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No.15.
pp. 58 - 60
We have seen that the Apostle Paul, in the twenty-sixth chapter of the Acts, brings
forward the two-fold ministry given to him at his conversion by the Lord Jesus. Also,
before we finish this chapter, he sums up his past ministry, and this is helpful to us. He
says (verse 22) "Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, those
which the prophets and Moses did says should come. That Christ should suffer, and that
he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the
people (the Jew) and to the Gentiles". In other words, his ministry had gone no further
than Moses and the O.T. In which case no revelation of the Body of Christ could have
been given up to this point, as this was a secret, hid by God in Himself and not
revealed and publicly proclaimed until Paul became the prisoner of Christ Jesus at Rome
(Acts 28:). The well-known idea that the Body began at Pentecost is shown to be
erroneous by this explicit statement of Paul's, and not until we can find this church
clearly revealed in the Pentateuch, can we subscribe to such teaching, however popular it
may be.
Now we come to the last chapter which is one of great importance. Paul has been
traveling on his way to Rome to appear before Caesar. In his sea journey he has been
shipwrecked, having passed through a terrific storm. If you want a vivid piece of
narrative read Acts 27: Some people like reading thrilling adventure stories--well,
here is one! We must pass over this and come to the last chapter. Paul arrives at the
island we now call Malta; it is called here `Melita'. We are told (verse 2) "The
barbarous people showed us no little kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received us
every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had
gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat,
and fastened on his hand." Now they noted this and said among themselves, obviously
this is divine judgment on this man. He is wicked, so the gods have allowed a snake to
bite him and he will surely die.
But let us read verse 4 and see what actually did happen. "They said among
themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet
vengeance suffereth not to live." And then, to their surprise "he shook off the beast into
the fire, and felt no harm". That must have been an anti-climax surely! Expecting him to
fall dead they note that the poisonous snake bite does not have the slightest effect on
Paul. So their attitude now changes. He must be a god, then--there must be something
divine about this man. "Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen
down dead suddenly; but after they had looked a great while and saw no harm come to
him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god."
There must be some good reason why this incident happened and is recorded here, and
it should take our minds back to a promise that the Lord Jesus made, in ascension, to the