by David Scott Robertson
“When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment” (Acts 27:1 NIV).
The life of a solider in any age of history is a difficult one.
Whether we’re talking about a medieval knight or a modern-day Green Beret,
They all experience incredible training,
Unprecedented dangers,
Unusual hardships,
And bizarre missions unique to each solider in their respective era.
But there was one solider,
In one army,
In one culture,
In one period of history,
That quite possibly received the greatest military assignment of all time.
The soldier’s name was Julius.
Julius served as a centurion in the Roman Army.
His unit was called the “Imperial Regiment.”
One day,
One fateful day,
Julius’ commanding officer issued him an order that was to change his life:
ASSIGNMENT: Deliver some prisoners to Rome to stand trial.
Sounds rather mundane, doesn’t it?
It is unless one of the prisoners happens to be the Apostle Paul.
Paul was no ordinary man and he would make no ordinary prisoner.
Unlike Julius who took orders from a man,
This prisoner, Paul, on occasion took orders directly from God:
“He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied.
"Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." (Acts 9:4-6 NIV)
This prisoner had Jesus personally stand by his bedside and guarantee the success of Julius’ assignment:
“The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome" (Acts 23:11 NIV).
This prisoner had angels visit him:
“Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me
“and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar…” (Acts 27:23-24a NIV).
This prisoner had the ability to foretell the future:
“Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them,
"Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also" (Acts 27:9-10 NIV).
This prisoner had the ability to inspire hope when all hope of survival was gone:
“When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved” (Acts 27:20 NIV).
“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.
“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.
“They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves” (Acts 27:34-36 NIV).
This prisoner’s intercessory prayers would result in 276 people surviving a hurricane:
“Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me
“and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you' (Acts 27:23-24 NIV).
“Altogether there were 276 of us on board” (Acts 27:37 NIV).
This prisoner would become so influential that even Julius himself would heed him:
“Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved."
“So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away” (Acts 27:31-32 NIV).
This prisoner would boldly demonstrate God’s loving care in front of pagans:
“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” (Acts 27:35 NIV).
This prisoner life would save his fellow prisoners from death at the hands of men:
“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. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land” (Acts 27:42-43 NIV).
This prisoner would seem invincible against death:
“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.
“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, Justice has not allowed him to live."
“But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
“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” (Acts 28:3-6 NIV).
This prisoner’s presence would result in the entire crew receiving royal treatment:
“There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably” (Acts 28:7 NIV).
This prisoner would perform supernatural healings in their midst:
“His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him.
“When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured” (Acts 28:8-9 NIV).
This prisoner would bring great honor to Julius and his companions:
“They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed” (Acts 28:10 NIV).
This prisoner would be accessible for three months to personally mentor Julius:
“After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux” (Acts 28:11 NIV).
This prisoner, remarkably, had friends and “brothers” in remote regions of the world:
“There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.
“The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged” (Acts 28:14-15 NIV).
To be sure, Paul was no ordinary man and he would make no ordinary prisoner.
And so it was that the greatest military assignment of all time came to an end:
“Now when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him” (Acts 28:16 NKJV).
Julius had completed the assignment.
The time of his departure was now at hand.
Julius had fought a good fight,
He had finished his course,
He had kept the faith of his Roman duty.
Or was the greatest military assignment of all time really over?
You see, there was a solider that stayed with Paul for two more years
And lived with him and guarded him and protected him
In order to stand trial before Cesar.
This soldier, whether by Roman legal requirements or by choice,
Became Paul’s constant companion…
His protégé, I mean, his guard.
“And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
“ Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him” (Acts 28:30-31 KJV).
I wonder,
If it were possible,
If Julius volunteered for the assignment.
DSR
12/15/01