CHAPTER 26
“Nobody Among Una Go Die”
Even as ship wey e enter want scatter, Paul show say e get faith and love people
As e dey for Acts 27:1–28:10
1, 2. Where Paul de travel go, and wetin fit de worry-am for mind?
GOVERNOR Festus tell Paul say: “You go go meet Caesar.” After Paul hear this one, e go don think about wetin fit happen to-am when e go meet Caesar. Paul don dey prison for two years, so as e de travel go Rome, this one go make-am see places wey dey different from the prison wey e dey since. (Acts 25:12) But, Paul don de travel for sea before, and no be all of them dey easy for-am. So, this travel and how e go take talk for front of Caesar fit de worry Paul for mind.
2 Paul don “face danger for sea” many times. For example, na three times ship wey e enter don scatter for sea, but e survive and e don stay for big sea one night and one day. (2 Cor. 11:25, 26) But this journey dey different from the times wey e don travel as missionary when e still dey free. Paul de travel as prisoner and the journey from Caesarea go reach Rome, fit far pass 3,000 km. Paul go fit survive this journey without problem? Even if e survive, them go judge and kill-am after e don reach Rome? Remember say the government wey want judge Paul, na the one wey high pass that time for this world wey Satan de control.
3. Wetin Paul make up im mind to do, and wetin we go discuss for this chapter?
3 With wetin you don read about Paul, you think say e no get hope when e think about wetin go happen to-am? No! Paul know say e go face problem, but e no know the kind problem wey e go face. Paul know say if e allow the things wey e no go fit control to worry-am, e no go gain and e fit make-am no de happy as e de preach? (Matt. 6:27, 34) Paul know say wetin Jehovah want na make e use every chance wey e get preach the good news about God kingdom to everybody and even to government people. (Acts 9:15) Paul make up im mind to do the preaching work no matter how things hard reach. We self need to do like that. Now, we go take time learn about this journey wey Paul make go Rome and see how we fit gain from-am.
“The Strong Breeze De Blow Against Us” (Acts 27:1-7a)
4. Na for which kind ship Paul start im journey, and who be the two men wey follow-am travel?
4 Julius wey be Roman officer carry Paul and the other prisoners wey them give-am, enter one ship wey de carry load wey come Caesarea. The ship come from Adramyttium sea port wey dey for the west part of the sea for Asia Minor. The city of Mitylene for the island of Lesbos dey the other side. This ship go travel go north and after, e go turn face west. E go stop for different places to drop and carry load. Them no make the ship to carry people or prisoners. (Check the box “ Sea Transport.”) E good say no be only Paul be Christian wey de follow some criminals de travel. At least two of im Christian brothers—Aristarchus and Luke dey with-am. Na Luke write wetin happen. We no know if this two friends wey dey with Paul pay for the journey or if them allow them enter for free as Paul servants.—Acts 27:1, 2.
5. Who Paul see for Sidon and wetin this one fit help us think about?
5 After e don dey for sea for one day and travel about 110 km as e face north de go, the ship come stop for Sidon, for the side of the sea wey near land for Syria. Julius no treat Paul like ordinary criminal. Maybe because Paul na Rome citizen and them never judge-am say e do bad. (Acts 22:27, 28; 26:31, 32) Julius allow Paul comot from the ship go see other Christians. The brothers and sisters go don really happy to take care of Paul after the long time wey e don spend for prison! You fit think of the times wey you fit show this kind love to your brothers and sisters? When you welcome your brothers like this e go encourage you too.—Acts 27:3.
6-8. Which places them go after them comot from Sidon, and which kind chance Paul fit don get to preach?
6 The ship comot from Sidon, and continue to move until e pass Cilicia wey dey near Tarsus, where Paul grow-up. Luke no talk about other places wey them stop, but wetin e talk show say them dey for danger when e say “the strong breeze de blow against us.” (Acts 27:4, 5) Even as the weather bad, we fit imagine how Paul use every chance to preach the good news. True-true, e preach to other prisoners and other people wey dey for the ship, like the people wey de work for the ship, the soldiers and people wey e see for anywhere wey the ship stop. Like Paul, we de fit use every chance wey we get to preach to people?
7 After some time, the ship come reach Myra sea port wey dey for the south part of Asia Minor. For there Paul and the other people enter another ship, wey go carry them go Rome. (Acts 27:6) For those days, na from Egypt Rome people de get plenty of their wheat and ships wey carry this food from Egypt de stop for Myra. Na this kind ship Julius find and e come tell the soldiers and prisoners to enter-am. This ship fit big pass the first ship. E carry plenty-plenty wheat and 276 people—the people wey de work for the ship, the soldiers, the prisoners, and maybe other people wey de go Rome. E clear say now Paul get more people to preach to for this ship and we dey sure say e really use this chance to preach.
8 The next place the ship stop na for Cnidus. E dey for the south of Asia Minor. If weather dey good, breeze fit help ship to use about one day travel this distance. But, Luke say “after we don move slow-slow for some days, we reach Cnidus but e hard us.” (Acts 27:7a) This time the weather don bad. (Check the box “ Dangerous Breeze for Mediterranean Sea.”) Think how e go be for the people wey dey the ship, as the ship de try to move and the strong breeze and the way the water dey move up and down de make-am hard for the ship to move.
“The Strong Breeze De Blow Us Anyhow” (Acts 27:7b-26)
9, 10. Which problems them get when them dey near Crete?
9 The captain of the ship plan to continue the journey. E plan to move de go west from Cnidus, but Luke wey dey there talk say “the breeze no allow us move go front.” (Acts 27:7b) As the ship come de go far inside the water, e lose control as one strong breeze from the northwest side push-am de go the south side and e fit be say no be small speed e use push-am. Just as the island of Cyprus protect the ship from strong breeze, this time, the island of Crete do the same thing. After the ship pass Salmone wey dey the east end of Crete, things come change small. Why? The ship come dey for the south side of the island, so e dey safe as strong breeze no dey there. Just think how people for the ship go don feel now wey strong breeze no dey again. But as far as the ship still de move for sea, the people wey de work for the ship know say danger still dey because e don de near cold season. This one na reason for them to worry.
10 Luke say: “we continue to move for the side of the sea wey near land [for Crete] even as e hard us. So we reach one place wey them de call Fair Havens.” Even as them dey safe from the strong breeze because them dey near land, e still hard them to control the ship. Last-last, them see one place to put the anchor for one small part of the water for the sea just before the part of the sea wey de go north side. How long them stay here? Luke say na “long time,” but the more them de stay, the more danger them de enter because September/October na bad time to travel for sea.—Acts 27:8, 9.
11. Which advice Paul give the people wey dey with-am for the ship, but wetin them decide to do?
11 Some passengers fit don ask Paul for advice because e don travel well-well for the Mediterranean sea. E tell them say make the ship no continue the journey because e ‘go bring problem and them go lose plenty thing.’ Them fit even die. But the person wey de control the ship and the person wey get the ship want continue. E fit be say them feel say them need to find where dey safe quick-quick. Them convince Julius, and many people feel say make them try reach Phoenix wey be where ship de stop, wey far small from where them dey. E fit be say Phoenix get better place wey big wey ship de stay and wey them fit dey for the cold season. So when one soft wayo breeze from the south de blow small-small, them come move the ship.—Acts 27:10-13.
12. Which danger the ship face after e leave Crete, and how the people wey de work for the ship try to avoid the danger?
12 More trouble come happen—one “strong breeze” from the northeast start to blow. For some time, them hide theirself for “one small island wey them de call Cauda” around 65 km from Fair Havens. But the ship still dey for danger because breeze fit continue to carry-am go south until e go scatter for the sand of the sea wey near land wey dey close to Africa. So that e no go happen like that, them try put the small boat wey dey back of the ship for inside the ship. But e go hard them because water fit don full the small boat. Them come pass ropes and chains under the ship to fit hold the wood of the big ship together. And them lower the gear and try to pass the strong breeze. Just think about how fear go don really catch them. This things wey them do no reach, because “the strong breeze de blow [them] anyhow.” For the third day, them trowey some of the tools for the ship so that the ship fit continue to float.—Acts 27:14-19.
13. How life be for the ship wey Paul dey as strong breeze de blow?
13 No be small fear go don really catch the people for the ship. But Paul and im friends know say nothing go do them. The Lord don tell Paul before say e go preach for Rome, and angel later talk the same thing. (Acts 19:21; 23:11) But both for night and day for two weeks, the strong breeze no stop. Because rain de always fall and the dark cloud block the sun and stars, the person wey de control the ship no fit see well to fit talk where the ship dey or where the ship de move go. Person no fit chop food for this kind condition. Because of the cold, rain, sea sickness, and fear, how person fit think of food?
14, 15. (a) As e de talk to the people wey dey with-am for the ship, why Paul mention the warning wey e first give them? (b) Wetin we fit learn from the message of hope wey Paul give the people?
14 Paul come stand up. E mention the warning wey e don give before, but e no talk-am to blame them. Instead, the way things don happen show say na wise advice Paul give. E come tell them say: “Now, I de advice una say make una dey strong, because nobody among una go die, na only the ship go scatter.” (Acts 27:21, 22) Wetin Paul tell them go don make their mind come down. Paul too go dey happy to tell them this message from Jehovah wey give them hope. E dey important make we remember say Jehovah care about everybody life. Each person dey important to Jehovah. Apostle Peter write say: “Jehovah . . . no want destroy anybody but e want make everybody repent.” (2 Pet. 3:9) Because Jehovah value life, and people life dey for danger as time no dey again, make we do our best to share Jehovah message to many people so that them go get hope.
15 Paul fit don preach to many people for the ship about the “hope for the things wey God promise.” (Acts 26:6; Col. 1:5) But now wey their ship go soon scatter, Paul come give them strong reason to get hope say them go survive. E say: “For night one angel of the God wey get me . . . stand near me and talk say: ‘Paul no fear. You must stand for front of Caesar, and see! because of you, God don save everybody wey dey the ship with you.’” Paul still tell them say: “Make una dey strong, because I believe God say everything go happen just as e don tell me. But, our ship must scatter for one island for the sea.”—Acts 27:23-26.
“Everybody Reach Land and Nothing Do Them” (Acts 27:27-44)
“E . . . thank God for front of all of them.”—Acts 27:35
16, 17. (a) Which time Paul pray, and wetin come happen? (b) How the warning wey Paul give happen?
16 After strong breeze don push the ship for two weeks, for about 870 km, the people wey de work for the ship come think say them don near land. Them throw the anchors from the back of the ship inside the water so that the ship no go just de move without direction and so that the front of the boat go face land. Them de try to direct the boat go beach. Them want escape from the ship but the soldiers stop them. Paul tell the army officer and the soldiers say: “If this men no remain for inside the ship, una no go fit survive.” As the ship no come de shake too much, Paul encourage all of them to chop, e tell them again say them go survive. Paul come “thank God for front of all of them.” (Acts 27:31, 35) As e pray to thank God, na better example e be for Luke, Aristarchus, and Christians today. When you de pray for front of people, your prayer de encourage them and de make their mind come down?
17 After Paul pray, “all of them get strong heart and start to take food by theirself.” (Acts 27:36) Them still troway the big load wey wheat dey, so that the ship no go dey heavy and go fit de float for the water as e de near land. When daytime reach, the people wey de work for the ship cut the anchors comot, loose the ropes wey them use tie the paddles of the ship, and raise the cloth wey them tie for front of the ship for the breeze to blow-am, so that them go fit de move go beach. Then the front of the ship hook for sand and e no fit move and the waves start to scatter back of the ship to pieces. Some soldiers be want kill all the prisoners so that them no go fit escape, but Julius stop them. E tell all of them to swim go land. Wetin Paul talk before happen—all the 276 of them survive. Yes, “everybody reach land and nothing do them.” But na where them dey?—Acts 27:44.
Them “Really Treat Us for Kind Way No Be Small” (Acts 28:1-10)
18-20. How the people for Malta really treat the people wey survive “for kind way,” and which miracle happen?
18 Them dey for the island of Malta wey dey south of Sicily. (Check the box “ Where Be Malta?”) The people wey de live for there “really treat [them] for kind way no be small.” (Acts 28:2) Them light fire for this strangers wey don soak with water and wey de shake because of cold. The fire help the people feel warm even as rain de fall and cold de catch them. One miracle come happen.
19 Paul want help. So e carry some stick put for the fire. As e just do-am, na so one snake wey them de call viper come out come bite-am. The viper hold im hand tight. Malta people think say wetin happen to Paul na punishment from the gods. a
20 The people for the place wey see as the snake bite Paul think say e go “swell up.” One book talk say the word wey them translate as “swell up” come from ‘one word wey people wey know medical matter de use.’ E no surprise us say e go dey easy for that kind word to come Luke mind as ‘Luke be doctor.’ (Acts 28:6; Col. 4:14) But Paul shake the snake comot from im hand and nothing happen to Paul.
21. (a) Give some example of how Luke describe things for the correct way. (b) Which miracles Paul do, and how e take affect Malta people?
21 Publius na rich man wey get many land and e de live for the area. E fit be the Roman officer wey de lead for Malta. Luke describe-am as “the leader for the land,” and this na the same title wey people don see wey them write for two different place for Malta. The man welcome Paul and im friends and e care for them for three days. But, Publius papa de sick. The way Luke still describe the man condition dey correct. E write say the man “lie down for bed because e get fever and e de purge,” e talk the exact sickness wey the man get. Paul pray and put im hand ontop the man, and heal-am. This miracle really touch the people so them bring their people wey de sick make e heal them too, and them give Paul and im friends gifts and things wey them need for their journey.—Acts 28:7-10.
22. (a) How one professor praise Luke story wey e talk about how them travel for sea go Rome? (b) Wetin we go learn for the next chapter?
22 The way Bible describe the part of Paul journey wey we don learn dey correct well-well and na true. One professor talk say: “For all the story wey dey Bible, the ones wey Luke write dey among the story wey them really describe things wey happen well-well. The way e describe how travel for sea be for the time of the apostles dey correct well-well, and the way e describe how condition be for east part of Mediterranean sea really dey correct” sotey e be like wetin e write for im diary. Luke fit don write some of this things down as e de travel with apostle Paul. If na so, the next part of their travel give-am plenty things to still write about. Wetin go happen to Paul when them go reach Rome last-last? Make we see.
a For the people to know about this type of snake show say vipers dey for the island for that their time. But for this our time, vipers no dey for Malta. E fit be say na because plenty years don pass and the place don change from the way e be when Paul dey for Malta. Or as people don plenty now for the island pass before, them don kill the vipers.