Paul assures all the passengers, soldiers, and crew traveling with him aboard the ship that they will make it safely through the stormy times. How can he do that?
By W. D. Penfield. Originally published on Substack, December 30, 2021.
How Can Paul Claim None Will Be Lost?
The passengers and crew aboard the Alexandrian ship are in peril. The storm is tossing them terribly, and the ship needs a lot of help to keep it from being battered to pieces—which threatened to shatter their faith.
In this dark and desperate moment, the passengers finally seek the counsel of the words of Paul himself. Given the opportunity, of course he spoke.
21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cæsar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
Paul’s words first reminded them that had they believed on Jesus earlier and disembarked during the pause at the Fair Havens (a picture of our current age), they could have avoided the Tribulation completely.
But then Paul encouraged them. He assured them that all who were aboard with him would make it safely through, every one of them.
Um, wait a sec
Paul just threw us a curveball. (Yeah, that’s a baseball metaphor in a nautical story, but I couldn’t think of a seagoing equivalent.)
First let’s understand that the picture in the story has changed a bit. Until now, the ship represented the Alexandrian family of texts and Bibles derived from it. Now it has become a picture of belief and faith in Jesus Christ, and of all those on board with that faith during the stormy times of the Tribulation.
Here’s the curveball: Paul claims none in the ship will be lost. But Hebrews 6 and 10, among other Bible passages, indicate that during the Tribulation some will be lost.
We can understand how Paul could make the claim that none will be lost in our current age of eternal security for all who believe on Jesus.
But how can Paul make such a claim during the Tribulation?
The answer lies in understanding the conditions of salvation during the Tribulation, which differ from the conditions of salvation in our current age. And it lies in understanding who will be actually counted as believers during the Tribulation.
In our current age, we are saved the instant we believe on Jesus. A sweet picture of this is found in John 6:29. During the night (which is a picture of our current age), the disciples received Jesus into their ship. Immediately they were at their destination. They were saved, not later, but immediately.
In our current age, we are sealed unto the day of redemption when we believe on Jesus (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30). All our sins, all of them—which means there’s not one that can’t or won’t be forgiven in this age—are forgiven the instant we believe (Ephesians 1:7), and we are pronounced righteous in God’s sight (Philippians 3:8–9).
It’s a work finished and completed in that instant. Whether we abide in the faith after that or not, it’s already done—we’re saved. However, we are encouraged to remain in the faith and not grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom we are sealed and our salvation made sure (Ephesians 4:30).
Tribulation salvation, in contrast, comes at the end (1 Peter 1:9), meaning the end of the Tribulation when Jesus returns, or the end of one’s physical life (Revelation 14:13). And it is only won if one remains in the faith until that time.
That’s a big if.
During the Tribulation, if one falls away from the faith before the end, salvation is lost. And Hebrews chapters 6 and 10 are clear—there’s no getting it back.
So in the Tribulation, it’s not enough to just board the ship of faith in Jesus, though that is crucial. One must also stay aboard all the way to the end.
A little later in the story in Acts 27, Paul confirmed the necessity of enduring in the faith during the Tribulation when he warned, “Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.” (Verse 30)
“…he that endureth to the end shall be saved”, said Jesus in Matthew 10:22. In John 15:6, He said, “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”
If you’re familiar with scripture about the Tribulation, you know that believers will be under tremendous pressure to abandon their faith in Jesus. They will be pressured to forsake Him and pledge belief in the claims of the Antichrist and his followers (or perhaps the claims of any of many antichrists and their followers—1 John 2:18).
And whether they decide to actually believe those claims, or yield to pressure and just say they believe them, either can result in disaster. “Secret faith” in Jesus won’t be rewarded (Matthew 10:32–33).
It will be a situation of being between the Rock and a hard place. Confess Jesus and you may be sticking your neck out literally—beheadings will return in the Tribulation (Revelation 20:4), and believers in Jesus will be persecuted and even killed. (John 15:20, 16:2)
But choose to save your skin and deny Him, and you could risk losing your salvation.
So the passengers on the Alexandrian ship were in a frightening situation. The ship they were relying on to keep them afloat in their faith was being battered to pieces right under them. Their faith was rattled. They were afraid they’d lose their confidence in the whole thing, and might wash their hands of it. And if they did that, and it turned out to be true, they might perish with unbelievers.
But Paul reassured them. How could he do that?
Some ‘believers’ won’t be counted as believers
Here’s how to understand how Paul could say that none aboard the ship sailing with him through the Tribulation would be lost, even though other scripture says some will fall away and be lost:
Those who won’t endure to the end are known in advance and are not counted as believers.
They’re not numbered among those on the ship in the first place.
Jesus will say to those who turn away from the faith, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23).
“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” –1 John 2:19, italics added for emphasis.
They started out with fellow believers but were not counted as of them. It wasn’t openly known they weren’t of them until they went out, abandoned the group, fell away, turned away, left the faith. If they really were of the assembly of believers, they would have continued in the faith. They would have stayed in the ship.
Real believers believe. Believers will heed the warnings of Paul and stay on board to the end. They will endure. They will not fall away. And they will have the support of God (Jude 1:24). None of them will be lost (John 18:9).
In John 2:24–25, Jesus did not commit Himself to some followers because He knew what was in their hearts—that they were not really committed to Him. They were fair-weather believers.
But in John 17:12, Jesus says of those who truly do believe, “those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost”.
And Jude 1:24 says He “is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy”.
And the key to these and other Tribulation salvation passages is abide in Him.
There will be quite a few expectations laid on those who believe in Him, all of which are extensions of abiding in the faith, abiding in Him, and not falling away.
Among those things, open confession of Jesus will be mandatory in order to be saved (Matthew 10:32–33, Romans 10:9–10). Not blaspheming the Holy Spirit (which is attributing the open, blessed, Divine, miraculous works of God to the Devil in an attempt to discredit Jesus and excuse rejecting Him despite those open evidences of who He is) will be mandatory (Matthew 12:32). Not denying Him will be mandatory (Matthew 10:33). Forgiving others will be mandatory in order for your sins to be forgiven (Matthew 6:15, Mark 11:26). Remaining watchful and vigilant—and not being caught by surprise by the Lord’s return—will be mandatory (Matthew 25:1–13). And not taking the mark of the Beast will be mandatory (Revelation 14:9–11). Again, all of these are extensions of abiding in Jesus.
“Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.” –1 Samuel 22:23
“And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” –1 John 2:28
Tribulation salvation will be rife with risk. Are those the conditions you want to get saved in? Do you understand the terrible risks of delaying a decision to believe on Jesus to instead take your chances in the Tribulation, while also taking the chance that you’ll even survive to make it to the Tribulation?
“…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
If you have not yet believed on Jesus, don’t put it off. Salvation is so wonderfully simple right now in our current age of faith: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
Before we conclude this chapter, what about that remark in verse 26 of Acts 27—that they would be cast on an island?
It means they were going to feel alone and shunned for a while. They will be among a small minority who do endure in the faith of Jesus to the end of the Tribulation. They will be islands of faithfulness and belief in a world gone corrupt.
Up next: The Tribulation will last fourteen years? And what are the Four Anchors?
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