acts 19:23-41)
The Apostle Paul had been living in the city of Ephesus (during his third missionary journey), teaching about Jesus. So many people were turning from their worship of false gods and goddesses, and turning to worship Jesus Christ, that it was having a direct economic impact on the tradespeople who made all the little gods & goddess figures for people to worship.
Demetrius, an outraged silversmith, stirred up all the fellow artisans and craftspeople of Ephesus into a riot. The whole city of Ephesus was in an uproar! … and … “the people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater.” – Acts 19:29
This theater right here.
Aristarchus was dragged by a mob into this theater right here! (which could seat about 25,000 people)
Did the mob beat Aristarchus in the process? It’s possible. We aren’t told. What we are told is that it was absolute chaos! “The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.” – Acts 19:32
Aristarchus was right there at the center of the hostility! Aristarchus was the focus of everyone’s rage.
Acts 19:34 tells us: “… they all shouted in unison for about two hours: ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’”
Aristarchus was here in this theater … on this stage … enduring the shouts, and the scorn, and the fury … for the sake of Jesus Christ … and in the place of Paul.
That’s amazing.
Aristarchus is mentioned again in Acts 20:2-5, as part of the ministry team which traveled with Paul as he preached Jesus throughout Greece and Macedonia.
As discussed already, Aristarchus is specifically noted in Acts 27:2 as boarding the ship along with Paul and Luke as they set sail for Rome.
Aristarchus was there in Rome with Paul while Paul was chained as a prisoner under house arrest.
We know this because in Paul’s letter to Philemon, he sends greetings from Aristarchus. (Philemon 1:24)
Paul also sends greeting from Aristarchus in his letter to the church at Colossae: “My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings.” – Colossians 4:10
The Apostle Paul was an amazing leader! He was an amazing evangelist, an amazing pastor, an amazing teacher! But he didn’t do ministry alone. He did ministry together as a team.
This is hugely important!
Paul’s ministry was never solo. It was always as a team.
In 2 Corinthians 11:25 Paul mentions: “… three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea …” These three other shipwrecks were before Paul’s journey to Rome.
God chose not to tell us any details concerning any of the other shipwrecks Paul was in.
The only shipwreck God chose to include details for us read about was the shipwreck on Paul’s way to Rome. And among the details included was the fact that both Luke and Aristarchus were there with Paul on the journey.
It was this right here which blew my mind as I was reading my Bible today.
Paul wasn’t by himself. Luke and Aristarchus were both there going through the same storm. Paul wasn’t abandoned to go through the storm all alone.
Luke and Aristarchus had to suffer the consequences of the foolish decision to continue sailing on, when Paul had warned against it. They had to cling to pieces of the ship as they swam for shore too!
I mentioned in the last blog post how that life is really hard! Oftentimes we wind up having to suffer the consequences of foolish decisions made by other people.
But through it all, God will not leave us abandoned, all by ourselves.
Through the storms in our own life, God will provide a “Luke” or an “Aristarchus” for us too.
Whatever storm you might be going through in your own life, God has not abandoned you. God will not leave you abandoned by yourself. God will provide a “Luke” or an “Aristarchus” for you too.
“Do not be afraid or terrified … for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” – Deuteronomy 31:8
