Acts 27 records the voyage to Italy and the shipwreck that brings Paul and all on board safely to land. Paul and other prisoners are delivered to a centurion named Julius of the Augustan Cohort. Aristarchus of Thessalonica accompanies them. After touching at Sidon, where Julius treats Paul kindly, they sail under the lee of Cyprus and reach Myra in Lycia. There they transfer to an Alexandrian grain ship bound for Italy. Progress is slow. With difficulty they reach Fair Havens on Crete. Because the Fast (the Day of Atonement) has already passed, the voyage is now dangerous. Paul warns that it will bring injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of their lives. The centurion listens more to the pilot and the owner of the ship. When a south wind blows softly they set sail, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. Soon a violent northeaster (Euroclydon) sweeps down. The ship is driven. They undergird the ship with cables, lower the sea anchor, and later throw the cargo and the ship’s tackle overboard. For many days neither sun nor stars appear; all hope of being saved is abandoned. After a long time without food, Paul stands up and says they should have listened to him. Yet now he urges them to take heart: there will be no loss of life among them, only of the ship. An angel of the God to whom he belongs and whom he serves stood by him that night and said, “Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.” Paul believes God that it will be exactly as he has been told, though they must run aground on some island. On the fourteenth night the sailors sense land. Soundings confirm it. They drop four anchors from the stern and pray for day. When some sailors try to escape in the boat, Paul tells the centurion that unless they stay in the ship they cannot be saved. The soldiers cut the ropes and let the boat go. At daybreak Paul urges them all to take food; not a hair of their heads will perish. He gives thanks, breaks bread, and eats. All 276 are encouraged and take food. They lighten the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea. When day comes they see a bay with a beach and try to run the ship ashore. The bow sticks fast; the stern begins to break up. The soldiers plan to kill the prisoners to prevent escape, but the centurion, wanting to save Paul, stops them. Those who can swim jump overboard first; the rest follow on planks and pieces of the ship. So it is that all are brought safely to land. The Lord’s promise that Paul must stand before Caesar is kept through the storm, and the lives of all who sail with him are granted as well.
1 When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band. 2 Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica being with us. 3 The next day, we touched at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself. 4 Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. 5 When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board.
7 When we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8 With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. 9 When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them 10 and said to them, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul. 12 Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking southwest and northwest.
13 When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore. 14 But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euroclydon. 15 When the ship was caught and couldn’t face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat. 17 After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along. 18 As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small storm pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away.
21 When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the middle of them and said, “Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete and have gotten this injury and loss. 22 Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve, 24 saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me. 26 But we must run aground on a certain island.”
27 But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land. 28 They took soundings and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms. 29 Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight. 30 As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these stay in the ship, you can’t be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and let it fall off.
33 While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.” 35 When he had said this and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all; then he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all cheered up, and they also took food. 37 In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship. 38 When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
39 When it was day, they didn’t recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it. 40 Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach. 41 But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves. 42 The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape. 43 But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land; 44 and the rest should follow, some on planks and some on other things from the ship. So they all escaped safely to the land.
Source: ebible.org
Paul is delivered with other prisoners to the centurion Julius. Aristarchus of Thessalonica travels with them. At Sidon Julius allows Paul to visit friends and receive care. The early stages of the voyage are slow and difficult because of contrary winds. At Myra they transfer to a large Alexandrian grain ship bound for Italy. With difficulty they reach Fair Havens on the southern coast of Crete. The season is late; the Fast has already passed. Paul warns that the voyage will result in injury and much loss, including loss of life. The centurion is persuaded more by the pilot and the owner of the ship than by Paul. The majority decide to attempt to reach Phoenix, a more suitable harbor for wintering.
A gentle south wind gives them confidence. They weigh anchor and sail close to the shore of Crete. Suddenly a violent northeaster rushes down from the island. The ship is caught and cannot face the wind; they give way and are driven. Under the lee of the small island of Clauda they manage with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat. They undergird the ship with cables, lower the sea anchor for fear of the Syrtis sands, and continue to be driven. The next day they begin to jettison the cargo; on the third day they throw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. For many days neither sun nor stars appear. All hope of being saved is finally abandoned.
After a long period without food, Paul stands in their midst. He reminds them that they should have listened to him. Yet now he urges them to take heart: there will be no loss of life among them, only of the ship. An angel of the God to whom he belongs and whom he serves stood by him that night and said, “Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.” Paul declares his faith that it will be exactly as spoken, though they must run aground on some island. The Lord’s earlier promise is reaffirmed in the midst of the storm, and the lives of the entire company are included in the grant.
On the fourteenth night the sailors sense that land is near. Soundings confirm it. They drop four anchors from the stern and pray for day. When some attempt to escape in the boat under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, Paul tells the centurion that unless the sailors stay in the ship they cannot be saved. The soldiers cut the ropes and let the boat go. At daybreak Paul urges them all to take food for their safety; not a hair of their heads will perish. He gives thanks to God in the presence of all, breaks bread, and begins to eat. All 276 are encouraged and take food. They lighten the ship by throwing the remaining wheat into the sea. When day comes they see a bay with a beach and attempt to run the ship ashore. The bow sticks fast in a place where two seas meet; the stern begins to break up under the force of the waves. The soldiers plan to kill the prisoners to prevent any from swimming away and escaping. The centurion, wanting to save Paul, stops them. He orders those who can swim to jump overboard first and make for land; the rest are to follow on planks and pieces of the ship. So it happens that all are brought safely to land. The word of the angel is fulfilled to the last detail.
Acts 27 shows the Lord’s promise to Paul being kept through the most extreme circumstances of the natural world. The appointment to stand before Caesar is not canceled by the storm. The lives of all who sail with the apostle are granted to him. Human decisions (the choice to sail, the attempt of the sailors to escape) have real consequences, yet the sovereign word of God stands. The New Covenant witness is carried through the chaos of wind and wave toward the heart of the empire while the Temple still stands. The God to whom Paul belongs and whom he serves is the same God who rules the sea and keeps His word.
Acts 27 displays the New Creation reality that the word of the risen Lord cannot be broken by the forces of the natural world. The angel of God stands by Paul in the night and reaffirms the appointment: he must stand before Caesar. The lives of all who sail with him are granted. Paul believes God that it will be exactly as spoken. Human responsibility remains — the sailors must stay in the ship — yet the outcome is certain. All 276 souls reach land safely. The God to whom the apostle belongs and whom he serves rules the wind and the waves and keeps His promises. The path to Rome continues through the storm while the Temple still stands. The witness of the risen Christ is being carried to the heart of the empire under the protection of the God who cannot lie.
Paul’s confidence in the storm rested on the spoken word of God: “I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me.” How does this kind of faith shape the way we face circumstances that appear to threaten the purposes God has made known? What does the inclusion of all who sailed with Paul in the divine grant teach us about the way God’s protection of His servants often becomes the means of blessing for others?