Luke the beloved physician wrote how Paul told the elders in Ephesus, “I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship”, and in chapter twenty-one and verse one of the book of Acts Luke shared how Paul and the men with him, “came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from there unto Patara” where we read:
And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from there unto Patara:
The verse begins, “And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, ...” Luke began with the words, “and it came to pass” which means “and it happened, occurred and came about”, “that after we were gotten from them” or “at the time following time when Luke, Paul and the others people traveling with them were separated and apart from the elders in the church in Ephesus”, “and had launched” which means “and navigated out to sea or set sail” the following occurred. Luke shared how he, “Paul” and the other men journeying with them left the “elders in the church of Ephesus” and set sail again.
The verse continues, “... we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from there unto Patara:” Luke added the words, “we came with a straight course” which means “we, Luke, Paul and the others traveling with them arose and appeared toward a direct path” “unto Coos” whose name means “a public prison and was a small island of the Aegean Sea, over against the cities of Cnidus and Halicarnassus, celebrated for its fertility and especially for its abundance of wine and corn”, “and the day following” which means “and the sunrise to sunset afterward” “unto Rhodes” or “toward Rhodes which means rosy and was a well known island of the Cyclades opposite Caria and Lycia, with a Rhodes as the capital city”, “and from there unto Patara” which means “and apart from Rhodes toward Patara whose name means scattering or cursing and was a maritime city of Lycia, celebrated for its oracle of Apollo”. Luke shared how he, Paul and the others traveling with them sailed directly to the cities of “Coos, Rhodes and Patara”.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn about the sailing travels of “Paul, Luke and the other men” with them. City by city “Paul” was journeying toward “Jerusalem” where God would dispatch him toward “Rome”. The idea was that “Paul and Luke” along with the others traveling with them were a part of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. God wants every person to yield to His Son Jesus, and when they believe and trust in Him, He will forgive their sins, grant them everlasting life and use them to spread His “good news” wherever He may lead.
Next time Luke shares how Paul and the men with him found, “a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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