Study Desk

Then a good wind began to blow from the south. The men on the ship thought, "This is the wind we wanted, and now we have it!" So they pulled up the anchor. We sailed very close to the island of Crete.

This wind took the ship and carried it away. The ship could not sail against the wind, so we stopped trying and let the wind blow us.

After the men brought the lifeboat in, they tied ropes around the ship to hold it together. The men were afraid that the ship would hit the sandbanks of Syrtis. So they lowered the sail and let the wind carry the ship.

The next day the storm was blowing against us so hard that the men threw some things out of the ship.

So men, there is nothing to worry about. I trust God, and I am sure everything will happen just as his angel told me.

The sailors were afraid that we would hit the rocks, so they threw four anchors into the water. Then they prayed for daylight to come.

So the soldiers cut the ropes and let the lifeboat fall into the water.

So they cut the ropes to the anchors and left the anchors in the sea. At the same time, they untied the ropes that were holding the rudders. Then they raised the front sail into the wind and sailed toward the beach.

The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners so that none of the prisoners could swim away and escape.

But Julius the army officer wanted to let Paul live. So he did not allow the soldiers to kill the prisoners. He told the people who could swim to jump into the water and swim to land.

The people who lived there were very good to us. It was raining and very cold, so they built a fire and welcomed all of us.

The people thought he would swell up or fall down dead. They waited and watched him for a long time, but nothing bad happened to him. So they changed their opinion. They said, "He is a god!"

We came to the city of Rhegium. The next day a wind began to blow from the southwest, so we were able to leave. A day later we came to the city of Puteoli.

They asked me many questions, but they could not find any reason why I should be put to death. So they wanted to let me go free.

But the Jews there did not want that. So I had to ask to come to Rome to have my trial before Caesar. That doesn't mean I am accusing my people of doing anything wrong.

That is why I want so much to tell the Good News to you there in Rome.

There are things about God that people cannot see—his eternal power and all that makes him God. But since the beginning of the world, those things have been easy for people to understand. They are made clear in what God has made. So people have no excuse for the evil they do.

People wanted only to do evil. So God left them and let them go their sinful way. And so they became completely immoral and used their bodies in shameful ways with each other.

People did not think it was important to have a true knowledge of God. So God left them and allowed them to have their own worthless thinking. And so they do what they should not do.

So do you think that you can judge those other people? You are wrong. You too are guilty of sin. You judge them, but you do the same things they do. So when you judge them, you are really condemning yourself.