Paul is now in the hands of Roman guard, having been turned over to them by the Jews in Jerusalem - just as he had expected as communicated by God himself to Paul.
Yet throughout his captivity, there is grace and compassion towards his captors. For example, Paul prays for Agrippa to have the grace of Christ:
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
29
Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but
all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these
chains.” (Acts 26:28-29)
It continues as Paul is taken to Rome and he deals gently with his captors, even encouraging them in the face of shipwreck:
33 Just before dawn Paul
urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have
been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten
anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. (Acts 27:33-36)
After the shipwreck you can see that some of the Roman soldiers and centurions began to see Paul as someone "special":
42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. (Acts 27:42-43)
Finally, Paul is seen as "God". As the survivors gathered on shore and built a fire:
3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4
When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to
each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the
sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6
The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after
waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they
changed their minds and said he was a god.
Obviously Paul is not God, but clearly those who witnessed this and got to know Paul saw him as someone special. I strive to be seen as someone "special" in the same way as Paul is seen:
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they
put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are light, You are truth, and You are the Way. As You say, 'no one comes to the father but through me'. There is no God like you. Although I know this Lord, I many times acts as if I worship other gods and I desperately seek your forgiveness. I need You Lord. I need You to purify me and to strengthen me for Your mission. Help me be the light you intend me to be.
