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More Persuaded - Acts 27:11
More Persuaded - Acts 27:11
Paul has been sent to Rome by way of a ship. Paul is treated really well by his guard. Then, Paul warns them, by revelation from God, that they are in danger of losing both cargo and their lives.
Acts 27:11 But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul.
So is the way of the world in general! I admit, that I think most of us would make the same decision if we were the centurion, with his background and the choice of listening to a Jewish Rabbi or an experienced ship’s captain. It wasn’t that the message wasn’t true, it was, nor that the message wasn’t reasonable (it also was). It had to do with what can be perceived as one’s authority!
We do not know all that this centurion heard from Paul as they traveled! We can imagine, but we are not told.
We are not in that position, but we have the same decision concerning what and who we will listen to as an authority: God or man. The world has mostly refused to listen to God. Such is the situation throughout the world yet today. Our country has chosen to listen even less to God’s message, choosing their own way and their own ideas.
We need to remember in our talking to people that they simply do NOT accept the Bible as God’s word and hence, even if they believe in ‘some sort of higher power’, it isn’t faith in God’s word. We need at this time to spend the time showing the validity of the Bible as a revelation from God: revealed and preserved by God. Only then can they be persuaded to listen to Paul instead of a ship’s captain.
Hugh DeLong
