Addendum to the Malta Report

Addendum to the Malta Report

How could I have forgotten a very significant fact about Malta in my last report? Let me add it now. This is the island the great St. Paul was shipwrecked on. Paul had been arrested and after being held prisoner for some two years exercised his right to be tried in Rome. He had left Alexandra by ship as a prisoner. After proceeding a distance on the voyage, and against Paul’s advice the captain decided not to wait out the season in a safe harbor, but instead head for Italy. After leaving the safe harbor where t hey were waiting for a storm to end, another terrible storm hit the ship. The crew tried to weather the storm. They threw cargo over board and took every measure, but it did no good and they were convinced they would all die. Paul assured the crew that they would all be saved. When the ship was driven to Malta by the storm, the ship was wrecked, but all on board survived.

Scripture says that the crew and the locals who helped them were warming themselves on the beach by a fire when Paul picked up some wood for the fire and was bitten by a very poisonous viper. The locals watched him expecting him to die, but he shook the snake off and was perfectly fine. They then decided he was a God. Paul preached Christianity on Malta, curing people and converting many before another ship was located and they again set off for Italy where he was to later be killed. There is a church here in the city called the "Shipwreck Church of Paul" which honors his involuntary visit to this island. To  degree this cruise traces Paul’s voyage as we will go through the same pass at the tip of Italy his ship went through.

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