Why is this biblical fact so important? Short post here.
The translation is the NIV, though all bold font has been added. If you would like to see other translations, please go to biblegateway.com.
In this article, a private ship in the Roman empire = a private jet in the modern world.
Paul boarded cargo ships. He sailed commercial. He did not take up offerings to buy a state-of-the-art private ship because he was too good, too important for the masses. He did not hire a captain or pilot and crew, while he went below decks to live in luxury. And he did not own a horse, another luxury item. He traveled on foot.
If he had taken an offering for those luxury items for himself or anyone else, he would have been laughed out of court and lost his integrity. A teacher living by offerings is biblical (1 Tim. 5:18; Phil 4:18); however, in many instances Paul worked for a living, so he could keep his liberty and not be a burden to his church plants (Acts 18:1-4; 1Thess 2:9; 1 Cor 4:12; 2 Cor 11:27).
Here Paul teaches taking up offerings for the weak, not his personal ship or horse:
35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” (Acts 20:35)
Paul takes up an offering for the church at Jerusalem, not himself and a private ship or horse to get there:
3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. (2 Cor. 8:3-4)
Now let’s look at sample verses about Paul boarding ships or going on foot:
Acts 20:13
We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. (Acts 20:13)
Acts 20:38
What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. (Acts 20:38)
Acts 21:2
We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. (Acts 21:2)
Acts 21:3
After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. (Acts 21:3)
Acts 21:6
After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. (Acts 21:6)
Acts 27:18
We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. (Acts 27:18)
2 Corinthians 11:25
Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea (2 Cor. 11:25)
Paul mixed in with average people–the commoners. He ministered to them, particularly during the storm in Acts 27-28.
As a matter of fact, all of the men who wrote the NT never got rich from their very own verses–which the men themselves actually wrote! They never manipulated their own writings to take offerings in order to buy ships and horses and live in houses as big as ancient Roman villas owned by senators, like this duplicate model:
Here is another drawing of a rich Roman house, done by @07sketches:
Neither Paul or any of the other apostles and Christian missionaries took up offerings to buy a house like this. As noted, they wrote the NT and could have twisted the Scriptures to enrich themselves. But they did not. They are our example.
Today, in contrast, hyper-prosperity and word-of-faith teacher Jesse Duplantis boasts that he owns the biggest house in Louisiana.
Judgment is coming. Before it is too late, the hyper-prosperity teachers who manipulate Scriptures to enrich themselves need to repent by downsizing or selling off their luxury items and giving all of the proceeds to the poor. They can give away items too. Then they need to live simple, streamlined lives.
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