"And So We Came To Rome" by T. Austin-Sparks

"And So We Came To Rome"

by T. Austin-Sparks

First published in "A Witness and A Testimony" magazine, Sep-Oct 1951, Vol. 29-5.

Reading: Rom. 1:10-15; 15:22-24,32; Acts 19:21; Acts 27, 28.

"And so we came to Rome" (Acts 28:14).

An Earthly Objective with Heavenly Significance

It is not a new idea that Paul's journey to Rome can be taken as not only the record of a journey but as representing spiritual factors in relation to the way of God with His Church in this dispensation, and perhaps especially the closing phase of the Church's history on earth, in that this journey represents the closing phase of the Apostle Paul's life. The interpretations vary, but the key to most of them is that the ship in which Paul travelled to Rome is a type of the Church and of its ultimate disintegration at the end of the dispensation. I do not find myself able to accept that interpretation, though not discountenancing altogether a typical interpretation of the journey. However, let us move to the positive side.

I will mention five aspects of this account which may be taken as typical of the Church's history. First of all, there are Paul and his companions - Aristarchus of Macedonia, and Luke - and I think they represent the Church. Then there is the ship, and that to my mind represents all such man-made means employed by God for the reaching of His ends. Then there is the sea, and frequently in the Word of God the sea is symbolical of the world of mankind. Further, there is the ship's company, and undoubtedly they speak of men of the world more or less affected by the Church, and affecting the Church. Finally there are the elements, which are very stormy and openly malignant, and sometimes apparently very benign; but whether in open revolt or quiet and apparently helpful, they are always hostile. That sums up the features of this story, but we come to the real message which lies in the heart of it.