Should the reader desire to pursue further the geographical and nautical arguments that demonstrate the accuracy

of Luke's narrative, here but touched upon, reference should be made to the authorities cited in the opening

Before leaving the twenty-seventh chapter of the Acts, we draw attention to the spiritual element that alternates

with the narrative of the voyage. The journey from Cæsarea to Rome occupies chapter 27 to 28:16, and divides into

two sections:

A1

27:1-44. CÆSAREA TO MELITA.

A2

28:1-22. MELITA TO ROME.

A 27:1.

Centurion, Paul and Prisoners.

B 27:2-5.  The Coasting Ship. Sidon to Myra.

B 27:6-41. The Grain Ship. Myra to Malta.

A 27:42-44. Centurion, Paul and Prisoners.

Myra to Fair Havens.

Paul. Warning. Damage to ship and life.

Fair Havens to Clauda.

Paul. Exhortation. No loss of life, but of ship.

Clauda to strange land.

Paul. Warning. Abide ship. Saved.

The boat cut adrift.

Paul. Good cheer. Not an hair fall.

The ship broken up.

The above outline impresses the mind with the fact that, full as this narrative may be of nautical terms and

geographical references, there is a spiritual theme running through it, the links of which are the four statements

made by Paul. The prominent place which is given to the shipwreck seems to justify the view that it has a spiritual

and typical object lesson. Between Paul, Jerusalem, and is past ministry, rolled the wide sea. The ship in which

he travelled was broken to pieces, yet the outstanding testimony is that Paul was divinely assured that he must be

brought before Cæsar, and, apparently as a consequence, that all in the ship were to be given him.

Returning to the narrative at the opening of Acts 28, we find that upon reaching land the shipwrecked passengers

found that it was the island of Melita or, as it is now called, Malta. The idea that the Adriatic island of Meleda is

intended is founded upon a series of mistakes, first as to the true locality of `Adria', then as to the Roman usage of

the word `barbarian', and lastly a misunderstanding as to the presence of `vipers' in the island. The contention has

now been abandoned by most commentators. While the inhabitants of Malta were `barbarians' in the New

Testament sense of the word, in the modern sense they were far from being `barbaric'. That is to say, they were of

Phoenician origin, with a mingling of Greek settlers, but because they could speak neither Latin nor Greek, they

were called Barbarians. Luke gratefully records the `no little kindness' which these islanders showed the suffering,

shipwrecked company, `for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because

of the cold'.

As here instanced, there are no mock heroics in Luke's story of Paul's life and ministry. Paul is evidently

included with the rest of the voyagers in feeling the numbing cold and the fatigue of their experiences. But if there