The Book of Acts Chapter 27

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The Book of Acts Chapter 27

Text from https://www.bible.com/bible/111/ACT.27.NIV

Paul to Rome Through the Treacherous Sea

Paul Sails for Rome(1)

1 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. (The ship to Rome was prepared.)

2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus (a Paul's loyal company), a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

3 The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. (Julius supplied Paul in Sidon.)

4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee (along the wind, tailwind, shore) of Cyprus because the winds were against us. (They had to navigate in the hostile weather condition.)

5 When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia.

6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. (transferred.)

7 We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.

8 We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea. (The sailing was very difficult.)

9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur, tenth day of the seventh month. not good time to sail. Current September). So Paul warned them,

10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” (Paul recommended not to go out to the sea because of the season.)

11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. (The decision making centurion listened the pilot and the owner of the ship rather than Paul. Paul was not a sailer but a man of God who was very sensitive spiritually. Are we sensitive to the spiritual guidance in difficult situation? Many times the spiritual dynamic is hidden from the surface but forms the basic of our life.)

12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest. (They wanted to choose the second worst in given situation.)

The Storm

13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. (The wind condition looked favorable for a moment.)

14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. (But the strong wind, which even had a name came upon them not too long after.)

15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. (They lost control; The worst condition in the sea.)

16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. (Brought the lifeboat on the ship.) Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. (They tied the ship around to reinforce the ship.) Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis (shallow gulf), they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. (They minimized sailing and just drifting around for a stable condition.)

18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. (They had to lighten the load to survive. Nothing more important than the life.)

19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle (tool, furniture, etc.) overboard with their own hands. (Minimizing for survival.)

20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days (without any coordinate) and the storm continued raging, (storm continued) we finally gave up all hope of being saved (desperate without hope).

21 After they had gone a long time without food, (Even they were starved.) Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. (Paul reminded them his previous warning not to go out sail. Paul was right.)

22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. (Blaming, even if it is just, does not help. They needed hope and encouragement.)

23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ (Paul has it; hope and encouragement from God. The lower prisoner, Paul, became the spiritual leader among them. Paul will not be perished until he finish his mission that given by God.)

25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. (Paul is the man of faith in God. God is faithful as much as the word "faithful" would not be good enough.)

26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” (Unwanted things can happen along the way but there always the BEST solution exists.)

The Shipwreck

27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, (Now we look back and say it was two weeks, but it was an unknown time for them, and they must felt even more frustrated.) when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. (They approached the land passively. whom do you take credit to?)

28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. (Water was getting shallower as they approached to the land.)

29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. (They anchored the ship during the night with the fear of hitting the rocks which might cause shipwreck.)

30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. (Some sailors tried to escape from the crew on their landing.)

31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” (Paul once again advised the centurion to stop crew members from breakaway for the future voyage.)

32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away. (The lifeboat was a lifeline but abandoned to prevent the escape of those sailors. Priority matters.)

33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food- you haven’t eaten anything. (They were so tense and scared in the stormy sea.)

34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” (Paul encouraged the sailors and prisoners to eat and strengthen themselves with a hope of life. Eating is the most important routine for life.)

35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. (It was not a Lord's Supper but the blessing was the same.)

36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves.

37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. (Many souls were saved and encouraged.)

38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea. (Sometimes you have to sacrifice something for better cause. Grain was a necessity but landing came first.)

39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. (The beach was not a port to lay the ship.)

40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders(key). Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. (They approached to the land with minimum control.)

41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. (The ship grounded eventually and began to break down by the wave.)

42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. (The soldiers was going to kill the prisoners to prevent escaping which might cause punishment to the soldiers. Paul was one of those prisoners.)

43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.

44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely. (The centurion preserved all lives by arranging them land one by one to save Paul's life.)

(1)Paul's Journey to Rome (Google AI)

Paul's journey to Rome (c. AD 59-60) was his final voyage, detailed in Acts 27-28, where he traveled as a Roman prisoner from Caesarea by ship, facing a severe storm and shipwreck near Malta before continuing by sea and land to reach Rome, fulfilling his desire to stand trial before Caesar and evangelize there. The journey, documented by Luke, involved stops in Sidon, Myra, and Crete, a shipwreck, a three-month stay on Malta, and a final leg via Syracuse and Rhegium to the Appian Way leading to Rome, highlighting his faith amidst adversity.

Key Stages of the Journey (Google AI)

Chapter 27

1. Departure from Caesarea: Paul, under Roman guard led by Centurion Julius, set sail from Caesarea, bound for Italy, accompanied by Luke and Aristarchus.

2. Coastal Stops: They first landed at Sidon, where Paul was permitted to visit friends, then sailed to Myra in Lycia (modern Turkey).

3. The Storm at Crete: In Myra, they transferred to an Alexandrian grain ship heading to Italy. Late in the season, they sailed to Fair Havens on Crete, where Paul warned against continuing due to dangerous weather, but the captain and Julius decided to push for Phoenix, a better harbor.

4. Shipwreck near Malta: A violent storm (a "Euro-Clydon") overtook the ship, driving it off course for days. An angel assured Paul everyone would survive, though the ship would be lost. After 14 days, they shipwrecked on the island of Malta.

Chapter 28

5. Malta Stay: Paul and the 276 others spent three months on Malta. Paul was miraculously unharmed by a viper bite, and he healed many sick people on the island, sharing the Gospel.

6. Arrival in Italy: In the spring, they boarded another ship, stopping at Syracuse and Rhegium before reaching Puteoli (near modern Naples).

7. Land Journey to Rome: From Puteoli, Paul traveled the final 120 miles to Rome via the Appian Way, meeting other believers in towns like Puteoli (where Christians met him) and Appii Forum.