Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 27:1

And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto [one] named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band.

Act 27:1-44. Paul’s voyage and shipwreck

1. they delivered Paul ] i.e. the soldiers who had the care of him did so, by order of Festus.

a centurion ] This was generally the rank of the officers appointed to such a charge. Cp. Act 21:32, Act 24:23, &c.

of Augustus’ band] Rev. Ver. “Of the Augustan band.” The word rendered “band” might be translated “cohort” as in the margin of R. V., and it is said that in the time of Octavianus Augustus there were some legions to which the title “Augustan” (Gk. Sebastos) was given, as being specially the Imperial troops, and that perhaps among the soldiers in Csarea there was a detachment of these legions. But as Csarea was itself called “Sebaste” it seems more likely that the soldiers were Samaritan troop belonging to Csarea itself! And Josephus ( Wars ii. 12. 5) makes mention of troops which had their name, Sebasteni, from this city Csarea Sebaste.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

And when it was determined – By Festus Act 25:12, and when the time was come when it was convenient to send him.

That we should sail – The use of the term we here shows that the author of this book, Luke, was with Paul. He had been his traveling companion, and though he had not been accused, yet it was resolved that he should still accompany him. Whether he went at his own expense, or whether he was sent at the expense of the Roman government, does not appear. There is a difference of reading here in the ancient versions. The Syriac reads it, And thus Festus determined that he (Paul) should be sent to Caesar in Italy, etc. The Latin Vulgate and the Arabic also read he instead of we. But the Greek manuscripts are uniform, and the correct reading is doubtless what is in our version.

Into Italy – The country still bearing the same name, of which Rome was the capital.

And certain other prisoners – Who were probably also sent to Rome for a trial before the emperor. Dr. Lardner has proved that it was common to send prisoners from Judea and other provinces to Rome (Credibility, part i. chapter 10, section 10, pp. 248, 249).

A centurion – A commander of 100 men.

Of Augustus band – For the meaning of the word band, see the Mat 27:27 note; Act 10:1 note. It was a division in the Roman army consisting of from 400 to 600 men. This was called Augustus band in honor of the Roman emperor Augustus (see the notes on Act 25:21), and was probably distinguished in some way for the care in enlisting or selecting them. The Augustine cohort or band is mentioned by Suetonius in his Life of Nero, 20.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Act 27:1-20

And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy!

St.

Pauls voyage

The power of religion is best seen when it is exhibited in living reality. It is so as to its sanctifying energy. It is so, too, as to its efficacy in sustaining amid danger, and comforting in difficulty and sadness. It has always, therefore, been the plan of Providence to place good men, and sometimes the Church collectively, in such circumstances as to test, and thus to make manifest, the sustaining energy of religious principle in times of agitation and danger.

I. A storm in the Mediterranean. How powerless, or at least how feeble, man appears, and is, when contending with the mighty agencies of nature! The stoutest heart then quails. The most reckless are then often seen on their knees. Men almost instinctively call at such times on Him who holds the winds in His fist and the waves in the hollow of His hand. It is difficult to realise such a scene of terror in calmer days. But there is a great emblematic lesson in this. The fact that such changes do arise in nature–that the blue sky may become beclouded, that the bright sun may be hidden, that the sea, now so glassy and so clear, may be lashed into tempest, and that the mariner who now seems to be lord of the deep, subduing winds and waves into subserviency to his ends, may another day be contending with that same element roused into fierceness and storm, and made to feel how weak he is in that terrible conflict–is emblematic of other changes, which may, and must, one day arise. Life is not ever the calm, even flow of days and months and years. The brightest scene may be overcast, and to some extent is almost sure to be. Lifes autumn and lifes winter must be thought of as well as its summer days. All may know times of stormy wind and tempest, and all will one day be in the grasp of death, and have to face the near prospect of those things which abide when the shadows shall have passed away!

II. St. Paul amidst the storm.

1. We see the apostles repose of soul in this hour of peril, and the grounds of it. It was in his relation with God that he found restfulness. Our times are in His hand. St. Paul knew, too, that he was now here in Gods service.

2. We have here a striking example of Christian life and influence. Paul had resources of strength and comfort that those around him had not, and he becomes their comforter and adviser.

III. The beneficent working of Divine providence for the preservation of Paul and all who were with him. The promise of God was fulfilled, the perils of the deep having only made Divine protection the more evident and the more deeply felt. (E. T. Prust.)

The voyage and shipwreck

I. The narrative. Thrice I suffered shipwreck: a night and a day I have been in the deep. Thus St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians more than two years before. Of those earlier shipwrecks we have no record. But here we have a detailed account of a fourth shipwreck.

1. St. Pauls long detention is now ended. One of those merchant vessels, on which even generals and princes had to depend for transit, was now in the harbour of Caesarea, bound for Adramyttium, where it was expected that an opportunity would be found of exchanging for a vessel directly bound for Italy. One day brought them to Sidon, and the courtesy of the centurion, interested thus early in his prisoner, allowed Paul the opportunity of visiting the place and the Church. What these glimpses of Christian friends were to him we might guess from his character, and we know from his letters.

2. Contrary winds began early to retard progress. It was necessary to change the usual direction, sailing along the east and north of Cyprus, and coasting along the shores of Cilicia and Pamphylia, until they reached the Myra. There they lighted upon an Alexandrian corn ship–driven, perhaps, by the same stress of weather out of its straighter course to Italy–and to this the passengers were transferred.

3. It was increasingly a tedious passage. The wind, west or northwest, compelled them, after leaving Cnidus, to take the less desirable eastern side of Crete and then along its southern shore as far as an anchorage which is still called Fair Havens. For the moment they were in safety; and now that season had set in which sailors knew to involve, in those seas, especial danger. The fast was now already past, i.e., the Day of Atonement, occurring (like our Michaelmas) at the end of September, and used, like it, as a common date of time. To advance further was an act of imprudence against which Paul ventured earnestly to remonstrate. The warning was unheeded. The harbour was not so commodious to winter in, and there was a better within forty miles, sheltered from those dreaded winds.

4. The decision to proceed was taken, and for the moment all seemed to favour it. Instead of the troublesome westerly and northwesterly winds, there blew from the south a gentle breeze, which enabled them to start with every advantage for the desired haven of Phoenix. Triumphant, no doubt, over the cowardly prudence of the apostle, they advanced a few miles, in good hope and high spirits, along the sheltering shore of Crete. But a sudden change came. A tempestuous wind (Euroclydon) from the northeast came down upon the ship, and there was nothing for it but to let her drive. It was with difficulty that they took up the boat which might become necessary for the safety of the crew. Then they passed cordage round, and other precautions were taken to avoid their being carried upon the quicksands of Syrtis. The next day they lightened the ship of a portion of its cargo; the day following of all its spare tackling.

5. And now it is impossible to imagine a more dreary and dispiriting scene than that which Luke presents. No one, writes Dr. Howson, who has never been in a leaking ship in a long-continued gale can know what is suffered under such circumstances. The strain both of mind and body, the incessant demand for the labour of all the crew, the terror of the passengers, the hopeless working at the pumps, the labouring of the ships frame and cordage, the driving of the storm, the benumbing effect of the cold and wet, make up a scene of no ordinary confusion, anxiety, and fatigue. But in the present case these evils were much aggravated by the continued over clouding of the sky, which prevented the navigators from taking the necessary observations of the heavenly bodies. To the gloom and despair was added the exhaustion of long abstinence. There was among them but one person now capable of command–the Christian prisoner, unheeded till danger pressed, but now the one leading and animating spirit. He reminds them of their disregard of his warning. The remembrance might make them listen now. And then be gives the solemn assurance, in the name of his God, that there shall be no loss of life.

6. For the time there was no respite. The fourteenth night of that tossing was now come, when some sounds, indicative of approaching land, struck upon the practised ear of the sailors. The first notice was soon confirmed; and now an imminent danger arose of being wrecked upon the rocks of some unknown shore. Nothing could be done save to throw a number of anchors from the stern of the vessel and then to wish for the day. Oh, how many a weary watcher through a long night of sickness of body or anguish of soul has had to do that, and could do nothing more–just to wish for the day!

7. Before dawn a new peril had shown itself. The selfish sailors had formed the project of seizing the boat and leaving the passengers to their fate. It was again the Christian apostle whose ready discernment and calm promptitude averted the danger (verse 31). As if he had said, There is work before us which will need a mariners skill as well as a soldiers courage. The hint was enough. The soldiers cut the ropes of the boat before the sailors could enter it. Yet once more is St. Pauls voice heard; and it is in the same calm and constant tone which has made him the commander of all who sail with him. He foresees that the last struggle will be trying, and that exhausted frames can ill meet it. He therefore prays them to take some food, in the assurance that, however imminent the peril, life is secure. By precept first, and then by example, he summons them to this humble duty. After this, in the prospect of a speedy end of their suffering, they threw overboard the remaining wheat, that the vessel might be lightened for its last grounding. Morning dawned upon an unknown shore, upon which the vessel was so driven that, while the forepart stuck fast and remained immovable, the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.

8. At this last moment a formidable danger threatened the life of St. Paul. It was the counsel of the soldiers to kill the prisoners, lest in the confusion any of them should escape from custody; and the suggestion was only frustrated by the care of Julius for that one Christian prisoner who from the first appears to have awakened his interest, and who by his conduct during these trying scenes must have gained a firm hold upon his confidence and esteem. As it was, a more humane order prevailed.

II. The lessons. We have seen St. Paul in many positions, and noticed his activity, boldness, wisdom, faith, charity, devotion, skill, patience. But the point before us is a combination of them all.

1. Danger is always a test of character. One man is daunted, another bewildered, another irritated, another rendered selfish by it. Read the history of a sudden alarm of fire in a crowded building. The impulse of self-preservation is so strong as to defeat itself; and a heap of crushed or burnt corpses will attest both the predominance and the infatuation of a spirit of selfishness in the heart of man in a time of great and sudden jeopardy. There are three influences which may under given circumstances counteract it.

(1) A sense of honour. The captain of a burning or sinking ship will count it his duty to be the last to quit her. A regiment of soldiers will keep guard on deck over order and life, and count death itself but the just forfeit of a profession which is the soul of honour.

(2) And humanity alone has sufficed to make martyrs. A man worthy of the name will fling himself into deep water, in cold winter, to rescue a drowning woman.

(3) How much more will love counteract the force of selfishness, and make timidity for the moment brave!

2. But how different are these things, at their highest point, from the sustained calmness and commanding wisdom of Paul! None but a Christian could have thus done and thus spoken! Notice–

(1) The tranquillity. This man belongs to God: Whose I am, and whom I serve. Nothing can come amiss to him. He is the property of one to whom to belong is to be immortal.

(2) The elevation. This man is in communication with God: This night the angel of God stood by me. A man like this is just the converse of Jonah. To have him in the ship is a safeguard. See how a child in a thunderstorm will feel himself safe with a pious parent! Nay, more than children have known the comfort of having a righteous man under their roof in days of popular excitement or raging pestilence.

(3) The faith. This man believes God that it shall be even as it was told him. What? As thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome, and the one faithful shall guarantee the faithless (verse 24).

(4) The judgment. This despised Christian is at once pilot, shipmaster, and centurion. Yes, there are times when men who have scoffed at the Christian as a visionary come to recognise his value. It is something in this selfish world to be convinced of a mans disinterestedness. And at least in the hour of death–then, if never before–we send for him, assured that he will speak to us the words of God and guide us into the haven where we would be.

(5) The authority. Who is this man? He is a prisoner, of a despised race, of an outlawed sect. What is he that he should speak with authority? Yet no sooner does danger threaten than he is a man of authority. And strange to say, they listen. There is now no high priest to say to them that stand by, Smite him on the mouth. Euroclydon and Boreas have stopped that. He stands forth now, before sailors and soldiers, face to face with Nature and with Natures God. The day of Gods judgment is the day also (even in this life) of the manifestation and the recognition of the sons of God.

(6) The love. This man, if he were a natural man only, would have been simply depressed and self-contained. Yet Paul makes common cause in everything with the heathen soldiers. He cares for their cheerfulness as well as for their safety. He prescribes for their health, and he counsels for their hopefulness. Surely the love of Christ constrains him! (Dean Vaughan.)

Pauls shipwreck

It is impossible for a thoughtful and serious mind to contemplate the mighty ocean without being deeply impressed with its grandeur and sublimity. But if we are ourselves exposed to the fury of the conflicting elements, we become doubly sensible to their terror and our own insignificance. We feel an awe that cannot be described.

1. We may have to compassionate those who do business in great waters. Theirs is a life of great dangers, and familiarity with danger generally produces hardihood and presumption.

2. It is an unspeakable happiness, in times of peril, to possess a refuge and a hope when all human power fails and all hope of mortal succour is gone.

3. How precious are the promises of God in all storms, whether of the ocean or of the mind!

4. Let us adore that gracious Providence which sustained and guided this eminent apostle through so many scenes of peril and times of trial, which kept his heart steadfast in the faith of Christ and fervent in the love of souls, undismayed alike by the fury of the ocean and the ragings of the people.

5. We see what sacrifices men will make to save their natural lives. They cast into the sea the goods and tackling; but yet sinners will not give up their sins nor renounce the world.

6. The whole narrative announces to us the consolation which the gospel of Christ brings to all true believers. He is the Christians pilot; He guides us through every storm, and can protect amidst all dangers and distresses. (The Evangelist.)

Pauls voyage

I. Setting out.

1. The promises of God never fail. Having been told that he shall bear witness at Rome, Paul is in good time–in Gods time–transported thither.

2. The faithful spirit shown by Aristarchus is rewarded by a special designation of him by name.

II. Stormy without. The storm–

1. Frequently comes when it is least expected. This voyage of Pauls began with a soft breeze and ended with a tempest.

2. Usually finds the worlds people unready and Gods people prepared. The sailors are surprised by the tempest; Paul knows and has spoken of this very tempest before.

3. Tests the comparative value of our possessions. Shall we cling to our gold and our other treasures and be lost, or throw them overboard and be saved?

4. May wreck us unless we are ready with our own hands to throw overboard the unnecessary burdens. Even God cannot save the soul that will not voluntarily part with its sins. We must cast away or be cast away.

5. May drive us before it for a time. God does not promise us uninterruptedly smooth sailing. He does not promise a voyage continually in the direction we should choose. All He does promise is that if we do our best we shall reach the right haven at last.

6. Causes discomfort to the believing Paul as well as to the unbelieving among the ships crew. Spiritual safety does not secure us from present bodily pain, but it makes us despise it for its practical harmlessness.

7. May blot out the light of material sun and stars, but there is one star which is never dimmed. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

III. Calm within.

1. If the world would listen to the words of Gods children warning of the nearness of danger, many an injury and loss even worse than this would be avoided.

2. If there is any loss, it will only be a financial and temporal and comparatively insignificant one to those who commit themselves fully to Gods keeping.

3. If we as Christians lose anything in the storms of this world, it can at worst be nothing more than the loss of the ship in which we sail, the body in which we dwell. Our souls will be saved into Gods presence.

4. If we are ever so much adrift, God can still find us. Says Matthew Henry: Paul knows not where he is himself, yet Gods angel knows where to find him out.

5. If God has promised that we shall in the body stand before Caesar, we need not fear the blows of the tempest. We are immortal until that promise of God is fulfilled.

6. If there is a praying Paul on board, the fact may be worth more to the ships crew than all their labour at the pumps. Jonah, running away from duty, endangers the ship and its crew; Paul, pursuing the course of duty, is a saving companion to the ships crew.

7. If we believe God, we shall have little to dread even in such storms as this which shipwrecked Paul. We shall believe that God will bring us through just as He has promised. Is not God upon the ocean, just the same as on the land? (S. S. Times.)

Pauls voyage

Note–

I. The exposure of good and bad alike to storms and perils.

1. In this ships company there were, besides Paul and Luke and Aristarchus, criminals and the centurion, with his morally mixed band of soldiers. Paul was not permitted to choose his companions, nor are we. The wheat and the tares grow together.

2. In this instance the first days sailing was unhindered. But then the winds began to be contrary, and their course grew dangerous. Then came a little season of soft south wind. But close upon this they were struck by a hurricane which rendered the ship uncontrollable.

3. Here was rough experience. But it was not peculiar. Lands, too, have their cyclones. Ships are wrecked and towns are laid waste notwithstanding the wisdom of the wise; and these are but examples of ills in numerous forms–ills which oftentimes are nearest when we fancy we are safest (verses 13, 14). How stealthy the tread of the pestilence! How swift the stroke of the lightning!

4. Nor yet are outward assaults the worst to which we are exposed. There are foes and perils which assail the soul.

5. Is God, then, careless of our well-being? This we cannot believe. Certain it is that all these dark things have their side of light; and doubtless in due time this will appear.

II. The efforts and sacrifices men willingly make to escape outward ills.

1. Struck by the tempestuous wind, the first thing the seamen did was to secure the boat, by means of which some might be saved if worse came to worst. Then they used helps, ungirding the ship; next they lightened the ship; and, last of all, they cast out such gear and furniture as could be moved. All their wealth and means of comfort they willingly counted but loss. So much will men do to save the bodily life. Nor are they unwise; for what material good is there for which one could afford to exchange his life?

2. But these same men have an eternal life exposed to ruin. Sin, unresisted, works its destruction. What shall we say, then, of the unwillingness of so many to make efforts by which it may be saved?

III. The Christians advantage in times of peril and ill.

1. The seeker after spiritual salvation surely finds. Not so always with lower good. This is given or withholden as seems best. Despite their efforts the seamen had not ensured their safety. Hope was taken away.

2. And yet in this company of famishing wretches in a fast-sinking ship there was at least one who appeared calm and trustful. Not that Paul was without natural timidity. The assuring words, Fear not! indicate the contrary. The bravest soldier has his first moments of tremor. The Christian is still human. And yet how calmly the apostle now stands forth! What was the secret of this courage? Wherein, at such times, is the Christians advantage? In that he is in friendly relations with God, knows how to find Him, and can trustfully commit his whole case and being to Him.

3. There are two sentences to be noted–Whose I am, and whom I serve, and I believe God. Paul belonged to God by a personal consecration; and he had come to put implicit confidence in Gods word. He was not his own, and he trusted Him whom he served. If you try to be a Christian, and still to own yourself, or believe only what your reason can find out for itself, God will seem to be afar off. But try the other way, and then you shall say, What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee!

4. Moreover, God often bestows on such the very things they ask (verse 24; cf. Rom 1:15).

IV. The good which, at such times, may come from association with Christians.

1. The message the angel bore to Paul related not only to himself, but to his companions, for whom doubtless he had prayed. And so every man was to be saved just because of Pauls presence. This is no solitary instance. Ten righteous men saved Sodom. Moses and Samuel often came between Israel and judgment. It was out of regard for a faithful remnant that God bore with His people. So now, the good of a land are its best defence. Two or three godly families will make a community better to live in. Cheerfully, then, support Christian institutions. And yet association with Christians will never spiritually save; for this one must have pardon, and this Jesus only can give. Make Him, then, your companion. That will not secure exemption from storms, but it will secure a safe arrival in port. (H. M. Grant, D. D.)

Pauls voyage

I. Paul a prisoner, yet the chief figure. The ship is a prison. Paul and certain other prisoners. When was Paul ever hidden in the crowd? He is still the chief figure. Here is sovereignty strangely shaded by humiliation. He was one of the herd; he was head of the mob; he was the accent of the anonymous. A singular thing is this admixture of the great and the small. We belong to one another, and are advanced by one another, and are kept back by one another; and a most singular and educative process of restraint and modification is continually proceeding amongst us.

II. Paul courteously entreated (verse 3). How is it that Paul always stood well with men of the world? There is a kind of natural kinship amongst gentlemen. How do we pick out one man from another and say, as if ringing him on the worlds counter, That is good gold, or That is counterfeit silver? Why run down what are called men of the world? They are so often the kings of men. Do not attempt to shake them off as an inferior race. What would they be if they were in the spirit of Christ! They would make the Church warm; they would turn it into a hospitable home; they would breathe a southwest wind through our ill-ventilated souls. Oh! pray for them!

III. Paul still inspiring confidence. His look and tone were his letter of recommendation. There are some men who might have a whole library of testimonials, and you would not believe a word they said; there are other men who need no endorsement. Paul inspiring confidence is Paul preaching in silence.

IV. Paul among his friends, still an object of affectionate interest (verse 3). Literally they rigged him out again, clothed him. Paul had been having a rough time of it, and now his friends saw, as only friends can, that Paul would be none the worse for a new coat. There are many persons who live so very high above the cloud line that they can take no notice of matters of such petty detail. But without saying a word to him they got all things ready, and the clothes were laid there as if they had been laid there by Paul himself and he had forgotten to put them on before. There is a way of doing things–a delicacy infinite as love.

V. Paul profited by delay. Thank God for delays. We should think much of the providence of postponement. Why not let God keep the time bill? This was exactly what Paul needed, and Paul was permitted to enjoy it by the providence of God–a good tossing on the water, a new kind of exercise, an abundance of fresh air. God giveth His beloved sleep; God giveth His beloved rest by keeping the ship at sea a long, long time. We do not like delay; that is because we are little and weak and unwise. You cannot get some men to sit down; they do not know how they are exciting and annoying other people. They call it energy, activity. It is the Lords delight to teach us that the universe can get along without the aid of the very biggest man that is in it.

VI. Paul proving his value in secular affairs (verse 10). What right had Paul to speak? The eternal right. Under ordinary circumstances the landsman has no right to speak on board ship. That is momentary etiquette or discipline; but there are eternal rights, and there come times when all human discipline is suspended and man must speak as man. There are occasions upon which a landsman speaking on board ship would be snubbed by the sailors; there are other times when the sailors would be thankful for any landsman to speak if he could utter one word of rational hope. These are the times the Christian is waiting for. For the Christian to speak when the ship is going merrily over the blue waves, would be impertinence; but the Christian waits. The ship comes into difficulty, the sailors begin to look despairingly at the whole situation. Now if any of you can say a word of comfort, do say it. Be wise, and do not speak before the time, or your words will be like good seed sown upon the fickle and noisy wind. The clock will strike for you; be ready when the hour beats. The word will keep, and when it is spoken after long delay it will come with the more penetrating emphasis. But Paul was disbelieved. Certainly; because the circumstances were not quite mature. But the religious man turned out to be right, as he must always turn out to be. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him. All inspired history shows that the first communications were made to the piety of the day, to the prayer of the time. (J. Parker, D. D.)

Pauls voyage

I. The good as well as the evil cannot pass through this world without enduring much tribulation. We see on board a world in miniature. Stern law is represented by Julius the centurion, navigation by the captain, commerce by the merchants, labour by the sailors, the army by the stern-faced soldiers, science by Luke, literature by Paul, and law breaking by the prisoners. On board were all sorts and conditions of men. But there arose against them all the wave-stirring east wind, now called the Levanter.

1. Mark the impartiality of that tempest. They were all caught in it. Fire will burn the saint as well as the sinner; water will drown the missionary as well as the pirate; poison will kill an apostle as well as an apostate. The elements know no partisanship, unless these be a Divine interposition. We have found out long ere this that affliction is no respecter of persons. Even the best of men lose the stars for many days; and in their tribulation they strike the sail, cast out the wheat, and send for the doctor to undergird the ship. Sorrow will enter every home at some time or other; and this is a wise provision, for there is nothing like it to keep the heart tender and sympathetic. Mercies that are pain born are frequently the most precious.

2. Paul in an Euroclydon!–all this is mysterious; but we have full confidence that it is wisely ordained, for to the godly storms are soul strengtheners.

3. The storm may last many days; but the saint will always meet with an angel when the waves are highest. He may lose sight of the natural sun and stars for many days; but he never loses sight of the Divine Sun, and, through the blackest night, the Star of Bethlehem.

4. The good and evil in the same storm; but what a difference between them! Paul had the angel of good cheer at his side, but the godless voyagers had no helper.

5. Paul publicly gave thanks to God for the bread. How keen was his spiritual insight! He felt that the bread and the storm came from the same hand. Let us learn this profound lesson. The bread and the storm, the joy and the sorrow, the day and the night, come from the same Divine source. Think not so much of the storm as to forget the bread.

II. The foolish world is always prone to reject the sage advice of the man of God.

1. Paul advised them to steer the ship into the Fair Havens and winter there; but the centurion believed the master and owner, and the majority went with them. Paul saw the perils ahead, perhaps by prophetic foresight or by the prognosticating instinct. Anyhow, Pauls words proved true to the letter. Yes, the majority were against the man of God in that first century. What does a dry landsman like him know about the navigation of the Adriatic? Let him stick to that new gospel of his, and abstain from all things nautical!

2. Is it not in the nineteenth century as it was in the first? The courageous truth speaker is still the despised and rejected of men. Souls steeped in carnality will not abide in the Fair Havens of piety and purity and love; they will make for some Phenice of their own choosing. We who stand in these pulpits are continually thundering out the warnings, The wages of sin is death, The way of transgressors is hard, Be wise, and winter in the Fair Haven of the gospel of Christ! But thousands despise the warnings. There are some who say, Preachers should strictly confine themselves to theology. Parsons, who know nothing of the ins-and-outs of London business life, should not dictate to business men what they must do and how they must do it. Yet Paul, the landsman, may give advice that even practised seamen would do well to follow.

III. The mocking world always discovers to its cost that it is dangerous to ignore the warnings of God-fearing men. Their ship left the Fair Havens, and it is quite probable that they said, How this south wind gives the lie to Pauls prognostications! But in due time the Euroclydon rushed forth to prove that Paul was right. Better be in the humblest minority with the right than in the most aristocratic majority with the wrong. Do not allow the south wind to lead you to rash conclusions. Tell the young man that there is danger in dallying with his first temptations, and he will point you to the gentle south wind; but he may yet live to find that Paul is right, and to gladly place the helm in his hand. On a death bed you may send for the minister whose sermons you have laughed at.

IV. God honours His faithful servants by communicating with the world through their instrumentality.

1. If Caesar had a message to the crew, he would have spoken through the centurion; if the Board of Trade of that day, through the captain; if the Chamber of Commerce of that time, through the merchants; but when the Royal Court of Heaven had a message to the trembling souls on board, it spoke through Paul. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him. Them that honour Me I will honour. If you wish to be Gods ambassador you must be Gods child, for His rule is not to employ aliens. Whose I am, and whom I serve. What noble self-obliviousness in these words! He was not his own; and if we felt this Divine ownership more, there would be infinitely greater sacrifice infused into our service.

2. Paul became, in a secondary sense, the saviour of the two hundred and seventy-five souls on board. Who can estimate the national and civic value of a good man? He is the salt that preserves society from total corruption. Turn all the good men out of the world, and Dantes Inferno will not be a thing of fancy, but of fact. Take all the saints out of London, and it will become a Sodom, fit only for the flames. The religious element in English society is its best safeguard. A God-fearing democracy no power on earth can overthrow.

V. The sublime calmness of the good man in the face of danger. There is no revealer of character like a tempest. The storm revealed the cowardice and hypocrisy and selfishness of these seamen; but the same storm revealed the moral grandeur of Paul. A landsman calm in a sea-storm, and all the crew trembling like the aspen! His robust faith was the secret of his courage (verse 25). His calm assurance pacified the panic-stricken crew (verse 36). The good man is not the slave but the master of circumstances.

VI. No storms can prevent the successful issue of the purposes of Heaven. Gods must is mightier than all the storms of the centuries, even if gathered into one. In a very short time his magic words penetrated the royal palace, and several members of Caesars household were converted. The universal dissemination of the, gospel is somewhat unlikely, and yet we believe in its possibility, for Gods must will vanquish the Euroclydons. Rome must be reached! Our voyage to heaven has its innumerable perils. The reefs are deceptive, the currents are dangerous, and the haven is easily missed; but be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of any mans life. (J. Ossian Davies.)

Practical lessons from Pauls voyage

I. Man proposes, but God disposes. The determination that Paul should sail to Italy was, on the human side, the result of Pauls purpose to disappoint the murderous treachery of the Jews, but above this was Gods purpose–that the gospel should be more fully preached, not only in Rome, but in all the empire.

II. The fair weather and the softly blowing south wind allured the navigators from their safe but not sufficiently commodious harbour in the hope of finding a better one; and so men, dissatisfied with their moderate competence, strike out for wealth or honours, so risking and often losing the sufficiency already possessed. In times of prosperity they assure themselves that tomorrow will be as this day, and more abundant, presumptuously boasting of what they know not. In the heyday of hopefulness youth is deaf to the voice of wisdom, madly trusting that for them the skies will always be bright and the winds continue to blow gently. But mans experience of the uncertainty of the most hopeful prospects has made the gentle winds and the smiling sea proverbs of treachery.

III. Very reluctantly, and only after three days of buffeting, the men consented to lighten the ship. Thus, in times of severe trials, our treasures often become our burdens; and he only is wise who, to save his soul, consents to give up all else. But how carefully is this done, lest the sacrifice should be greater than is necessary! At first the less valuable parts of the cargo are cast out; but another days perils made them willing even to dismantle the ship and cast out the furniture. So will men do in order to save their lives; but who will make such sacrifices for the saving of their souls? A striking illustration is given in the flight of Cortez from Mexico, when the Aztecs compelled the invaders to flee. Each man was allowed to take what he would, but their commander warned them, saying, He travels safest in the dark night who travels lightest. The experience of the conflict that ensued demonstrated the wisdom of the advice and the folly of those who failed to heed it, for all such became an easy prey to the lances of the Aztecs. Because men will trust in outward things so long as they have them, it is often a great mercy when God takes them away.

IV. Because the lessons of providence are not learned at once, the times of darkness and dismay are continued. Neither sun nor stars in many days appeared. And in such extremities men learn the folly of their self-confidence, and are the more ready to listen to instruction. Before I was afflicted I went astray, says the Psalmist, but now [since I have been afflicted] have I kept Thy word.

V. Until that dark night of the utter failure of hope except from God the apostle spoke only as a man–a wise and judicious counsellor; but now he spoke to them as from the mouth of God, and they could not gainsay his words. And so God is accustomed to reveal Himself with greatest clearness and in the richest consolations among the darkest and severest temptations. And even then the assurance of deliverance often reveals also the taking away of all earthly dependences. Though Paul was assured that he and his fellow voyagers would be saved alive, yet he was also shown that they must suffer shipwreck.

VI. Paul and the mariners and soldiers were exposed to the same perils; and by virtue of this forced association deliverance came to the latter. And as in their domestic and social relations unbelievers are sometimes closely associated with Gods people, so they are often delivered in times of calamity. And as we are all fellow voyagers through life, and God has made every man his brothers keeper, so has He made it the duty of each by prayer and exhortation, and by all other available means, to seek the salvation of all men. The saved and rescued ships company were given to Paul. (D. Curry, D. D.)

The stormy voyage of life

The Christians means of comfort and safety are–

1. Prudent foresight in the uncertainty of earthly things (verses 9, 10).

2. Brotherly union in the time of need (verses 21, 24, 30).

3. Prompt renunciation of the possessions of this world (verses 18, 19, 38).

4. Courageous trust in God in the storms of temptation (verses 22-25).

5. Grateful use of the Divine means of grace (verses 34-36).

6. Hopeful regard toward the heavenly land of rest (verses 44). (K. Gerok.)

The voyage of life

The analogies between a ship sailing the high seas and a human being sailing the ocean of life are well-nigh endless.

I. In the navies of the world there are yachts for pleasure and merchantmen for business. So there are mere pleasure seekers and those who have serious work on hand. But while sailing to and fro for mere pleasure may be well enough for a yacht, it is a miserable thing for a man. Many a busy man is in reality a pleasure seeker; for he works only because he must, and as soon as the bow of forced labour is unbent he seeks pleasure. Even a coal scow is of more real utility in life than a yacht.

II. Every ship has a cargo. Pauls ship had, and part of it they had to throw overboard to save the ship. So every man carries a cargo. A cargo of what? Many a young man has a full lading of sceptical opinions. These may seem harmless while all goes serenely in life. But as soon as the stress of weather comes, he may find that his beliefs are sinking him. He had better heave them overboard, then, as fast as he can. No ship would like to carry a cargo of nitroglycerine. But infidel faiths are just as dangerous.

III. Every ship has a captain. Some captains are good and some bad. The drunken captain who ran that steamer ashore and lost five hundred souls was a bad one. No one likes to sail with a captain who has wrecked two or three ships. Jesus is the Captain of salvation, Satan of damnation. Either Jesus or Satan is master of every human soul sailing the ocean of life. The one always saves, the other always wrecks. Who is yours?

IV. Sooner or later every ship must encounter storms. A ship built only for fine weather is not seaworthy. The Christian as well as the unbeliever must be ready for bad weather. There are December as well as June voyages to be made. Forewarned is forearmed; and he who calculates on and prepares for storms will not be overthrown. For a ship to sail into the teeth of a storm without captain or compass or ballast is folly. So for the human voyager it is no less folly to go forward to meet temptation and ridicule and affliction without due preparation.

V. Every ship goes into the doors once in a while to repair damages. So, too, it is good for the soul to go into the dock of private examination and prayer. Prayer and meditation and the study of Gods Word repair many damages which the storms of life inflict. From such hours the soul goes forth refreshed, and rejoices like a strong man to run a race.

VI. A ship in the water is good, but water in the ship is bad. To journey through this world is the Christians duty. But to have ones heart filled with the world is to founder in mid-ocean. There are thousands of water-logged Christians. They make no headway, for the worldliness they carry weighs them down too heavily.

VII. Some ships sail more slowly than others. Often the cause is that their bottoms are covered with barnacles. These are out of sight, but they impede the ships progress. So some Christians grow in grace more slowly than others. The reason may always be found in the fact that spiritual barnacles are retarding them–lack of private prayer, neglect of the Bible, non-attendance at church, profane language, foul stories. When a ships bottom is thus fouled, the only remedy is to scrape off the unwelcome intruders. So, if a Christian is to make progress, he must cut off the evil thing, and, laying aside every weight, push forward.

VIII. Every ship needs a compass. So every human voyager needs the Word of God, given on purpose to direct his pathway across the trackless ocean of life. Guesswork is bad work on the ocean, and worse work on the ocean of life.

IX. Every ship makes a last voyage. It may be the last voyage ends in shipwreck; it may be it ends in a safe port, from which the good ship sails forth no more. So every human soul makes his last trip. What will yours end in? (A. F. Shauffler.)

The voyage of life

I. We have a great variety in our contemporaries. On board this vessel were souls of a very mixed character. Almost all the social forces of an age are in that vessel. There is labour represented in the sailors, war in the soldiers, commerce in the merchants, law in the men who hold the prisoners in custody, literature and science in Luke, religion in Paul and his companions. In the voyage of life we are thrown like Paul amongst numerous contemporaries, but there are only a few Lukes or Aristarchuses with whom we can have much intercourse. This suggests–

1. A characteristic of human nature distinguished from all other terrestrial life. Natural history shows that there is a perfect correspondence in taste, impulse, and habit, among all the members of any species of non-rational life. Not so with man. Each individual has the power of striking out an orbit for himself different from that in which anyone had ever moved before or will ever move again. All modes of life are possible to man. He can transmigrate into the grub, the seraph, or the fiend, into a beast like Nebuchadnezzar, a devil like Herod, or an apostle like Paul.

2. That mankind are not now in their original condition. To use the power to form different modes and spheres inconsistently with the royal law of benevolence is the essence of sin and the source of ruin. It can never be that God intended our moral energy to create such a variety of tastes, tendencies, and aims as to render social intercourse and harmony impossible. All souls should have a common centre, and in all their social radiations, should harmoniously combine.

3. The probability of a future social classification. Will such men as Paul, Luke, Aristarchus, be doomed forever to live with mercenary merchants, besotted seamen, and bloody soldiers? Are the Herods to continue kings, and the Johns prisoners? Are the Jeffreys to be on the bench and the Baxters at the bar forever? Mans deepest intuitions, the prayers of the good, and the Bible say it shall not be. The tares and the wheat will one day be separated. We are only mixed while on board this earth ship: as soon as we touch the shore we separate on the principles of moral character and spiritual affinities.

II. The severest trials are common to all. The one trial common to all on board that barque was the danger of losing life (verse 20). They tried every expedient, but all failed; the lamp of hope for a time went out. Danger of life is universally felt to be the severest of trials. And to this all are exposed in a thousand different ways, and all must one day, like Paul and his companions, feel all hope of being saved from death taken away. For a short time, in healthy youth and vigorous manhood, you may flow on propitiously like this vessel in the first stage of its voyage, when the south wind blew softly; but farther on the sea will marshal its billows against thee; the sun will set, the moon go down, and every star disappear, and thou shall feel thyself only as a bubble on the breakers. The scene suggests that common trims–

1. Develop different dispositions. How different were the feelings of Paul from the others. Even the brave sailors were at their wits end; they sought to flee out of the ship. The soldiers, too, displayed their base and heartless selfishness, for they proposed to kill the prisoners. But none of these things moved Paul. His every word shows an unfaltering faith in Him to whom he had committed himself. His bearing, too, was calm and hope inspiring. His great nature was taken up with the sufferings of his companions (verses 33, 34). Trials test our principles as fire tries the minerals.

2. Show the indifference of nature to social distinctions. The centurion, his subordinates, Christians and heathens, were all treated alike. Old ocean cares no more for the boats with which Xerxes bridged the Hellespont than for any worthless log of timber. It heeds no more the voice of Canute than the cries of a babe. Napoleon, says a modern author, was once made to feel his littleness in a storm at sea off Boulogne. His mighty fleet lay before him. Wishing to review it, he desired Admiral Bruyes to change the position of the ships. Foreseeing that a storm was gathering the admiral respectfully declined. But Napoleon, in a rage, peremptorily demanded obedience. Vice-Admiral Magon obeyed the order. The threatened storm burst. Several sloops were wrecked, and above two hundred poor soldiers and sailors were plunged in the raging waves. The Emperor instantly ordered the boats out to the rescue. He was told, No boat could live in such a sea. He then ordered a company of his grenadiers to man the boats, and as he sprang in, exclaimed, Follow me, my brave fellows! They had scarcely entered the boat, before a huge wave dashed over the emperor. Onward! onward! he cried; but the daring effort was vain; progress in such a sea was impossible. Push on! push on! cried Napoleon; do you not hear those cries? Oh, this sea! this sea! it rebels against our power, but it may be conquered! At this moment a mighty billow struck the boat with tremendous force, and drove it back, quivering, to the shore. It seemed as though this were the oceans answer; or rather the answer of the God of the ocean, to the proud monarchs boast! Napoleon was cast ashore by the spurning billows of the stormy sea, like a drifting fragment of dripping seaweed. Natures indifference, however, to mere secular distinction is not so strange as her want of respect to the moral. Nature treats apostles and apostates alike. Our character and moral position are not to be estimated by natures aspect towards us. The tower of Siloam may fall on the good as well as on the bad; children may be born blind of righteous parents as well as of wicked. The ground of wicked men may bring forth plenteously, while the soil of the good man be struck with barrenness. All things come alike to all, etc. She has her own system of laws; he who attends to them most loyally shall enjoy most of her bounties. In this respect she is an emblem of the moral system. Both are impartial. Both treat their subjects according to their conduct towards them, not according to their conduct towards anything else.

III. Special communications from God are mercifully vouchsafed (verses 24, 25). God knew the dire perils to which Paul was exposed, and interposed. He knows our difficulties and dangers on our voyage to eternity, and makes the necessary communications for our relief. Note some points of resemblance. The Divine communication to the men on board this vessel.

1. Came through the best of the men. Not through one of the merchants, or the centurion, but through Paul, the prisoner. But notwithstanding his secular abjectness, he was a good man. God has ever spoken to the world through the best man. It matters not how poor they are if good. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. The Bible consists of communications from God through holy men, who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

2. Were the final and effective means of meeting the emergency. Maritime genius and energy were all in vain, and just when in a hopeless state the communication came (verse 20). And so it was after human reason had tried every effort to guide the soul into the haven of peace that Christ came.

3. Their efficacy depended upon a practical attention to the directions (verses 22-31). The lesson is that every promise should be regarded as conditional, unless a most unequivocal assurance is given to the contrary. But what reason had Paul to regard this promise as conditional? There was no if in it. His instincts, experience, observation, and all analogy, satisfied him that Divine ends are always reached by means. Gods promises afford no pretext for carelessness. Has God promised knowledge? It implies study. Has He promised salvation? It implies faith in Christ.

IV. One morally great man however poor, is of immense service to his contemporaries. Note–

1. The characteristics of a truly great man as illustrated in Pauls history on board the vessel.

(1) Forecast. At the very outset he had a presentiment of the danger which awaited them (verse 10). Intense sympathy with a mans principles and aims will enable me to foresee much of his future conduct. Godliness, the soul of all moral greatness, is this sympathy. This sympathy with God is the prophetic eye. Give me this, and, like Isaiah, in some humble measure, I shall foretell the ages. This sympathy is a new eye to the soul. Because of this Paul saw what the captain could not. His heart was in such a contact with that Spirit which controls the winds and the waves that he felt that something terrible was about to transpire. Never let us disregard the warnings of a great and godly man.

(2) Magnanimous calmness (verse 36). Trust in God was the philosophy of his–

(3) Self-obliviousness. Whilst all others were struggling for themselves, he seemed only concerned for them.

(4) Religiousness. This explains his greatness. He saw God in the tempest and in the bread. He bowed in resignation to the one–he thanked Him for the other.

2. The service which he rendered–

(1) Was both direct and indirect. The spirit of confidence which he breathed, the efforts he put forth, the directions he gave, were all direct. Then the indirect service was great. For the sake of Paul the prisoners were not killed (verse 43). At the great day it will be found that many an obscure saint has conferred far greater service than those generals, statesmen, poets, and sages who have won the acclamations of posterity. The world has yet to learn who are its true benefactors.

(2) Was appreciated as trials increased. In the first stage of the voyage, when the south winds blew softly, Paul was nothing. When he uttered his warning he was treated with indifference, but he became the moral commander during the tempest. How often do the worlds great men on, death beds, seek the attendance, sympathies, counsel, and prayers of those godly ones whom they despised in health! (D. Thomas, D. D.)

The voyage of life

I. The setting out.

1. The various changes of surrounding objects (verses 1, 2, 4-8).

2. The friendships (verse 3).

3. The first clouds (verses 9-15).

II. Fear and hope.

1. The fear of unbelief (verses 16-20).

2. The confidence of faith (verses 21-26).

III. The contest with adversities.

1. Trouble discloses hearts (verses 27-32).

2. Trouble leads to God (verses 33-38).

IV. The haven of rest.

1. The shipwreck and billows of death (verses 39-43).

2. The rescue and landing in an unknown country. (Lisco.)

Christs bark on the stormy ocean of this world

I. Its dangers.

1. Contrary winds (verses 4, 14).

2. Foolish guides (verses 11, 12).

3. Superfluous possessions (verses 18, 19).

4. Disunited associates (verses 30, 42).

5. Concealed rocks (verses 39, 41).

II. Its means of help.

1. The testimony of pious teachers (verses 9, 21).

2. The prophecies of the Divine Word (verses 23, 24).

3. The comforts of the holy sacraments (verse 35).

4. The blessing of believing prayer (verse 35).

5. The rescuing hand of Almighty God (verses 24, 34, 44). (K. Gerok.)

Mans counsellors

The narrative suggests that men in passing through life–

I. Have true and false counsellors. Paul here stands for the true (verse 10). The master and the owner of the ship stand for the false (verse 11). Thus there are ever counsellors; some pointing to the right path, and some to the wrong; some the apostles of God, and some the emissaries of hell. This fact urges on each–

1. The necessity of an independent inquiry into the question of duty. Let each use his own judgment. Try the spirits, etc.

2. The necessity of Divine guidance in the question of duty. Guide me by Thy counsel, etc.

II. Are ever disposed to follow the false rather than the true. The greater portion on board rejected the counsels of Paul, and followed those of the master and the owner. It may be that some of them considered it a piece of impertinence on Paul, a landsman, to give nautical advice. Men follow the false because it is–

1. More congenial.

2. Popular.

3. Attractive.

III. Find that the false often appears at first to be the better course. When the vessel, contrary to the advice of Paul moved off from the Fair Havens, things looked propitious. Perhaps under the bright sky, and before favourable winds, many on board laughed at Paul on the first day. So it is; a false course frequently appears at first desirable. There are periods in our sinful life when the south winds blow softly.

1. Youth.

2. Health.

3. Prosperity.

IV. Discover that the false ultimately conducts to the most terrible disasters. The soft south wind gives way to the Euroclydon, which hurls the bark into the utmost distress. And then comes the period when all hope that they should be saved was taken away. Two circumstances greatly aggravated the ships distress.

1. The darkness. No sun or stars for many days appeared, not an unusual circumstance during a Levanter.

2. Hunger. The want of food led to the pain of exhaustion and the bitter gnawing of hunger. This is what following the false leads to. Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (D. Thomas, D. D.)

They delivered Paul, and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus band.

Julius

Nothing is more remarkable to the student of the New Testament than the favourable impression which Roman officers make upon the mind. It may be that the military career is favourable to some attractive virtues, or that Scripture would remind us that they may be formed in spite of adverse circumstances in the military life.

1. In the centurion at Capernaum we have the exhibition of a very high type of character (Mar 8:10; Luk 7:9).

2. The centurion at the Cross by his memorable confession is sharply divided from the company around (Mar 15:39; Luk 23:47).

3. Cornelius again (Act 10:1; Act 11:18), is a pattern both before and after his conversion to Christians.

4. Paul was brought in contact with five centurions.

(1) The officer who, on learning that he was a Roman citizen, countermanded the scourging (Act 21:32).

(2) The centurion whom Paul requested to take his nephew to the commanding officer (Act 23:17).

(3) The two whom Lysias sent in command of the escort (Act 23:23), about whom we know nothing except that they discharged their duty promptly and methodically.

(4) Julius, who now deserves careful attention. The specifying of the corps to which he belongs singles him out at once as an officer of rank. He held a commission in the molt distinguished part of the army; that which was most closely connected with the emperor and his court. There are several places where he is mentioned, and most teach us something concerning his character.

I. (Verse 3). He courteously entreated Paul, etc. The fact that he was a heathen enhances the favourable impression produced by his courtesy and kindness. Whether this arose from natural disposition, or from some influence which Paul had gained over him from what he may have observed and heard, we cannot tell. Notice that it was not mere permission that he gave, which would have been something, considering that he had no guarantee that Paul would return, and implies a large and rapid growth of good feeling. But there was a remarkable display of consideration in the manner in which it was done. Then let all that is implied in two expressions be considered. Paul must have needed refreshment for his health and spirits. He was of delicate constitution, and had undergone great trials. And of all refreshment the most acceptable Would be the society of Christian friends.

II. At Myra (verse 5) Julius and his prisoners changed ships and set out again in a gale which drove them to the Fair Havens of Crete (verse 8), where they stayed for a time, and were recommended by Paul to stay longer. But the centurion preferred the counsel of the master and the owner of the ship, and naturally. The one had experience of the sea, the other the best possible reasons for consulting the ships safety, and besides were in the majority. Prom a worldly point of view, therefore, Julius deserves credit for his good sense. But Paul was right, and Julius wrong, as events proved, and this was one of the circumstances which gradually raised Paul to a position of commanding influence. And it is worthy of note that Julius took no offence at Pauls honest opposition.

III. The centurion is next mentioned when the ship was at anchor, but in danger of going on to the rocks (verse 29). The sailors, consulting their own safety, were for lowering the boat. Paul saw the peril, but acted with consummate judgment. He said nothing to the sailors, but spoke at once to the centurion, who had now implicit confidence in the apostle, and dealt with the matter promptly. Thus the sailors were kept on board to do what they only could do, and thus the lives of nearly three hundred were saved through the good understanding established between the heathen and the Christian.

IV. When daylight came this friendly feeling led in a still more remarkable way to similar results. Lest the prisoners should escape in the break up of the vessel the soldiers suggested their execution inasmuch as they were answerable with their lives for the prisoners. They forgot, however, they owed their own lives to Paul. And now, in this imminent danger, comes out the peculiar feeling of Julius towards him (verses 42, 43). Had Paul not been of the party, and had Julius been of a different disposition, the prisoners would have been killed. That they were all saved was due to the friendship between the two.

V. The last mention of the centurion is in Rome (Act 28:16). His duty was done, and he proceeds to obey whatever new orders were laid upon him. Conclusion:

1. It is probable that Paul, Felix, and Julius were for some time in Rome together, but not very likely that they ever met again. A large city is like a large forest, where different paths may be pursued again and again without any chance of meeting. Each man in such a city, however, has his own history and carries with him the results of his past experience and opportunities. Felix was what he became after his procrastination; and Julius what he became after close companionship with Paul. Whether this ripened into Christianity or not we do not know.

2. We have followed the biographical thread with little mention of religion. There is no mention of Christ in all this long chapter. The duty of an expositor, however, is to deal fairly with the sacred volume, feeling assured that there is some Christian lesson even where Christ is not named. And it is instructive to find such variety of teaching as we go through Scripture. In these later chapters we have two of the early points of contact between Christianity and heathenism. In the one case there is reference to the salvation of the soul, in the other the incidents of friendly intercourse as regards affairs of the world. In the one we have advice to the unconverted, in the other advice to the converted about the duty and advantages of courtesy, and the force of the example is increased by the fact that Julius was a heathen. Parallel cases are when our Lord singles out Samaritans as examples of benevolence and gratitude. For the importance that the New Testament attaches to courtesy (see Mat 5:5; Mat 5:7; Mat 5:9; Mat 5:41; Rom 12:10; Php 2:3-5; Eph 4:31-32; 1Pe 2:17; 1Pe 3:8). Let it not be said that in the midst of our boasted civilisation the lesson is obsolete. Rudeness is common to and often encouraged in boyhood, and no rank is exempt from it. How it prevails in political and ecclesiastical partisanship! (Dean Howson.)

And Julius courteously entreated Paul.–

Effect of courteous treatment

In a certain town a new minister had been called and settled. In that town was a God-forsaken old reprobate, whom nobody respected or spoke to who could avoid it. He had never been known to go inside a place of worship. He only worked when driven by necessity to do so, and leafed about the town a common nuisance. A few days after the minister came to the town he met the old man on the street, and bowing spoke a pleasant good morning, and passed on. The old man turned and looked after him, and made inquiry of someone as to who he might be. The same thing happened a day or two afterward, and again during the space of a week or two. Some one told the minister that he had made a friend of the old man, and laughingly told him that he was wasting politeness on the reprobate. Never mind, said the minister, it does not cost much to be polite, and no more to an old reprobate than to the squire of the town. It was not long till old Blank was noticed creeping into the corner of the church farthest from the pulpit and nearest to the door. He had come in late and was the first to leave the church. He came again and again, and was finally brought to Christ, and during the rest of his life lived a consistent and earnest Christian life. He said the ministers bow was what did it.

The winds were contrary.—

The voices of Gods providence

Among the voices of Gods providence are the howling storm and the roaring sea. A pious chaplain, detained by contrary wind at the Isle of Wight over the Sunday, preached that day in one of the churches of the island. In the congregation there was a thoughtless girl who had come to show her fine clothes. The Word of God arrested her, and she was converted. The story of her conversion is the narrative of the Dairymans Daughter, which has gone all round the world, and the fruit of the sermon is a hundredfold.

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

CHAPTER XXVII.

It being determined that Paul should be sent to Rome, he is

delivered to Julius, a centurion, 1.

They embark in a ship of Adramyttium, and come the next day to

Sidon, 2, 3.

They sail thence, and pass Cyprus, Cilicia, and Pamphylia, and

come to Myra, 4, 5.

They are transferred there to a ship of Alexandria going to

Italy; sail past Cnidus, Crete, Salmone, and come to the Fair

Havens, 6-8.

Paul predicts a disastrous voyage, 9-11.

They sail from the Fair Havens, in order to reach Crete, and

winter there; but, having a comparatively favourable wind,

they sail past Crete, and meet with a tempest, and are brought

into extreme peril and distress, 12-20.

Paul’s exhortation and prediction of the loss of the ship,

21-26.

After having been tossed about in the Adriatic Sea, for many

days, they are at last shipwrecked on the island of Melita;

and the whole crew, consisting of two hundred and seventy-six

persons, escape safe to land, on broken fragments of the ship,

27-44.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXVII.

Verse 1. And when it was determined, c.] That is, when the governor had given orders to carry Paul to Rome, according to his appeal together with other prisoners who were bound for the same place.

We should sail] By this it is evident that St. Luke was with Paul; and it is on this account that he was enabled to give such a circumstantial account of the voyage.

Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band.] Lipsius has found the name of this cohort on an ancient marble; see Lips. in Tacit. Hist. lib. ii. The same cohort is mentioned by Suetonius, in his life of Nero, 20.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

It was determined; upon the solemn hearing of Pauls case, it was resolved by Festus and Agrippa, with the rest that were taken by Festus to advise concerning it.

Julius; thought to have been a freed-man of the family of Julius, who thence took his name.

A centurion of Augustus band; as Cornelius was a centurion of the Italian band: see Act 10:1. This band, or regiment, was called Augustuss (or the emperors) because (as some will) it was part of his guard.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

1. we should sail, c.The “we”here reintroduces the historian as one of the company. Not that hehad left the apostle from the time when he last included himself (Ac21:18), but the apostle was parted from him by his arrest andimprisonment, until now, when they met in the ship.

delivered Paul and certainother prisonersState prisoners going to be tried at Rome ofwhich several instances are on record.

Juliuswho treats theapostle throughout with such marked courtesy (Act 27:3;Act 27:43; Act 28:16),that it has been thought [BENGEL]he was present when Paul made his defense before Agrippa (see Ac25:23), and was impressed with his lofty bearing.

a centurion of Augustus’bandthe Augustan cohort, an honorary title given to more thanone legion of the Roman army, implying, perhaps, that they acted as abodyguard to the emperor or procurator, as occasion required.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy,…. The chief city of which was Rome, the metropolis of the empire, where Caesar had his palace, to whom the apostle had appealed; and his voyage thither was determined by Festus, with the advice of Agrippa and his council, pursuant to the apostle’s appeal, and which was founded on the will of God; all which concurred in this affair: it was the decree and will of God that the apostle should go to Rome, which was made known to him; and it was his resolution upon that, to go thither, wherefore he appealed to Caesar; and it was the determination of the Roman governor, not only as to his going there, but as to the time of it, which was now fixed: the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, read “he”, instead of “we”; and the Ethiopic version reads expressly “Paul”; but the Greek copies read we: by whom are meant the apostle, and his companions; as Luke the writer of this history, and Aristarchus the Macedonian mentioned in the next verse, and Trophimus the Ephesian, who was afterwards left at Miletus sick, 2Ti 4:20 and who else cannot be said; these were to sail with him to Italy, not as prisoners, but as companions: this resolution being taken,

they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners; who very likely had also appealed to Caesar, or at least the governor thought fit to send them to Rome, to have their cases heard and determined there; and these by the order of Festus were delivered by the centurions, or jailers, in whose custody they had been,

unto one called Julius; in the Alexandrian copy of the third verse, he is called Julianus; he was either one of the Julian family, or rather was one that had been made free by some of that family, and so took the name:

a centurion of Augustus’ band; of a Roman band of soldiers, which belonged to that legion which was called “Augusta”; for it seems there was a legion that bore that name, as Lipsius observes, and it may be from Augustus Caesar.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Paul’s Voyage towards Rome.

      1 And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band.   2 And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.   3 And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.   4 And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.   5 And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.   6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.   7 And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;   8 And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.   9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,   10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.   11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

      It does not appear how long it was after Paul’s conference with Agrippa that he was sent away for Rome, pursuant to his appeal to Csar; but it is likely they took the first convenience they could hear of to do it; in the mean time Paul is in the midst of his friends at Csarea–they comforts to him, and he a blessing to them. But here we are told,

      I. How Paul was shipped off for Italy: a long voyage, but there is no remedy. He has appealed to Csar, and to Csar he must go: It was determined that we should sail into Italy, for to Rome they must go by sea; it would have been a vast way about to go by land. Hence, when the Roman conquest of the Jewish nation is foretold, it is said (Num. xxiv. 24), Ships shall come from Chittim, that is, Italy, and shall afflict Eber, that is, the Hebrews. It was determined by the counsel of God, before it was determined by the counsel of Festus, that Paul should go to Rome; for, whatever man intended, God had work for him to do there. Now here we are told, 1. Whose custody he was committed to–to one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’s band, as Cornelius was of the Italian band, or legion, ch. x. 1. He had soldiers under him, who were a guard upon Paul, that he might not make his escape, and likewise to protect him, that he might have no mischief done him. 2. What bottom he embarked in: they went on board a ship of Adramyttium (v. 2), a sea-port of Africa, whence this ship brought African goods, and, as it should seem, made a coasting voyage for Syria, where those goods came to a good market. 3. What company he had in this voyage, there were some prisoners who were committed to the custody of the same centurion, and who probably had appealed to Csar too, or were upon some other account removed to Rome, to be tried there, or to be examined as witnesses against some prisoners there; perhaps some notorious offenders, like Barabbas, who were therefore ordered to be brought before the emperor himself. Paul was linked with these, as Christ with the thieves that were crucified with him, and was obliged to take his lot with them in this voyage; and we find in this chapter (v. 42) that for their sakes he had like to have been killed, but for his sake they were preserved. Note, It is no new thing for the innocent to be numbered among the transgressors. But he had also some of his friends with him, Luke particularly, the penman of this book, for he puts himself in all along, We sailed into Italy, and, We launched, v. 2. Aristarchus a Thessalonian is particularly named, as being now in his company. Dr. Lightfoot thinks that Trophimus the Ephesian went off with him, but that he left him sick at Miletum (2 Tim. iv. 20), when he passed by those coasts of Asia mentioned here (v. 2), and that there likewise he left Timothy. It was a comfort to Paul to have the society of some of his friends in this tedious voyage, with whom he might converse freely, though he had so much loose profane company about him. Those that go long voyages at sea are commonly necessitated to sojourn, as it were, in Mesech and Kedar, and have need of wisdom, that they may do good to the bad company they are in, may make them better, or at lest be made never the worse by them.

      II. What course they steered, and what places they touched at, which are particularly recorded for the confirming of the truth of the history to those who lived at that time, and could by their own knowledge tell of their being at such and such a place. 1. They touched at Sidon, not far off from where they went on board; thither they came the next day. And that which is observable here is, that Julius the centurion was extraordinarily civil to Paul. It is probable that he knew his case, and was one of the chief captains, or principal men, that heard him plead his own cause before Agrippa (ch. xxv. 23), and was convinced of his innocency, and the injury done him; and therefore, though Paul was committed to him as a prisoner, he treated him as a friend, as a scholar, as a gentleman, and as a man that had an interest in heaven: He gave him liberty, while the business of the ship detained it at Sidon, to go among his friends there, to refresh himself; and it would be a great refreshment to him. Julius herein gives an example to those in power to be respectful to those whom they find worthy of their respect, and in using their power to make a difference. A Joseph, a Paul, are not to be used as common prisoners. God herein encourages those that suffer for him to trust in him; for he can put it into the hearts of those to befriend them from whom they least expect it–can cause them to be pitied, nay, can cause them to be prized and valued, even in the eyes of those that carry them captive, Ps. cvi. 46. And it is likewise an instance of Paul’s fidelity. He did not go about to make his escape, which he might have easily done; but, being out upon his parole of honour, he faithfully returns to his imprisonment. If the centurion is so civil as to take his word, he is so just and honest as to keep his word. 2. They thence sailed under Cyprus, v. 4. If the wind had been fair, they had gone forward by direct sailing, and had left Cyprus on the right hand; but, the wind not favouring them, they were driven to oblique sailing with a side wind, and so compassed the island, in a manner, and left it on the left hand. Sailors must do as they can, when they cannot do as they would, and make the best of their wind, whatever point it is in; so must we all in our passage over the ocean of this world. When the winds are contrary yet we must be getting forward as well as we can. 3. At a port called Myra they changed their ship; that which they were in, it is probable, having business no further, they went on board a vessel of Alexandria bound for Italy, Act 27:5; Act 27:6. Alexandria was now the chief city of Egypt, and great trading there was between that city and Italy; from Alexandria they carried corn to Rome, and the East-India goods and Persian which they imported at the Red Sea they exported again to all parts of the Mediterranean, and especially to Italy. And it was a particular favour shown to the Alexandrian ships in the ports of Italy that they were not obliged to strike sail, as other ships were, when they came into port. 4. With much ado they made The Fair Havens, a port of the island of Crete, Act 27:7; Act 27:8. They sailed slowly many days, being becalmed, or having the wind against them. It was a great while before they made the point of Cnidus, a port of Caria, and were forced to sail under Crete, as before under Cyprus; much difficulty they met with in passing by Salmone, a promontory on the eastern shore of the island of Crete. Though the voyage hitherto was not tempestuous, yet it was very tedious. They many that are not driven backward in their affairs by cross providences, yet sail slowly, and do not get forward by favourable providences. And many good Christians make this complaint in the concerns of their souls, that they do not rid ground in their way of heaven, but have much ado to keep their ground; they move with many stops and pauses, and lie a great while wind-bound. Observe, The place they came to was called The Fair Havens. Travellers say that it is known to this day by the same name, and that it answers the name from the pleasantness of its situation and prospect. And yet, (1.) It was not the harbour they were bound for; it was a fair haven, but it was not their haven. Whatever agreeable circumstances we may be in in this world, we must remember we are not at home, and therefore we must arise and depart; for, though it be a fair haven, it is not the desired haven, Ps. cvii. 30. (2.) It was not a commodious haven to winter in, so it is said, v. 12. It had a fine prospect, but it lay exposed to the weather. Note, Every fair haven is not a safe haven; nay, there may be most danger where there is most pleasure.

      III. What advice Paul gave them with reference to that part of their voyage they had before them–it was to be content to winter where they were, and not to think of stirring till a better season of the year. 1. It was now a bad time for sailing; they had lost a deal of time while they were struggling with contrary winds. Sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was already past, that is, the famous yearly fast of the Jews, the day of atonement, which was on the tenth day of the seventh month, a day to afflict the soul with fasting; it was about the 20th of our September. That yearly fast was very religiously observed; but (which is strange) we never have any mention made in all the scripture history of the observance of it, unless it be meant here, where it serves only to describe the season of the year. Michaelmas is reckoned by mariners as a bad time of the year to be at sea as any other; they complain of their Michaelmas-blasts; it was that time now with these distressed voyagers. The harvest was past, the summer was ended; they had not only lost time, but lost the opportunity. 2. Paul put them in mind of it, and gave them notice of their danger (v. 10): “I perceive” (either by notice from God, or by observing their wilful resolution to prosecute the voyage notwithstanding the peril of the season) “that this voyage will be with hurt and damage; you that have effects on board are likely to lose them, and it will be a miracle of mercy if our lives be given us for a prey.” There were some good men in the ship, and many more bad men: but in things of this nature all things come alike to all, and there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked. If both be in the same ship, they both are in the same danger. 3. They would not be advised by Paul in this matter, v. 11. They thought him impertinent in interposing in an affair of this nature, who did not understand navigation; and the centurion to whom it was referred to determine it, though himself a passenger, yet, being a man in authority, takes upon him to overrule, though he had not been oftener at sea perhaps than Paul, nor was better acquainted with these seas, for Paul had planted the gospel in Crete (Tit. i. 5), and knew the several parts of the island well enough. But the centurion gave more regard to the opinion of the master and owner of the ship than to Paul’s; for every man is to be credited in his own profession ordinarily: but such a man as Paul, who was so intimate with Heaven, was rather to be regarded in seafaring matters than the most celebrated sailors. Note, Those know not what dangers they run themselves into who will be governed more by human prudence than by divine revelation. The centurion was very civil to Paul (v. 3), and yet would not be governed by his advice. Note, Many will show respect to good ministers that will not take their advice, Ezek. xxxiii. 31.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

That we should sail ( ). This genitive articular infinitive with like the LXX construction translating the Hebrew infinitive construct is awkward in Greek. Several similar examples in Luke 17:1; Acts 10:25; Acts 20:3 (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1068). Luke alone uses this old verb in N.T. He uses nine compounds of , to sail. Note the reappearance of “we” in the narrative. It is possible, of course, that Luke was not with Paul during the series of trials at Caesarea, or at least, not all the time. But it is natural for Luke to use “we” again because he and Aristarchus are travelling with Paul. In Caesarea Paul was the centre of the action all the time whether Luke was present or not. The great detail and minute accuracy of Luke’s account of this voyage and shipwreck throw more light upon ancient seafaring than everything else put together. Smith’s Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul is still a classic on the subject. Though so accurate in his use of sea terms, yet Luke writes like a landsman, not like a sailor. Besides, the character of Paul is here revealed in a remarkable fashion.

They delivered (). Imperfect active form rather than the old – form as in 4:33, from . Perhaps the imperfect notes the continuance of the handing over.

Certain other prisoners ( ). Bound () like Paul, but not necessarily appellants to Caesar, perhaps some of them condemned criminals to amuse the Roman populace in the gladiatorial shows, most likely pagans though does not have to mean different kind of prisoners from Paul.

Of the Augustan band ( ). Note Ionic genitive , not . See on Matt 27:1; Acts 10:1. . We do not really know why this cohort is called “Augustan.” It may be that it is part of the imperial commissariat (frumentarii) since Julius assumes chief authority in the grain ship (verse 11). These legionary centurions when in Rome were called peregrini (foreigners) because their work was chiefly in the provinces. This man Julius may have been one of them.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Sail [] . Lit., sail away.

Band. See on Mr 14:16.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

PAUL SENT TO ROME – FROM CAESAREA V. 1-13 (The Nautical Voyage of Paul – Chs. 27-28)

1) “And when it was determined,” (hos de ekrithe) “Then when it was determined,” a judgement had been made, a decision had been reached, and the time had arrived.

2) “That we should sail into Italy,” (tou apoplein hemas eis ten Italian) “That we should sail into Italy;” the “we” included Luke who joined Paul again for the first time since Act 21:1-40, writer of Acts and certain others, further described as follows:

3) “They delivered Paul and certain other prisoners,

(paredidoun ton te Paulon kai tinsa heterous clesmotas) “They (the Roman guards) delivered (or gave over) Paul and some other (different kind) of prisoners,” state prisoners going to be tried at Rome, Act 25:12; Act 25:25-27; Act 27:22-25; Act 27:37. The total number sailing was 276, composed of soldiers, sailors, shipmen, Paul, Luke and many prisoners, perhaps numbering near 100, a full trust of a Roman centurion captain.

4) “Unto one named Julius, a centurion,” (hekatontarche onomati loulio) “To a centurion, (a Roman captain of one hundred soldiers) by name of Julius,” on detachment duty working out of Rome, for Caesar into various Roman provinces; He treated Paul with special courtesy throughout the voyage to Rome, had perhaps heard his appeal before Agrippa with sympathy, Act 25:23; Act 27:3-4; Act 27:43; Act 28:16.

5) “Of Augustus’ band.” (speires Sebastes) “Of a Roman cohort or band of Augustus Caesar,” referring to distinguished troops belonging to the Emperor, thought to be working for Caesar on confidential business matters, traveling between the imperial city of Rome, and various Roman provinces, men of high secret intelligence kind, and serving as a body-guard band for Caesar on special occasions.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

−

1. Luke setteth down Paul’s voyage by sea most of all to this end, that we may know that he was brought to Rome wonderfully by the hand of God; and that the glory of God did many ways appear excellent in his doings and sayings even in the very journey, which did more establish his apostleship. He is delivered to be carried with other prisoners; but the Lord doth afterward put great difference between him and the evil-doers, who were in bonds as well as he. Yea, moreover, we shall see how the captain doth loose him, and let him be at liberty, when the rest lie bound. I know not what band that was which Luke calleth the band of Augustus, unless, peradventure, it be that which was commonly called the praetor’s − (633) band, before the monarchy of the Caesars. And Luke setteth down in plain words, that they were put in a ship of Adramyttium; because they should sail by the coast of Asia. For Adramyttium is a city of Aeolia. I cannot tell out of what haven they launched. Because they could not sail with a straight course to Sidon, unless the maps do greatly deceive me, we may well guess that they were brought thither, either because they could find a ship nowhere else, or else because they were to take the other prisoners, of whom mention is made, out of that region. −

(633) −

“

Praetoria,” the Praetorian.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

PAUL AS A SHIP-CAPTAIN

Act 27:1-44.

EVERY chapter of this Book, following the ninth, presents some new phase of Pauls life, some new feature of Pauls conduct or character. In this twenty-seventh chapter we see Paul in an altogether new role. We have known him as the most brilliant student from Gamaliels classes; we have seen him as a member of the Sanhedrin; we have watched, with wild eyes, the persecutor of the church; we have heard, with Christian enthusiasm, of his sudden and complete conversion; we have been present when he, as an Apostle, preached in the power and demonstration of the Spirit; we have admired his sagacity when, as a capable attorney, he undertook his own defense; we have listened with increasing respect when, in disputatious assemblies, he proved himself the supreme counsel.

There are some men who are many-sided, and such are forever interesting you by revealing new features. Paul not only belongs to that company, but he is well-nigh the chief of the same. Put him where you will and he is a power to be reckoned witha personality that cannot be despised.

When on train or ship we see some manacled culprit, we look at him with amazement, and we may even feel some disgust at the sight of his face and the thought of his sins. Here is a prisoner who produces no such mental reactions, but on the other hand becomes the center of interest and the subject of the record. Who would ever imagine that a manacled prisoner, being conveyed by ship to his adjudged cell, would suddenly come to be master of ship ceremonies, and even director of the ships course, and dictator to the ships officials? And yet, such Paul proved himself! As a persecutor he had no equal; as a convert to Christ he challenged comparison; as a teacher of Christianity he out-towered the older Apostles! With a charm that eluded understanding, he practically controlled every situation into which he came. This ship voyage to Rome was no exception. Following it through, you will be profoundly convinced that Paul volunteered advice; you will be shown, also, that Pauls advice was disregarded, and finally, you will be told as a fact that Paul enjoyed a visit from an angel.

PAULS ADVICE VOLUNTEERED

The plural pronoun here includes Paul. Our author, Luke, says, And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus band (Act 27:1). The writer does not name himself, nor does he call the name of any other prisoner; but he does name the Apostlethe central figure of the whole story.

There are some characters who are demanded as centerpieces of every picture. The photographer will not squeeze the bulb until such are placed. The picture would be meaningless if these were flung into the background. They constitute the occasion of the picture itself. There are others in it, but they are there as fillers.

Luke was a man of considerable parts. He was prominent in the medical profession. He was a man of literary ability as the Book that wears his name, and the Book of the Acts, both attest. But Luke appears in the picture only in the dim outline of the plural personal pronoun We. Julius, on account of his official charge, of Paul, is actually named, but who stops to give him serious consideration, or to draw any important inferences from his office? The rest of the prisoners and passengers are simply spots on the page. You see them and recognize them as men, but their features are not discernible and the sight of them conveys to you no other information than that Paul was attended by a company.

There are people who seek to force themselves into central positions, into prominent stations. The Paul-sort have no such need. They cannot escape the central place any more than Charles Lindbergh, the first man to fly across the Atlantic, could escape the attention and laudation of a world. He had done something that exceeds, something that is, in nature and character, superior, and his fellows feel it and know it. Position, then, is, in its last analysis, not a creature of accident, not a streak of luck. It is a scientific demonstration of personality and power.

Superiority is inherent in the soul of a man. It is not a matter of birth. Moses was the child of a slave woman. In spite of that fact he became the founder of a nation, the human author of the most dominating faith the world has ever seen, the supreme literary genius of all centuries, and last, but not least, the law-giver of all millenniums.

Superiority is not a creature of circumstances. Esau preceded Jacob into the world. By that seniority of a few minutes, great and desirable privileges belonged to him. Furthermore, Esau was his fathers favorite and, reckoned from the standpoint of physical strength, Esau was the promising twin. But, somehow, centuries came to speak of Esau with compassion, and of Jacob with pride. The explanation is in personality. Jacob swayed an unseen scepterthere were few situations into which he ever came, without controlling them; and when the twelve tribes spread themselves put in the world and became its mental and moral mentors, they are but the evolution of Jacob.

Joseph fell upon hard lines. Jealousy sold him into Egypt and unrequited love flung him into jail. Potentates, as a rule, dont consult prison cells on the subject of God or government, but Pharaoh found need for the opinion of Joseph and employment for his matchless talents in hours of difficult administration.

But when did any man ever command more respect from political dignitaries than Paul excited? And now that to the political dignitary is added the master of the ship, how marvelous that both of them should respect the speech of this ostensible criminal!

There is but one explanation. You cant put character where it will not command an audience; you cant place it where it will not compel attention; you cant so situate it that it will not challenge respect.

The chief spokesman here was the Apostle. When the hour darkens there is always some man who has light; when dangers arise, a counsellor commonly comes with it.

The Scotch John Robertson used to have a marvelous sermon preached under the theme, Peter, The Skipper. In that discourse he elaborated upon the fact that Peter should take orders from Christ when he was running his own boat and Christ was simply aboard as a passenger, or guest. He counted it the most remarkable proof of the dominating personality of Jesus that when He said, Launch out into the deep, Peter should obey; when He commanded to Cast the net on the right side, Peter should immediately act upon His word. But the marvel there is not so great as here. Peter was the one man who came early to a clear conviction of the Deity of Jesus. It was he who answered Christs question, Whom say ye that I am? Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God (Mat 16:16). There is little occasion of surprise, therefore, that Peter should surrender his proud rights in the presence of the Creator Himself. But, that the master and owner of this ship should even listen while Paul, the manacled culprit, talked, demands explanation. And when one further considers the fact that Paul is a landsman, and this ship-master is a sailor of long experience, the surprise increases.

But, the sea has ever been a storm center, and when men are caught in adverse winds and their craft is in the grip of a Euroclydon, they soon lose self-confidence and see how puny is the strength and wit of man when pitted against the power and wiles of nature, and they feel the need of the supernatural help.

Such are the times for the Christian. His word is worth most when the word of all others has failed; his counsel gets audience when the counsel of others has come to naught.

Joseph was a prisoner, but when the famine struck Egypt, they had to consult him. Daniel was a captive, but when the kings dreams disturbed him and all his soothsayers failed him, he had no other than Gods Prophet to whom he could turn.

I have heard on good authority that when the Titanic was crushed by an iceberg, a Christian minister on board, coming from England to accept the pastorate of the Moody Church, Chicago, was the one man to whom passengers and officers alike listened.

I am inclined to agree with Joseph Parker, who said, All true wisdom is with the theologian. He knows more about sailing than captains who do not pray can ever know. He may not always have the faith that would make him master, but he has the spirit which makes him wise. These are questions not to be settled within little limits. Things may look large because they are near; may seem to be different because of their closeness; but when looked at from lofty heights they sink into insignificance, and their dissimilarities are blurred in the common cloud. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him; and he will give thee thine hearts desire. Even the prisoner shall have his sovereignty; even a man in outwardly trying and discouraging circumstances may have the confidence of those who are appointed to watch over him; and even the man who is supposed to know nothing but religion may turn out to be in the long run the comforter of men who live in mere technicalities.

But, in spite of this historically illustrated truth, we find that men of the world are seldom willing to yield wholly to counsels that come from above.

In fact, they do not believe they are from above. Many of them do not believe there is any above. They doubt God and heaven; they question infinite wisdom; they dispute infinite power. It was that that affected the second subject of our study here, namely,

PAULS ADVICE DISREGARDED

The text reveals a series of facts.

First, The ship-masters opinion prevailed against Paul. Hence, the statement, Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul (Act 27:11). Who can blame him? There is well-nigh a universal disposition to disregard what the preacher says. There is a popular philosophy to the effect that every preacher is visionary. It is the common speech of laymen, Preachers are poor business men.

I had an extended letter from a New York business man, in which he laid all the financial troubles of the Northern and Southern Baptist Conventions their shortage in missionary funds, their failure in deceptious appeals in behalf of educationto the fact that too many ministers had had to do with administration, and he passionately pled that these ministers retire, turn the whole administration over to business men, and prophesied that they would straighten out the difficulties and convert the present defeat into a forthcoming success. Such is the worlds opinion!

Just a bit ago I fell in with an acquaintancea member of a certain church, the history of which is well-known to me; and in discussing the pastors of that church, past and present, the name of one man was called and I remarked, He was a good man and faithful to the Gospel, and I felt sorry to see him leave the city.. She said, Yes, he was a good man and faithful to the Gospel; but he could not get on in our church because he had a notion that he should have something to do with the administration of the business affairs of the church, and our laymen did not take to it. I said to her what every individual familiar with the work of that peculiar church knows, It has been evident for some time that somebody should have to do with the business affairs of the church, and if the man who is held responsible for the success or the failure of his institution is not to be consulted on its business affairs, then, pray, who?

It does not follow because a profession has been treated niggardly for a long period of time in the matter of salary, that the men who, animated by the spirit of service to God, enter that profession, are incapacitated in a business way. It is our judgment that there is no class of men to be found who, their opportunities considered, conduct their business affairs so uniformly well as do the preachers or prophets of the Gospel. And it is also our opinion that their judgment is worth consideration on general matters of moment.

History, in this instance, records that Paul was right and the experienced sailors were wrong. It is not an unusual instance.

Here, reason triumphed against revelation.

Because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.

And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete (Act 27:12-13).

Was not the reasoning sound? Who can gainsay it? Reason is mans most-to-be-trusted talent. It, he must consult under most circumstances; and it he may consult under, all circumstances. No man should be asked to dispense with his reason; no man should be asked to fly in the face of reason. The average man should not be expected to disregard reason. If the haven is not good, why try to winter it?

Atheism boasts itself rational. It is forever intimating that revelation is not according to reason. What nonsense! God is the author of reason and He is equally the advocate of reason. Gods appeal to man is, Come, now, and let us reason together. The trouble with man is that he does not want to reason with God, but with himself only. He is not willing to believe that there is any wisdom above his own; that there is any knowledge beyond what he has.

Revelation cannot be harmonized with all kinds of reasoning, nor can it be harmonized with the reasoning of every man, but it is always in perfect harmony with the highest reason. In fact, it is reason in perfection. So far as these men could see, so far as they could then understand, they were justified in disregarding Paul. Rut time will prove that they did not see far enough; experience will show that they did not understand sufficiently. The storm yet to break over them will demonstrate that they need one of greater knowledge and one of greater prescience as counsellor, and before this journey is finished Pauls reasoning will be triumphant. That is why it is sometimes true that the most intelligent and the most learned make the most egregious blunders. They have believed too well in their own information; they have been too confident in their own conclusions.

When San Pierre was destroyed, it was the reasoning of a scientific commission that accomplished the instant death of thirty-two thousand people. They had investigated the mountain and decided that there was no danger, and they had made their report accordingly, and their scientific knowledge was made the basis of Governor Moutettes decision to compel the people to stay in the city. And yet, what was all that reasoning worth as against the spiritual intuition of many who pled and begged to be privileged to depart, but begged in vain? Some of them believed that a judgment was about to fall on the city, and that the city was doomed on account of its sins; but such reasoning was laughed to scorn until the hour struck that took them all awaythe scientific commission and the governor included. Are Christians foolish, then, in believing that revelation is the highest reason? Are they lacking in intellect because they prefer Gods opinion to mans opinion? Hardly! History is with them!

The result of reason, here, was the loss of all hope. When neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away (Act 27:20).

The most hopeless men that live in the world are men who have followed their own ways and refused the ways of God. Such men lose hope easily.

Having trusted in favorable circumstances, when those circumstances change, hope is gone; having trusted in the powers of self, the moment they are proven impotent, hope dies.

Perhaps the great difference between the faith that is in Christ and infidelity is at this point. The true and intelligent Christian is seldom, or never, hopeless. It makes no difference how dark the night, there are stars that shine for Him; how cloudy the day, he believes that back of the clouds the sun still shines. It makes no difference how severe the storm, he forgets not that his Saviour is Master of storms, also, and can speak the word, Peace be still! and compel winds and waves to obey. Een death itself does not discourage his heart, for he sings, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me (Psa 23:4). When bereavement smites, which is deeper and more difficult than death, he sorrows not, even as others which have no hope, for he believes that Jesus Christ died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him (1Th 4:14).

Christianity is a religion of hope and its earthly consummation involves that Blessed Hopethe personal Return of the Lord Jesus Christ and His universal reign in righteousness.

The one view that never experiences pessimism is the Christian view; the one soul that never surrenders and cries, All is lost! is the believing soul the man who has put his trust in God. It is a strange situation to see men whose hands and feet are free giving up hope because there is a storm on, and the ship is likely to go down; and the man who is a prisoner and not, therefore, in control of his own actionconfident and unafraid. Such is Christianity! It is a religion of hope!

PAULS VISIT FROM AN ANGEL

Following the text further, we find that this disregarded Paul is in fresh demand. They rejected him before the storm came. Now their spirits are chastened, their pride is broken and they are willing to hear. It is perfectly evident that Paul did not appear until they had sent for him. The phrase, after long abstinence, indicates that he came only after much persuasion, and his speech is a strange one to the ears of sailors, but one none the less needful or welcome on that account.

Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.

And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any mans life among you, but of the ship.

For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island (Act 27:21-26).

The angel of God knows the end from the beginning. His speech is better than a shining sun, more assuring than a dying wind. The earth is not independent of heaven. Creation is not independent of the Creator. Men have not reached the point where they have no need of the counsel or help of angels. We may go on with our materialistic philosophy as much as we like; we may join the Sadducees and say, There is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; we may even become propagandists for the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism, but any moment all of that boastful reasoning may be brought low; yea, even in a second its supreme representatives may be flung into hopeless consternation.

The wisdom of this earth is only good for cloudless days, for balmy weather, for quiet sails. The very moment a storm strikes and the waves roll mountain high, help must be had from a heavenly visitor, and the most experienced sailors would be sending an S. O. S. call to Jesus, the angel of the Lord, who lies quietly asleep in another part of the ship, and the anguished question, Master, carest Thou not that we perish? will indicate that men, down in their deepest souls, know that wind and wave, and air and earth, itself, are within the circle of Divine power.

So far has materialism triumphed in this age, so popular has atheism become, so successful have been the propagandists of evolution, that it takes courage for a man to stand up in a calm day and advocate anything spiritual; advocate inspiration of Scriptures, advocate Deity of Jesus, advocate angels, advocate even God. But there is coming a time when such advocates will be in demand; a day in which infidelity will be on its face and atheism will be crying to rocks and mountains to fall on it and hide it from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb (Rev 6:16).

Faith is the one and only triumphant faculty. When fourteen stormy nights have passed, reason weakens. When you pass from twenty fathoms to fifteen, the heart grows chill, for it knows that the grinding, binding rocks are only a bit ahead. When the anchors drag, sailors will make ready to quit the ship. So it was when Paul said to the centurion and to the soldier, There shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.

This was not the speech of a braggart. That he did not profess a courage which he did not experience is proven by Pauls example. He himself took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. His appetite was not gone; his spirit was not whelmed; his faith had not failed; and faith is forever a contagious thing. Faith, then, is not effective in the life of the man who has it only, it influences others; it saves multitudes; it is the hope of the world.

Final results are always and everywhere with the Lord.

And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.

And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoisted up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.

And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.

And the soldiers counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.

But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:

And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land (Act 27:39-44).

He can have the mouth of a creek near at hand as a harbor. He can determine the very place where two seas meet, and send a ship there and stick the forepart fast. And, tho the hinder part be broken with the violence of the waves, he can bring all safely to land. He can make his own man a saviour for others, for when the soldiers counselled, killing the prisoners, the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land. And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land (Act 27:43-44).

Certainly, what God commences He completes. When He started His angels from heaven to this beleaguered boat, He began the redemption of the entire company. His work is always and everywhere a perfect work. He leaves nothing half done. Herein is our hope of a final and full salvation. It was this same Paul who wrote, I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day (2Ti 1:12).

Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley

CRITICAL REMARKS

Act. 27:1. Determined.By Festus. Not as to purpose (Act. 25:12), but as to time, which was late in autumn, A.D. 60, and manner, which was by sea. We.Last used (Act. 21:15-18). Here including, besides Paul, Luke and Aristarchus of Thessalonica (Act. 27:2; Act. 19:29; Act. 20:4). Lukes presence on shipboard accounts for the liveliness of the ensuing narration. Certain otheradditional, not necessarily different in character (Meyer, Zckler, Plumptre)prisoners.This shows (Lardner, Paley) that it was customary to forward accused persons to Rome to be tried; an inference confirmed by Josephus (Life, 3). Julius.Tacitus (Hist., ii. 92, iv. 11) mentions about this time a centurion of this name, Julius Priscus, one of the prtorians, who, seven years afterwards, was promoted by Csar Vitellius to be Praetorian Prefect, and who, when his royal patron died a miserable and dishonourable death, declined to survive, and committed suicide by falling on his own sword. Hausrath (Der Apostel Paulus, p. 466) conjectures he may have come to Palestine on some important mission, and been entrusted with command of the prisoners about to be despatched to Rome. Augustus, or, the Augustan band to which he belonged has been supposed to be

(1) a cohort of soldiers from Sebaste or Samaria (Kuinoel), in support of which is cited the mention by Josephus (Ant., XIX. ix. 2; XX. vi. 1) of a squadron of Sebastene cavalry; or

(2) a bodyguard organised by Nero, and called by him Augustani (Suet., Ner., xx. 25) or Augustiani (Tacit., Ann., xiv. 15), which would harmonise with the preceding statement from Tacitus (Wieseler); or

(3) an auxiliary cohort belonging to Agrippas army, and bearing the name Augustan in honour of the emperor, as many other cohorts did (Holtzmann, Ramsay); or

(4) an independent cohort which waited on the procurator, and was styled the Augustan because it corresponded to the emperors life guard at Rome (Hackett). That it was identical with the Italian cohort mentioned in Act. 10:1 (Meyer, Ewald) is doubtful (Zckler).

Act. 27:2. Adramyttium.Not Hadrumetum in North Africa, but a seaport of Mysia in Asia Minor, situated at the head of a bay of the same name, and on the River Kysos; called to-day Adramiti or Edramit. To this port the ship on which Paul embarked at Sebaste, the harbour of Csarea, belonged, and was a coaster homeward bound. It was obviously Juliuss intention either to trans-ship for Italy at the Asian harbour, or from that point to take the land route to Rome (see Homiletical Analysis). Meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia.The best authorities for read , which was about to sail, not along the coasts, but for the places on the coast of Asia.

Act. 27:3. SidonHebrew, Sdn (meaning, perhaps, fisher town); on Assyrian monuments Sidunuwas situated on the Mediterranean coast, not far from Lebanon, and only five miles north of Tyre. In ancient times the most important of the Phnician towns, it named itself upon its coins The Mother of Tyre. The modern town of Saida stands upon the site of the old, from which numerous relics of antiquity have been recovered, the most remarkable being the marble coffin of the Sidonian king, Eschmunazar, B.C. 350300. (See Riehms Handwrterbuch des Biblischen Altertums; art. Sidon.) Refresh himself.Lit., to meet with, or receive attention from his friends. By obtaining from them that outfit for the voyage which, on account of the official precision of his custody at Csarea, he could not there be provided with (Alford, Holtzmann).

Act. 27:4. Cyprus.See on Act. 4:36.

Act. 27:5. Sea of (better, off, or along) Cilicia and Pamphylia.On the reverse voyage (Act. 21:3) Cyprus was passed upon the left handi.e., the ship sailed south of the island. The neighbourhood of Myra, two or three miles from the coast, is full of magnificent ruins. Its haven was the neighbouring Andraki. In later times it became celebrated as the seat of the supposed bishopric of Nicolans at the time of the council of Nice, A.D. 350.

Act. 27:6. A ship of Alexandria, Probably belonging to the Alexandrian fleet in the Imperial service, (Ramsay).See Homiletical Analysis. That part of her cargo was wheat is obvious (Act. 27:38), though she may have carried other goods (Act. 27:18), which were cast overboard before the cereals were thrown away.

Act. 27:7. Scarce.Better, with difficulty. The wind not suffering us may mean not suffering the ship to get to Onidus to find shelter in its harbour (Hackett, Hausrath, Holtzmann), or not suffering it to get any quicker over against Cnidusexplaining the preceding clause (Alford, Lechler), or not suffering it to proceed farther (Conybeare and Howson, Revised Version, Spence).

Act. 27:8. Hardly passing it (Crete) should be with difficulty coasting along it. The participle is a nautical term. The harbour of Fair Havens, though mentioned by no ancient writer, was undoubtedly that still known by the same name (Kali) on the south of Crete, a few miles to the east of Cape Matala, beyond which the land suddenly springs towards the north. The harbour consists of an open roadstead, or rather two roadsteads contiguous to each other, which may account for the plural designation. The epithet fair may have been given to it in joke, on account of its unfavourable character, Act. 27:12 (Zckler). The town of Lasea, probably mentioned as better known, is still recognisable by two white pillars, masses of masonry, and other ruins, which occur on the spot (Hackett). Its discovery by a Scotch yachting party may be classed among the really valuable geographical evidences of the truth of the Bible which have been accumulating of late years (Spence).

HOMILETICAL ANALYSIS.Act. 27:1-8

Setting Sail; or, from Csarea to Fair Havens

I. The passengers.

1. The prisoners.

(1) Foremost among these was Paul, the venerable and weather-beaten missionary of the Cross, who had already, by sea and land, travelled farther, and suffered and laboured more than all the other apostles, singly or together (2Co. 11:23). A veritable king of men, his moral majesty will, before this voyage ends, assert itself, and place him, though now a prisoner, high in rank above all on board ship beside him. The finest qualities of good men are evoked by situations of trial, as the stars shine clearest in the darkest nights.

(2) Along with him voyaged certain other prisoners who, for various offences laid to their charge, some probably as imaginary as those advanced against the apostle, were being despatched to Rome for trial before the emperors tribunal. That it was customary so to ship accused persons to the capital Josephus (Life, 3) has shown, by relating how he himself, when a young man, was wrecked in the Adriatic when proceeding to Rome for the purpose of defending certain priests of his acquaintance, and very excellent persons they were, whom on a small and trifling occasion he (Felix) had put into bonds and sent to Rome to plead their cause before Csar.

2. The centurion.

(1) As to his identity, he was probably the Julius Priscus mentioned by Tacitus as a Prtorian officer, who may have been despatched on some imperial errand to Palestine, and to whom the company of prisoners was entrusted.
(2) As to the Augustan cohort or troop of the Emperor (Ramsay) to which he belonged, the different views stated in the Critical Remarks are all worthy of consideration, though the likeliest makes him a commander either in Neros or the procurators body-guard. Never before had Julius been entrusted with so remarkable a prisoner as Paula prisoner of Jesus Christ rather than of Csar. Had he known that Paul was the servant of a more exalted king than Nero, an officer in a more distinguished army than that of the Augustan band, and journeyed to Rome on a more important mission than that which had brought him to Palestine, he would have hesitated before taking up such a charge as had been thrust upon him. Could he have understood the gospel of which Paul was the bearer, he would have learnt that not Paul, but he, was the real prisoner.
3. The fellow-voyagers. These were certainly two.

(1) Luke, the writer of the Acts, who, in resuming the first person at this point in his narrative, gives his readers to understand that in all that relates to the voyage Romeward he writes as an eyewitness. The detailed account which Luke furnishes of this voyage reveals the estimate which Luke had of its importance, in the providence of God, as a link in the chain of events which brought Paul to the capital of the world.

(2) Aristarchus of Thessalonica (Act. 27:2), who had probably been with, or near Paul during his two years imprisonment at Csarea and may have been now returning home to Macedonia, though the subsequent alteration of plan on the part of Julius (Act. 27:6) led to his being carried on to Rome. It would not be difficult for either Luke or Aristarchus to get a berth on board Pauls ship. Christ can raise up friends for His people in the darkest hour. Note.The opinion here expressed is not that of Professor Ramsay (St. Paul, etc., p. 316), who thinks that Luke and Aristarchus would not find it easy to obtain a passage in the corn-ship, and must have accompanied Paul as slaves, not merely performing the duties of slaves, but actually passing as slaves, and that in this way not merely had Paul faithful friends always beside him, but his importance in the eyes of the centurion would be much enhanced. The Professor, however, must surely have a different conception of Pauls character from the present writer, if he believes that Paul would assent to so much deception on the part either of himself or others.

II. The ships.

1. A ship of Adramyttium. Adramyttium, on the coast of Mysia, and opposite Lesbos, was then a flourishing city; though no antiquities have been found on its site except a few coins. The selection of this vessel, apparently engaged in the coasting trade, was due to the two facts

(1) that direct communication between Csarea and Rome was at that time irregular, and
(2) that the ship of Adramyttium was on the eve of sailing (see Critical Remarks). At Adramyttium, should they reach itwhich they never didit would most likely be Julius purpose to tranship himself and prisoners into another craft going west, across the gean, or, to take the overland route described below. How frequently in life are mans plans overturned! Man proposes, but God disposes.
2. A ship of Alexandria. On reaching Myra, in the south of Lyciaor rather, since Myra stood back two or three miles from the coast, on casting anchor in the port of Myra, Andriace, which has been identified as the bay of Andrakithe centurion, no doubt counting himself fortunate, fell in with a larger vessel, an Alexandrian corn-ship, in those days much esteemed for its size and sea-going qualities, on her way to Italy, to which he forthwith transferred himself and party. At this point Besser well remarks: Had not another than the chief officer of the imperial troops lifted Paul and his companions into the ship, the whole ships company would have come to grief. By this trans-shipment the number of souls on board, including crew and passengers, was brought up to two hundred and seventy-sixnot an unlikely figure when it is remembered that the ship in which Josephus was wrecked contained six hundred persons (Life, 3). The ship must thus have been about the size of the largest merchant vessels of modern times. (See Critical Remarks.) That she was carrying corn from Alexandria receives explanation from the well-known fact that at that time Egypt was the granary of the world. If she left Alexandria about the beginning of August, when grain cargoes from Upper Egypt were usually shipped at that port, she might easily have reached Myra towards the end of the month, or beginning of September, and been found lying in the harbour, detained by contrary winds, when Pauls ship arrived. The west wind which enabled the Adramyttium vessel to tack along from Csarea to Myra might have forced the Alexandrian merchantman to hold due north till she found shelter in Myra (see Conybeare and Howson, The Life and Epistles of St. Paul, ii. 337).

III. The voyage.

1. Its destination. Rome (see on Act. 28:16). Both Jehovah and Julius concurred in this. Both were conducting the apostle thitherward, but for different ends. The way thither also God had arranged, not Julius. Julius plan was first to sail to Adramyttium, and then proceed to Romeeither by sailing from that port, or by the overland route, the great Via Egnatia from Neapolis through Philippi, Thessalonica, and the Macedonian towns to Dyrrachium, the port for Brundusium (Lewin). Jehovah, however, altered that at Myra, and put the centurion, with his company, on board the corn-ship of Alexandria. Then, Julius expected, it may well be assumed, to sail direct to the port of Rome. But again Jehovah interfered. Julius and his fellow-voyagers had to drift about the Mediterranean and be wrecked at Malta before the voyage ended. Again, Man proposes but God disposes, and none but God can count on working out the counsel of his own will (Dan. 4:35; Eph. 1:11).

2. Its stages.

(1) From Csarea, or Port Sebastus, which was left in August, A.D. 58, to Sidon. On Csarea see Act. 12:19. The latter city, Sidon, upon the Assyrian inscriptions Sidunu, had anciently one of the finest harbours in the East. The rival of Tyre (Act. 21:3), it was, in Pauls day, celebrated for its wealth and commerce. The present-day Saida, built upon the site of the old town, is pleasantly situated at the foot of the snow-capped Lebanon, and is surrounded by a circle of orchards, whose fruit is far-famed (Riehms Handwrterbuch des Biblischen Altertums; art. Sidon). Its distance from Csarea, sixty-seven miles, with a favourable wind, might easily have been accomplished in a day. The ship having cast anchor in the harbour during the time in which the captain was transacting his business, either putting out or taking in cargo, an operation which occupied some hours, the centurion permitted Paul to go ashore, in company, of course, with a guard, and visit such friends as he had in the town. The narrative, it has been pointed out (Hackett), tacitly assumes that Paul had informed the centurion he had Christian brethren in Sidon, which Lukes narrative, indeed, in its earlier parts (Act. 11:19, Act. 21:4), renders highly probable. Pauls object in making their acquaintance may have been to offer them some word of exhortation, but was more likely, as Luke states, to refresh himself, or receive attention from themi.e., obtain from them a supply of such things as he might need upon the journey (Holtzmann).

(2) From Sidon to Myra. The direct course would have run to the southward of Cyprus, but as the wind continued westerly, the ship steered in a northerly direction, passing Cyprus, not upon the right (Meyer), but upon the left (see Critical Remarks), sailing under the lee of the long island, from Salamis to the promontory of Dinaretium, rounding which it headed westward before a land breeze usually prevailing along the coast of Asia Minor, till it had crossed the Sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, and landed at Myra (see above).
(3) From Myra to the Fair Havens. How long the voyagers stayed in the Lycian harbour of Andriace is not reported. Probably not more than a day. Having embarked on board the Alexandrian corn-ship above described, Julius and his company proceeded on their voyage, but so slowly that it took them many days to reach Cnidus, distant not more than a hundred and thirty miles from Myra. This slow progress was, doubtless, owing to a contrary wind from the north-west which ordinarily prevails in the Archipelago during the summer months (Pliny says it blows for forty days from the beginning of August), and which, though it permitted the ship to work up to Cnidus with difficulty, nevertheless rendered it impossible for her to proceed farther in that direction. Having, therefore, stood away southward, or rather south-south-west to the easternmost point of Crete, she rounded that island and again commenced a struggle with wind and wave along its southern coast, till the harbour of Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea, was gained (see Critical Remarks).

Learn.

1. How all things are made to wait upon the servants of God. When Gods time was come for Paul to be despatched to Rome, ships were ready to convey him, friends and companions to cheer him, winds and waves to bear him along. More servants wait on man than hell take notice of (Herbert).
2. How God transforms mens plans to suit Himself. His own plans never change, but mens are often changed against their will. Julius route was altered, that Pauls character might be further revealed, that Paul might have Aristarchus company to Rome, that a great ship-load of immortal souls might have a better opportunity of hearing the gospel, and that Gods grace and glory might be seen in all.
3. How God conducts His people by devious paths and brings them into port by contrary winds. To few, one might almost say to none, is the voyage of life all smooth and pleasant sailing.

HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS

Act. 27:1. Pauls Voyage to Italy.

I. Determined by Festus.As to time and mannerthe procurator being probably guided in his judgment by the opinion of Agrippa and the presence of Julius, who was about to return to Rome.

II. Carried out by Julius.The shipmasters were his servants and instruments whom he used for the execution of his plans, which he formed and altered at will.

III. Over-ruled by God.Along the whole course of the voyage the hand of God can be seen interposing for higher purposes than those of either Festus or Julius. It was more God that was leading Paul to Rome than Festus that was sending him or Julius that was conducting him.

IV. Reported by Luke.The liveliness of the narration indicates the pen of an eyewitness, which could be no other than that of the good physician who accompanied the apostle (see Introduction).

V. Endorsed by Paul.The second epistle to Timothy, by attesting Pauls presence in Rome, shows the likelihood at least that this voyage was performed.

Act. 27:3. Pauls Friendsthe Sidonian believers.

I. The ground on which Paul claimed them as friends.Their Christian discipleship, which meant their common relationship to Jesus Christ, and as a consequence their common membership in Gods house.

II. The service Paul expected to receive at their hands.Refreshment, a supply of such things as might be needful for the voyage (see Jas. 2:16, and compare 2Ti. 4:13; 2Ti. 4:21).

III. The probability that Pauls expectations were fulfilled.Not simply because they were disciples, to whom his name would be well known, but because in all likelihood he had personal acquaintances among them, having recently been at Tyre (Act. 21:3) and at Ptolemais (Act. 21:7). Besides, he may have passed through Sidon when travelling with Barnabas from Antioch to Jerusalem (Act. 11:30; Act. 15:3).

Act. 27:4. Contrary Winds

I. Frequently occur on the voyage of life.

II. Are seldom agreeable to the voyagers.

III. Always useful, furthering the designs of the chief shipmaster, God.

Act. 27:8. The Fair Havens.

I. Many havens counted fair by man are incommodious to winter in.
II. One haven only is secure against lifes stormsthat of heaven.

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

g.

Preparations for leaving. Act. 27:1-2.

1

And 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

And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail unto the places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

1. Once again the pronoun we comes to the forefront. Luke has evidently been with Paul during the two years imprisonment in Caesarea. Some suggest that it was at this time that Luke wrote his former treatise. It could very well have been so.

Luke was not the only one to accompany the apostle on the trip . . . certain other prisoners were to go to Rome. Among them was Aristarchus, Pauls fellow-prisoner. The man into whose hands these persons were placed was named Julius. It is of interest to note that he was of that group who served as special cohort of the emperor. What more appropriate person to take Paul to the imperial city?

2. The ship in which they were to sail was from the little coastal town of Adramyttium. This town was located on the coast of Mysia. Evidently the boat on which they were to embark was one of the smaller local merchant vessels, and this was its return trip on its commercial run. The hope of Julius was that they would find another ship somewhere on the coast of Asia that was going to Rome, At any rate, baggage was packed and put on board and farewells were said at the dock, Maybe Philip, the evangelist, was in the group that waved farewell to the apostle and his companions.

If Rome were to be reached action must be taken. The time for sailing on the open sea was fast drawing to a close. According to the closest calculations it was late in the month of August when they put out from the harbor of Caesarea. Perchance the lateness of the season accounted for the willingness of Julius to sail on a vessel that was only going part of the way to their destination.

963.

What does the use of the pronoun we suggest?

964.

How does the former treatise enter the thought here?

965.

What do you know of Julius?

966.

Why take a ship that was not going all the way to Rome?

967.

Who might have been at the dock to say goodbye? Prove your answer.

968.

Why the haste at this time?

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

XXVII.

(1) Paul and certain other prisoners.The Greek for other implies that they were prisoners of a different class. It is probable, however, that they also had appealed to the emperor, as there would otherwise be no object in sending them to Rome.

A centurion of Augustus band.Literally, of the Sebaste. On the band or cohort as a subdivision of the Roman legion, see Note on Act. 10:1. Three different explanations have been given of the term translated Augustus. (1) The cohort may have consisted of soldiers levied in Sebaste (= Augusta) or Samaria. Josephus mentions a squadron of Sebastene cavalry (Ant. xx. 6, 1; xix. 9, 2), and there may have been a corresponding band of foot-soldiers. (2) Nero about this time had formed a kind of body-guard, consisting of some 3, 000 young men of the equestrian order, who accompanied him to games and spectacles, and whose chief business it was to applaud him in his speeches and recitations. To these he gave the name of Augustani (Tacit. Ann. xiv. 15; Sueton. Nero, c. 25), a term of which Sebastene would be the natural Greek equivalent. (3) A certain Julius Priscus appears in Tacit. Hist. ii. 92 as appointed by Vitellius to be one of the prefects of the Prtorian cohorts, which, as specially under the emperors personal command, might naturally be called by his name; and he has been conjecturally identified with the centurion here named. Of these, (2) seems the most probable, but it is not absolutely incompatible with (3). On this assumption, as it is not said that the cohort itself was at Csarea, it is possible that he may have accompanied Festus as an escort to his province, and was now returning to Rome.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Chapter 27

THE LAST JOURNEY BEGINS ( Act 27:1-8 )

27:1-8 When it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Cohort Augusta called Julius. When we had embarked upon a ship of Adramyttium, which was bound for the ports along the coast of Asia Minor, we set sail, and Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us. The next day we put in at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to visit his friends and to receive their attention. We put out from there and sailed under the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. When we had crossed the sea, coasting along the shores of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian vessel bound for Italy and embarked us on her. When we were making slow progress for many days and had with difficulty arrived off Cnidus, because the wind was unfavourable, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. With difficulty we sailed along the coast and reached a place called Fair Havens, to which the town of Lasea is near.

Paul has embarked upon his last journey. Two things must have lifted up his heart. One was the kindness of a stranger, for all through the voyage Julius, the Roman centurion, treated Paul with kindness and consideration which were more than mere courtesy. He is said to have belonged to the Augustan Cohort. That may have been a special corps acting as liaison officers between the Emperor and the provinces. If so, Julius must have been a man of long experience and with an excellent military record. It may well be that when Paul and Julius stood face to face one brave man recognized another. The other uplifting thing was the devotion of Aristarchus. It has been suggested that there was only one way in which Aristarchus could have accompanied Paul on this last journey and that was by enrolling himself as Paul’s slave. It is probable that Aristarchus chose to act as the slave of Paul rather than be separated from him–and loyalty can go no further than that.

The voyage began by coasting up to Sidon ( G4605) . The next port of call was Myra but things were difficult. The prevailing wind at that time of year was the west wind and they could make Myra only by slipping under Cyprus and then following a zigzag course up the coast. At Myra they found a ship from Alexandria bound for Rome. She would be a corn ship, for Egypt was the granary of Italy. If we look at the map we can see what a long way round she had to take; but the strong west winds made the direct journey impossible. After many days of beating against the wind she slipped under the lee of Crete and came to a little port called Fair Havens.

IN PERIL ON THE SEA ( Act 27:9-20 )

27:9-20 Since a considerable time had elapsed and since it was now no longer safe for sailing because the Fast was already past, Paul offered his advice. “Gentlemen,” he said, “I see that this voyage is going to be fraught with injury and much loss not only to the cargo and to the ship but also to our own lives.” But the centurion was persuaded by the master and the owner rather than by what Paul said. Since the harbour was not suitable to winter in, the majority proposed the plan of sailing from there, to see if they were able to reach Phoenice and to winter there. Phoenice is a harbour in Crete which faces south-west and north-west. When a light southerly wind blew they thought that their purpose was as good as achieved; so they weighed anchor and coasted close in along the shores of Crete. But soon a tempestuous wind called Euraquilo rushed down from it upon them. When the ship was caught by it and could not keep her head to the wind, we yielded to the wind and scudded before it. When we had run under the lee of a little island called Cauda we had great difficulty in getting the dinghy under control. They used their lifting tackle to get it on board and they trapped the ship. Because they were afraid that they would be cast on to the Syrtis Sands they loosed the gear and away they were driven. When they were making very heavy weather on the next day, they began to throw equipment overboard; and on the third day with their own hands they jettisoned the ship’s spare gear. When neither sun nor stars were seen for many days and a great storm was raging, at last all hope that we should be saved was taken away.

It is quite certain that Paul was the most experienced traveller on board that ship. The Fast referred to is the Jewish Day of Atonement and on that year it fell in the first half of October. According to the navigational practice of the time, sailing was considered doubtful after September and impossible by November. It has always to be remembered that the ancient ships had neither sextant nor compass and in cloudy and dark weather they had no means of finding their way. It was Paul’s advice that they should winter in Fair Havens where they were. As we have seen, the ship was an Alexandrian corn ship. The owner would be rather the contractor who was bringing the cargo of corn to Rome. The centurion, being the senior officer on board, had the last word. It is significant that Paul, the prisoner under arrest, was allowed his say when counsel was being taken. But Fair Havens was not a very good harbour nor was it near any sizeable town where the winter days might be passed by the crew; so the centurion rejected Paul’s advice and took the advice of the master and the contractor to sail farther along the coast to Phoenice where there was a more commodious harbour and a bigger town.

A very unexpected south wind made the plan seem easy; and then struck the terrible wind from the north-east. It was a gale and the peril was that if they could not control the ship they would inevitably be blown on the Syrtis Sands off North Africa which were the graveyard of many a ship. (They have been called “The Goodwin Sands of the Mediterranean.”) By this time they had managed to get the dinghy, which had been towed behind, on board, in case it should either become water-logged or dashed to pieces against the ship. They began to throw out all spare gear to lighten the ship. With the stars and the sun shut out, they did not know where they were and the terror of the Syrtis Sands gripped them so that they abandoned hope.

BE OF GOOD CHEER ( Act 27:21-26 )

27:21-26 Since they had been without food for a long time Paul stood up in the midst of them and said, “Gentlemen, you should have obeyed me and you should not have sailed from Crete and so you would have avoided this injury and loss. So now I advise you to keep your hearts up. There will be no loss of life among you, but only the ship. For this night there stood beside me the Angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, saying, ‘Have no fear, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and lo, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’ So, gentlemen, be in good heart! For I trust God that things will turn out as it has been told to me; but we must be cast upon an island.”

The peril of the ship was by this time desperate. These corn ships were not small. They could be as large as 140 feet long and 36 feet wide and of 33 feet draught. But in a storm they had certain grave disadvantages. They were the same at the bow as at the stern, except that the stern was swept up like a goose’s neck. They had no rudder like a modern ship, but were steered with two great paddles coming out from the stern on each side. They were, therefore, hard to manage. Further, they had only one mast and on that mast one great square sail, made sometimes of linen and sometimes of stitched hides. With a sail like that they could not sail into the wind. Worst of all, the single mast and the great sail put such a strain on the ship’s timbers in a gale that often they started so that the ship foundered. It was to avoid this that they trapped the ship. That means that they passed hawsers under the ship and drew them tight with their winches so that they held the ship together like a tied up parcel.

It can easily be seen what peril they were in. Then an amazing thing happened. Paul took command; the prisoner became the captain, for he was the only man with any courage left.

It is told that on one of his voyages the crew of Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s ship were terrified; they felt that they were sailing right out of the world in the mists and the storms and the unknown seas. They asked him to turn back. He would not do it. “I am as near to God by sea,” he said, “as ever I was by land.” The man of God is the man whose courage stands when terror invades the hearts of others.

HOPING FOR THE DAY ( Act 27:27-38 )

27:27-38 When the fourteenth night came and we were drifting across in the Adriatic, in the middle of the night the sailors suspected that some land was approaching them. They took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. Since they were afraid that they would be cast up on rough places they cast four anchors out of the stern and hoped for the day. When the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and were lowering the dinghy into the sea on the pretext of being about to send out anchors from the bow, Paul said to the centurion, “If these do not stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” Then the soldiers cut the dinghy’s ropes and let her fall away. When it was nearly day, Paul urged all of them to take some food. “Today,” he said, “is the fourteenth day you have spent waiting without food and have taken nothing. So I urge you to take some food for this is for your health; for not a hair of the head of anyone of you will be lost.” When he had said this and then had taken bread, he gave thanks to God before them all and broke it and began to eat. All of them were in good heart and took food. And we who were in the ship were two hundred and seventy-six souls in all; and, when they were satisfied with food, they lightened the ship by casting the corn into the sea.

By this time they had lost all control of the ship. She was drifting, broadside on, across the Adriatic; and they could not tell where they were. In the darkness they heard the crash of breakers on some distant shore; they cast out sea anchors from the stern to slacken the drifting speed of the ship in order to prevent being cast on the rocks that they could not see. It was then that Paul took the action of a commander. The sailors planned to sail away in the dinghy, which would have been quite useless for two hundred and seventy-six people; but Paul frustrated their plan. The ship’s company must sink or swim together. Next comes a most human and suggestive episode. Paul insisted that they should eat. He was a visionary man of God; but he was also an intensely practical man. He had not the slightest doubt that God would do his part but he also knew that they must do theirs. Paul was not one of those people who “were so heavenly minded that they were of no earthly use.” He knew that hungry men are not efficient men; and so he gathered the ship’s company around him and made them eat.

As we read the narrative, into the tempest there seems to come a strange calm. The man of God has somehow made others sure that God is in charge of things. The most useful people in the world are those who, being themselves calm, bring to others the secret of confidence. Paul was like that; and every follower of Jesus ought to be steadfast when others are in turmoil.

ESCAPE FROM THE DEEP ( Act 27:39-44 )

27:39-44 When day came they did not recognize the land; but they saw a bay with a beach, on which they purposed, if it was possible, to run the ship ashore. They loosed the anchors and let them go into the sea and at the same time they loosed the lashings of the rudder paddles, and they set the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. When they were cast into a place where two seas met, they beached the ship; and the bow remained fast and immovable but the stern was being broken up by the surf. The soldiers had a plan to kill the prisoners for fear any should swim away and escape; but the centurion, wishing to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose. He ordered those who could swim to throw themselves overboard first and to get to land; as for the rest, he ordered some to go on planks and some on pieces of the ship. So it happened that all came safely to land.

Once again the fine character of this Roman centurion stands out. The soldiers wished to kill the prisoners to prevent possible escape. It is difficult to blame them, because it was Roman law that if a man escaped, his guard must undergo the penalty intended for the escaped prisoner. But the centurion stepped in and saved Paul’s life and the other prisoners with him. So this tremendous story comes to an end with a sentence which is like a sigh of relief. The ship’s company was saved; and they owed their lives to Paul.

-Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)

Fuente: Barclay Daily Study Bible

VII. PAUL IN ROUTE FOR ROME AT ROME, Act 27:1; Act 28:31.

1. In the Adramyttine ship to Myra , Act 27:1-5 .

1. And No packet ships or steamers in this, the palmy time of imperial Rome, crossed the sea at regular intervals, but the waters had been cleared of pirates, and from various directions a plentiful current of commerce tended to the Roman capital. Even consuls and emperors were obliged in crossing the sea to avail themselves of the merchant vessels, which were of a size hardly inferior to the same class of ships at the present day.

Other prisoners From all the provinces appellants and accused parties were constantly going to the imperial bar; some were of honourable character; but from the political and domestic troubles of Palestine, Paul, with his faithful Luke and Aristarchus, probably found himself in an unsympathizing crowd of insurgents, robbers, and sicarii.

Julius Augustus’ band It has been plausibly conjectured that this band was a detachment from the pretorian guards, attached to the person of the governor at Cesarea, and thence Julius is identified with the Julius Priscus who, according to Tacitus, rose from his present rank of centurion to be pretorian prefect at Rome. When Paul pleaded before Agrippa no one of the military officers lower than chiliarch seems to have been present; but the centurion could hardly have been unaware of that occasion, or unknowing that Paul was no ordinary prisoner. He may even have formed the acquaintance of Paul during the two years of his imprisonment. Hence, from the first he receives marked deference from Julius, and finally becomes virtually commander of the entire body.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

PART THIRD.

CHRISTIANITY AMONG THE GENTILES. From Chapter Act 13:1, to End of Acts.

Through the remainder of his work Luke’s subject is the evangelization of the Gentiles, and his hero is Paul. His field is western Asia and Europe; his terminal point is Rome, and the work is the laying the foundation of modern Christendom. At every point, even at Rome, Luke is careful to note the Gospel offer to the Jews, and how the main share reject, and a remnant only is saved. And thus it appears that Luke’s steadily maintained object is to describe the transfer of the kingdom of God from one people to all peoples.

I. PAUL’S FIRST MISSION From Antioch, through Cyprus, into Asia, as far as Lystra and Derbe, thence back to Antioch, Act 13:1 Act 14:28.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘And 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.’

No time notice is given but in the end a determination was made to send Paul to Rome. We will never know what Festus finally put in his correspondence with Caesar as to the charge laid against Paul. But accompanying Paul was Luke (‘we’), together with Aristarchus (Act 19:29; Act 20:4; Col 4:10; Phm 1:24). Both accompanied him to Rome. We may surmise that Luke went along as his physician, and Aristarchus as his servant, which would give them official positions. There may possibly have been other companions, and there were some other fellow-prisoners. There may have been three or more. In charge of the prisoners was a centurion named Julius. The ‘Augustan band’ might have been a cohort of auxiliaries, as legionary cohorts were not usually given names. Alternately they may have been a special group used for this kind of work, possibly originally set up by Augustus.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

A Series of Maritime Stages and Examples of Prophecy ( Act 27:10 ; Act 27:21-26 ) On The Way To Rome (27.l-26).

This series of ‘maritime stages’ on a voyage parallels that in Act 21:1-16. That one led up to Jerusalem. This one takes Paul away from Jerusalem towards Rome. In both passages God’s active presence in what is happening is emphasised by the acts of prophecy which occur.

Again the detail is given of the detailed stages of the journey. This was partly because the writer was with them on it, but the paralleling suggests that in each case there is also the purpose of introducing into the narrative the idea of a slow and inexorable progression towards the fulfilment of God’s purpose. They (and his readers) have much time in which to consider their future before arrival at Rome.

In the parallel this journeying was interrupted by the gathering of the Ephesian elders at Miletus in order to consider the trials and troubles ahead for the church. Here it is interrupted by a storm and by shipwreck which almost sweep all away. Spiritual parallels are clearly intended to be drawn.

There is thus in this chapter a picture of the church. It commences with making fairly smooth headway, it then runs into storms, and it ends with those involved enduring to the end and being saved by the grace of God. This would also be the future of the church in Ephesus (Act 20:17-38; compare Rev 2:1-7) and of all churches. It is with much tribulation that we will enter the Kingly Rule of God (Act 14:22).

There is also a message concerning Paul. The way ahead may at first seem smooth, but ahead lay storms. However, God is with him. Even when things seem hopeless God will deliver him and bring him safely through.

But finally, and most importantly in the context of the book, is that in this storm was to be seen the attempt of Satan to prevent Paul reaching Rome. He had at last caught on to the fact that God had outmanoeuvred him, and he tries to destroy Paul (compare Job 1:19). But he was too late. And his failure is symbolised in the snake which attaches itself to Paul and is cast into the fire without harming him (Act 28:3-6). Luke’s readers would recognise the connection.

The Maritime Stages (Act 27:1-13).

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

PAUL’S JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM AND THEN TO ROME (19:21-28:31).

Here we begin a new section of Acts. It commences with Paul’s purposing to go to Jerusalem, followed by an incident, which, while it brings to the conclusion his ministry in Ephesus, very much introduces the new section. From this point on all changes. Paul’s ‘journey to Jerusalem’ and then to Rome has begun, with Paul driven along by the Holy Spirit.

The ending of the previous section as suggested by the closing summary in Act 19:20 (see introduction), together with a clear reference in Act 19:21 to the new direction in which Paul’s thinking is taking him, both emphasise that this is a new section leading up to his arrival in Rome. Just as Jesus had previously ‘changed direction’ in Luke when He set His face to go to Jerusalem (Luk 9:51), so it was to be with Paul now as he too sets his face towards Jerusalem. It is possibly not without significance that Jesus’ ‘journey’ also began after a major confrontation with evil spirits, which included an example of one who used the name of Jesus while not being a recognised disciple (compare Act 19:12-19 with Luk 9:37-50).

From this point on Paul’s purposing in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem on his way to Rome takes possession of the narrative (Act 19:21; Act 20:16; Act 20:22-23; Act 21:10-13; Act 21:17), and it will be followed by the Journey to Rome itself. And this whole journey is deliberately seen by Luke as commencing from Ephesus, a major centre of idolatry and the of Imperial cult, where there is uproar and Paul is restricted from preaching, and as, in contrast, deliberately ending with the triumph of a pure, unadulterated Apostolic ministry in Rome where all is quiet and he can preach without restriction. We can contrast with this how initially in Section 1 the commission commenced in a pure and unadulterated fashion in Jerusalem (Act 1:3-9) and ended in idolatry in Caesarea (Act 12:20-23). This is now the reverse the same thing in reverse.

Looked at from this point of view we could briefly summarise Acts in three major sections as follows:

The Great Commission is given in Jerusalem in the purity and triumph of Jesus’ resurrection and enthronement as King. The word powerfully goes out to Jerusalem and to its surrounding area, and then in an initial outreach to the Gentiles. Jerusalem reject their Messiah and opt for an earthly ruler whose acceptance of divine honours results in judgment (Act 19:1-12).

The word goes out triumphantly to the Dispersion and the Gentiles and it is confirmed that they will not be required to be circumcised or conform to the detailed Jewish traditions contained in what is described as ‘the Law of Moses’ (Act 13:1 to Act 19:20).

Paul’s journey to Rome commences amidst rampant idolatry and glorying in the royal rule of Artemis and Rome, and comes to completion with Paul, the Apostle, triumphantly proclaiming Jesus Christ and the Kingly Rule of God from his own house in Rome (Act 19:21 to Act 28:31).

It will be seen by this that with this final section the great commission has in Luke’s eyes been virtually carried out. Apostolic witness has been established in the centre of the Roman world itself and will now reach out to every part of that world, and the command ‘You shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth’ is on the point of fulfilment.

This final section, in which Paul will make his testimony to the resurrection before kings and rulers, may be analysed as follows.

a Satan counterattacks against Paul’s too successful Ministry in Ephesus and throughout Asia Minor and causes uproar resulting in his ministry being unsuccessfully attacked by the worshippers of ‘Artemis (Diana) of the Ephesians’. This city, with its three ‘temple-keepers’ for the Temple of Artemis and the two Imperial Cult Temples, is symbolic of the political and religious alliance between idolatry and Rome which has nothing to offer but greed and verbosity. It expresses the essence of the kingly rule of Rome. And here God’s triumph in Asia over those Temples has been pictured in terms of wholesale desertion of the Temple of Artemis (mention of the emperor cult would have been foolish) by those who have become Christians and will in the parallel below be contrasted and compared with Paul freely proclaiming the Kingly Rule of God in Rome (Act 19:21-41).

b Paul’s progress towards Jerusalem is diverted because of further threats and he meets with disciples for seven days at Troas (Act 20:1-6).

c The final voyage commences and a great sign is given of God’s presence with Paul. Eutychus is raised from the dead (Act 20:7-12).

d Paul speaks to the elders from the church at Ephesus who meet him at Miletus and he gives warning of the dangers of spiritual catastrophe ahead and turns them to the word of His grace. If they obey Him all will be saved (Act 20:13-38).

e A series of maritime stages, and of prophecy (Act 19:4; Act 19:11), which reveals that God is with Paul (Act 21:1-16).

f Paul proves his true dedication in Jerusalem and his conformity with the Law and does nothing that is worthy of death but the doors of the Temple are closed against him (Act 21:17-30).

g Paul is arrested and gives his testimony of his commissioning by the risen Jesus (Act 21:31 to Act 22:29).

h Paul appears before the Sanhedrin and points to the hope of the resurrection (Act 22:30 to Act 23:9).

i He is rescued by the chief captain and is informed by the Lord that as he has testified in Jerusalem so he will testify in Rome (Act 23:11).

j The Jews plan an ambush, which is thwarted by Paul’s nephew (Act 23:12-25).

k Paul is sent to Felix, to Caesarea (Act 23:26-35).

l Paul makes his defence before Felix stressing the hope of the resurrection (Act 24:1-22).

k Paul is kept at Felix’ pleasure for two years (with opportunities in Caesarea) (Act 24:23-27).

j The Jews plan to ambush Paul again, an attempt which is thwarted by Festus (Act 25:1-5).

i Paul appears before Festus and appeals to Caesar. To Rome he will go (Act 25:6-12).

h Paul is brought before Agrippa and gives his testimony stressing his hope in the resurrection (Act 25:23 to Act 26:8).

g Paul gives his testimony concerning his commissioning by the risen Jesus (Act 26:9-23).

f Paul is declared to have done nothing worthy of death and thus to have conformed to the Law, but King Herod Agrippa II closes his heart against his message (Act 26:28-32).

e A series of maritime stages and of prophecy (Act 19:10; Act 19:21-26) which confirms that God is with Paul (27.l-26).

d Paul speaks to those at sea, warning of the dangers of physical catastrophe ahead unless they obey God’s words. If they obey Him all will be delivered (Act 27:27-44).

c Paul is delivered from death through snakebite and Publius’ father and others are healed, which are the signs of God’s presence with him, and the voyage comes to an end after these great signs have been given (Act 28:1-13).

b Paul meets with disciples for seven days at Puteoli and then at the Appii Forum (Act 28:14-15).

a Paul commences his ministry in Rome where, living in quietness, he has clear course to proclaim the Kingly Rule of God (Act 28:16-31).

Thus in ‘a’ the section commences at the very centre of idolatry which symbolises with its three temples (depicted in terms of the Temple of Artemis) the political and religious power of Rome, the kingly rule of Rome, which is being undermined by the Good News which has ‘almost spread throughout all Asia’ involving ‘much people’. It begins with uproar and an attempt to prevent the spread of the Good News and reveals the ultimate emptiness of that religion. All they can do is shout slogans including the name of Artemis, but though they shout it long and loud that name has no power and results in a rebuke from their ruler. In the parallel the section ends with quiet effectiveness and the Good News of the Kingly Rule of God being given free rein. This is in reverse to section 1 which commenced with the call to proclaim the Good News of the Kingly Rule of God (Act 1:3) and ended with the collapse of the kingly rule of Israel through pride and idolatry (Act 12:20-23).

In ‘b’ Paul meets with God’s people for ‘seven days, the divinely perfect period, at the commencement of his journey, and then in the parallel he again meets with the people of God for ‘seven days’ at the end of his journey. Wherever he goes, there are the people of God.

In ‘c’ God reveals that His presence is with Paul by the raising of the dead, and in the parallel His presence by protection from the Snake and the healing of Publius.

In ‘d’ we have a significant parallel between Paul’s warning of the need for the church at Ephesus to avoid spiritual catastrophe through ‘the word of His grace’ and in the parallel ‘d’ the experience of being saved from a great storm through His gracious word, but only if they are obedient to it, which results in deliverance for all.

In ‘e’ and its parallel we have Paul’s voyages, each accompanied by prophecy indicating God’s continuing concern for Paul.

In ‘f’ Paul proves his dedication and that he is free from all charges that he is not faithful to the Law of Moses, and in the parallel Agrippa II confirms him to be free of all guilt.

In ‘g’ Paul give his testimony concerning receiving his commission from the risen Jesus, and in the parallel this testimony is repeated and the commission expanded.

In ‘h’ Paul proclaims the hope of the resurrection before the Sanhedrin, and in the parallel he proclaims the hope of the resurrection before Felix, Agrippa and the gathered Gentiles.

In ‘i’ the Lord tells him that he will testify at Rome, while in the parallel the procurator Festus declares that he will testify at Rome. God’s will is carried out by the Roman power.

In ‘ j’ a determined plan by the Jews to ambush Paul and kill him is thwarted, and in the parallel a further ambush two years later is thwarted. God is continually watching over Paul.

In ‘k’ Paul is sent to Felix, to Caesarea, the chief city of Palestine, and in the parallel spends two years there with access given to the ‘his friends’ so that he can freely minister.

In ‘l’ we have the central point around which all revolves. Paul declares to Felix and the elders of Jerusalem the hope of the resurrection of both the just and the unjust in accordance with the Scriptures.

It will be noted that the central part of this chiasmus is built around the hope of the resurrection which is mentioned three times, first in ‘h’, then centrally in ‘l’ and then again in ‘h’, and these are sandwiched between two descriptions of Paul’s commissioning by the risen Jesus (in ‘g’ and in the parallel ‘g’). The defeat of idolatry and the proclamation of the Kingly Rule of God have as their central cause the hope of the resurrection and the revelation of the risen Jesus.

We must now look at the section in more detail.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Paul Sails for Rome Act 27:1-12 gives us the account of how Paul and the others embarked on the long voyage for Rome.

Act 27:2 “one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica” Comments – In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, which he would later write from prison, he warmly refers to Aristarchus as “my fellowprisoner” (Col 4:10). This must include a reference to the incredible voyage that they experienced together, as they became life-long friends during this journey.

Col 4:10, “Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)”

Act 27:9 Comments Heinrich Meyer says the fast in Act 27:9 refers to the Day of Atonement when the nation of Israel afflicted their souls by fasting for a day (Lev 16:29-31; Lev 23:27). [321] The Day of Atonement took place on the tenth day of the seventh Jewish month called Tisri, which is equivalent to late September or early October on the Roman calendar used today. [322] This time of change in seasons was subject to storm, which made sailing in the Mediterranean dangerous.

[321] Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer, Critical and Exegetical Handbook to the Acts of the Apostles, vol. 2, trans. Paton J. Gloag and William P Dickson, in Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Edinburgh, T. & T. Clark, 1877), 291-292.

[322] Albert Barnes, Acts, in Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database (Seattle, WA: Hendrickson Publishers Inc., 1997), in P.C. Study Bible, v. 3.1 [CD-ROM] (Seattle, WA: Biblesoft Inc., 1993-2000), comments on Acts 27:9.

Lev 16:29-31, “And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.”

Lev 23:27, “Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.”

Act 27:10 Comments – In the midst of life’s storms, the Lord will always speak to us if we will listen. In this situation, the Lord spoke His will through Paul the apostle, but the centurion chose to believe circumstances instead of Paul’s words and when a soft wind blew (Act 27:13), the men in charge of the ship made their decision to sail. So often in life’s storms, people tend to make decisions based upon circumstances instead of taking the time to wait upon the Lord and listen to His divine direction. There is always trouble for those who do not find God’s direction in the midst of troubled times.

Kenneth Hagin uses this verse as an excellent illustration of someone being led by his inward witness. Paul did not say that an angel appeared to me or that the Lord spoke to him, but he says that he heart perceives a truth about the voyage. [323]

[323] Kenneth Hagin, Following God’s Plan For Your Life (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Faith Library Publications, c1993, 1994), 101.

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

The Church’s Organization (Perseverance): The Witness of the Church Growth to the Ends of the Earth Act 13:1 to Act 28:29 begins another major division of the book of Acts in that it serves as the testimony of the expansion of the early Church to the ends of the earth through the ministry of Paul the apostle, which was in fulfillment of Jesus’ command to the apostles at His ascension, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Act 1:8) However, to reach this goal, it required a life of perseverance in the midst of persecutions and hardship, as well as the establishment of an organized church and its offices.

Outline – Here is a proposed outline:

1. Witness of Paul’s First Missionary Journey (A.D. 45-47) Act 13:1 to Act 14:28

2. Witness to Church at Jerusalem of Gospel to Gentiles (A.D. 50) Act 15:1-35

3. Witness of Paul’s Second Missionary Journey (A.D. 51-54) Act 15:36 to Act 18:22

4. Witness of Paul’s Third Missionary Journey (A.D. 54-58) Act 18:23 to Act 20:38

5. Witness of Paul’s Arrest and Trials (A.D. 58-60) Act 21:1 to Act 26:32

6. Witness of Paul’s Journey to Rome (A.D. 60) Act 27:1 to Act 28:29

A Description of Paul’s Ministry – Paul’s missionary journeys recorded Acts 13-28 can be chacterized in two verses from 2Ti 2:8-9, in which Paul describes his ministry to the Gentiles as having suffered as an evil doer, but glorying in the fact that the Word of God is not bound.

2Ti 2:8-9, “Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.”

Paul followed the same principle of church growth mentioned in Act 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” He first placed churches in key cities in Asia Minor. We later read in Act 19:10 where he and his ministry team preaches “so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks”.

Act 19:10, “And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.”

In Rom 15:20-28 Paul said that he strived to preach where no other man had preached, and having no place left in Macedonia and Asia Minor, he looked towards Rome, and later towards Spain.

Rom 15:20, “Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:”

Rom 15:23-24, “But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you; Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.”

Rom 15:28, “When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.”

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

Witness of Paul’s Arrest, Imprisonment, and Trials (A.D. 58-62) The final major division of the book of Acts (Act 21:1 to Act 28:31) serves as Luke’s testimony of the arrest and trials of Paul the apostle, his trip by sea to Rome, and preparation for a hearing before the Roman emperor, the highest court in the Roman Empire. G. H. C. MacGregor notes that this large portion of material devoted to Paul’s arrest, imprisonment and journey to Rome fills about one fourth of the book of Acts. He suggests several reasons. (1) Luke was an Eyewitness of these Events Luke was an eye witness of these dramatic events of Paul’s arrest, trials and journey to Rome. The nature of such events must have created a strong impact upon his life. (2) The Gospels are Structured with a Similar Disproportion of Jesus’ Arrest, Passion and Resurrection – By comparing this large portion of material to a similar structure in the Gospels, MacGregor suggests that Luke draws a parallel plot with the story of Paul. (3) Luke is Writing an Apology for Paul Many scholars believe Luke is writing an apology in defense of Paul. MacGregor bases this view upon the five speeches of Paul’s defense that are recorded in this section of Acts: Paul’s speech to the Jewish mob (Act 22:3-21), to the Sanhedrin (Act 23:1-6), to Felix, the Roman governor (Act 24:10-21), to Festus, the Roman governor (Act 25:8-11), and to King Herod (Act 26:2-23). A number of scholars support the proposition that the impetus behind these events was an effort to legalize Christianity in the Roman Empire, which leads to the suggestion that Luke-Acts was prepared by Luke as a legal brief in anticipation of Paul’s trial before the Roman court. MacGregor argues that this motif is woven throughout Paul’s missionary journeys when Luke carefully records his encounters with Roman authorities in various cities. He notes that Luke records statements by Lysias, Festus, and Felix regarding the failure by the Jews to prove Paul’s guilt under Roman Law. He adds that Luke ends the book by portraying Paul as a peaceful man entertaining guests while imprisoned in Rome, in stark contrast to the zealous violence of the Jews that Rome was accustomed to encountering. [258] We may add that Luke’s opening to his Gospel and Acts serve as a petition to Theophilus.

[258] G. H. C. MacGregor and Theodore P. Ferris, The Acts of the Apostles, in The Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 9, ed. George A. Buttrick (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1954), 284-285.

The accounts of Paul’s five trials and apologetic speeches recorded in Act 21:1 to Act 26:32 show that Paul had exhausted the judicial systems in Palestine, both Jewish and Roman, before departing for Rome. In each of these trials, Luke proves Paul’s innocence. The only court left was an appeal to the highest court in Rome. These five trials serve as a testimony that Paul had a legal right to appeal unto Caesar, and that he was beyond doubt innocent of his allegations by the Jews.

One more important aspect of this passage is that divine oracles are embedded within the narrative material of Act 21:1 to Act 28:31. For example, Paul received divine oracles from the seven daughters of Philip the evangelist and the prophet Agabus (Act 21:8); he testifies of his divine vision on the road to Damascus and of the prophecy of Ananias (Act 22:6-16); Luke records Paul’s angelic visitation while in prison at Caesarea (Act 23:11); Paul testifies again of his divine vision on the road to Damascus (Act 26:12-19); Luke records Paul’s angelic visitation at sea (Act 27:20-26).

Outline – Here is a proposed outline to Act 21:1 to Act 28:31:

1. Prophecies of Paul’s Arrest in Jerusalem Act 21:1-14

2. Paul’s Arrest and First Speech to Jewish Mob Act 21:15 to Act 22:29

3. Paul’s Second Speech Before the Sanhedrin Act 22:30 to Act 23:35

4. Paul’s Third Speech Before Felix the Governor Act 24:1-27

5. Paul’s Fourth Speech Before Festus the Governor Act 25:1-12

6. Paul’s Fifth Speech Before King Agrippa Act 25:13 to Act 26:32

7. The Witness of Paul’s Trip to Rome Act 27:1 to Act 28:29

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

The Witness of Paul’s Journey to Rome (A.D. 60-62) – Act 27:1 to Act 28:29 gives us the testimony of Paul’s perilous journey to Rome by sea which many scholars estimate took place around A.D. 60. This was not Paul’s first shipwreck. His second epistle to the Corinthians, written prior to his arrest in Jerusalem, testifies of three shipwrecks that he suffered as well as a night and a day floating in the sea (2Co 11:25). Thus, we can assume that the shipwreck recorded in Acts is Paul’s fourth life-threatening experience at sea.

2Co 11:25, “Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;”

Luke organizes the narrative material of Paul’s arrest, trials, and journey to Rome (Act 21:1 to Act 28:31) as testimony of Paul’s innocence, perhaps as a legal brief to be presented at Paul’s first trial in Rome. Paul has been brought to trial five times leading up to his journey by sea to Rome. Within this context, this narrative account in the book of Acts records at least three events that testify to Paul’s innocence. He is visited by an angel in the midst of the storm, he is bitten by a snake and suffers no harm, and he is given liberty in Rome to minister to those who visit him.

Outline – Here is a proposed outline of Act 27:1 to Act 28:29

1. Paul Sails for Rome Act 27:1-12

2. The Storm at Sea Act 27:13-38

3. The Shipwreck Act 27:39-44

4. Paul on the Island of Malta Act 28:1-10

5. Paul Arrives in Rome Act 28:11-16

6. Paul Ministers in Rome Act 28:17-29

The Historical Details Provided in the Account of Paul’s Voyage to Rome – This story of Paul’s voyage and shipwreck at sea provides more detail about ancient navigation than any other work of Latin or Greek literature. It reveals the historical reliability of the book of Acts as well as the support that the author of Acts was an eyewitness of this event. No less than sixteen technical terms are used by Luke to describe the navigation and management of an ancient ship at sea, all of them found to be accurate. Luke is also accurate is his description of the locations of numerous islands and cities that were encountered on this voyage.

The Time of Year When Paul Sailed to Rome – It becomes clear in these final two chapters that Paul embarked on this journey by sea during the late fall or early winter months (Act 27:9). Most shipping ceases in the Mediterranean Sea during the winter because of the unpredictable weather conditions.

Act 27:9, “Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,”

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

The Voyage from Caesarea to Melita.

From Caesarea to Fair Havens:

v. 1. And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band.

v. 2. And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia, one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

v. 3. And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.

v. 4. And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

v. 5. And when we had sailed over these a of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra. a city of Lycia.

v. 6. And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.

v. 7. And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;

v. 8. and, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called the Fair Havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.

The hearing before Agrippa, which gave him as well as Festus the conviction that. Paul was innocent of any offense against the empire, had one good result: it ended the uncertainty of the Caesarean imprisonment. It was determined that the trip to Italy, for which several routes were open, should be made entirely by sea. Luke here, as the text shows, again joined the company of Paul. He had probably spent the intervening two years in gathering the material which was later, under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, used in his gospel. Paul and certain other prisoners were committed to the charge of a centurion by the name of Julius, an officer of the imperial guard, or cohort, a body of soldiers that bore the emperor’s name and was probably used for confidential business between Rome and the provinces. Since they were in somewhat of a hurry, they did not wait for the coming of a large vessel. hut embarked in a ship from Adramyttium, that is, from the port of Adramyttium, a harbor on the coast of Mysia, not far from Troas. This was a coastwise sailboat, engaged in local freight trade, bound for the seaports of Asia Minor. The intention of Julius was to be on the lookout for a larger vessel that was going directly to Italy. An expectation which could hardly fail of fulfillment. Paul not only had Luke as a companion, but also Aristarchus of Thessalonica, one of the men that had come up to Jerusalem with him, chap. 20:4. The fact that this man later is called a fellow-prisoner of Paul, Col 4:10, docs not argue that he made the trip with Paul in that capacity. The chances are that. Luke would have mentioned the fact of his being a prisoner, had this been his condition at the time. By the next day the boat had made a run along the coast of almost seventy miles and put in at Sidon, the former capital of Phoenicia, superseded as the commercial metropolis by Tyre. Here Julius gave the first evidence of the respect and friendly feeling which he showed to Paul on the entire voyage: he treated him kindly, having probably received instructions from Festus to that effect and himself being impressed by the personal character and conduct of Paul. Probably with the soldier to whom he was chained, the apostle received permission to go to his friends in the city, the brethren of the local congregation, and to receive their care. He may not exactly have been in need of medical care, but the kind words of his fellow-Christians at this time were undoubtedly north more to Paul than any mere entertainment for his benefit. After the business of the master of the vessel had been concluded at this port. they put to sea from there and sailed along below Cyprus, under the lee of this large island in the eastern Mediterranean. This made it necessary for the ship to sail around the long peninsula which juts out toward Syria, instead of cutting straight across the Mediterranean south of the island. But the winds were adverse. Having rounded the northeastern extremity of Cyprus, the ship crept along slowly from point to point along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, “using the local land breezes when possible, and the current constantly running to the westward along the southern coast. ” in this way they reached the harbor of Myra, on the southern coast of Lycia, one of the great ports in the corn trade between Egypt and Rome. The centurion therefore found here a ship from Alexandria in Egypt, apparently a grain ship bound for Italy, and he transferred his prisoners and their friends to this larger merchant-vessel, put them on board, in the fond belief that the remainder of the voyage could now easily be accomplished. But for quite a number of days they made slow headway, reaching a point off Cnidus, a city on the coast of Caria, only with considerable difficulty, and were unable to enter. The wind still hindering their progress across the Aegean Sea, they turned to the south, to try the course in the lee of the island of Crete, which they reached off Cape Salmone, on the eastern extremity. And even here they sailed along the southern side of the island only with difficulty, until they reached a certain place called Fair Havens, about in the center of the southern coast, the city of Lasea being near it. The start from Caesarea having been made in the late summer or early fall of the year 59 or 60, winter was now approaching, and shipping was becoming dangerous.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

EXPOSITION

Act 27:1

For, for into, A.V.; to a centurion named Julius of the Augustan band for unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus‘ band, A.V. That we should sail. Observe the “we,” denoting that Luke was of the party. Connecting it with the “we” of Act 21:17, the inference is obvious that Luke was with Paul through the whole of these two eventful years, and that it is to this presence that we owe the detailed circumstantial narrative of Acts 21-28., as well as, perhaps, the composition of St. Luke’s Gospel, for which the two years at Caesarea afforded an admirable opportunity. The Augustan band; or, cohort (); as Act 10:1 (where see note). This , cohors Augusta, was probably one of the five cohorts stationed at Caesarea, consisting of auxiliary troops (though Alford does not think so). Its name “Augustan” was given, after the analogy of the Augustan legion, just as there was an “Italian band” as well as two or three “Italian legions.” It has been conjectured (Kuinoel, in loc.), indeed, that the name may rather be taken flora Sebaste, Samaria, as consisting of Samaritans, seeing that Josephus (‘Bell. Jud.,’ 2. 12.5) actually mentions a troop of cavalry ( ) called the troop of Sebaste. But the Greek name is , not , which latter designation is not supported by any similar example (Meyer).

Act 27:2

Embarking in for entering into, A.V.; which was about to sail unto the places on the coasts of Asia, we put to sea for we launched, meaning to sail by the coast of Asia, A.V. and T.R.; Aristarchus for one Aristarchus, A.V. Adramyttium (now Adramyti, where ships are still built), on the north-western coast of Asia Minor, south of Troas, on the gulf opposite which lies the island of Lesbos, was a place of considerable trade, situated on the great Roman road which connected the Hellespont with Ephesus and Miletus. Which was about to sail; (not , as in the T.R.), describing the ship as a coasting-vessel, trading between Adramyttium and other ports on the coast of Asia. She was now on her homeward voyage. Aristarchus. He is first mentioned in Act 19:29, as a Macedonian, and one of Paul’s companions at Ephesus, pro-badly, therefore, the fruit of his first visit to Thessalonica. We find him again with St. Paul on his last journey from Corinth to Asia (Act 20:4), and we gather from the present notice of him that he kept with him till he arrived at Jerusalem, and followed him to Caesarea. It would appear at first sight, from Col 4:10, that he not only stayed with St. Paul during his two years’ imprisonment at Rome, but was his “fellow-prisoner,” if at least the word is to be taken literally. This, however, is very doubtful, because in the Epistle to the Romans (Rom 16:7) St. Paul calls Andronicus and Junius his “fellow-prisoners,” though he was not then in prison himself; and also because, in the Epistle to Philemon (23, 24), he gives this epithet to Epaphras, with the addition (“my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus”), and does not give it to Aristarchus, who is named in the same sentence as his (see Bishop Lightfoot, on Col 4:10, and Bishop Ellicott, on ibid.). If is to be taken of a bodily captivity, nothing is known of the occasion which gave rise to it in the case of any of the persons to whom it is applied.

Act 27:3

Treated Paul kindly for courteously entreated Paul, A.V.; leave for liberty, A.V.; and refresh for to refresh, A.V. We touched; (as Luk 5:11; Act 21:3; Act 28:12) of coming from the sea to land, contrasted with in Act 27:2 and Act 27:4 () of going out to sea (as Luk 8:22; Act 13:13; Act 16:11; Act 18:21; Act 21:1, Act 21:2; and frequently in this chapter). At Sidon; where doubtless there were disciples, as well as at Tyre (Act 21:4), though there is no special mention of such. Paul was glad to have an opportunity of visiting them while the ship was stopping there to unload, and set down and take up passengers; and Julius, perhaps by the orders of Festus and Agrippa, and also from the influence Paul’s character and conduct had on him (comp. Dan 1:9), courteously gave him leave to land, probably accompanied by a soldier. And refresh himself; literally, to meet with care. occurs only here in the New Testament, but is found in 1 Mace. Act 16:14; Act 2:1-47 Mace. Act 11:23, and is frequent in Xenophon and other classical writers, by whom it is used with , as here. Luke also uses the verb (Luk 10:34, Luk 10:35); and (Luk 15:8). It is in very common use among medical writers for the care and attention required by the sick. It is very probable that St. Paul was suffering from his long confinement at Caesarea, and that the here mentioned has reference to his invalid state.

Act 27:4

Putting to sea (, see Act 27:3, note) for when we had launched, A.V.; under the lee of for under, A.V. We sailed under the lee of; , only here and Act 27:7. A nautical term, very rarely met with. The winds were contrary. The wind apparently was westerly, the prevalent wind at that season of the year. Smith (‘Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul’) quotes Admiral De Saumarez as writing from near Cyprus, “The westerly winds invariably prevail at this season;” and M. De Page, a French navigator, as saying, “The winds from the west which prevail in these places (Cyprus) forced us to run to the north.” This is exactly what the ship in which Paul sailed did. Instead of going in a westerly direction, and leaving Cyprus on her right, she turned due north, having Cyprus on her left. It was now late in August.

Act 27:5

Across for over, A.V.; which is off for of, A.V. ( .). Across the sea. When they got under the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, they found the northerly wind, as M. De Pages did, and that enabled them to take a westerly course to Myra, a seaport in Lycia. The modern Turkish name of Myra is Dembre. (For an account and drawings of the wonderful rock-tombs of Myra, see Fellows’s ‘Lycia,’ Act 9:1-43.)

Act 27:6

For, for into, A.V. He put us therein; , only here in the New Testament, and once in the LXX. (Pro 4:11). It is a nautical term for embarking men on board ship (Thucydides, Xenophon, Lucian, etc.), and is also used by medical writers for “placing patients in a bath.” The corn-vessel (naris frumentaria) from Alexandria to Italy may very probably have been driven out of its direct course by the same contrary winds which forced St. Paul to sail under Cyprus, or commercial objects may have brought it to Lycia, to carry Asiatic merchandize to Rome, in addition to its cargo of Egyptian wheatpossibly “timber from the woody mountains of Lycia”.

Act 27:7

Were come with difficulty for scarce were come, A.V.; further suffering for suffering, A.V.; under the lee of for under, A.V. Had sailed slowly (, only here). They were evidently sailing near the wind, and would have to tack frequently. They made in many days no more progress (some hundred and thirty miles) than they would have made in twenty-four hours with a favorable wind. With difficulty () they could only just manage to do it, the wind not suffering them ( , here only). When they had with great difficulty got as far as over against Cnidus, on the coast of Carla, the north wind which caught them made it impossible to go further north. Accordingly they struck nearly due south, and bore down upon Crete, and passing Cape Salmone, its eastern extremity, they came along the southern side of the island.

Act 27:8

With difficulty coasting along it for hardly passing it, A.V.; we came for came, A.V.; a certain place called for a place which is called, A.V.; Fair for the Fair, A.V. With difficulty coasting along it; , only here and Act 27:13. It is a nautical phrase, meaning to sail alongside of the coast. In Latin legere has the same meaning. The difficulty arose from their being under the lee of the island, which sheltered them from the north-west wind, but left them without any motive power. However, they managed to get as far as Fair Havens, where they anchored in the roadstead so called, near to an obscure and otherwise unknown town called Lasea, possibly the same as Lasos, mentioned by Pliny as one of the inland cities of Crete (‘Nat. Hist.,’ 4. 12.20), or as Elaea (ibid.).

Act 27:9

And for now, A.V.; the voyage for when sailing, A.V.; gone by for past, A.V. Much time ( ). The word is very frequently used by St. Luke, both in the Gospel and the Acts, for “much,” “many,” or “long,” but the exact quantity of time, or words, or people, etc., indicated is of course relative to what might reasonably be expected in each case. Judas of Galilee (Act 5:37) drew “much” people after him; the Jews at Damascus conspired to kill Saul after “many” days were fulfilled (Act 9:23); Paul and Barnabas abode “long time” at Iconium (Act 14:3); Paul talked a “long” while at Tress (Act 20:3); and they sailed slowly off the coast of Asia “many” days (verse 7); the length, i.e. the “sufficiency” () must depend in each case upon the standard by which it is measured. Here “much time,” measured by the common experience of sailing-vessels waiting for a favorable wind, may mean one or two weeks. It is more natural to apply the phrase to the time of their detention at Fair Havens, than, as Meyer and others do, to the time that elapsed since they sailed from Caesarea. The voyage was now dangerous ( , a late form for the older ). Dangerous; ,, only here in the New Testament, and in Wis. 9:14; also occasionally in classical authors, but very frequently in medical writers. The Fast. The great Jewish fast on the Day of Atonement, in the month Tisri, which fell this year on September 24 (Lewin and Farrar), probably while they were at Fair Havens. The Jews considered navigation unsafe between the Feast of Tabernacles (five days after the Day of Atonement) and the Feast of Pentecost. It became, therefore, a very serious question what they were to do. Fair Havens was an inconvenient anchorage for the winter, and not near any large town. On the other hand, if they passed beyond the shelter of Cape Matala, which lay a few miles to the east, and where the coast of Crete suddenly trends due north, they would be exposed to the violence of the Eterian westerly wind. They called St. Paul into their counsels. Admonished them; , only here and verse 22. In classical Greek used especially of advice given by a speaker in a public speech. In medical writers it expresses the advice given by a physician to his patient.

Act 27:10

The, for this, A.V.; injury for hurt, A.V.; loss for damage, A.V.; the ship for ship, A.V. Sirs, I perceive; etc. St. Paul’s opinion and reasons are evidently not fully given; only the result, that he strongly advised against the course to which they were inclined, and foretold disaster as likely to ensue from it. I perceive (), as Joh 4:19; Joh 12:19; Act 17:22. In all these places something actually seen or heard leads to the inference or conclusion stated. So here the angry state of the weather and of the seaperhaps they had walked as far as Cape Matala, and seen the rough wavesconvinced him of the rashness of the enterprise contemplated. Injury (, and at Act 17:21); literally, violence, rough usageproperly of persons to persons (as 2Co 12:10), but metaphorically here transferred to inanimate objects. Compare the use of (Mat 22:6; Luk 18:32; Act 14:5; 1Th 2:2), and the phrases (Pindar), (Anthol.), (Josephus), quoted in Kninoel and Meyer. Meyer’s explanation of , as meaning “presumption” or “temerity” on the part of the navigators, is quite inadmissible, especially in view of Act 17:21. Also of our lives. Observe the thorough honesty of the historian who thus records the words of the apostle, though they were not justified by the event (Act 17:22, Act 17:24).

Act 27:11

But for nevertheless, A.V.; gave more heed to for believed, A.V.; to the owner for the owner, A.V.; than to for more than, A.V. The master (), in the sense of “a commander of a trading-ship” (Johnson’s ‘Dictionary’); i.e. the navigator and helmsman, in Latin magister naris. The owner (). The owner, no doubt, of the cargo as well as of the ship itself: (Hesych.); (Ammonius). The and the are often mentioned together; e.g. in Plutarch, Artemidorus, quoted by Alford, Kuinoel, etc.

Act 27:12

Put to sea from thence for depart thence also, A.V. and T.R.; could reach Phoenix for might attain to Phenice, A.V.; winter there for there to winter, A.V.; a haven for an haven, A.V.; looking north-east and south-east for and lieth toward the south-west and north-west, A.V. Not commodious; (not well placed, or disposed), only here. But the simple is used twice by St. Luke (Luk 9:62; Luk 14:35), in the sense of “fit” (also Heb 6:7), and is of frequent use in medical writers, for “convenient,“ “well adapted to,“ and the like. To put to sea (); see verse 3, note. Reach; , only in the Acts (frequently) and in St. Paul’s Epistles. It is generally, if not always, used of coming from the higher to the lower place, and from the sea to the land (see Act 16:1; Act 18:19, Act 18:24; Act 20:15; Act 21:7; Act 28:13, etc.). Phoenix. It is variously written Phoenicus, Phoenice, and Phoenix; and probably derived its name from the palm tree, (), which is indigenous in Crete. It is identified with almost certainty with the modern Lutro or Loutro, which is both “an admirable harbor,” situated exactly where Phoenice ought to be, and further by its proximity to a village called Aradhene, and another called Anopolis, shown to be the same as. Phoenix, or Phenice, which is described m ancient writers (Hierocles and Stephanus of Byzantium) as identical with or close to Aradhena and Anopolls (the upper city). Winter; , so too Act 28:11; 1Co 16:6; Tit 3:12, and in this verse. It is found also in classical writers. Looking north-east and south-east. The margin of the R.V. has “Greek, down the southwest wind, and down the north-west.“ This phrase has caused considerable perplexity to commentators. To say, as a recommendation of a harbor for winter quarters, that it lies or looks toward the south-west and north-west, and consequently is exposed to the most furious winter storms, is obviously impossible. If Phoenix was open to the south-west and the north-west, it would not be as commodius a place to winter in as Fair Havens was which was sheltered by Cape Matala. Two methods, therefore, have been adopted of explaining the phrase so as to make it give a reasonable sense. One, that adopted by Dean Howson and Bishop Wordsworth, viz. that it looks southwest and north-west, from the point of view of the sailor, or any one approaching it from the sea, the object upon which it looks being the land which locks it in and shelters it. The other is that supported by Alford, and adopted by the R.V., and rests upon the observation that and are not points or’ the compass, but the names of the south-west and north-west winds, and that to look down () a wind is the same as looking down a stream. If the harbour looks down the south-west wind it looks toward the north-east, and if it looks down the north-west wind it looks toward the southeast. Its open side would be from northeast to south-east, it would be entirely sheltered on the south-west and north-west side. This is the explanation adopted also by Dean Plumptre. The south-west wind; , only here in the New Testament, but frequent in classical Greek and in the LXX.. As a point of the compass, it is the rendering of (Gen 13:14, etc.), (Num 2:10, etc.), of (Deu 33:23). The north-west wind; (the Latin Caurus or Corus), only here in the New Testament, and not found in Greek writers.

Act 27:13

They weighed anchor and for loosing thence, they, A.V.; along Crete, close in shore for close by Crete, A.V. Blew softly; , only hero in the New Testament, and not found elsewhere. Supposing that they had obtained their purpose. A south wind would be quite favorable for sailing east or east by north, from Fair Havens to Phoenix. They not unreasonably, therefore, thought they could effect their purpose of wintering at Phoenix. And so they at once weighed anchor; , without an objective case following, “having lifted up,” understand , as in Julius Pollux, quoted by Smith. It was the nautical phrase. Sailed along (); see Act 27:8, note. Close in shore (, comparative of , nearer, meaning “very near “). For the earlier part of their voyage they would be obliged to keep very near the shore, to enable them to weather Cape Matala, which lay a little to the south of west from Fair Havens. Some take as the name of a town on the coast, but the grammar of the sentence makes this impossible.

Act 27:14

After no long time for not long after, A.V.; beat down from for arose against, A.V.; which is called Euraquilo for called Euroclydon, A.V. and T.B. There beat down from it ( ). The meaning of this somewhat difficult phrase clearly is that given by Alford and Howson, and, on second thoughts, by Smith, viz. that a violent squall from the north-east beat down the heights and through the valleys of the island, becoming more violent when they had passed Cape Matala, and compelled them to alter their course, and run south-west before the wind towards the island of Clauda; in a neuter sense, “struck,” or “beat,” or “fell,” as in Homer (see Liddell and Scott). . Farrar thinks it “certain” that the right rendering is “against her,” viz. the ship, because could not be used with nothing to follow it,” 1.e. he thinks you must say something. But as is the word used for the ship, not , it seems very difficult to suppose that Luke could say , and not . It is better, therefore, to refer to , and either to understand it “down it,” like , “down the heights of Olympus;” , “down the rock,“ etc., or simply “against it,“ as in the A.V., which obviates Dr. Farrar’s objection. If taken in the sense of “down” there is the same idea of a squall “rushing down” from the hills into the lake, in Luk 8:23; and again in Luk 8:33 of the same chapter St. Luke tells us how the swine rushed , “down the steep,” into the lake. A tempestuous wind; , only here, and not found in Greek writers; but the substantive , is common for a “furious storm” or “whirlwind.” Euraquilo. Compoundedafter the analogy of Euronotus, the south-east windof Eurus, the east wind, and Aquilo, the north wind, both Latin words (like Corns, in verse 12), though Eurus is also Greek. This reading of the R.T. is supported by the Vulgate, and by “Lachmann, Bornemann, Ewald, J. Smith, Hackett, Bentley, Olshausen, after Erasmus, Grotius, Mill, Bengel, and others” (Meyer), and by Wordsworth, Alford, Liddell and Scott, Factor. On the other hand, Meyer, Tischendorf, Dean Howson, and others support the reading of the T.R. , and Lewis is doubtful. The derivation of Euroelydon would be from , and , a wave. Whatever its name was, it must have been a north-easter. Psa 107:25 naturally arises to one’s remembrance, with its fine description of a storm at sea.

Act 27:15

Face the wind for bear up into the wind, A.V.; gave way to it, and were driven for let her drive, A.V. Was caught; , only here in this sense of being caught and carried away by the gale, but used in three other places by St. Luke (and only by him), viz. Luk 8:29; Act 6:12; Act 19:29. It is found more than once in the LXX., and is common in classical Greek. Sophocles uses it of a storm which carries everything away, . Face; , only here in the New Testament; but in Polybius and elsewhere it is said or’ looking any one in the face with defiance. And so Wis. 12:14; Ecclesiasticus 19:5 (Complut. Edit.), , “resisteth pleasures,” A.V. Compare the phrase, “looked one another in the face” (2Ki 14:8, 2Ki 14:11, ). Hence here it means simply “resist,” or “stand against,” or, as well rendered in the R.V., “face.” Gave way to it, etc.; , a rather obscure phrase, but best explained “giving her” (the ship) to the wind, “we were carried” rapidly before it. , is to give, to give up, to give into any one’s hand (Luk 4:17; Act 15:30). is opposed to , giving up to, abandoning her to, as opposed to resisting. , we were hurried along before the wind, without will or choice of our own (as verse 17). Common in Homer and other classical writers, for being borne along by wind, or waves, or storm, etc. (For the application of in the middle voice to a wind, see Act 2:2.)

Act 27:16

Under the lee of for under, A.V.; small for certain, A.V. (); called Cauda for which is called Clauda, A.V. and T.R; were able, with difficulty, to secure for had much work to come by, A.V. Running under the lee of; , only here in the New Testament, but common in classical Greek for “running under” or “between.” (For the use of in compound in the sense of “under the lee of,” see Act 27:7.) Cauda, or Caudos, as it is called by Pomp. Mela (2. 7)and Pliny (‘Nat. Hist.,’ 4. 12. 20), the modern Gozzo. Ptolemy (Act 3:7) calls it Claudus. The manuscripts greatly vary. Clauda, or Cauda, was about twenty-three miles south-west of Crete. With difficulty (, as in Act 27:7, Act 27:8). To secure the boat. The boat was doubtless being towed astern. But in the violence of the storm, there was a danger every moment of her being parted from the ship by the snapping of the hawser, or by being broken by the waves, and it was impossible to take her up. Under the lee of the little island, however, the sea was somewhat quieter; and so after greater efforts they secured the boat, and, as it is said in the next verse, “hoisted it up” on to the deck.

Act 27:17

And when they had hoisted it up for which when they had taken up, A.V.; be cast upon the Syrtis for fall into the quick-sands, A.V.; they lowered the gear for strake sail, A.V. Helps; , in the New Testament only here and Heb 4:16; but frequent in medical language, for “bandages, “ligaments,” “muscles,” and all kinds of supports both artificial and natural, and generally to medical aid. Undergirding the ship; , only here in the Bible; but found, as well as its derivative , in classical Greek, in the same sense as it has here. In medical language it is used of certain membranes which “under gird” and so strengthen and hold together certain parts of the human body, and specially was applied to the . As regards the nautical sense in which St. Luke here uses the word, Dean Howson, in his excellent chapter (23.) on the ‘Navigation and Ships of the Ancients,’ writes as follows:”In consequence of the extreme danger to which the ships of the ancients were exposed from leaking, it was customary to take to sea, as part of their ordinary gear, , undergirders, which were simply ropes for passing round the hull of the ship, and thus preventing the planks from starting;” and he adds in a note that “within the last twenty years marble tables had been dug up in the Piraeus, containing a list of Athenian ships and an inventory of their tackle, and that they all carried, as part of their “hanging gear,” . Another great ship described by Athenaeus carried twelve such. The operation of undergirding is still occasionally performed, and is called by seamen “frapping.” The German word is umgurten (Howson). Among ether recent examples the Albion was frapped with iron chains after the battle of Navarino. Cast upon the Syrtis. The wind was driving them straight toward the Syrtis Major, “the Goodwin Sands of the Mediterranean” (Farrar), and another twenty-four hours of such a gale might bring them there. The Syrtis Major was a wide gulf off the northern coast of Africa, now the Gulf of Sidra, lying between Tunis and Tripoli, considered very dangerous from its rocks and shoals. Be east upon (). The verb is the classical word (Homer, Herodotus, Euripides) for being driven or thrown ashore, and is used in this sense in verses 26, 29 of this chapter, and in a slightly different sense in verse 32. They lowered the gear (). is a very common word, variously rendered “goods,” “stuff,” “vessel,” according to the material to which it is applied (Mat 12:29; Luk 8:16; Luk 17:31, etc.). In the LXX. it is used of agricultural implements (1Sa 13:20, 1Sa 13:21), of weapons of hunting (Gen 27:3), of household furniture (Gen 31:37), weapons of war (Deu 1:41), instruments of music (2Ch 5:13). This is the only passage in the Bible where it is used in its technical sense as a nautical term. In classical Greek, when applied generally to ships, it means the whole tackling, sails, ropes, yards, stores, engines, etc. The meaning, of course, is narrowed when applied to some particular part of the ship. Here, on the whole, it seems to mean the “great yard,” or, if that had been already lowered, the heavy “head-gear,” ropes, pulleys, and the like, which, under the circumstances, would contribute to make the ship roll and be unsteady. The word rendered “lowered” is . It is rendered “let down” in Mar 2:4; Luk 5:4, Luk 5:5; Act 9:25; 2Co 11:33; and 2Co 11:30 of this chapter (A.V.). In the R.V. it is sometimes rendered “let down” and sometimes “lowered.” In the LXX. it is used in the sense of “spreading” a sail (Isa 33:23), which would be equivalent to “let down,” if the sails were reefed at the top of the mast; and of “letting down” (Jer 38:6). The R.V., therefore, is correct. The object of what they did was to enable the ship to go as near the wind as possible, and with as little straining and rolling as possible. The operation is called by sailors “lying to.” Were driven (see 2Co 11:15).

Act 27:18

As we labored exceedingly for being exceedingly tossed, A.V.; the storm for a tempest, A.V.; began to throw the freight overboard for lightened the ship, A.V. Labored; , only here in the New Testament; but used by Plato, Thucydides, Diodorus Siculus, Josephus, and others, and especially by medical writers. It is the passive voice, and this is best expressed by the A.V. “tossed.” They began to throw, etc. The phrase is one of the technical phrases for taking a cargo out of a ship, given by Julius Pollux; (Alford, from Smith). It is also the phrase of the LXX. in Jon 1:5, . They began to expresses the imperfect. It is inferred from this, and the subsequent statement (verse 19) as to throwing overboard the tackling of the ship, that, in spite of the undergirding, the ship was leaking, and therefore heavy with water, and in danger of going down (comp. Jon 1:5). The freight here mentioned may have been heavy packages of merchandise other than the main cargo of wheat (see Jon 1:6, note).

Act 27:19

They for we, A.V. and T.R.; their for our, A.V. The third day after leaving Clanda. The leak doubtless con-tinned, and there was more water in the ship. With their (or, our) own hands; , only here in the Bible, but frequent in classical Greek. The word seems to mark that the sacrifice was very great, implying a very pressing danger. The tackling ( ). There is great difference of opinion as to what the means here. Smith thinks the main spar is meant, “the huge mainyard,” and Farrar adopts his view, which he thinks is strengthened by the use of the aorist (for he adopts the T.R.), implying one single act, and showing, by the use of the first person, that it was the act of the whole crew united. Alford thinks that it means all the furniture, beds, and movables of all kinds, and so Wordsworth and Meyer. Wetstein explains it of the passengers’ baggage. Howson thinks it unlikely they would have thrown away a great spar which would have supported twenty or thirty men in the water in the event of the ship foundering. Schleusner renders it “apparatus quo navis erat instructa.” is not used elsewhere in the New Testament, and it is difficult to speak decisively. But the addition of , and the general use of in classical Greek favors the interpretation “the ship’s furniture” (“meubles et ustensiles,” Renan).

Act 27:20

Shone upon us for many days for in many days appeared, A.V.; now for then, A.V. Neither sun nor stars, etc. This is mentioned, not only as a feature of the severity and length of the easterly gale (for the wind had shifted two or three points to the east), but specially because in the navigation of that time, before the invention of the compass, the sun, moon, and stars were the only things they had to steer by, or by which they could know the direction in which they were drifting. Shone upon us (); showed themselves; i.e. “appeared,” as in the A.V., which is the best rendering (romp. , the appearance, or Epiphany). Now. , and are used adverbially both in the New Testament and in classical Greek. It is sometimes rendered “now,” i.e. for the time that remains; and sometimes “henceforth;” sometimes “finally” (Mar 14:41; 2Ti 4:8; 2Co 13:11, etc.). It seems that sometimes is to be understood, and sometimes that it means “as for what remaineth” to be said or done (romp. the French du reste or au reste).

Act 27:21

And when they had been long without food for but after long abstinence, A.V. and T.R.; then Paul for Paul, A.V.; set sail for loosed, A.V.; and gotten for to have gained, A.V.; injury for harm, A.V. Long without food ( ). is only found here in the Bible; but it was the common medical term for loss of the appetite, and such is the most natural rendering here. There is nothing about “long abstinence” in the text, nor does the verb admit of being translated “when they had been.” It describes a present condition. The literal rendering is, when there was a great (or, general) loss of appetite among the crew. The terror, the discomfort, the sea-sickness, the constant pressure of danger and labor, the difficulty of cooking, the unpalatableness of the food, combined to take away relish of their food, and they were becoming weak for want of nourishment. Have gotten (). Schleusner, Bengel, Meyer, Alford, and the ‘Speaker’s Commentary’ explain this as equivalent to “have avoided,” or “have escaped,” and quote Josephus (‘Ant. Jud,’ 2. 3.2), , “To avoid staining their hands;” and ‘ Bell. Jud.,’ 2. 16.4 (towards the close of Agrippa’s speech), ,” You will gain (i.e. avoid) the disgrace of defeat,” like the use in Latin of lucrifacere. But it is simpler on the whole to understand it in the sense of “getting” as the fruit of your own conduct. We should say in English, “What have yon gained by this? Nothing but loss and shame.” Compare too the phrase (Rom 6:23). So Liddell and Scott give us one use of , to gain a loss, 1.e. reap disadvantage, and quote from Euripides, ‘Hecuba,’ 1. 518 (516, Scholefield), , “to gain double weeping.” Injury (); see Act 27:10, note. In the A.V. “to have gained” observe the same idiom as in Act 27:10, “and there to winter.”

Act 27:22

Life for any man‘s life, A.V.; but only for but, A.V, I exhort you to be of good cheer. Mr. Hobart remarks that this “has all the look of a doctor’s expression, being the term for a physician giving his advice,” and ” , and being used in medical language in reference to the sick keeping up their spirits, as opposed to and ” (see Act 27:25, note). Loss; , only here and Rom 11:15; but found in Plato, Aristotle, Josephus, Plutarch, etc. Mark how the message of mercy and love follows the chastisement and its fruit of self-humiliation. In their prosperity and self-confidence they rejected Paul’s word at Fair Havens; they listen to it at death’s door.

Act 27:23

An angel of the God whose I am, whom also for the angel of God, whose I am, and whom, A.V. and T.R. Observe Paul’s open confession of God before tile heathen crew.

Act 27:24

Stand for be brought, A.V.; granted for given, A.V. Stand; , the proper word for standing before a judge; comp. Rom 14:10, : and in the subscription to the Second Epistle to Timothy it is said that it was written “when Paul was brought before Nero the second time” (Greek, ). God hath granted, etc. Doubtless in answer to his prayers. Compare the opposite statement in Eze 14:14, Eze 14:16, Eze 14:18, Eze 14:20, “Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered themselves;” and see also Gen 18:26, Gen 18:32. Paul’s calm courage and kind words, added to the proof they had of his prescient wisdom, were well calculated to inspire the crew with a reverential trust in him, and to rekindle their extinguished hope.

Act 27:25

Even so for even, A.V.; hath been spoken unto me for was told me, A.V. Be of good cheer; , as Act 27:22; elsewhere only Jas 5:13, but we have verse 36 and Act 24:10; common in classical Greek and in medical language (see Act 24:22, note). Note how the servant of God has the light of hope and trust in the darkest night of danger and suffering (Psa 112:4, Psa 112:7; Psa 46:1-3). It shall be even so, etc. Compare for the lesson of faith in God’s promise, Luk 1:45, “There shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” “Lord, increase our faith.”

Act 27:26

We must be east, etc. (, Act 27:17, note). Here St. Paul speaks distinctly by revelation, probably what was told him by the angel. We can see the same purpose here as in all miracles and prophetic utterances, viz. to give God’s credentials to his ambassador as speaking in his Name and by his authority (Joh 20:31).

Act 27:27

To and fro for up and down, A.V.; the sea of Adria for Adria, A.V.; sailors for shipmen, A.V.; surmised for deemed, A.V.; were drawing for drew, A.V. The fourteenth night, reckoned from their leaving Fair Havens (so Act 27:18, Act 27:19). Driven to and fro (); it is rather carried across, or along, from one end to the other. Sea of Adria. Adria, as in the A.V., is scarcely correct, as a translation of the Greek (though the Latins did call it Adria), because the nominative case in Greek is , sc. , Adrias, the Adriatic Gulf. is the name of the town near the mouth of the Po, which gave its name to the Adriatic. As regards the use of term , the Adriatic, it is used in two ways: sometimes strictly of the Gulf of Venice, the Adriatic; sometimes, chiefly in latter writers, in a much wider sense, of the whole sea between Greece and Italy, including Sicily. This last is its use here. So, too, Josephus says that he was wrecked , in the midst of the Adriatic, on his voyage from Caesarea to Puteoli, and was picked up by a ship from Cyrene. This implies that he used the word “Adria“ in the same sense as St. Luke does. Surmised that they were drawing near. Probably from hearing the waves breaking upon the Point of Koura, east of St. Paul’s Bay. is only found in the Acts (Act 13:25; Act 25:18; and here); but it is used three or four times in the LXX. (Daniel, Job, Judith, Sirach), and is common in classical Greek in the sense of to “suspect, conjecture,” “guess at” anything (see , 1Ti 6:4). Were drawing near, etc.; literally, that some country (or, land) was drawing near to them. In like manner, the land is said , to recede, as the vessel gets out to sea.

Act 27:28

They sounded for sounded, A.V.; found for found it, A.V. (twice); after a little space for when they had gone a little further, A.V. After a little space ( ); literally, having interposed a short interval of time or space (comp. Luk 22:58, Luk 22:59, ..., and then follows “after an interval of about an hour”).

Act 27:29

And for then, A.V.; lest haply for lest, A.V.; be cast ashore on rocky ground for have fallen upon rocks, A.V.; let go for east, A.V.; from for out of, A.V. Cast ashore (see Act 27:17, note). Rocky ground ( ); Luk 3:5. The region of Trachonitis was so called from the rocky nature of the country , a rocky shore, Four anchors, “Naves quaternis anchoris destinabat no fluctibus moveretur” (Caesar, ‘De Bell. Cir.,’ 1.25). From the stern. Anchors are usually dropped from the bow, but under certain circumstances ships anchor from the stern. The British navy so anchored at the battles of the Nile, Algiers, and Copenhagen, and it is a earn-men practice of the Levantine caiques at the present day; and an ancient picture of a ship (at Herculaneum) distinctly represents “hawse-holes aft to fit them for anchoring by the stern.” They did so in the present case, to obviate the danger of the ship swinging round and getting into breakers, and also that she might be in the best position for running on to the beach as soon as daylight came.

Act 27:30

Sailors for shipmen, A.V.; seeking for about, A.V.; and had lowered for when they had let down, A.V.; lay out for have east, A.V.; from for out of, A.V. Had lowered (, see Act 27:17, note). The sailors thought the only chance of safety was to get into the boat and run ashore on the beach. They pretended, therefore, that they wished to let down more anchors from the bow; and let down the boat, as if with that intention, being prepared to jump in and make for the shore, leaving the ship to be wrecked, with all on board her. What a contrast to the conduct of our English crews, who are always the last to quit a sinking vessel!

Act 27:31

Paul said. It is remarkable what ascendency Paul had gained during this terrible fortnight. He now penetrated in a moment the design of the selfish sailors, and, with his wonted decision, told the centurion, who was in command of the whole party (Act 27:11), and who, it is likely, had iris soldiers on deck to preserve order and discipline. Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. The is emphatic, you yourselves.

Act 27:32

Cut away for cut off, A.V. Fall off (, Act 27:17, note, Act 27:26, Act 27:29). The action of the soldiers in cutting the rope and letting the boat loose was very prompt, but rather rash, as the boat might have been useful in landing those on board. But it showed their implicit confidence in Paul’s word.

Act 27:33

Some food for meat, A.V.; wait and continue for have tarried and continued, A.V. All; including the treacherous sailors whose plot he had just defeated. Having taken nothing; not meaning that they had literally been fourteen days without tasting food, which is impossible; but that they had no regular meals, only snatching a mouthful now and then in the midst of their incessant toil.

Act 27:34

Beseech for pray, A.V.; food for meat, A.V.; safety for health, A.V.; a hair for an hair, A.V.; perish for fall, A.V. and T.R. Take; here in the R.T. instead of of the T.R. Your safety; or, health; i.e. for the preservation of your lives in the impending struggle. Not a hair perish; or, according to the T.R., fall. It is uncertain whether (R.T.) or (T.R.) is the right reading. The Hebrew proverb, as contained in 1Sa 14:11; I Kings 1:52, is, “fall to the earth’ or “ground:” (or, or ) (LXX.). In Luk 21:18, it is (comp. Luk 12:7). Absolute and complete safety is meant. He still speaks as a prophet.

Act 27:35

Said this for thus spoken, A.V.; and had taken for he took, A.V.; he gave for and gave, A.V.; the presence of all for presence of them all, A.V.; he brake for when he had broken, A.V.; and began for he began, A.V. Had taken bread, etc. The concurrence of the words , , which all occur in the institution of the Holy Eucharist (Luk 22:19), is certainly, as Bishop Wordsworth says, remarkable. But there is the same similarity of phrase (except that is used for in the first passage) in Mat 14:19 and Mat 15:36, and therefore the conclusion to be drawn is that St. Paul’s action and words were the same as those of our Lord, as far as the breaking bread and giving thanks and eating, went, which were common to both occasions; but in the institution of the sacrament the words “This is my body” were additional, and represented an additional and sacramental truth. Observe, again, the devout confession of the living God in the presence of unbelieving men (Mat 15:23, Mat 15:24).

Act 27:36

Themselves also took food for they also took some meat, A.V. Of good cheer (); see above, Act 27:22, Act 27:25, notes.

Act 27:37

We were in all, etc. From the number of persons, two hundred and seventy- six, on board the ship it is calculated that she was of more than five hundred ions burden. The ship in which Josephus was wrecked on his way to Rome, under the procuratorship of Felix ( ), carried six hundred souls (‘Life,’ sect. 3). The ship of Alexandria described by Lucian is calculated to have been of above a thousand tons. The mention of the number brings before us a striking picture of so many persons at St. Paul’s bidding, in the midst of so great a danger, taking a cheerful and leisurely meal together, in dependence upon a speedy deliverance promised to them in God s Name. It also adds another vivid touch to the picture of the eye-witness of what he relates. Dean Plumptre well suggests that St. Luke very likely counted the crew on the. occasion of their being all assembled together for the first time.

Act 27:38

Throwing out for and cast out, A.V. They lightened the ship; , only here in the New Testament; but it is the technical word for lightening a ship so as to keep her afloat. So in Polybius, 1:39, : and Jon 1:5, “They cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them ( “ (see verse 18, note). is one of the technical expressions for taking cargo out of a ship, given by Julius Pollux (Smith), The wheat ( ). There is a difference of opinion as to what St. Luke here means by . Meyer and others think it was merely “the ship’s provision,” and that, considering the number of persons in the ship, and the little consumption during the last fortnight, the weight of what was left would be considerable. They add that the cargo had been already thrown overboard in verse 18. Others, as Howson, following Smith and Penroso, Farrar, Lewin, and many older commentators, with more reason, understand “the wheat” to mean the ship’s cargo from Alexandria to Rome; they think it had been impossible to get at it while the ship was drifting; and that, even had it been possible, it was the last thing they would have recourse to. But now, when it was impossible to save the ship, and the only chance of saving their lives was to run her on the beach, it was an absolute necessity to lighten the ship as much as possible. They therefore cast her freight of Alexandrian corn into the sea, and waited for daylight (see note to verse 18).

Act 27:39

Perceived for discovered, A.V.; bay with a beach for creek with a shore, A.V.; and they took counsel whether they could drive the ship upon it for into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship, A.V. They knew not the land. It was seven miles from the harbor of Valetta, and a part of the island not likely to have been visited by the sailors, and presenting no marked features by which they would recognize it. A certain bay with a beach; , a level pebbly or sandy beach (Mat 13:2; Act 21:5; and Act 21:40), as opposed to , a high rugged coast ( , etc., Homer). They took counsel whether they could drive, etc. The rendering of the A.V. is surely infinitely better than the R.V. The meaning of , both in the New Testament and in classical Greek, is frequently and properly “to determine,” “to resolve” or “purpose” (see Act 5:33; Act 15:37, note; 2Co 1:17; and Liddell and Scott’s ‘Lexicon ‘); and the order of the words here suits the rendering of the A.V. much better than that of the R.V., which would require , instead of … The Revisionists seem to have been misled by the resemblance of Luk 14:31. Drive; ,, the technical word for driving a ship ashore (Thucyd., Luk 2:10, etc.). It only occurs in the New Testament here, and in a different sense in Act 7:45. It is not uncommon in the LXX. as the rendering of and (see Deu 13:3; 2Sa 14:13; Jer 49:36. [LXX., 26.] etc.).

Act 27:40

Casting off for when they had taken up, A.V.; they left them in the sea for they committed themselves unto the sea, A.V.; at the same time loosing the bands of the rudders for and loosed the rudder bands, A.V.; hoisting for hoised, A.V.; foresail for mainsail, A.V.; for the beach for toward shore, A.V. This verse, so obscure before, has been made intelligible by the masterly labors of Smith, of Jordan Hill. We will first explain the separate words. Casting off (). The verb occurs in Act 27:20; in 2Co 3:16; and in Heb 10:11; and in all those passages is rendered “taken away.” So also in the LXX., where it is of frequent use, it means “take away,” “put away,” “remove,“ and the like. In classical Greek it means to “take away,” “take off,” “strip off.” Here, then, applied to the anchors which were firmly embedded in the very strong clay at the bottom of the sea off Koura Point, means “putting away” or “casting off” the anchors by cutting the cables which fastened them to the ship, and, as it follows, leaving them in the sea, or, more literally, giving them up, dismissing them into the sea ( ); comp. Act 5:38. Loosing the bands of the rudders. “The ships of the Greeks and Romans, like those of the early Northmen were not steered by a single rudder, but by two paddle-rudders”. These paddle-rudders had been hoisted up and lashed, lest they should foul the anchors at the stern. But now, when the free use of them was absolutely necessary to steer the ship toward the beach, they unloosed the lashings, i.e. “the bands of the rudders,” and at the same time they hoisted up the foresail. The foresail; , a word found only here in this sense, but used in Vitruvius for a “pulley,” and so explained in Ducange. But artimon was till recently used in Venice and Genoa as the name of the large sail of a vessel. In the Middle Ages artimonium was the “foremast,” mat de prone; but it was also used of the foresail,” Velum naris breve, quod quia melius levari potest, in summo periculo extenditur” (Ducange). They hoisted the foresail both to give them sufficient way to run on to the beach, and to give precision to their steering. (For a further account of the , or foresail, see Smith, of Jordan Hill.)

Act 27:41

But lighting upon for and falling taro, A.V.; vessel for ship, A.V.; fore-ship for forepart, A.V.; struck for stuck fast, A.V.; stern for hinder part, A.V.; began to break up for was broken with, A.V. Where two seas met; , only here, and in Dion Chrysostomus. The explanation of this “place where two seas met” is as follows:As the ship stood at anchor in the bay on the north-east side of the island, it would have the Koura Point (Ras el-Kaura) on its left, and on entering deeper into the bay westward, the little island of Salmonetta, or Selmoon, otherwise called Gzeier, would lie on its right, and would appear to be part of the island of Malta, from which it is separated by a narrow channel about a hundred yards in width. When, however, she was just coming upon the beach for which she was making, she would come opposite to this open channel, and the sea from the north would break upon her and meet the sea on the south side of the island, where the ship was. Here, then, they ran the vessel aground. , or, according to the R.T., , is only found here in the Bible; but it is the regular word for running a ship aground, or ashore, in classical writers. has exactly the same meaning. The simple verbs and are also both in use for running a ship to land. The foreship struck; , here only in the Bible, but very common in classical Greek. Its meaning here is not very different from its frequent medical meaning of a disease “fixing itself“ and “settling” in some particular part of the body. Remained unmovable. “A ship impelled by the force of a gale into a creek with a bottom such as that laid down in Admiral Smyth’s chart of St. Paul’s Bay, would strike a bottom of mud graduating into tenacious clay, into which the forepart would fix itself and be held fast, whilst the stern was exposed to the force of the waves”. Unmovable; , only here and Heb 12:28, in the Bible; but common in Greek writers in the sense of “firm,” “unmovable.” Began to break up (, like solvo and dissolvo in Latin). The planks were loosened and disjoined. By the violence. The R.T. omits the words , and so has alone, somewhat like in Heb 12:21.

Act 27:42

The soldiers’ counsel, etc. The same stern sense of duty in the Roman soldier as moved the keeper of the jail at Philippi to destroy himself when he thought his prisoners had escaped (Act 16:27). The prisoners; by which we learn, as also in Act 27:1, that there were other prisoners beside Paul going to be tried before Caesar at Rome (comp. Josephus’s account (‘Life,’ sect. 3) of certain priests, friends of his, who were sent as prisoners to Rome, to be tried). Swim out; , only here, but not uncommon in the same sense in classical Greek (see next verse). Escape; , peculiar to St. Luke here, but it is the common medical word for a narrow escape from Illness.

Act 27:43

Desiring for willing, A.V.; stayed for kept, A.V.; overboard, and get first to the land for first into the sea, and get to land, A.V. To save Paul; , and Act 27:44 and Act 28:1, Act 28:4; a word of very frequent medical use, employed six times by St. Luke, but only twice elsewhere in the New Testament (Mat 14:26; i Peter 3:20). Swim; , here only in the Bible; though , properly a swim-ruing-bath, rendered “pool” in the A.V., occurs five times in St. John’s Gospel. The verb means “to dive” rather than “to swim.” Both the verb and the noun are used frequently in medical language for “swimming in a bath,” and (like here) is the phrase for jumping into the bath.

Act 27:44

Planks for boards, A.V.; other things from for broken pieces of, A.V.; all escaped () for escaped all, A.V.; the land for land, A.V. Planks; , only here and in the LXX. of 2Ki 12:9 (for the “lid” of the box) and So 2Ki 8:9 (for “boards”); very common in Homer and other Greek writers, for “boards” and “planks” of all kinds. They all escaped. In exact fulfillment of Paul’s prediction in 2Ki 8:22. And thus ended the eventful voyage of about four hundred and eighty miles (as laid down in the charts) from Clauda to the Point of Koura on the north coast of Malta. It is one of the striking proofs of the identity of Melita with Malta, that the rate at which it is calculated that a large ship laying to in a gale would drift in twenty-four hours, viz. thirty-six miles, multiplied by thirteen and a half (the number of days occupied by the voyage), gives four hundred and eighty-six miles as the whole distance. Smith thinks that the coincidence between “the actual bearing of St. Paul’s Bay from Clauda, and the direction in which the ship must have driven,” with the wind blowing in the quarter we know it did,” is, if possible, still more striking”.

HOMILETICS

Act 27:1-17

The voyage.

“The voyage of life” is an expression drawn from the common feeling of men that there is a close analogy between the course of a man’s life through the world, from his birth to his grave, and the progress of a ship from port to port. The Christian metaphor of the ark of Christ’s Church, tossed upon the waves of this troublesome world, yet finally reaching the land of everlasting life, is no lass familiar to us. It may not be without instruction to note some of the points of resemblance in a Christian’s life to the apostle’s voyage as described in the narrative before us. First, there is in both a definite purpose. The ship is making for a particular pert; the Christian is definitely seeking to attain the kingdom of heaven. But many a life would be far more useful, and far more consistent, if this purpose were more condensed. We are often too much distracted by the episodes in our life. The passing circumstances, the shifting situations, the immediate surroundings of the day, bound our horizon, and the intermediate seems to us as the final, or at least shuts the final out from view. The lesson is, keep steadily in view, in sunshine and in storm, under every variety of outward circumstance, the great end of the Christian life, to dwell with Christ in glory for ever, and bend your unrelaxing efforts to compass this end. Then, again, let us mark in the Christian life, as in the ship’s voyage, the conditions of the enterprise. There is the fixed will and purpose, and the wisdom and skill and resolution of the man, on the one hand; but there are also the inevitable hindrances and obstacles, on the other. Changes and chances, vicissitudes and disappointments, obstacles and disturbances, arise unbidden, and often when we least expect them. The pleasant start, the cheering incidents which seemed full of promise for a prosperous future, are succeeded by dull delays and by tedious, disheartening, and disconcerting experiences. We have to deal with events of which we had not taken count. The sanguine hope of a rapid progress is succeeded by the tediousness of delay, and our own counsels are continually thwarted by the folly or incompetence of others of whom we cannot set ourselves free. By-and-by, when we think we see signs of improvement close at hand, things suddenly take a turn for the worse. All the elements of difficulty are multiplied a hundredfold; and our bark, whether freighted with earthly schemes or heavenly hopes, is in imminent danger of shipwreck. Happy is he who at such times lays fast hold of the promises of God, cleaves to the Lord Jesus with a steadfast faith, and perseveres to the end. In spite of delays, and in spite of dangers, he shall not be ashamed of his hope. Only let each alternation work its proper work, teaching patience and long-suffering, encouraging a life of simple faith, stimulating all the energies of the soul, stirring up to active exertion, engendering a calm and dauntless courage, and bringing out every resource of the mind according to the immediate need, and the storms and agitation of the voyage will in due time be exchanged for the peace and safety of the everlasting haven of glory in the presence of the Lord Jesus. Dear reader, be prepared for all; let nothing shake your faith or dim your hope, and then the most troubled voyage shall have a blessed end; and in the last review of the roughest passage your testimony will be, “He hath done all things well.”

Act 27:18-44

The escape from shipwreck.

The particular feature in this part of the narrative of the shipwreck to which attention is now invited is the sacrifices by which the final escape was effected. The eighteenth verse finds the whole party on board the ship in an encounter with a furious tempest. We can easily picture to ourselves the sea running high, the vessel crouching as it were before the wind, the waves breaking over the side of the ship, and the water beginning to fill her. At this moment the relative value of things in the mind of the master and crew undergoes a great change. The freight of the shipso precious in the owner’s eyes, acquired at great cost, put on board with much labor, and on which was set the hope of great gains when the vessel should reach the Italian shorenow loses all its value in his eyes. Something more precious is at stakethe ship itself, and the lives of those on board; and so the sacrifice must be made. They throw the freight overboard in order to lighten the ship, that it and all that are in it may not go down to the bottom of the deep. Some relief from the pressing danger seems to have followed this step. For a time the vessel was relieved, and rode more buoyantly upon the troubled waves. But the relief was only temporary. The ship began again to fill with water, and the danger was greater than ever. Some fresh sacrifice must be made if she was to be kept afloat. And so with their own bands they cast all the tackling into the sea (note on Act 27:19). Things which once seemed necessary to their comfort, things without which the ship could never have started on her way, are now ruthlessly destroyed. They stand in the way of saving something more precious than themselvesthe ship and its freight of human lifeand so they are cast into the sea. But the needful sacrifices are not yet complete. For eleven more days the ship keeps afloat, though every hour might seem to be her last. But on the fourteenth night a new element of danger appeared. They were close upon a lee shore, and so their only chance of safety was to run her upon the soft beach. But how could this be done? There still remained in her the precious cargo of wheat which she was carrying from Alexandria to Italy. Lightened of this heavy load, there was a hope that she might run upon the beach, so that they might jump out and be saved. And so this sacrifice was made too. They threw out the wheat into the sea, for their lives were more precious than even the golden grain; and they escaped all safe to the land. This account exactly illustrates the Christian’s career. There is a time when the things of this worldwealth, or reputation, or the world’s friendship, or certain habits and opinionsare of supreme importance in his eyes. By-and-by some conjuncture arises in which he has to choose between them and the salvation of his soul. There is a struggle at first, and an unwillingness to part with them. But as the things of God rise in their immensity before his eyes, and it becomes clear that the sacrifice must be made if he would enter into life, his mind is made up. What things were gain to him, those he counts but loss for Christ, for whom he suffers loss of all things, and counts them but dung that he may win Christ. He makes the calculation, “What shall it profit me, if I gain the whole world and lose my own soul?” and the decision is not uncertain. Thus the Hebrew Christians took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing that they had in heaven a better and enduring substance. Thus Levi at the receipt of custom, at the call of Jesus, left all, and rose up and followed him. But it often happens that the whole sacrifice is not made at once, nor does the necessity for it become apparent at once. Some lighter loss is sustained at first, and the lightened soul moves easier on her spiritual way for a while. But then some new danger arises. This time it is the sacrifice of the man’s self, some part as it were of his very being, that has to be made. The right hand has to be cut off, or the right eye plucked out, if he would enter into life. But still the decision is the same. There is nothing that he can give or take in exchange for his soul. The sufferings and losses of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed; and even in those extreme eases where the choice has to be made between life itself on the one hand, and faithfulness to Christ on the other, the true believer falters not. He well knows that the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal; and so he cheerfully lays down his life on earth that he may not make shipwreck of eternity. So the blessed Paul himself was led on from loss to loss, but through loss to eternal gain His legal privileges, his blameless righteousness, his high standing as a Pharisee among Pharisees, his consideration among his equals, his rabbinical learning, his boasted superiority, all fell one by one before the excellency of Christ. Desiring to be the honored benefactor of his race, he found himself the off-scouring of all things, hunted down and persecuted as one not worthy to live. But still his views of Christ’s gospel kept enlarging; his conceptions of the blessedness of being in Christ kept brightening; the righteousness of Christ, and the glory of Christ, kept growing in the intensity of their all-absorbing interest, and so he was led on to suffer loss upon loss, and to heap labor upon labor, and to endure affliction upon affliction; till from being the prisoner of the Lord he became the faithful martyr of Jesus Christ, and laid down his very life in sure anticipation of receiving the crown of righteousness at the hand of the righteous Judge, when he should plant his foot in triumph upon the shore of eternal life.

HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON

Act 27:1-44

The voyage of life.

The journey which is described in this twenty-seventh chapter may suggest to us some of the main features of the long voyage of our life.

I. THE VARIETY IS OUR COMPANIONSHIPS. As each passenger on board found himself inseparably associated with a strange admixture of fellow-travelers, so we find ourselves compelled to mingle, more or less closely, with various companions as we and they journey together over the waters of life. There are

(1) those who have a right to command us (the captain);

(2) those in whose power we stand (the soldiers, Act 27:42);

(3) those who are bound to care for our safety (the sailors), many of whom will selfishly neglect their duty (Act 27:30);

(4) those who can enlighten, heal, refresh us in spirit or in body (Paul, Luke, Aristarchus);

(5) fellow-sufferers (the prisoners).

II. THE NEED FOR LABOR AND FOR PATIENCE. Not only did the sailors strive strenuously to discharge their nautical duties (Act 27:7, Act 27:8, Act 27:17), but all the passengers worked with all their strength in co-operation with them (Act 27:16, Act 27:19). And with what long patience had they to wait, not merely at Fair Haven, “where much time was spent,” but also and chiefly when the vessel was drifting before the wind, “when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared” (Act 27:20), and when riding at anchor, and fearing greatly that they would be forced on the neighboring rocks, they “wished for the day.” Labor and patience are the two oars which will bring the boat to shore in the everyday passage of our life.

III. THE CERTAINTY OF HARDSHIP AND PERIL, MORE OR LESS SEVERE. The winds are sure to be contrary, as in the earlier part of this celebrated voyage (Act 27:4, Act 27:7, Act 27:8), and they may be tempestuous, as they were at the latter part (Act 27:14, Act 27:18, Act 27:27). We must reckon upon some adversity, some checks and disappointments, as certain to befall us; we ought to be prepared for calamity and disaster. No human voyager across the sea of life can tell that there is not a very cyclone of misfortune through which he is about to pass.

IV. THE EXCELLENCY OF A REFUGE IS GOD. What an admirable figure does Paul present in this interesting picture! What calmness he shows (Act 27:21-25)! What comfort he conveys! What strength he affords (Act 27:33-36)! What ascendency he acquires (Act 27:43)! It is the prisoner, Paul, who is the central figure there, not the centurion, nor even the captain. If in the emergencies that will arise, in the crises that must occur, on those occasions when the higher virtues and heavenlier graces are demanded, we would show ourselves brave, noble, helpful, truly admirable, let us see to it that we have thenbecause we seek nowa Friend, a Refuge, a Stay in Almighty God.

V. THE OCCASIONAL DEMAND FOR SACRIFICE. To save life they “lightened the ship” (Act 27:18); they “cast out the tackling” (Act 27:19); they “cast out the wheat into the sea” (Act 27:38). To save moral or spiritual integrity it is well worth while, and sometimes positively necessary, to abandon that which is precious to us as citizens of this present life (Mat 18:8, Mat 18:9).

VI. THE POSSIBILITY OF REACHING THE SHORE. (Act 27:44.) In one way or another they all came “safe to land.” We may arrive at the end like the captain who steers into port, his vessel whole, every sail spread to the wind, rich and glad with a prosperous voyage; or we may reach the strand like Paul and his fellow-passengers, on planks and broken pieces of the ship. We may die honored, strong, influential, triumphant; or we may reach our end poor, unregarded, shattered. It is of small account, so that we do reach that blessed shoreso that we are “found in him,” the Divine Savior, and pass to his presence and his glory.C.

Act 27:3

Spiritual refreshment.

We like to think of Paul at Sidon. We are not only glad to know that he had the opportunity of gaining such material provision as would help to mitigate the severities of the long weeks of suffering in store; we like to dwell on that one day’s “happy interlude,” when, forgetting the imprisonment at Caesarea, and ignorant of the imprisonment at Rome, he spent some hours of spiritual refreshment among his friends. We may dwell upon

I. THE NEED OF SPIRITUAL REFRESHMENT. Our minds may be comparatively strong; our health may be sound; our spiritual faculties may be capable of very vigorous activity; but the time comes before many months, or perhaps weeks, or even days, when we need recreation and refreshment. The Father “worketh hitherto”the omnipotent One, he who slumbereth not nor sleepeth, is putting forth untiring activity without cessation. But he is the Infinite One, the everlasting God who fainteth not, neither is weary; and even of him it is said that he “rested from his works.” In some sense that was true even of the Supreme. We, with our feebleness and frailty, capable of such small and slight exertion, so soon weary with our work, need frequently recurring rest and refreshment of soul. Not only in mechanical industry or in mental exertion, but in philanthropic activities, and even in religious exercises, we need rest, change, and refreshment.

II. THE JUSTIFICATION OF IT. Can we spare any time from duties so imperative as are ours who are engaged in holy usefulness, for mere recreation? Is it right to be passive, to leave the weapon untouched, the ground untilled, when so much is calling and even crying to be done, when such terrible weeds and thistles are disfiguring the “garden of the Lord”? It is right. We have:

1. The warrant of our Lord himself: “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile” (Mar 6:31); and he himself often retired into the lonely mountain-fold for rest and refreshment of spirit.

2. Apostolic example (Gal 1:18).

3. The experience of the wise and good of all ages.

4. The argument from necessity. Without it we break down; our spirit and our body are prostrated; the usefulness of our life is cut short. With it we regain strength, heart, and nerve for continued activity and helpfulness.

“Oh, rest awhile, but only for a while;

Life’s business presses, and the time is short.

Ease may the weary of reward beguile;

Let not the workman lose what he has wrought.

“Rest for a while, if only for a while;

The strong birds tire, and gladly seek their nest;.

With quiet heart enjoy Heaven’s quiet smile:

What strength has he who never takes his rest?”

III. THE SOURCES OF IT. We naturally suggest

(1) relaxation of ordinary effort, of whatever kind it be;

(2) change of scene and of employment. These are the simple and efficacious expedients which we commonly adopt. But beside these, we may mention;

(3) genial and inspiring companionshipsthe finding out such “friends” as those of our text, and having free, unfettered intercourse with them; and

(4) the solitude which suggests communion with God, that measure of loneliness which, without oppressing us, will send our thoughts first inward and then upward, in quiet meditation and in soothing, sustaining, refreshing prayer.

“Oh, rest awhile, for rest is self-return;

Leave the loud world, and visit thine own breast;.

The meaning of thy labors thou wilt learn.

When thus at peace, with Jesus for thy Guest.”

C.

Act 27:4, Act 27:8

Endeavor and attainment. The voyage from Sidon to the port of Fair Havens supplies us with an apt illustration of human labor struggling with adverse forces, but ultimately realizing its purpose. For the attainment of our hope, there must ordinarily be

I. FULL ARRANGEMENT BEFOREHAND. Julius had to convey his prisoners westward: for this purpose he wanted soldiers, a sea-route, vessels that would be making the passage at this time. All this he provided carefully or calculated upon correctly enough (see Act 27:6). We cannot hope to execute our purpose without a thorough consideration and preparation beforehand. We must always count the cost and provide the means. We may be engaged in God’s work, but we must not presume that Providence will interpose to make good our carelessness, our negligence, our want of prevision and provision.

II. PATIENT LABOR. From point to point they made their way; with the winds against them, they at length made Myra (Act 27:5). “They sailed slowly many days,” but they went on towards Cnidus (Act 27:7). They had much work to pass Salmone (Act 27:8); but by dint of persevering labor they reached the port. Whether we seek knowledge, material resources, position, influence, or the accomplishment of any great enterprise in philanthropy or religion, we must be prepared for patient labor. We must make our way from point to point, struggling with “contrary winds,”” hardly passing,” but managing to make our way beyond this mark and that, finally reaching our goalexhausted, perhaps, but successful.

III. THE SUBMISSION WHICH PREVAILS. Julius would not have arrived at Fair Havens when he did, had not the captains of the vessels in which he sailed conquered the forces with which they had to contend by a wise submission. The captain of the “ship of Adramyttium” sailed on the other side of Cyprus from that on which he meant to steer, “because the winds were contrary” (Act 27:4). “The wind not suffering” them, they did not enter Cnidus when they were “off“ it (Act 27:7). We must direct our course, guided by events. We are too feeble to carry our projects through without frequent tacking and changing. We may be resolutely firm in our principle, though we may vary our policy as circumstances may demand. We often find it wise to yield one thing in order to gain another which is not inconsistent with the end in view. We do well to concede small things that we may secure greater ones. If our aim is a pure and noble one, we shall gladly bend to the “contrary winds,” if only we may, by taking another course, reach the Fair Havens which we seek. Between one man surrendering principles to gain position or resources for himself, and another man yielding to opposing winds in order to effect a high and beneficent purpose, there lies all the distance between meanness and magnanimity.

IV. READY USE OF FAVORABLE CIRCUMSTANCES. (Act 27:6.) If we would do good and great things in our day, we must not only use the weapons which are thrust into our hands, but must eagerly and actively seize upon them when they are in reach. The centurion found, on seeking for it, a ship sailing in his direction. Many men are very near to failures in business, in society, in sacred service, because they expect opportunity to seek them out, instead of their looking keenly out for opportunity. Then comes

V. JOYOUS ATTAINMENT. (Act 27:8.) We arrive at the Fair Havens, the port of our hope, and the peaceful harbor is the pleasanter to our eye for the toil and the submission we have exercised to gain it.C.

Act 27:12-15

Disappointment.

Disappointment is the strong reaction of the soul where it nurses an eager expectation and fails to secure the object of its hope. The familiar pleasantry which affirms the blessedness of him that expects nothing, is only a pleasantry; it does not contain any other grain of truth than that it is wise not to cherish hopes which are unlikely to be fulfilled, and this is a very simple truism. For

I. HOPE IS A CONSTANT RESIDENT OF THE HUMAN SOUL. Thou didst make me hope upon my mother’s breasts” (Psa 22:9). Man must hope for that which is beyond him; otherwise he would sink fast and far in the scale of being.

1. We may set our heart on exchanging the insufficient for the satisfactory. That was the case here. The port of Fair Havens was “not commodious to winter in” (Act 27:12); the sailors could not be satisfied that they were safe until they reached another which lay “toward the south-west and north-west” (Phenice).

2. Or we may desire to pass from the unsuitable to the appropriate; as when he who has left boyhood behind him desires to have the heritage of manhood.

3. Or we may long to move on from the good to the better; as when a man strives to rise to the higher post, to the superior position, to the wider sphere. Such hope is, in the first case, obligatory; in the second, desirable; in the third, allowable. But such is the feebleness of our nature and such the frailty of our efforts that

II. DISAPPOINTMENT IS OFTEN WAITING UPON HOPE. HOW often does the” south wind blow softly” (Act 27:13), and we think we “have obtained our purpose,” and make ready to enter our “desired haven,” when suddenly there arises “a tempestuous wind,” and the” ship cannot bear up” (Act 27:15), and we have to “let her drive” whither she will, but not whither we will! How often does some relentless Euroclydon interpose between us and the fruition of our hope! From childhood to old age, disappointment embitters the cup of life, saddens the spirit of man. It is the little child that fails to receive its coveted toy; it is the boy that does not quite win the prize; it is the young man who nearly secures the post, but is overmatched in the lists; it is the lover who returns with a heavy heart; it is the mother who cannot save the young life from an infant’s grave; it is the statesman who is passed by that a favorite may have the portfolio; it is the student, the traveler that does not make the discovery to which he seemed so near;it is the seeking, striving, yearning human heart that opens to receive and is bitterly disappointed. Of all the evils which fall upon and darken the path of life there is none more common, none more powerful, none more ill to bear. Beneath its blow, how many a heart has bled to death! under its cruel weight, how many who live about us and whose path we cross are compelled to “go softly all their days”! Let us thank God that

III. THERE IS A REFUGE EVEN FROM DISAPPOINTMENT. The sailors in our text had very little consolation when they could not “obtain their purpose.” There was no other harbor for which to make. But when disappointment comes to the human soul in the strife and conflict of life, there is always a resort to which the heart may flee, a haven m which to hide. It can always fall back on either

(1) the sympathy and succor of the unfailing Friend, or

(2) the hope “which maketh not ashamed,” “that sure and steadfast hope which entereth within the veil.’C.

Act 27:23-25

Divine ownership and human service.

I. THE EXTENT OF Tile DIVINE CLAIM. “Whose I am.” God’s claim upon our service is simply complete; it is impossible to conceive of a tie stronger or more perfect. It rests on:

1. His absolute sovereignty over the universe.

2. His creation of our spirit; the fact that he called us out of nothingness into being, that he conferred on us our spiritual nature and our bodily life.

3. His preservation of us in being.

4. His provision for all oar wants, constant and generous.

5. His fatherly love prompting him to the bestowment of all His gifts, and greatly enhancing their value.

6. His redemption of us by Jesus Christ his Son; in this the last manifestation of Divine goodness, ratifying, multiplying his claim on us beyond all measure. “We are not our own: we are bought with a price;” “Redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.” (1Co 6:19,1Co 6:20; 1Pe 1:18, 1Pe 1:19). Resting on such solid ground, God’s claim on us is very great. He asks of us that we “yield ourselves unto him;” that we offer ourselves, all that we are and have, to himself and his service, that he may enlarge and employ and bless us. This giving of ourselves unto God, this act of self-surrender by which” living or dying we are the Lord’s” (Rom 14:8), involves

(1) the subjection of our will to the will of God;

(2) the opening of our heart to the love of Christ;

(3) the purpose of our soul to spend our lives and powers in His service.

II. THE DIVINE COMMUNICATION. God has been pleased to make some special communications to certain favored individuals of our race. The Apostle Paul was one of these, and this shipwreck through which he passed was one of the occasions on which he sent his angel with a message from his own mind (text). But though the great majority of our race pass through life without such direct and special manifestation, we are all addressed by the Father and Savior of our spirits. God speaks to us:

1. In his Word.

2. By his Son, who is ever saying to each human heart that hears his gospel, “Believe in me;” “Abide in me;” “Follow me;” “Work in my vineyard.”

3. By his Holy Spirit, who comes with enlightening, quickening, renewing energy to the individual soul.

III. THE RESPONSE WE SHOULD RENDER.

1. Faith. “I believe God.” God

(1) gives us strong and sufficient evidence that it is he who is speaking; and then

(2) asks as to believe unquestioningly what he tells us. He tells us many things of himself and of ourselves, and particularly of our direct relation to himself, which we could not nave divined by our own imagination, which we cannot prove by our own reason, which we are not able to comprehend by our own perceptive powers; but it is reasonable and right that, having the strongest evidence that God is speaking to us, we should accept with creature humility and filial trust what we cannot fathom now, assured that, by believing his Word and acting on our belief, we shall rise to a height where we shall see what is now invisible and understand what is now beyond us. This is only what we have already done in the days of our childhood, on a smaller and earthly plane.

2. Service. “Whom I serve.” This service

(1) begins with the grateful and cordial acceptance of Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of the soul: “This is [to do] the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (Joh 6:29; see 1Jn 3:23);

(2) continues through life in the endeavor to please Christ in everything, to adorn his doctrine, to exalt his Name and extend his kingdom;

(3) is consummated in the heavenly service of the future life. Then, there, in very deed and truth, with undimmed and untiring devotion, “his servants shall serve him” (Rev 22:3).C.

Act 27:24, Act 27:31

The Divine and the human will.

These two verses have an appearance of inconsistency. How, it may be asked, can both be true? If God had given Paul” all them that sailed with him,“ and this so certainly that the apostle could say without qualification, “There shall be no loss of any man’s life” (Act 27:22), how could the desertion of the shipmen (Act 27:31) have imperiled the safety of the passengers so that Paul exclaimed, “Except these abide,” etc.? The answer to this question is found in the truth that God‘s promises to his children are always conditional on their obedience to his will. So truly is this the case, and so practically, that it is not only possible we may bring about the non-fulfillment of the Divine promise, but certain that we shall do so, if we do not comply with the conditions which are expressed or understood. We may find

I. HISTORICAL ILLUSTRATIONS of this principle.

1. Gen 1:26-31 and Gen 6:5-7. 2. Exo 3:7-8 and Num 14:28-34. 3. 2Sa 7:12-16 and 1Ki 11:11-13, with I Kings 1Ki 12:16.

II. INDIVIDUAL ILLUSTRATIONS OF IT.

1. Our entrance into the kingdom of Christ. We know that it is the will of God that all who hear the gospel should be saved by it (1Ti 2:4; 2Pe 3:9; Eze 33:11). But we also know that those will never enter the kingdom who will not repent and believe (Joh 3:36; Joh 5:40; Act 13:46).

2. Our progress in the Christian race. God wills our sanctification; he has arranged that they who enter into life by faith in Jesus Christ shall grow in grace, in strength, in virtue (1Th 4:3; Eph 5:26, Eph 5:27; 2Pe 1:5-8, etc.). But it is certain that if we neglect the means of grace and growth we shall not advance, but recede (Joh 15:4, Joh 15:6; Heb 10:23-25).

3. Our admission to the heavenly kingdom. God promises his children a place in his eternal home (Joh 14:2, Joh 14:3; 2Ti 4:8). But the crown of life will only be given to those who are faithful unto death (Rev 2:10). It is only he that overcometh that will “eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Rev 2:7), and who will be made “a pillar in the temple to go no more out” (Rev 3:12). It is only they who have put out their talents to whom the “Well done” of the Divine Lord wilt be addressed (Mat 25:14-30). “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest: any of us should seem to come short of it” (Heb 4:1).C.

Act 27:41

The shipwreck of the soul.

We are familiar with scenes of shipwreck; the stories read in childhood and the stern facts of later years bring them vividly before our minds. We see the gallant vessel, wall rigged and fitted from stem to stem, sailing forth on her mission of transport or merchandise, moving along under favor-able breezes, seeming likely to make the port where she is due; we see her overtaken by the storm, admitting the water which gains hour by hour upon her, sinking lower and lower, finally going down beneath the waves. But sad as this story is, there is a far more profound and pathetic sadness in the history, only too often to be told, of the shipwreck of a human soul. Bravely setting forth on the voyage of life, hopefully speeding on its course with helpful influences, promising to make its port on the other strand, we see it overtaken by the storm of some mastering temptation or falling into the irresistible current of some adverse spiritual force, and it makes melancholy shipwreck; instead of reaching its Fair Haven, it goes down into the waters of destruction. Some are wrecked in

I. THEIR RELIGIOUS FAITH. They start on the voyage of life with that one chart in hand which alone can take them safely to their journey’s endthe Word of the living God. Then they come into contact with fascinating but unbelieving companions; or they meet with a number of specious but shallow objections; or they look, with foolish and cruel persistency, on the one side of the difficulties, neglecting to pay proportionate attention to the arguments on the other side; and the end is that the vessel of their faith breaks up and at length goes down.

II. THEIR MORAL HABITS. Trained in godly homes, our youths and maidens acquire habits of moral excellency; they enter active life, honest, pure, sober, reverent, prudent. But they encounter those hurtful and deadly influences which, after a while, if not at the first attack, lead them down to dishonesty, to impurity, to intemperance, to profanity, to the pestilent habit of gambling. Usually they “make shipwreck of a good conscience,” as the vessel is drawn upon the relentless rocks when it is caught in the strong current from which it cannot escape. Slowly, going further and further in the wrong direction, by every movement getting more at the mercy of the foe, the vessel drifts to destruction.

III. SPIRITUAL LIFE. One of the sad spectacles which we have often to witness is the decline and disappearance of the spiritual life which was in the soul. By degreesfor this loss is commonly gradualreverence becomes weaker, zeal decays, sacred joy grows dim and dull, habits of devotion are relaxed, the regard for the will of Christ becomes feebler and less effective, until life is really gone, and the soul has become a spiritual wreck. The shipwreck of the soul is:

1. Inexpressibly sad. By how much the spiritual is greater than the material and the destinies of a human soul lager and longer than the fortune of a piece of human handiwork, by so much is the wreck of a soul a more pitiful thing than the loss of the noblest bark that ever foundered on the ocean.

2. Not absolutely final. Sometimes, but very seldom, a sunken vessel is raised, and “ploughs the main” once more; sometimes, but seldom, a soul that has lost faith, virtue, piety, is raised up from the deep, and sails again on its voyage, and attains its port. Let none presume; let none despair.

3. An evil that may always be averted. The mind that is open to the truth which is before it, that keeps clear of the dangers of which it is warned, that uses the spiritual resources which the generous Lord has supplied, will not make shipwreck, but reach, unharmed and safe, the heavenly harbor.C.

HOMILIES BY E. JOHNSON

Act 27:1-44

The voyage to Italy: an allegory of the Christian’s course.

Bunyan wrote an immortal allegory of the Christian course as a journey by land. It may be rewritten as a sea-voyage.

I. THE CHRISTIAN SETS OUT IN STRANGE COMPANY‘, AND WITH OFTEN UNCONGENIAL SURROUNDINGS. Romans, Macedonians, prisoners, Alexandrians, are Paul’s fellow-voyagers (verses 1, 2, 4-8). No seclusion, no picked society nor refined retirement, can be or ought to be the usual lot of the Christian. We cannot go out of the world. In society, among all the diversities of human character, our education and trial must go on, our experience be gained. The greater the variety of men, the more eliciting of our capabilities, the larger scope for doing good.

II. THE CHRISTIAN IS SURE TO MEET WITH FRIENDS. A friend and hospitality is to be found at most ports (verse 3). And love begets love. Captain Julius, another of those fine Roman soldiers who cross the stage of the Christian story, is glad of an excuse to show the kindness of his heart to his prisoner. Oh, let us believe in the human heart; if we speak to it in the tones of love, it will give hack its sweet echo everywhere. Unexpected acts of friendship are revelations of God to us in lonely places and sad hours.

“I fancied he was fled,

And after many a year,

Glowed unexhausted kindliness

Like daily sunrise there.”

III. CLOUDY SKIES. (Verses 9-15.) Forebodings of danger are felt as the Christian goes on. Sunny life-seasons, the joys of calm friendship, must give place to dark skies and danger. The changing drama of nature mirrors the story of the human soul. The Christian, taught by experience, becomes prophetic, like Paul. The centurion and the master of the ship may typify that blind obstinacy which will persevere with its designs in the teeth of nature’s laws. Nothing fatal occurs without previous warnings. In the natural and in the moral world we constantly come upon effects without visible causes, But the causes exist and are in action. Hence the constant duty of sobriety and watchfulness. The deep lesson of the gospel here illustrated is that we ought not to be taken at unawares.

IV. UNBELIEVING FEAR AND BELIEVING CONFIDENCE. The former in verses 16-20. To save dear life men will cast their treasures as worthless dross into the sea. And when, in spite of all, death seems near and inevitable, nothing is left but despair. But if earthly life itself is well lost for the sake of the immortal soul, hope need not set, but rather rise, like the morning star, above these troubled waves. This contrast is brought out by the behavior of the apostle (verses 21-26). Through the many sunless and starless days and nights, hope shines unquenched within his breast. There are reflections of such times within the horizon of the soul (Isa 11:10; Isa 63:17). Reason contends with faith; and in struggle with itself the spirit becomes conscious of its power and victory through God. Paul supports himself on a Divine intimation, confirming the promise of the past (Act 23:1-35. 11). The great thing is to be intent upon our work and witness; then comes the sense of security, the faith that no harm can come nigh us until our work be done.

“Too busied with the crowded hour

To fear to live or die.”

It will be felt deeply true that

“On two days it steads not to run from thy grave

The appointed and the unappointed day;

On the first neither balm nor physician can save,

Nor thee on the second the universe slay.”

V. SHIPWRECK AND LANDING. (Verses 39-44.) The day breaks. The face of God appears after the night of weeping and watching. When need is sorest, he is nearest. Yet his light leads to strange and unfamiliar scenes: “They knew not the land.” The scenery that unfolds before the soul in the great crises of life or in the hour of death is that of a foreign shore. Death is a great break-up of all our familiar and trusted associations, and great experiences of change in the soul may resemble it in this. Their use is to teach self-reliancethat true self-reliance which identifies God with the truest impulses of the soul. At the moment when all seems lost, all is gained. The foreign and seeming unfriendly shore proves a haven and a home; the restless sea tosses them from its bosom to terra firma, and to a rest. So to the faithful soul do the fears and fancies of the terrified imagination give way to fixed prospects, and we are wrecked in transitory conditions that we may find a footing in the eternal.J.

Act 27:21-30

The example of Paul in the storm,

I. HIS FIRM FAITH IN HIS GOD, AND THE PEACE OF SOUL THENCE FLOWING, We may compare the picture of the Savior on the lake of Galilee, “Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?”

II. HIS CONSEQUENT CALMNESS AND PRUDENCE IN COUNSEL. He sets aside, with clear presence of mind, mistaken plans (Act 27:27-32); he encourages dispirited minds (Act 27:33-38); he acts with the fidelity of a pastor to the souls he feels committed to his care.

III. HIS PROPHETIC POWER. It is seen in warning of danger (Act 27:10), and exhortation amidst trial. The spirit of the prophet is at home amidst the storms of the world; flits like the petrel above the troubled waves. He has heard of the still small voice; the noise and crash of elemental war cannot shut out the melody of God. He rides upon the waters, directs the storm, furnishes an ark for the faithful in secret. God is our Refuge and Strength; this song was singing throughout in the heart of Paul.

IV. HIS LOVING, THANKFUL, AND HOPEFUL SPIRIT. (Act 27:34-36.) He breaks bread with the company, gives thanks, and utters the divinest and most successful consolation. A picture again that recalls the scene of the last Supper.J.

HOMILIES BY R.A. REDFORD

Act 27:25

The victory of faith.

“Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer,” etc. The position of Paul in the voyage. Though a prisoner, yet really the ruler of the ship. An example of moral influence. The root of his character was neither his intellectual superiority nor the mere moral goodness of his motives, but his consciousness of direct intercourse with God. God had “spoken unto him.”

I. TRUE FAITH OVERCOMETH THE WORLD.

1. By bringing in the light of the better worldso foreseeing the end, measuring present circumstances, maintaining physical and moral strength.

2. By lifting up the individual life into the sphere of the Divine purposes. Paul felt that he was living for Christ, and, as an ambassador, must be protected.

3. By cheering the heart with benevolence. “God hath granted thee all them that sail with thee.” The sense of a philanthropic value in our own life is wonderfully cheering. We are doing good; what does it signify where we are, and how we are placed? Those around us must bless God for us.

II. THE VICTORIOUS LIFE OF FAITH IS THE ONLY LIFE WORTH LIVING.

1. The shipwreck of worldly confidence. Human wisdom, physical force, political supremacyall fail. Our temptation in these days to trust in schemes of social remedy. Christianity alone can say, “Be of good cheer.”

2. The Christian in the presence of suffering and death. Instances resembling Paul’s. Mackenzie in the Pegasus. Then comes the trial of confidence, and what we want is to say, “I believe in God.”

3. The ministry of the believer in a perishing, despairing world. Each one able to say to some and somewhere, “Be of good cheer.”

4. The prophetic power of Christianity. Not idle dreaming, not fanatical predicting of events, but the certainty of the future brought to bear upon the present. One who can say,” I believe that so it shall be,” and who can show by his fortitude and cheerfulness that he does believe it, will be as a light in the world’s darkness. Such a narrative rebukes the folly of our modern necromancy and soothsaying, and incites us to be true children of the day and of the light.R.

HOMILIES BY P.C. BARKER

Act 27:20-25

The bad man’s extremity, God add the good man’s opportunity.

The contents of this chapter are, in some respects, amongst the most striking and instructive for the deeper facts of human life and nature, in all the book.

1. The interplay of human action and of Divine providence, the harmony of human responsibility and Divine purpose, are forcibly illustrated more than once.

2. The moral superiority, the real strength, the solid ground to stand upon, which are the portion of the man with whom the truth of God dwells, in comparison of two hundred and fifty others, though he be the prisoner and they his masters, or at least their own, are most impressively exhibited and vindicated. Supposing that we read rightly, that there were as many as two hundred and seventy-six souls in that tossed boat, we may say that the length of this long chapter shows one manhim the chief prisoneras the man whose heart fails him not, who revives the hearts of the others, when at all they are revived, and in whom, under God, the hope of all centers. The force of this contrast makes the chapter one of sustained and unique interest, on the one band, and, on the other, strews its path with suggestions of instruction. Though we read nothing positive respecting the state of mind of the personal companions and friends of Paul (the one of whom was the historian of the book, who for that very reason probably modestly abstains from speaking of himself), there is no reason to doubt that they shared the strength and peace and confident faith of Paul himself. In this present passage we may notice these four things in chief.

I. THE FORCIBLE DESCRIPTION OF “MAN‘S EXTREMITY.”

1. It involves outwardly, in one common condition, the bad and the good.

2. It is day without one sight of the sun, night without the radiance of one star; it is tempest of wind and wave without respite; it is the heart “without hope.”

3. It is the strain of long continuance of the same. This scriptural description may be taken to cover pretty well the subject, and brings any one sufficiently face to face with the question whether there be any higher, friendly power able, willing to interpose.

II. THE “PROPER MAN” FOR THE HOUR.

1. He is the man “in chains.”

2. He is the man to whom the Roman centurion cannot help showing some consideration (Act 27:3, Act 27:11, Act 27:31, Act 27:32, Act 27:43), though he has the care of him for Caesar’s judgment-seat.

3. He is a man who knows what is due to himself, and, denying all traffic with the spirit of obsequiousness, holds his own, and dares to say, “You see I was in the right” (Act 27:10, Act 27:21).

4. Though he might well have stood off from the rest in the boat, and been excused for doing so easily by them, yet he does not take this course, not play this part. He throws himself and lot in with them and theirs.

5. He is the preacher of comfort and of courage, and the confident prophet of hope and safety, but tells the bad also with the good (Act 27:26).

6. He is the genuine religious man, not “ashamed of Christ,” and plainly tells the source of his own confidence and of the firm language he holds to his congregation of the boat, for all that he may be called or thought fanatical.

III. THE GOD WHO MADE THAT MAN OF THE HOUR. Let alone all which that God had done in the remoter past, and the earlier heretofore of his life, what had he done lately?

1. That God did not forget his child, his servant, his anxious sufferer. He had long so served Paul that nothing was more precious to him than to think he was the acknowledged and sure possession of God”whose I am;” and no livery conceivable so honorable as his”whom I serve.” And now with gentle witness he makes him know that he does not forget him, has not taken his eye off from him, but is following him with that watchful, careful, loving eye. And “he sends his holy angel” to him.

2. That God strengthened and refreshed the confidence of his child and servant in a very noteworthy manner. For he condescends to repeat himself. Again he sends his angel, again the visit is the visit of the night, when “deep sleep falleth upon men” generally, but when little now visited the eyes of Paul or of others in that boat. Again the angel “stands by” Paul, ready for march, for work, for conflict, for victory. He does not over-hover nor seem in the attitude that would suggest the upward flight for Paid. Firmly on earth that angel of God condescends to plant his feet. Again the former words are repeated (Act 23:1-35. 11). Was it not enough that “God had spoken once,“ saying that the eyes of Paul should see Rome, and that he should preach in Rome? Again, however, the assurance is given him, and again the word of direct encouragement is addressed to the heart of Paul, “Be of good cheer” (Act 23:1-35. 11); “Fear not, Paul.”

3. That God sets double and very high honor on his despised child and suffering servant. He “gives” to Paul “all them that sail with him.” And it is not a secret covered gift, it is such a one as Paul can quote, and quoted, no doubt, not without Divine warrant, though this is not asserted. Thus the God who made Paul the man of the hour made him such in the strength of his kindly memory of him, in the comforting and assuring language he addressed to him, and in the practical honor, a very boon of honor, he bestowed upon him. It may have required some courage for Paul to have made this last announcement, except for one fact, significant enough, that by far the more part of “them that sailed with Paul” had none at all, had lost heart, and hope, and the tongue to jeer, and lip to mock, arid countenance to laugh unbelievingly, with all which it is highly likely his announcement would at any other time have been received.

IV. THE MEANS BY WHICH THAT MAN GOT HIS HOLD ON GOD. The declaration of these means stands on the page of the book and shines on the life of the man in simplicity, brevity, grandeur, unique. “For I believe God,” says Paul. What a word is this! What a thing it is! How few say it firmly I How few who say it and even firmly, do it! How fewer still by far who consistently and persistently do it! Yet is it the secret of peace, of strength, of influence, of the only kind worth having and enduring, and of heavenly wealth. What does the man possess who can say this with simple, full truth,” For I believe God ‘? And what can he want? Of him this may be said, and it is enough. He has all things and abounds.” How mournful, pitiful, sinful, the instability of the man who cannot say this from the heart I How strong and safe from “shipwreck” the man who can!B.

Act 27:30-32

A glimpse at human nature and its behavior in three varieties at one and the same conjuncture.

The episode comprised in these few verses is full of startling effect. It displays human naturethat which is alike so one and so manifoldin this its latter aspect, rather than in the former. It invites us to look, to wonder, and, if wise, to be warned and learn in time. Let us notice the manifestation of human nature as made now by three varieties of people

I. BY THE SHIPMEN. That is, by the “master and owner” of the ship (Act 27:11), and evidently the officers and crew (Act 27:27) of the ship. Every sentiment of honor, every plain demand of duty, called upon them to stand by their ship to the last, and to be the last to leave it. They now try to do all the reverse of this, competent to purpose it, and taken in the attempt to do it by craft, “under color” of doing something else. They reveal:

1. Cowardice. That they should fear was natural and a sign that nature had not gone callous in them. But cowardice began when they did not face to the end what had now some days been a common danger, one for which they were in part themselves answerable, which they could best meet, and which others must meet.

2. Selfishness. They try to save themselves,

(1) regardless of others who belonged to them, as if only so much freight;

(2) and yet worse, doubling the risk of them, by

(a) withdrawing their own professional help, and

(b) withdrawing the boat.

3. The unfaithfulness of the hireling. Seldom could there be found a more typical instance of this (Joh 10:11-13). They were hired, they “cared nothing” for the lives of those entrusted to their charge, and they did attempt to “flee.”

4. The “wisdom in its generation” of human nature. For, baulked of their purpose, and baulked in a most transparent and peremptory manner, they are too “wise” to court lynch law; and they appear to follow the policy at once of saying nothing, and making the best of it. They fall into their places, and do whatever is to be done. So versatile can human nature be when it suits her.

II. BY PAUL. Paul under any showing was the character and the hero of the boat. We should not be content without knowing anything of him that opens to our view. A great deal does open to our view. He steps out not now for the first time since the storm began. It would be very far from the truth to say now that it was only human nature that we have the opportunity of seeing. No; the subordination of human nature was, perhaps, not yet perfect. Yet there was no willing strife (Rom 7:15-25), no great strife, no very distorting strife, between the human and the Divine in him.

1. Paul was the one calm watcher of everything that transpired.

2. His was the eye that read and that was then engaged in reading nature in others. It was in very deed, at any time, part of his office to do this very thing.

3. His was the eye that, so clear itself, detected the fraud, the would-be fraud of others.

4. His was the unfaltering tongue that declared it, though probably with no addition of safety to himself.

5. His was the mind conscious in its own rectitude and confident in God’s truth and providence, that does not for a moment hesitate to expose itself to being taxed with certain theological inconsistency. Most positively and publicly had he committed himself to the statement that God had promised him himself and “all them that sailed with him.” And yet he brings to the fore a condition, a new sort of proviso, and that one that postulated the help and co-operation of a number of godless and inhuman hirelings. These things all show, not only that the truest Christian need be no less a true man, but rather that it is only the true Christian who touches at all sufficiently the possibilities of the true man. For Paul the prisoner, on the way to trial, of many the despised, is nevertheless the man in every essential respect, in that boat, and succeeds in commanding not only a professed respect, but a practical obedience from all the rest.

III. BY THE ROMAN CENTURION AND SOLDIERS.

1. So soon as Paul has had his say, they see quickly, because their eyesight is keen by reason of the instinct of self-preservation.

2. They are not nice as to the source from which they derive their clue. Extreme peril has done a great deal to strip off from them all unnecessary artificiality, all dignified ceremony, all officialism and mere sense of authority. Nature itself stares them in the face, and puts not lispingly the alternativeWhere may all these be very soon?

3. They act, act at once, and act trenchantly too. They cut off escape from the coward and the knave and the supremely guilty. Let what may be said to them, let what may be threateningly looked at them, they act, for so it is given to human nature to do in the last resort. And those who do not act in the presence of the solemn, supreme dangers of life, cutting off escape from the evil-doers, though these be themselves, are the men who will be left yet more “without excuse” for what is written in the book, in this threefold illustration of human nature in the presence of peril.B.

Act 27:33-36

An unexpected testimony to the force of goodness.

Not the least honorable testimony to Paul is contained in the incident related in this passage. It is one undeniable testimony among many as to where in the ultimate resort strength lies. It lies with goodness. It lies with the man who lives with God, works for Christ, is ruled in conscience and life by the dictates of the Spirit. Long periods may wear away first, and the most unpromising entanglements seem to forbid hope, but the vindication comes at last, and often in the most extraordinary and unanticipated way. For what a transformation it is now which shows the prisoner of the whole company, and the man who before has seemed to run the gauntlet of one continuous contradiction of then, standing forth, not merely the observed of all observers, which he had often been before, but the one respectfully listened to, followed obediently, and really appreciated by the witness and unanimous consent of cheered hearts (Act 27:36).

(A) Notice, then, the persecuted and misunderstood good man comes to be regarded

I. AS A FRIEND TO BE LISTENED TO.

II. AS A FRIEND WHOSE GOOD CONFIDENCE IS WELCOMED AND SPREADS A GRATEFUL INFLUENCE.

III. AS A FRIEND WHO IS PERMITTED TO URGE SIMPLE PRACTICAL DUTY.

IV. AS A FRIEND NOT MOCKED WHEN HE TEACHES RELIGION. Paul did thus teach, both

(1) by word and

(2) by his own act.

V. AS ONE WHO, BY THE SIMPLE PURITY OF HIS FRIENDSHIP, IS RAISED TO THE POSITION OF THE MASTER OF ALL, IN A MORAL SENSE.

(B) But a second series of suggestive lessons lies before us in the same passage. Notice

I. WHAT RESOURCELESS FEAR THE FEAR OF THE WICKED IS!

II. WHAT DISABLING FEAR THAT FEAR IS!

III. How IT TAKES ITS VERY FIRST REVENGE ON THAT OUTER LIFE FOR WHICH THE SINNER LIVES!

IV. WHAT DISCORD, DISTRUST, AND EVEN DISSERVICE ARE WROUGHT BY IT AMONG “THE COMPANY OF THE UNGODLY” THEMSELVES! They who were one long time to oppose the true, soon fall to opposing one another.

V. TO WHAT DEEP SELF–CONVICTION OF SHAME AND HUMILIATION THE FEAR OF THE WICKED, EVEN IN THIS WORLD, REDUCES THEM, WHEN THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME THEY LEARN RESPECT FOR THE GOOD, AND BORROW CHEERFULNESS FROM THEM!B.

Act 27:42-44

The means human, the power Divine.

A series of lessons are suggested here which the facts of life are proving by a constant analogy. Notice

I. A LESSON OF HUMAN MEANS AND ACTIVITY. No one of all the two hundred and seventy-six were saved by anything that looked like supernatural help. All were saved either by their own exertions in swimming, or by these together, strange to say, with the aid of the mere fragments of their broken vessel.

II. TRUE GOODNESS HAS ITS IMPRESSION FOR THE MOST IGNORANT AND THE WORLDLY, ESPECIALLY IF THESE ARE HONEST. Whatever might be the religious ignorance or inexperience of the centurion, he evidently was impressed and attracted by the manner of Paul, or by his evident quality, or by both. He saves Paul. And probably his honesty was the real account of the impression he took.

III. THE GOOD CHARACTER OF ONE MAN WILL AVAIL TO SAVE OTHERS WITH WHOM HE MAY BE CLASSED BY THE WORLD OR BY PROVIDENCE, THOUGH THEY BE NOT GOOD. Doubtless the righteous do sometimes perish with the wicked. How often are the wicked saved and the city spared for the sake of the few righteous! All the rest of the prisoners owed their safety (under God) to Paul and the silent influence of his integrity.

IV. GOD HIMSELF VOUCHSAFES TO SET ON ONE FAITHFUL SERVANT OF HIS THIS SAME MOST DISTINGUISHED KIND OF HONOR. It is written, ay, it was divinely said by the angel that God “gave all them that sailed” in that boat to Paul.

V. ALL THINGS COME OF GOD. He it was, he only, who saves all.B.

HOMILIES BY R. TUCK

Act 27:3

The good man’s power to win confidence.

“Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty;” and, in so doing, he did but act as almost everybody acted towards the great apostle who had anything to do with him. St. Paul had a remarkable power of personal fascination. For instances of the impression which he produced on individuals, compare Act 18:14; Act 19:31, Act 19:37. For Scripture illustrations of the power to win confidence, recall the incidents of Joseph’s early life in Egypt, and the narrative of the three Hebrew youths as given by Daniel. For illustration in modern life, recall the liberty which the jailor gave to John Bunyan. Very possibly this Julius had heard Paul’s address before Agrippa, and the kind consideration of the centurion must have been very helpful to the apostle, whose two years’ imprisonment must have told unfavorably upon his health, and who can have been but scantily provided with the requisites for a long voyage. We direct attention to that power which St. Paul evidently possessed, of winning the confidence and the favor of those who came into intimate contact with him; observing that

I. POWER TO WIN CONFIDENCE IS A NATURAL GIFT. It belongs to some persons in an unusual degree. Children at once recognize and respond to it. We are wont to say that the true teacher is the person who can gain the confidence of the children. From some persons we instinctively shrink, to others we are as instinctively drawn. it is a power that belongs to natural disposition and character; it is a Divine endow-merit or gift, the talent entrusted to some. So far as it belongs to character we may notice its dependence on three elements.

1. Transparency. Some men make you feel their sincerity, honesty, integrity, guilelessness. They make you feel that you know them as they are, and that there is nothing hidden behind.

2. Firmness. Some men are changeable, undecided, and you cannot rely on them. Others may be slower in forming their judgments or expressing their decisions, but you know that you can trust them; they stand fast by their promise; they are as steady as a rock.

3. Sympathy. A mysterious attraction is in some persons as they seem to understand us and feel with us, and their brotherliness commands our confidence.

II. POWER TO WIN CONFIDENCE IS A DIVINE TRUST. It takes its place among the talents. It is our characteristic, a force for good, which is entrusted to our use. It is ours as distinctly as may be the gifts of song, of eloquence, of art, of position, or of wealth. And this particular gift has even an unusual importance attaching to it, for, in inviting the trust of men in us, and meeting that trust faithfully, we may be revealing God to them and helping them to confidence in him. It is hard indeed for that man to have confidence in God who has never been able to rely on any of his fellow-men. This Divine “trust” brings its burden of responsibility. In relation to it we may be found faithful or unfaithful.

III. POWER TO WIN CONFIDENCE IS CAPABLE OF CULTURE. Not so much of direct as of indirect culture. As in other cases so in this, culture comes by use. To employ any talent, to exercise any gift, is to nourish it into strength; but those powers which belong to character are cultured in the general moral culture, in the daily training of the spirit and ordering of the life. Occasion may be taken here to plead for the duty of “keeping the heart with all diligence, seeing that out of it are the issues of life.”

IV. POWER TO WIN CONFIDENCE IS SANCTIFIED BY RELIGION. This St. Paul well illustrates; his faith in God, his devotion to men, his renewed disposition, his sense of the living presence of Christ, the measure of his change into the very mind and image of Christ, all told directly on the purifying and perfecting of this his natural gift. Christian faith sanctifies character, especially bearing its force on those three features of transparency, firmness, and sympathy, on which we have seen the power to win confidence mainly depends. Impress that, from the Christian standpoint, a man will only use this power of drawing others to himself in order that he may draw them all to Jesus, and, in and through him, to God.R.T.

Act 27:10

The mission of Divine warnings.

St. Paul was moved by God’s Spirit to warn the sailors of the consequences of proceeding on the voyage. No doubt the apostle had a large experience of the sea, and in part gave his personal opinion, but we must recognize that he had the gift of foresight, and this may very readily, on occasion, pass into the gift of prophecy. We note that it is an almost universal method of Divine dealing to warn before judgment falls. Illustration may be found in Noah’s warning before the flood, Jonah’s warning to Nineveh, Daniel’s to Nebuchadnezzar, the warnings of Jehovah’s prophets, and our Lord’s warning addressed to the guilty people of Jerusalem. We ask why these are given both to individuals and to nations, and what precise purposes do such warnings accomplish.

I. THEY MAY BE PREVENTVE OF CALAMITY. St. Paul’s would have been if it had been heeded. The warning of Jonah was, for the king and people of Nineveh did give heed to it. Explain that in the Divine rule of the world and men, no events need be regarded as absolutely and irrevocably settled. God’s foreknowings and fore-ordainings are quite consistent with the conditional character of all events as regarded by men. We can prevent overhanging calamities up to certain limits of time. We can if we will duly keep Divine principles, and heed Divine warnings.

II. THEY SHOW THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MAN‘S CONDUCT AND MAN‘S CIRCUMSTANCES. This is always the point of a Divine warning. This connection we are always in peril of denying or of forgetting. If we possibly can we think of events as accidents, and then all moral relations and uses are taken away from them. We never can call them “accidents” in the face of Divine warnings, for these distinctly affirm that the character of the coming events depends upon ourselves. It should be carefully shown that public events may not depend on individuals, but they do upon social conditions; and it may also be shown that the wrongdoing of some one may involve the calamity of many. In further and more minutely unfolding the mission of Divine warnings, it may be shown that

III. THEY MAKE MEN PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE, AND GIVE THEIR AFTER–ACTIONS A DISTINCT MORAL QUALITY. The warned man does not act at unawares. All excuses are taken away. The character of his proposed conduct is revealed to him in its issues. He acts upon knowledge, and the action is obedient or self-willed, good or bad.

IV. THEY SOLEMNLY AFFIRM THE SUPREME KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, AND THE DIVINE OVERRULING OF ALL AFFAIRS. In man’s willfulness he says of some things, “They are mere calamities; man’s conduct had nothing to do with them;” and then again of other events he will say, “They are simply the natural consequences of men’s foolish and wicked doings, and we need not think that God has anything to do with them.” Correcting both errors, God’s warnings make us understand that he rules and overrules all events, all actions, all sins, “making the very wroth of man to praise him.” Show, in conclusion, that warnings still come to us

(1) through men;

(2) through the Word;

(3) through providences;

(4) through the inward witnessings of God’s Holy Spirit.

Individuals and nations now cannot press on in paths of evil without finding, again and again, God’s angel of warning blocking the way, as he did for foolish, covetous, willful Balaam.R.T.

Act 27:21-26

Good cheer from a good man.

This interesting incident of the voyage may be introduced by a description of the perilous condition of the vessel, and the distress and hopelessness of the sailors and passengers. Canon Farrar’s careful narrative will be found helpful. A few sentences we may give: “The typhoon, indeed, had become an ordinary gale, but the ship had now been reduced to the condition of a leaky and dismantled hulk, swept from stem to stern by the dashing spray, and drifting, no one knew whither, under leaden and moonless heavens. A gloomy apathy began to settle more and more upon those helpless three hundred souls. There were no means of cooking, no fire could be lighted; the caboose and utensils must long ago have been washed overboard; the provisions had probably been spoiled and sodden by the waves that broke over the ship; indeed, with death staring them in the face, no one cared to eat. They were famishing wretches in a fast-sinking ship, drifting, with hopes that diminished day by day, to what they regarded as a swirl and certain death. But in that desperate crisis, one man retained his calm and courage. It was Paul the prisoner, probably in physical health the weakest, and the greatest sufferer of them all. But it is at such moments that the courage of the noblest souls shines with the purest luster, and the soul of Paul was inwardly enlightened.” Notice the apostle’s sensitiveness to visions at all the great crises of his life. He was a man of prayer, and when a man has gained the habit of communion with God, special times of nearness and revelation are sure to come. A man may, by prayer and communion, make the veil between himself and God very thin and very shadowy, only a mist through which the shinings of God may, at times, easily pass. If we inquire why, on this most depressing occasion, this one man Paul kept so cheerful and so hopeful, the answer is that in him we see the triumph of the man who is conscious of God’s presence with him. St. Paul here gives an illustration of his own words, “I can do all things through him that strengtheneth me,” In these verses note

I. THE GOOD MAN‘S REPROOF. (Act 27:21.) It might seem unfitting and unkind to remind the officers of their past mistake; but St. Paul was a moral teacher, and everywhere he sought to do his moral and religious work. He would not miss the opportunity of producing a sense of sin which might be the beginning of better things. If his reproof had been a mere taunt, in the spirit of our irritating way of saying, “I told you so,” it could not be commended. It belongs rather to the reproofs of which it may be said, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.”

II. THE GOOD MAN‘S ASSURANCE. (Act 27:22.) It was found in the strong brave words St. Paul used, but even more in the tone with which they were uttered. There could be no question about his own assurance. On his own faith he could uplift and cheer others. Compare the calmness of St. Paul with the unnatural calmness of Jonah when the storm raged about him; and give illustration, from modern tales of shipwreck, of the power of the godly man to quiet alarm and prepare men for death.

III. THE GROUND OF THE GOOD MAN‘S CONFIDENCE. (Verses 23-26.) In this case a Divine communication. In other cases more general grounds, such as

(1) our good. Father’s care and power;

(2) the “exceeding great and precious promises;” or, sometimes, a strong impression made upon our minds. Impress that the power to cheer others may be won by any and every godly man. It follows upon a real living faith in God; it is the proper power of the man who is calm by reason of his trust in God, and cherished sense of the Divine presence.R.T.

Act 27:38

The sanctity of human life.

This subject is suggested by the fact that they cast out the very wheat into the sea, bring willing to lose everything if they could only save dear life. “Skin after skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.” There is no intenser passion in the creature than the desire to preserve life. Not the tiniest insect, not the gentlest animal, but holds life most dear, and will do battle for it to the very last. The foe that man most dreads, all earthly creatures dread. God does not permit us to see anywhere around us life that is not valued, and for the sake of which all else will not be sacrificed. Man can do everything but die. Man can calmly lose everything but his life. Circumstances the most wretched, pains the most violent, desolation the most complete, can all be borne rather than life should be lost. Poor men cling to life as much as do rich men. Ignorant men hold life as tightly as do wise men. Young men value life no more highly than do old men. Well does the poet say, “All men think all men mortal but themselves, themselves immortal.” Now, why has God made life thus sacred, and implanted such an instinct for the preservation of life in one nature?

I. TO ACCOMPLISH GOD‘S PURPOSE THE TIME OF EACH MAN‘S LIFE MUST RE IN HIS OWN HANDS. Life is a probation for us all, and one man requires a longer probation than another. One lad may be fitted for the business of life with four years’ apprenticeship, while another may require six years. So it is in our schooling for eternity. God must hold in his hand both the incomings and the outgoings of our life. Some end life almost as soon as it is begun, while others drag wearily through their seventy or eighty years. And yet man has the power of taking away his life at any moment. God has, indeed, hidden away all the vital parts of our frame in secret places: covered the brain with bone and hair; set the arteries deep down beneath the flesh, and preserved the lungs and heart within a bony cage. Nevertheless, man can easily reach and spill his life. The poor suicide finds easy entrance into the secret chambers where his life dwells. It would almost seem that, if the entrance of life is in God’s hands, the exit of it is in man’s. And yet it must not be so. For man’s own sake it must not. But how shall man’s hand be guarded from touching his own life? God has done it by simply making the love of life the one master instinct in every man. He has also done it by revelation and by law, declaring, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” But, more important than any merely outward revelation is the inward revelation found in the clinging of the creature to its existence, so that, until the brain reels and self-control is lost, man will bear anything and lose anything rather than die. So God alone knows the appointed time for man on the earth, and he can accomplish in each his purposes of grace.

II. THE ORDER AND ARRANGEMENT OF SOCIETY COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED IF MEN HAD UNLIMITED CONTROL OVER THEIR OWN LIVES, Consider how the reasons which now induce men to take their lives would then be multiplied. For the smallest things, a little over-anxiety, a little unusual trouble, a commonplace vexation, slighted love, or unsuccessful effort, men would be destroying themselves. We think life is sadly full of change now that, at God’s bidding, homes are here and there broken up, and hearts are rifled. But what would be the uncertainties and the crowded miseries of this world’s story, if men were unchecked by this universal feeling of the sanctity of life? Widows moan, and orphans weep, and homes are desolated now; but thenif life were felt to be without value, and might be flung away for triflesthen, everywhere men would walk amidst ruins, fallen pillars, broken carvings, shattered roofs, scarce one stone upon another, and the wretched remnant would soon cry out of its desolation that God would seal again the sanctity of life.

III. BUT FOR THIS INSTINCT OF LIFE, MAN WOULD HAVE NO IMPULSE TO TOIL. We know that toil is necessary for the well-being of every creature; that Adam had to till the garden of Eden in the days of his purity and innocence. We know that the judgment on sinning man, that “he should eat bread at the sweat of his face,” was no mere punishment, but the indication of the process by which he should be recovered to goodness. We know that through work moral character is cultivated, that alike the common necessities and the higher training of human nature demand toil. We must work if we would eat. We must work if we would know. We must work if we would be “meetened for the inheritance of the saints in the light.” Yet who would work if there were not this instinct of life? What motive would be left sufficient to urge us to earnest endeavors, and to the mastering of difficulties? Though men do not say it to themselves in so many words, their real reason for working is that they must live, they want to live, they cling to life, they will do and bear anything if only they may, as we say, “keep body and soul together.”

IV. THIS INSTINCT OF LIFE IS THE MEANS OF PRESERVING US FROM THE LAWLESS AND THE VIOLENT. That clinging to my own makes me jealous of my brother’s life. As I would not imperil my own, so I would not endanger his. Let him be in the waters or in the fires, we would do our utmost to save his life. But suppose there was no such instinct; suppose life were of no higher value than property,then we should be at the mercy of every lawless, vicious man, who would not hesitate to kill us for our purse. Every robbery would be liable to become a murder, a robbery with violence. But now, even in the soul of the thief and the vicious man is this impress of the sacredness of life, and only at the utmost extremity will they dare to take it. We may therefore bless God for this universal instinct, recognizing its importance in the economy of this world. We may be comforted, as Christians, when we find it so strong within us as to make us even dread death. It is better for the race, it is better for all, that this should be a mastering instinct; and we may be willing to bear a seeming disability which is so evidently for the good of the many.B.T.

Act 27:44

Safety at last, somehow.

Luke succeeds in presenting a very vivid picture of the exciting scene, when he says, “And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.” St. Paul gave orders that “every one who could swim should first fling himself overboard, and get to land. The rest seized hold of planks and other fragments of the fast-dissolving wreck. The wind threw them landwards, and at last, by the aid of the swimmers, all were saved.” St. Paul was probably one of the swimmers, and we may be quite sure one of the most active in helping the others. We may find in this thrilling scene, and in the various experiences of such a time, a picture of the getting home to God at last of human souls.

I. SOME GET HOME AS SHIPS THAT SAIL INTO HARBOUR AFTER A SUCCESSFUL VOYAGE. Somewhat bruised and battered, indeed, by the wild winds and the stormy seas, but whole and sound, and with sails all set, and ropes trimmed with flags, and shouts of joyous welcome from the shores. And thus all God’s redeemed children ought to go home to him, and would go home, if in the voyage and the storms of life they fully trusted and fully used his offered grace. There ought to be for us all “the abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom.”

II. SOME GET HOME AS SHIPWRECKED MARINERS COME ASHORE. With life hardly saved. With all the works of the life abandoned and lost, like a shipwrecked vessel. Illustrate cases of Christian lives in which the conflict against sin has not been maintained, and the poor soul is almost lost; or cases in which the frailties and easy besetments are unmastered to the end; or cases in which intellectual doubts spoil Christian faith up to the very hour of passing; or cases in which the passion for luxury and worldliness and pleasures give a wrong tone to Christian conduct all through life;all such cases may coincide with a genuine and saving faith in God, but in all such cases the home-coming is sadly like the picture of the strugglers for dear life given in our text. St. Paul presents the same thought under another figure. He speaks of some as “saved, yet so as by fire.” In the great testing-day, every man’s life-work is to be “tried by fire, of what sort it is.” Some will find their life-work, in which they had so prided themselves, prove nothing but wood and hay and stubble. It will all burn up, and burn away, if God can find nothing but self-seeking and self-serving in it, and the poor soul will cater into life like one plucked naked from a burning house. Surely if we magnify the exceeding grace which permits us all to reach safe home at last, we may well long and pray and strive to win our way to heaven and God with all sails set, bringing safely in the full cargo of a life of good works, done in a good spirit, under Divine leadings. Such a cargo as God may make to “enrich the markets of the golden year.”R.T.

Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary

Act 27:1. That we should fail Prisoners of importance used frequently to be sent, as from other provinces, so from Judea, to Rome. Julius was very probably a freed-man of the Julian or Caesarean family, for freed-men bore commonly the names of their masters who gave them their freedom. He was centurion of a cohort belonging to the legion called Augustus’s legion. Lipsius mentions the inscription of a stone which notices that legion. See Lipsius in Tacit.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Act 27:1 . [166] ] contains the aim of the . “ But when (by Festus) decision was made (to the end) that we should sail away .” The nature of the “becoming resolved” ( ) implies that the object the contents of the resolution may be conceived as embraced under the form of its aim. The modes of expression: , , , and the like, are similar; comp. Act 27:42 , , . See also Luk 4:10 .

] Luke speaks as a fellow-traveller.

] namely, the persons who were entrusted with the execution of the .

is purposely chosen (not ), to intimate that they were prisoners of another sort (not also Christians under arrest). Comp. Luk 23:32 ; Tittmann, Synon. N.T. p. 155 f.; and see on Gal 1:7 . in Act 15:35 , Act 17:34 , also is to be similarly taken in the sense of another of two classes (in opposition to de Wette).

.] cohortis Augustae , perhaps: the illustrious (the imperial) cohort . . is an adjective. Comp. . in Joseph. Antt . xvii. 5. 1 : the imperial harbour (in Caesarea). Probably (for historical demonstration is not possible) it was that one of the five cohorts stationed at Caesarea, which was regarded as body-guard of the emperor, and was accordingly employed, as here, on special services affecting the emperor. We have no right, considering the diversity of the names used by Luke, to hold it as identical with the , Act 10:1 (so Ewald). Wieseler, Chronol . p. 351, and Beitr. z. Wrdig. d. Ev . p. 325 (comp. Wetstein), finds here the cohors Augustanorum (imperial body-cohort) at Rome , consisting of Roman equites, of the so-called evocati (Tac. Ann . xiv. 15; Sueton. Nero , 25; Dio, lxi. 20, lxiii. 8), whose captain, Julius, he supposes, had been at this very time on business at Caesarea, and had taken the prisoners with him on his return. In this way the centurion would not have been under the command of Festus at all, and would have only been incidentally called into requisition, which is hardly compatible with the regulated departmental arrangements of Rome in the provinces; nor is there in the text itself, any more than in the , Act 10:1 , the least intimation that we are to think of a cohort and a centurion, who did not belong at all to the military force of Caesarea . Schwarz ( de cohorte Ital. et Aug ., Altorf, 1720), with whom Kuinoel agrees, conceived that it was a cohort consisting of Sebastenes (from Sebaste , the capital of Samaria), as in fact Sebastene soldiers are actually named by Josephus among the Roman military force in Judaea ( Antt . xx. 6. 2, Bell . ii. 12. 5). But the calling a cohort by the name of a city ( the cohort of Sebaste ) is entirely without example; we should necessarily expect (Joseph. Bell . ii. 12. 5 : “ ”), or an adjective of locality, such as , after the analogy of , Act 10:1 .

Nothing further is known of the centurion Julius . Tacitus ( Hist . ii. 92, iv. 11) mentions a Julius Priscus as centurion of the Praetorians; but how extremely common was the name!

[166] Comp. on chap. 27. the excellent treatise of James Smith, The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul , London 1848, ed. 2, 1856; Vmel, Progr ., Frankf. 1850; in respect of the language, Klostermann, Vindiciae Luc . VII. In Baumgarten there is much allegorizing and play of fancy; he considers the apostle as the true Jonah , and the ship’s crew as a representative of the whole heathen world. Hackett treats chap. 27. with special care, having made use of many accounts of travels and notes of navigation.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

SECTION IV
THE APOSTLES JOURNEY BY SEA FROM CESAREA TO ROME

Act 27:1 to Act 28:15

A.THE VOYAGE TO ITALY, AND ITS DANGERS, BUT ALSO THE DIVINE PROTECTION GRANTED TO THE APOSTLE AND THOSE WHO WERE WITH HIM. THE SHIPWRECK, AND THE ESCAPE FROM DEATH AT THE ISLAND OF MALTA

Act 27:1-44

1And [But] when it was determined [resolved] that we should sail into [to] Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion ofAugustus band [to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band] 2And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one [We embarked, then (), in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail1 to the places [] in Asia; and we put to sea,] Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica,being with us. 3And the next day we touched [landed] at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul [treated Paul with kindness], and gave him liberty [permitted him] to go2 unto his friends to [friends and] refresh himself. 4And when we had launched [put to sea] from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the windswere contrary [to us]. 5And when we had sailed over [through] the sea of [sea, along (the coast of)] Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra3, a city of Lycia [to Myra in Lycia].

6And there [There] the centurion found a ship of Alexandria [which was] sailinginto [to] Italy; and he put us therein [us on board of it]. 7And when we had [But we] sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, [and with difficulty reached the region of Cnidus; but as the wind did not allow us to land,] we sailed under Crete4, over against Salmone; 8And, hardly [with difficulty] passing it, came unto a place which is called the [om. the] Fair Havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea5.

9Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now [was already] dangerous, because [also, ] the fast was now already [was now] past, Paul admonished them,10And said unto them, Sirs [Ye men, ], I perceive that this [the, ] voyage will be [will terminate, ] with hurt6 [injury] and much damage, not only of the lading [cargo7] and ship, but also of our lives. 11Nevertheless [However, ] the centurion believed the master [steersman] and the owner of the ship [ship-owner],more than those [the, ] things which were spoken by Paul. 12And [But] because the haven [harbor] was not commodious [suited] to winter in, the more [greater] part advised [resolved] to depart thence also8, if by any means [if perhaps, ] they might attain to Phenice [might be able to reach Phoenix], and there to winter [and winter there]; which is a haven of Crete, and lieth toward the southwest and north-west.13And when [as] the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing [setting sail] thence, they sailed close9 by [close along the coastof] Crete. 14But not long after [this,] there arose10 against it [against the ship] a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon [which is called Northeasterly11]. 15And when [Now as] the ship was caught [carried along], and could not bear up into [against]the wind, we let her drive [wind, we gave her up, and were driven onward]. 16And running under a certain [But when we came near to a small] island which is called Clauda12, we had much work to come by [much difficulty in obtaining control of] theboat: 17Which when they had taken [raised] up, they used helps [aids], undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands [should be drivenupon the sand-banks], strake sail [lowered the tackling], and so were driven. 18And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest [And as we suffered exceedingly from the storm], the next day they lightened the ship [they threw merchandise overboard];19And [on] the third day we13 cast out with our own hands the tackling [the furniture]of the ship. 20And [Now ()] when neither sun nor stars in [for] many days appeared, and no small [slight] tempest lay [pressed] on us, all hope that we should be saved was then [all hope that our lives would be saved was at last ()] taken away. 21But after [a] long abstinence [from food], Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, [Ye men], ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed [sailed] from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss [Crete; ye would thus haveavoided this injury and this damage]. 22And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall [will] be no loss of any mans life among you, but [only that] of theship. 23For there stood by me this night the [an] angel of God, whose I am, andwhom I serve, 24Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cesar [must stand before the emperor]: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.25Wherefore, sirs [ye men], be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall [will] be even as it was told me. 26Howbeit [Yet ()] we must be cast upon [be wrecked at] a certain island.

27But when the fourteenth night was come14 [came], as we were driven up and down in Adria [in the Adriatic sea], about midnight the shipmen [mariners] deemed [conjectured] that they drew near to some country [that some land was approaching them];28And sounded, and [heaving the lead, they] found it twenty fathoms [deep]: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it [deep; after ashort interval they again cast the lead, and found] fifteen fathoms. 29Then fearing lest we [lest they, ]15 should have fallen [should be wrecked] upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of [at] the stern, and wished for the day [wished that daywould come]. 30And as the shipmen were about [But when the mariners sought, ] to flee out of the ship, when they had [ship, and] let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of [on the pretextthat they were about () to let go anchors at] the foreship, 31Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these [If these do not] abide in the ship, ye can-not be saved. 32Then the soldiers cut off [cut away] the ropes of [from] the boat, andlet her fall off. 33And while the day was coming on [But until it began to be day], Paul besought [exhorted] them all to take meat [nourishment], saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried [waited] and continued fasting, having [and have]taken nothing. 34Wherefore I pray [exhort] you to take16some meat [nourishment]; for this is for your17 health [preservation,]: for there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you [for not a hair of the head of any one of you will perish18]. 35And when [When] he had thus spoken19, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all; and when he had broken it, he [all, broke it, and] began toeat. 36Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat [took nourishment.37And [But] we were20 in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen [two hundred and seventy-six] souls. 38And [But] when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat [grain] into the sea. 39And [But] when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek [inlet] with a shore [beach], into the [om. the] which they were minded [they resolved21], if it werepossible, to thrust in [drive] the ship. 40And when they had taken up the anchors [Therefore, cutting away the anchors], they committed themselves unto the sea [they let them fall into the sea22], and loosed the rudder bands [and, at the same time () loosened the fastenings of the rudders], and hoised [hoisted] up the mainsail [foresail23]to the wind, and made toward the shore [beach]. 41And [But] falling into a place where two seas met [which had the sea on both sides], they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves [broken by the violence (om. of thewaves)24]. 42And the soldiers counsel was [But the soldiers formed the resolution] to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out and escape25 [that no one mightescape by swimming]. 43But the centurion, willing [The centurion, however (), wished] to save Paul, [and] kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which [who] could swim should cast themselves first into the sea [water], and get toland: 44And the rest, some [partly] on boards, and some [partly] on broken pieces [on pieces] of the ship. And so [thus] it came to pass, that they escaped all [they all came] safe to land.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Act 27:1. And when it was determined [resolved].The resolution which was now adopted, did not refer to the voyage itself, which had already been determined, but to the mode and the time of the journey to Italy; it was, namely, decided that the party should set forth immediately, and go by sea. [When Vespasian went to Rome, leaving Titus to prosecute the siege of Jerusalem, he went on board a merchantship, and sailed from Alexandria to Rhodes, and thence pursued his way through Greece to the Adriatic, and finally went to Rome through Italy by land. Jos. B. J. vii. 2. 1.(Conyb. and Howson, etc., II. 318).Tr.]. It was now late in the autumn of the year A.D. 60 [Act 27:9]. By the word the narrator indicates, in addition to Paul, both himself and also the Macedonian Christian Aristarchus of Thessalonica, Act 27:2; see Act 19:29; Act 20:4 [and Col 4:10; Philem. Act 27:24.Our English translators speak of him, very strangely, as one Aristarchus, as if he were otherwise unknown. (Hackett).Tr.]; both voluntarily accompanied the apostle. Hence Luke here speaks communicatively for the first time since the mention of the arrival at Jerusalem (Act 21:15-18), and retains the same form of speech until the party reaches Rome.The expression excites attention in a grammatical point of view, since it presents the object to which the resolution referred as the purpose or design of that resolution. [On the later usage with regard to this construction (the article in the genitive, with the infinitive, see Winers remark on the passage, Gram. N. T., 44. 4, under the second a).Tr.]. In accordance with the resolution already mentioned, Paul, with his voluntary attendants, on the one hand, and, on the other, the rest of the prisoners who were to be sent forward, and who belonged to a different class (, i.e., of another sort), were officially given in charge to a centurion named Julius, who was thus made responsible for the safe delivery of all the prisoners. [De Wette denies that is here intentionally employed instead of , (as Meyer and Lechler assume), in order to imply that the other prisoners were of another kind, i.e., not Christians; and, to show that and are used promiscuously, appeals to Act 15:35; Act 17:34.They delivered.Who? Perhaps the assessors with whom Festus took counsel on the appeal, Act 25:12; but, more likely, the plural is used indefinitely, the subject being they, like the French on, or the German man. (Alf.).See Winer, Gr. N. T., 64. 3.Tr.].Different views have been entertained by interpreters respecting the cohors Augusta, to which the centurion Julius belonged. Kuinoel, who adopted the opinion of Schwarz (Diss. de cohorts Italica et Augusta, 1720, p. 43), assumed that a cohort of soldiers from Sebaste (Samaria) was meant. [After Herod had rebuilt the city of Samaria, he gave it the name of , in honor of Augustus; Jos. Ant. xv. 7. 7 and 8. 5.Tr.]. But this supposition is, for various reasons, entitled to very little consideration. [If, for instance, the fact had been as Schwarz supposes, the cohort would have been described as . . (De Wette).Tr.]. Wieseler: (Ap. Chron., p. 389 ff.) conjectures that Julius belonged to the special imperial bodyguard of Nero (cohors Augustanorum), that he had been sent to the East for the purpose of fulfilling some official duty, and that, when he was returning to Rome, Festus availed himself of the opportunity, in order to send the prisoners, under his care, to that city. But the terms of the text before us, convey the impression that both the centurion and the cohort in question, were stationed at Cesarea, and were under the command of Festus. Hence the name is still involved in a certain obscurity, which we cannot remove by any arbitrary conjectures.

Act 27:2. And entering into a ship.The prisoners, with a body of Roman soldiers, who served as a guard, accordingly embarked at Cesarea on a trading vessel which came from Adramyttium, a seaport of Asia Minor, in the province of Mysia, not far from Troas and Assos, and opposite to the island of Lesbos. The ship was homeward bound, but previously to the conclusion of the voyage, was yet to touch at several seaports along the coast, of Asia proconsularis.[ – – is the reading of the text. rec. with G. H.Lachm. inserts after , on the authority of A. B., to which Cod. Sin. is now also to be added. Alford. with de Wette and Meyer, rejects the preposition as a later attempt to correct an apparently harsh construction; for the latter, see Winer: Gr. 32. 1 ult. on the passage.Tr.]. It was intended that this ship should be exchanged for another which was on its way to Italy, and which could be readily found in some one of the seaports of Asia Minor.The nautical and topographical points which occur in the narrative of Luke, have been explained in a manner which claims all our gratitude, in the work of a learned Englishman, entitled: The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul: with Dissertations on the Life and Writings of St. Luke, and the Ships and Navigation of the Ancients. By James Smith, Esq., of Jordanhill, F.R.S. 1848. Second edition, London, 1856. This writer employed a winters residence in Malta, in carefully examining all the localities of the island; he consulted educated and experienced seamen on the subject of the navigation of the Levant, and collected all the information which modern log-books and descriptions of seavoyages could furnish. He devoted special attention to the ship-building and the navigation of the ancients, and availed himself of all accessible documents and aids, in order to shed all possible light on the narrative in the Acts. The result was, that he clearly explained many points which had hitherto been involved in obscurity, and, at the same time, essentially contributed to the evidences of the historical truth and of the credibility of the Book of the Acts. He has, in particular, demonstrated in the clearest manner, in many passages of the work, that the writer of the narrrative before us, 1, could not have himself been a seaman, inasmuch as his language, when he speaks of nautical matters, is not that which any one who was professionally and practically acquainted with the subject, would have employed. He has demonstrated that, for this very reason, the writer must, 2, have been an eye-witness of all that he records; this point is proved both by the statements respecting all that occurred on board, and by the geographical details which are interwoven with the narrative; for no man who was not professionally acquainted with marine affairs, could have furnished a description of a sea-voyage so consistent in all its parts, unless he related that which he had personally observed and experienced. [Similar testimony is borne to the value of the services of J. Smith, by Meyer, Alford, Alexander, Hackett, Howson, etc., in their respective works; all gladly express their sense of the obligations which he has conferred on those who interpret the Acts of the Apostles.Tr.]

Act 27:3. And the next day we touched [landed] at Sidon.If they reached Sidon the day after they left Cesarea, the wind must have been favorable, as the distance between the two places is about 67 miles. [Sidon is mentioned in Act 12:20.Tr.]. At the season of the year which had now arrived, Act 27:9, westerly winds prevail in that part of the Mediterranean, and such a wind would be desirable for the ship, in view of the course in which it was proceeding. The courteous treatment of Paul by the centurion may possibly have been originally due to certain instructions received from the procurator, although there can be no doubt that, at the same time, the personal character and conduct of the apostle must have made a most favorable impression on every unprejudiced and intelligent mind. The vessel doubtless touched at Sidon for the purposes of trade; during the delay, Paul was permitted to spend his time among the Christians of that city, accompanied, of course, by a guard.

Act 27:4-5. When they sailed from Sidon, contrary winds compelled them to sail under Cyprus, that is, instead of sailing in the open sea, they tacked, and sailed on the lee side of the island. Interpreters had hitherto been divided in their opinions respecting the side of the island along which the vessel proceeded. Some (e. g., Falconer; J. F. v. Meyer [not the commentator, H. A. W. Meyer], etc.), understand the text as if the vessel had left Cyprus on the right, and sailed along its southern coast; but Erasmus, wetstein, Bengel, etc., suppose that they passed by Cyprus on the left, that is, north of it. The latter is, without doubt, the correct view [and accords with that of J. Smith.Tr.]; for we are informed in Act 27:5, that they sailed through [the whole length of (Alf.)] the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia (); hence, they must have, at first, sailed between Syria and the eastern coast of Cyprus, and then between the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, on the one hand, and the northern coast of Cyprus, on the other. (J. Smith). [Modern nautical investigation has brought to light that from Syria to the Archipelago, along the coast of Asia Minor, there is a constant current to the westward . By getting into this strong current they would be able to make some way westward, even in the face of an unfavorable wind. (Alex.).Tr.].Myra, where they landed, was, at that time, a flourishing seaport of Lycia, about twenty stadia [between two and three miles] distant from the sea, according to Strabo, but was situated on a stream which was navigable to the city.

Act 27:6-8. a. And there the centurion found a ship.At Myra the centurion Julius transferred the soldiers who accompanied him, together with the prisoners, to a merchant-vessel which had arrived from Alexandria, and was on its way to Italy. The cargo consisted of wheat, according to Act 27:38, Egypt at that time being one of the granaries of Italy. Grain was usually transported from that country to Italy in very large vessels; according to a statement of Lucian, they could not have been inferior in size to the largest merchant-vessels of modern times. [Josephus states (Life, 3) that the ship in which he was wrecked in his voyage to Italy, contained six hundred persons. (Hackett).Tr.].This circumstance explains the fact that not less than 276 persons (Act 27:37) found room on board of this vessel.

b. The travellers had at first proceeded from Cesarea to Myra, Act 27:1-5; the second part of the voyage, from Myra to Crete, is next described, Act 27:6-8. They now made unusually slow progress, as they encountered contrary winds; that it was not merely a calm which occasioned the delay, J. Smith infers from the word , which implies an effort, a struggle with the wind; besides, the words seem intended to explain . . Cnidus, a peninsula between Cos and Rhodes, was not too distant from Myra [130 miles], to have been reached in a single day, with favorable winds. The voyage from the vicinity of Cnidus to Italy, should, properly, have been in a south-western direction, so that the travellers would pass along the northern coast of Crete. But as the wind continued to be contrary, they chose another course, namely, to the south-south-west, towards the eastern shore of Crete, the extreme point of which, to the east, is formed by the promonotory of Salmone. The voyage was thence continued along the southern shore of the island, and the ship was constantly struggling with the wind and the waves () [occurring in Act 27:7, find repeated in Act 27:8.Tr.], until it reached a place called Fair Havens, not far from the city of the name of Lasea. [, Act 27:8, refers to . . (Meyer).Tr.]. There is a bay on the southern shore of Crete, which, as J. Smith has proved, still bears the name of , and in which a ship is sheltered from north-west winds.

Act 27:9-12. Paul admonished them.[, in later Greek, occurred also as a genitive, instead of , Winer, Gr. 8. 2.Tr]. A crisis had now arrived in the affairs of the voyagers. The favorable season for sailing had passed by, for the time of the fast ()that is, the fast of expiationwas already over, and they had accordingly reached a period which was subsequent to the autumnal equinox. [This fast of the day of atonement was observed on the tenth day of the seventh month (Lev 16:29 ff; Lev 23:26 ff.), that is, of Tisri; this was the seventh month of the Jewish ecclesiastical or sacred year, but the first of the civil year. The fast occurred about the close of September, or the beginning of October, soon after which navigation was suspended in those waters. It is here mentioned simply to specify the season of the year, and is designated as the fast ( .), as it was the only annual, public and rigid fast, which Moses instituted. See Hornes Introd. Part III. Ch. 5 Sect. II. p. 132; Keils Bibl. Arch. 69; Winers Realw, art. Fasten; Herzogs Real-Encyk. IV. 332.Tr.]. Hence Paul warned the centurion and the owner of the vessel not to continue the voyage, and advised that they should winter in the harbor which they had succeeded in reaching, as any other course of action would expose the vessel to great danger.The construction, in Act 27:10, is loose: . [The sentence begins with but closes with the infinitive and accusative ( . ), as if had not been used. Analogous cases occur in the best classic writers. (Winer: Gr. 44. 8. Anm. 2, and 63. 2. c.)Tr.].Meyer and Ewald understand , in Act 27:10, in a moral sense, viz., presumption; but then it would be necessary to take the word in the same sense in Act 27:21, where it is again combined with , but where, according to the context, it would be inappropriate in that sense (see the Exeg. note below on Act 27:21-26). It must, accordingly, be understood in the natural sense, according to the usual interpretation, as referring to the evils occasioned by the violence of the storm. The language of Paul on this occasion expresses the results of his own intelligent observation () and reflection; afterwards, he speaks in consequence of a divine revelation which he had received, Act 27:21 ff. The event demonstrated that his fears had been well founded, although all escaped with their lives. At the consultation which was held, the centurion attached more weight to the opinion of the steersman and the ship-owner than to the advice of Pauland naturally, as the former were professionally and practically acquainted with such subjects. Besides, the reason which they assigned for objecting to the plan of wintering in that spot, claimed consideration: the bay was not suited for that purpose; for the words .. in Act 27:12, obviously state the grounds of their opposition to Pauls advice. They agreed with him that the voyage to Italy could not at present be continued; but the majority of those who had a voice in the matter ( ) decided in favor of selecting a more favorable place for passing the winter, namely, a harbor on the south-western coast of Crete, named Phnix, provided that they could reach it. Luke describes this harbor as lying toward , Africus [the south-west wind], and [Corus, or Caurus, the north-west wind]. This language has usually been understood to mean that of the two sides of the harbor, the one extended in the direction of the south-west, the other, in that of the north-west, [the irregular coast itself, in the interior of the harbor, looking due west.Tr.]. J. Smith adopts the opposite view, p. 47 ff. [second ed. pp. 8489], in order to sustain his opinion that a harbor which is now known as Lutro [Loutro] is identically the same spot. In that case would denote the direction in which these winds blew, that is, the north-east and the south-east. But such an interpretation does violence to the usus loquendi, and is adopted merely to sustain a certain hypothesis. See the Commentary of Hackett, of North America, 1858, p. 420 ff. [Prof. Hackett, in his second edition (1863, p. 421 f.), adheres to his original opinion, which agrees with that of Lechler, as given here; he is not willing to identify Phnix with the modern Lutro, which, as J. Smith states: looks or is open to the east. Alford agrees with J. Smith; Howson (Conyb. and H. II. 382) also adopts the conclusion at which Smith arrives, but admits that at least the philological arguments of the latter, are not conclusive.Tr.].

Act 27:13. And when the south wind blew softly.The voyage from Crete to Malta, terminating with the shipwreck, is next described, Act 27:13-44. A moderate south wind began to blow . is applied to a gentle breeze). It was supposed to be favorable for their purpose, inasmuch as at Cape Matala, not far from Fair Havens [four or five miles], the coast of Crete turns to the north-west, and for a voyage in that direction a south wind was precisely the one which sailors would desire. Hence they weighed anchor ( was a common term in nautical language, used in this sense, even without the addition of ).The word was formerly believed to be the name of a city of Crete [see note 9 above, appended to the text.Tr.], and was connected with , as the place from which they sailed, or else as indicating the direction in which they proceeded. [Assos, in Mysia, Asia Minor, is mentioned in Act 20:14.Tr.]. It should, however be written with a small initial letter, as it is here the comparative of [of (Passow).Tr.], and signifies nearer, that is, nearer than was usual, or, quite near to the coast.

Act 27:14-15. But not long after., i.e., struck against [intransitively, fell upon, beat against, as frequently in classic writers, after the age of Homer. (Meyer).Tr.]. ; Luther supposed that these words referred to , Act 27:13 [their purpose], which, however, would be a forced construction: Meyer refers them to . But it is more natural, in accordance with the context, to assume that is the subject, [Win. Gr. 47. 5. k. note.Tr.], although this word does not here actually occur. [Luke employs , because the mental antecedent is , which actually occurs in Act 27:41, though his ordinary word is . (Hackett).Tr.]. is derived from , a whirlwind, a hurricane. is compounded of Eurus and Aquilo, that is, northeast; this reading [see note 11 above, appended to the text.Tr.] is preferable to . [The latter form, adopted by the Engl. version is, according to de Wette, derived from , the south-east wind, and , billow, wave. Other explanations have been furnished, but no one has met with general approbation. Howson remarks (Conyb. and H. II. 825 n. 7): The addition of the words seems to us to show that it was a name popularly given by the sailors to the wind: and nothing is more natural than that St. Luke should use the word which he heard the seamen employ on the occasion.Tr.]. The term describes the violence of the wind, states its direction; for it was only a north-east wind which could have produced the effects that are subsequently described. The wind had veered around in an opposite direction., i.e., to look [the wind] in the face, to bear up against, to strive against., i.e., . [They were compelled to scud before the gale. (Howson, l. c.)Tr.]

Act 27:16; Acts 17. a. And running under a certain island [But when we came near to a small island], is, as J. Smith remarks (p. 61, Note [2d ed. p. 100, Note], the most appropriate nautical term which could have here been employed. It states, first, that the ship had the wind behind it, and, secondly, that the wind was between the ship and the island, so that the former went to the south-east of the island. Clauda (also called Claudus by Ptolemy), [a small island about twenty miles from the south coast of Crete (Sir C. Penrose)Tr.], now bears the name of Gozzo. Here they endeavored to hoist on board the boat with which the ship had been provided, so that, if the circumstances should render it necessary, they might make use of it; otherwise, the violence of the winds and the waves might tear it loose from the ship by which it had been towed, and it would then have been irretrievably lost. This work was performed with some difficulty [, a third time, see Act 27:7-8]; Luke does not, however, explain wherein the difficulty consisted. [After towing so long, it must have been nearly filled with water. (Conyb. and H. II. 337.)Tr.]. It was, next, considered to be indispensably necessary, that the ship should be undergirded, in order to prevent it from foundering at sea. This work was accomplished by means of certain ; such aids or helps consisted of cables, chains, etc., which were passed under the keel of the vessel, in order to bind the planks together as tightly as possible. In mechanics, the ancients understood by , props or supports. [Undergirding, technically termed frapping, consists in passing cables or other large ropes under the keel and over the gunwales, and then drawing them tight by means of pullies and levers. (Sir C. Penrose, quoted in Conyb. and H. II. 336, note 6).Tr.]

b. And fearing lest, etc.They were apprehensive of being driven on the Syrtis, i.e., Syrtis Major, between Tripoli and Barca on the African coast, which, on account of the rocks found in it, is still regarded by navigators as a dangerous shallow (, i.e., driven from the open sea against the land or rocks). The men had reason to entertain such fears, as the north-east wind was blowing at the time directly toward that quarter. The other, Syrtis Minor, cannot be here meant, it lay too far to the west [near Carthage]; they were, accordingly, in imminent danger of being driven upon the greater Syrtis. (There is, therefore, no reason to assume that is here an appellative, in the general sense of sand-bank, particularly as the definite article is prefixed). [Nevertheless Lechler translates the word in the text above, Act 27:17, sandbanks.Tr.]. In order to avoid this danger, they lowered the tackling. [They lowered the gear. This is the most literal translation of the Greek expression. (Conyb. and H. II. 337.)Strake sail (Engl. version) is regarded by the latest nautical interpreters as not only incorrect but contradictory, denoting not a wise precaution against danger, but a reckless rushing into it. (Alex.).Tr.]. The expression no doubt here means, in accordance with the context, the sails, which were furled, in order that the storm might not have too much power over the vessel; in that case, the words mean that the latter was allowed to be driven without sails. But it is precisely this expression which shows that, if the narrator had been practically acquainted with nautical affairs, he would, unquestionably, if he at all mentioned the subject, have been more definite and full in his statements. [What precise change was made we are not able to determine, in our ignorance of the exact state of the ships gear at the moment. It might mean that the mainsail was reefed and set. (Such is Mr. Smiths view). Or it might mean that the great yard was lowered upon deck, and a small storm sail hoisted, etc. (Conyb. etc. II. 337, 338).Tr.]. J. Smith, who it is true, interprets here a priori, that is, according to the course which under the circumstances, ought to have been adopted, rather than according to the direct sense of the words themselves, speaks of the lowering of the gear, of the hoisting of the storm sail, and of tacking, p. 68 ff. [Second ed. p. 108, 109].These (Act 27:13-17) were the events of the first day, after the vessel had left Pair Havens.

Act 27:18-19. And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest.In consequence of the violence of the storm, many things were, on the following day, thrown overboard; the articles thus sacrificed for the purpose of lightening the ship, were probably the heavier and less valuable parts of the cargo. But on the third day, they were compelled to proceed even further [as the leaks no doubt admitted an increasing quantity of water.Tr.], and cast out even a part of the furniture of the ship, such as tables, chests, etc. And the passengers themselves were now required to lend their assistance (). [Lechler, namely, prefers the reading which exhibits the verb . in the first person. See note 13, above, appended to the text.Tr.]

Act 27:20. And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared.[The sun and stars were the only guides of the ancients when out of sight of land. (Alf.).Tr.]. The voyagers were now exposed to the most severe trial; during eleven days they were in imminent danger of perishing; comp. Act 27:27. As the violence of the storm did not abate, and heavy clouds obscured the sky both by day and by night, they abandoned all hope of escaping with their lives, especially as the vessel appears to have suffered serious damage. [The leaky state of the ship increased upon them. (J. Smith).Tr.]

Act 27:21-26. But after long abstinence.This , that is, the long-continued and rigid abstinence from regular meals, cannot have been occasioned by an actual want of provisions, as the ships cargo consisted of wheat, which had not yet been cast overboard, Act 27:38. It was, partly, the impossibility of properly cooking food, and, partly, the incessant labors which were performed, together with the mental distress occasioned by fear and despair, which had prevented the voyagers from eating.Paul stood forth and said.During this period of danger and painful anxiety, Paul came forward (the precise time previously to the catastrophe mentioned below, is not stated), and spoke to the company in encouraging terms; he promised all, on the authority of a divine revelation which he had received, that they should escape with their lives. If he, nevertheless, begins by saying that the advice which he had previously given (Act 27:10), should have been adopted, he is not influenced by an undue tenaciousness in adhering to his own opinion, but simply desires to demonstrate that he is justified in claiming the faith and confidence of his hearers, by reminding them that the result had so far fully established the soundness of his advice. [ after is not connected with at the beginning of Act 27:22; the clause expressing the contrast (e. g., but such I was not the case) is omitted. See Kuehner. Gram. 322. 5: 100. Rem. 4. (Meyer).Tr.]. He uses the word in a sense in which it often occurs in later Greek, after the time of Aristotle; it indicates, in that case, a certain gain which consists, not, positively, in securing an advantage, but, negatively, in avoiding an injury or a loss against which precautions had been successfully adopted: and it is precisely for this reason that cannot here with any propriety be understood in a moral sense, which is the interpretation of Meyer and Ewald. [See the Exeg. note above on Act 27:9-12.Tr.]. The construction of the clause in Act 27:22, beginning with , is the following: for there will be no loss of life in the case of any of you, unless it be of the ship, that is, there will be a loss: the less precise is used instead of . [Winer. Gr. 67. 1. e.Tr.].This night. Act 27:23. that is, the preceding night, as Paul undoubtedly made this address to the company in the day-time. , that is, whose property I am; a different thought is conveyed by [comp. Rom 1:9], to whom I offer worship. The latter refers to acts of prayer on the part of Paul, which the people on board may at times, have noticed. We can hardly suppose that the vision occurred in a dream (Ewald); it was doubtless granted at a time when Paul was awake. If the promise made in Act 23:11, and which is here more fully explained in reference to the person of the emperor, was to be fulfilled, it also included an assurance of the safety of the life of Paul in the present danger. The words etc. do not merely furnish a general promise that the follow-travellers of the apostle shall escape with their lives, but also state in particular that they will be saved from death for the sake of Paul, inasmuch as God assures Paul of their safety, as an act of grace to him. Paul had, without doubt, offered prayers () not only in behalf of himself, but also in behalf of all who were around him, and God had now accepted his intercessory petitions. , in Act 27:26, implies that their lives would indeed be spared, but that they would, nevertheless, experience much evil. The knowledge that they would be cast upon a certain island, appears to have been derived from the vision, but Where? and When,were questions which Paul could not yet answer.

Act 27:27-28. But when the fourteenth night was come.The days and nights continue to be counted from the time when the vessel left the bay in Crete. The name of Adria was occasionally employed, it is true, in a restricted sense, even by the ancients, and designated that which is now known as the Adriatic Sea, namely, the gulf on the north of the straits of Otranto (N. lat. 4045). But the name also frequently embraced, as in the present case, in addition to the Adriatic, also the Ionian Sea, so that it was applied to the sea on the east of Lower Italy and Sicily, in which Malta is also found. [For the anecdote of Csar, see below, Hom. and Pr. Act 27:27.Tr.]. The conjecture of the sailors that they were in the vicinity of land, is expressed by the word , suspiciebant, as this circumstance would necessarily expose them to a new danger. [The roar of breakers is a peculiar sound, which can be detected by a practised ear. (Conyb. and H. II. 344).Tr.]. The language – – is adapted to an optical illusion [according to which the vessel seems to stand still and the land to move. (Alex).Tr.]: the converse is found in the following: terraque urbesque recedunt. [n. III. 72]. Luke does not state the grounds of the conjecture, but it was no doubt, suggested by the increasing sound which proceeded from the surf. J. Smith refers, on p. 81 ff. [118, 119], to a case which is, in a striking manner, similar to the one before us; it is that of the British frigate Lively, which was wrecked, Aug. 10, 1810, in the same region in which Paul is now found, not far from the point of Koura. He refers to the records of the Admiralty, and exhibits the remarkably analogous circumstances in the case of the English frigate, as given in evidence at the court-martial held on its officers. [The mean rate of a drift of a ship circumstanced like that of Paul, says J. Smith, would be thirty six and a half miles in twenty-four hours. Hence, according to the calculations, a ship starting late in the evening from Claude (476 miles distant from the point of Koura), would, by midnight on the fourteenth, be less than three miles from the entrance of St. Pauls Bay. See the Exeg. note on Act 27:39, bellow.Tr.].In order to learn whether there was reason to entertain fear, the sailors sounded and found at first a depth of 20 fathoms (120 feet), and after proceeding a little further, ascertained that the depth was only 15 fathoms (90 feet). [The ancient fathom and the modern coincide so nearly, that the nautical interpreters, in their calculations, treat them as identical. (Alex.).Tr.]. Such a rapid decrease of the depth afforded just grounds for apprehending that they would be carried on the rocks or reef ( ).

Act 27:29. They cast four anchors out of the stern.They had a twofold purpose in anchoring: first, to keep the ship from foundering on a reef, and, secondly, to wait for day-light, so that the vessel might strand at a point which would, with the greatest probability, afford means of escaping to land. Not less than four anchors were let down; for vessels in ancient times did not possess those colossal anchors which modern vessels carry, and therefore took a larger number of them on board. They acted with prudence in letting go the anchors at the stern, for if they had anchored by the bow [the head of the Ship], the north-east wind, which still continued to blow, would have the more easily obtained control of the ship, and the wreck would have occurred under still more unfavorable circumstances [the vessel would have swung round and gone upon the rocks. (Conyb. and H. II., 345).Tr.]. J. Smith has shown that these seamen acted with much prudence, and exhibited great skill. Howson, an English writer, mentions, that when Nelson appeared before Copenhagen, April, 1801, he ordered that each ship [as she arrived nearly opposite her appointed station], should let go her anchors asternthat this procedure was of advantage to the fleetand that Nelson stated, after the battle, that he had that morning been reading the twenty-seventh chapter of the Acts, which had suggested this measure to him. [Lechler refers to Conybeare and Howsons Life, etc., of St. Paul, II., 345.Tr.]

Act 27:30. To flee out of the ship.The sailors doubtless believed that the ship was in such a shattered state, that it would entirely go to pieces before the night was over; they may have, at the same time, apprehended that the character of the coast was so unfavorable, that when the ship would be finally wrecked, no hope of escape would remain. Hence they designed to flee out of the ship, by resorting to the boat, which had previously been secured on board, Act 27:16-17. The ship itself, and the company, they had cruelly intended to leave to their fate. They accordingly let down the boat into the sea, under the pretext that they proposed to cast anchors out of the foreship or prow. [ must be regarded as the genitive absolute, like the foregoing ( .), and (comp. Thuc. V. 53.1, and VI. 76. 1) is used adverbially (Bernhardy, p. 130), while, in the classic writers the accusative, is more usual, etc. (Meyer).Tr.]

Act 27:31-32. Except these abide in the ship.[For the third time in this memorable voyage and tempest (see Act 27:10; Act 27:21), Paul the prisoner comes forward as the counsellor of those who seemed to have his life and liberty at their disposal. (Alex.).It may seem singular that Paul, even after the divine promise (Act 27:22-24), should regard the safety of the whole company as depending on the presence of the sailors. It must, however, be remembered that the efficacy of any divine interposition is not here represented as depending on human means and ends. But when God has prescribed a certain course of action, which men are to pursue, he requires that they should adopt that course, and employ the means appointed by Him, if they desire the aid of His omnipotence. (Calvin).Tr.] Paul defeated the plan of the faithless and treacherous sailors by communicating it to the Roman military force. [He penetrated the design of the former, and either from some divine intimation of the instruments which were to be providentially employed for the safety of all on board,or from an intuitive judgment, which showed him that those who would be thus left behind, the passengers and soldiers, would not be able to work the ship in any emergency that might arise,he saw that, if the sailors accomplished their purpose, all hope of being saved would be gone. With his usual tact, he addressed not a word to the sailors, but spoke to the soldiers and his friend the centurion; and they, with military promptitude, held no discussion on the subject, but decided the question by immediate action. (Conyb. and Howson, etc., II. 347 f.).Tr.]. The soldiers were, as a matter of course, not acquainted with the art of navigation, and would have been left without any resource, if all the sailors had withdrawn. They therefore cut the ropes by which the boat was still attached to the ship, and abandoned it to the waves.

Act 27:33-37. And while the day was coming on.[But until it began to be day]. , i.e., before it was day, and, accordingly, before they could begin to work and resort to the final measures which were to be adopted for saving their lives. As the strength of each individual would be taxed to the utmost by the effort to reach the shore, and as each one should be as fully as possible prepared to meet the emergency, Paul encouraged all, both by his words and his acts, to take a full meal. [For the fourth time Paul the prisoner assumes, as it were, the command of the vessel, or at least the direction of the company, etc. The words having taken nothing are not to be strictly understood, but as a natural and popular hyperbole, denoting the omission of all stated meals, etc. (Alex.).Tr.]. The apostle himself showed a good example, after having given thanks to God aloud in the presence of all. [Paul does not here observe a love-feast (Olsh.), nor does he act as the head of a family (Meyer), but simply proceeds as a devout Jew, who offers the prayer of thanks before he eats. (De Wette).Tr.]

Act 27:38. And when they had eaten enough.It was now time to adopt active measures for their rescue. The first step which they took was that of lightening the ship by casting the wheat [ ] overboard. Meyer maintains that this word designates the ships provisions; these could not, however, under any circumstances, have been merely grain, but must have consisted of biscuit and other articles of food, and had, no doubt, been already so far reduced in quantity that their weight could not attract attention in the present emergency. It was, namely, the main object of the voyagers to bring the vessel as near to the shore as possible, before it actually struck. [The cargo of wheat was now probably spoilt by the salt water. Besides this, it is probable that, the ship having been so long in one position, the wheat had shifted over to the port side, and prevented the vessel from keeping that upright position, which would be most advantageous when they came to steer her towards the shore. Sir C. Penrose says: I doubt not that it was found, that, from the ship having been so long pressed down on one side, the cargo had shiftedtowards the larboard side, etc. (Conyb. and Howson, II. 349, and note 3).Tr.]. The cargo, accordingly, consisted chiefly of grain, and this opinion is the more probable, as the ship had come from Alexandria, and was proceeding to Italy, while it is well known that grain was the principal article which was exported from Egypt. This view, viz., that was the cargo of the ship, had already been entertained by Erasmus, Luther, Beza, etc., and has recently been sustained by James Smith, Hackett, and also Baumgarten. Hackett, the American commentator, has, in particular, here adduced a very ingenious remark of Blunt, namely, that various incidental notices in different parts of the chapter, when properly combined, throw light on this subject. Thus, we are told in Act 27:6, that the ship belonged to Alexandria, and was on its way to Italy; we learn next, from Act 27:10, where the lading is mentioned, that it was a merchant-vessel (although we do not yet receive any information respecting the nature of the freight, ); at length we ascertain from Act 27:38, that the lading consisted of wheat [the very article which such vessels were accustomed to carry from Egypt to Italy. (Blunt, quoted by Prof. Hackett, 2d ed., p. 440).Tr.]. The freight had very naturally been kept as long as it was possible to preserve it from injury.

Act 27:39. And when it was day.The seamen did not recognize the land which had now become visible, although Malta was necessarily well known to Egyptian sailors. [For the identity of the island, see the Exeg. note on Act 28:1.Tr.]. It is, however, to be considered that they were at a part of the island which was remote from the harbor best known to them [and which possesses no marked features by which it might be recognized. (J. Smith).Tr.]. It has been proved, beyond all doubt, by J. Smith, that this shipwreck must have occurred on that spot which the Maltese tradition has always designated as St. Pauls Bay. It is found on the north-east extremity of the island, and forms a tolerably deep incisure into the land, between two beaches, of which the one to the south-east terminates with Koura point, while the one to the north-east ends at the small island of Salmonetta. The men observed that this bay [creek, Engl. version] had an [shore, Engl. version], that is, a flat beach, whereas the word [which does not occur in the N. T.] denotes a coast which is considerably elevated above the margin of the sea. Hence Luke here uses the correct hydrographical term (J. Smith, p. 136, note [Engl. ed.]). The coasts of that bay consist of an unbroken chain of rocks, with the exception of two points, each of which presents a flat beach. It was one of these which the seamen chose, as suited for running the ship aground, if it were possible to do so (, ejicere navem [i.e., ashore, out of () the sea (Rob. Lex.).Tr.].

Act 27:40. And when they had taken up the anchors.[Therefore, cutting away the anchors.The verb is here more correctly rendered in the margin of the English Bible cut the anchors. The same remark applies to the words following: committed themselves unto the sea, which the margin properly explains as still referring to the anchors, etc. (Alex.). So, too, Meyer: refers to ; the interpretation of the Vulg.: committebant se is arbitrary; also Alford (they cut away all four anchors), and others.Tr.]. In order to set the ship in motion, they let the anchors fall into the sea, as they had not time to draw them up, [and, besides, the anchors would have encumbered the water-logged ship with their additional weight. (Alford).Tr.]. At the same time [] they unloosed the lashings with which the rudders had been secured. The vessels of the ancients were usually supplied with two rudders, one being placed on each side of the stern; they were, respectively, named the right and the left rudder. These had been hoisted up out of the water, and lashed to the ship [no doubtlest they should foul the anchors (Conyb. and H. II. 350, n. 2)Tr.], but were now untied, in order that they might assist in propelling the ship in the desired direction. They, moreover, hoisted a sail , scil. , to the wind. The word does not occur in any other Greek writer; it is found only in Latin, in the form artemo [artemon], and has been very differently explained. [The various sails to which different writers have supposed this name to be applicable, are specified by Meyer, and, especially, de Wette, ad. loc.Tr.]. According to J. Smith, the foresail is meant, that is, the one nearest to the forepart of the ship. After all these arrangements had been made, the sailors steered the ship towards the flat beach ( . .).

Act 27:41. And falling into a place, etc.The place where two seas met, , was a spot, on both sides of which the sea was found to flow. J. Smith supposes that the place was in the vicinity of the island of Salmonetta, which is separated from Malta by a narrow channel, not more than 100 yards in breadth, so that there was here a current between the sea in the interior of St. Pauls Bay, and the sea outside. [The channel would thus appear to be a place between two seas, like the Bosphorus, to which Strabo applies the very word . The island of Salmonetta is so situated, that the sailors, looking from the deck when the vessel was at anchor, could not possibly be aware that it was not a continuous part of the main land; whereas, while they were running her aground, they could not help observing the channel. (Conyb. and Howson, etc. II. 352 and n. 2).Tr.]. Here the vessel suddenly struck, so that the forepart cut deeply into a bank of sand or clay, while the hinder part was broken by the surging of the sea. [J. Smith says: The rocks of Malta disintegrate into extremely minute particles of sand and clay, which form a deposit of tenacious clayand mud. A ship, therefore, impelled by the force of the gale into a creek with a bottom such as has been described, would strike a bottom of mud into which the fore part would fix itself and be held fast, whilst the stern was exposed to the force of the waves.Tr.]

Act 27:42-44. And the soldiers counsel was to kill the prisoners.This design was formed in consequence of existing laws which imposed the most severe penalties on guards, who suffered prisoners for whom they were answerable, to escape; comp. Act 12:19 [and Exeg. note on Act 16:25-28.]. The centurion, however, frustrated the cruel design; he commanded, on the contrary, that, first of all, those persons on board who were able to swim, should at once seek the shore, in order to render any aid which might be necessary in the case of the others. [ is used intransitively, in the sense of se projicere; Winer: Gr. 38. 1. (Meyer).Tr.]. The latter availed themselves, partly, of , i.e., planks and boards, which were in the ship, and, partly, of timbers which had entered into the construction of it, but had now been loosened or could be torn away. To these they attached themselves, and were thus carried ashore by the waves. [This is at least the fourth shipwreck which Paul experienced; the second Epistle to the Corinthians, in which three are mentioned (Act 11:25), had been previously written. (Meyer).Tr.]

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. Paul exhibits such true dignity in every respect, during this voyage, that we can see revealed in him the glory of Christ, by whose grace he was what he was [1Co 15:10]. The divine-human Person of the Redeemer manifests itself in the apostle. Even as the eternal Son of God appropriated to himself, through his incarnation, all that is human, with the single exception of sin, insomuch that he nihil humani a se alienum putaret, and descended into the lowest depths of human sorrow, so, too, his apostle here faithfully follows in his footsteps. He not only shares in all the hardships, privations, and dangers of the voyage, which were, indeed, unavoidable, but he does so with all his soul. He is as much concerned for the welfare of his fellow-travellers, for the safety of the ship, and even for that of the freight, as if no higher object occupied his mind. He so carefully observes all that occurs, (like his friend Luke, who was thus enabled to furnish us with this precise and faithful account), and revolves all in his mind with so much soberness and intelligence, that he is competent to give the soundest and most appropriate advice (Act 27:10; Act 27:21); and, shortly before the catastrophe occurred, his prudent warnings (Act 27:31) and seasonable exhortations, combined with his own example, materially contributed to the rescue of all on board. And thus his sympathy, his presence of mind, his calm reflection, and resolute spirit, not only claim our regard on their own account, but precisely in the case of a child of God, constitute the evidence of genuine human virtue and excellence.But Paul is, on the other hand, in this peculiar situation, obviously far more than a mere model of human prudence and abilityhe is, besides, one of the servants and the redeemed of the God-Man. Indeed, he unreservedly confesses that he belongs to God, when the angelic appearance (Act 27:23) enables him to foretell the escape of all, precisely at the time when their circumstances seemed to be most desperate. And this promise which, in truth, was fulfilled, he repeats on every appropriate occasion. The most striking fact, however, in the whole narrative, is found in the statement that God promises to save the lives of all on board for the apostles sake ( , Act 27:24), and then fulfils His promise. They all owed their lives to Paul, or, rather, to the grace of God in Christ, which he enjoyed in so large a measure.

2. The concluding remark of the narrator (And it came to pass safe to land, Act 27:44), although expressed in simple and unpretending terms, possesses a deep significance. It not only constitutes a graphic conclusion of the narrative of the voyage from Cesarea to Malta, viewed as a whole, but it also directs attention to Act 27:21 ff. particularly Act 27:22; Act 27:24-25. Luke connects the happy issue with the assured hope previously expressed by Paul, on the authority of a divine revelation, at the very time when the lives of all were in the most imminent danger. Hence this concluding remark is, as it were, that link in the chain, which connects the fulfilment with the promise itself, demonstrating that this promise had been actually and completely fulfilled. This simple concluding remark thus enables us to recognize the invisible in the visiblethe eternal counsel of God in the ultimate resultthe secret in that which is revealedgrace, in nature.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

Act 27:1. And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, etc.The path in which believers walk, often seems indeed to be determined by accident, or by the caprice or will of men; nevertheless, it will always be found to be, in reality, in strict accordance with the promises of God. (Rieger).Why has God caused this detailed account of the external circumstances connected with the voyage, to be introduced into the volume of his revelations? I. To teach us that even the strangest and most painful paths of believers are ordered and closely watched by God, and to show that times, places, associates, the weather and the elements, are controlled by the Lord, and work together for good to them that believe. II. To warn us, showing that even when the circumstances in which we are placed, are at first painful and embarrassing, we should not rashly conclude that they are not ordered by God; when we are tempted to yield to a natural feeling of anxiety, we should not despond, but overcome our difficulties by faith. III. The Holy Ghost depicts in this section the character of a servant of Christ, who, even when he is involved in the greatest dangers, or is among the wildest and rudest people, or is placed in the most trying circumstances, nevertheless remains faithful to himself and to his Lord, as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. 2Co 6:9-10. (Ap. Past.).The land and the sea are full of the Spirit of the Lord; why should He not, therefore, have moved upon the face of these waters, too, and upon this shipwreck? The miracles wrought in nature, and those displayed in the kingdom of grace, constitute one system. The compass continually points in this voyage to the work of God. (Starke).

Act 27:2. Aristarchus being with us.God can always alleviate our trials, as in the case of Pauls captivity, when another true friend and companion was associated with the faithful Luke. (Starke).Aristarchus voluntarily offered himself as a companion of the suffering apostle. This fraternal act of taking up the cross, was so precious in the sight of the Spirit of God, that he caused it to be recorded for our benefit as an example. (Ap. Past.).

Act 27:3. Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends.God, who comforts the lowly, not only provides his servant with a companion who is a believer (Aristarchus), but also inclines the heart of a man of the world (Julius) to treat him kindly. (Rieger).

Act 27:4. We sailed under Cyprus.How deeply Paul must now, at the close of his missionary course, have been affected by the sight of this island, on which he had gathered the first-fruits of his harvest! Act 13:4. (Williger).

Act 27:5. Sailed over the sea, etc.Even when the route is circuitous, and the winds are unfavorable, God conducts his servants to the desired port.

Act 27:7. And when we had sailed slowly many days.As a vessel does not always meet with a favorable wind, and continue its voyage with celerity, so the Christian, in his journey through life, is often required to wait.

Act 27:8. Nigh whereunto was the city of LaseaUnimportant towns that are mentioned in this narrative, and that would otherwise have been forgotten, acquire an interest in our eyes, because Paul, the elect of the Lord, was in the ship. He passed by many spots, some of which were known, others unknown, to him; he may have, in spirit, visited every one of them, however insignificant any might be, and have saluted and blessed it in the name of the Lord. (Williger).

Act 27:9-10.Now when much time was spent Paul admonished them, and said, etc.God often imparts enlightened eyes and prudent counsels to his people, even in temporal matters, and it is well with them when they adopt the appointed course. (Starke).Let it not be said that the servants of God can render no services in temporal affairs. Such is not, it is true, their principal aim, and yet godliness is profitable unto all things. [1Ti 4:8]. The devout Joseph was employed by God as his instrument in preserving all Egypt and Canaan, during the famine, by his wise counsel. But when the advice of a servant of the Lord is rejected, he does not obstinately insist on it, but submits the result to God. (Ap. Past.).Paul, who entertained such holy sentiments, was at first watchful, and then anxious to guard against bodily danger and temporal losses; and he teaches us, precisely by such a course, that the Christian will not rashly venture his life, and does not subject temporal goods to waste, but remembers that his body and soul, with all that he possesses in this life, are gifts of God. (Rieger).

Act 27:11. Nevertheless, the centurion believed the master, etc.It is very possible that the sailors may have, after their manner, indulged in boasting language, and have ridiculed the fears of the gloomy Paul. (Williger).In the matter of giving or receiving advice, the first point which claims consideration is, not the character or position of the counsellor, but the soundness or unsoundness of the advice which he gives. Persons of very ordinary intelligence have sometimes, in such cases, been wiser than the most learned and prudent. 2Ki 5:3. (Starke).

Act 27:12. And because the haven was not commodious, etc.It is a bad rule, that votes must be counted and not weighed. For sometimes the worst men are those who constitute the majority. 1Ki 22:12-13. (Starke).It often occurs that when men are not satisfied with their condition, and attempt to improve it, they expose themselves by their course to still greater evils and misfortunes. (id.).

Act 27:13. And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose.The sailors no doubt triumphantly exclaimed: Seest thou how well it goes with us? What knowledge of navigation do these teachers of religion possess? They ought not to interfere in such matters. (Starke).

Act 27:14. But not long after there arose a tempestuous wind.Boast not thyself of to-morrow; think not that, because the wind is now favorable, it will continue to prevail; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth; the gentle south wind may be followed by a tempest. Pro 27:1. (Starke).

Act 27:15. And when the ship was caught [carried along], and could not bear up into [against] the wind.Alas! How often the believing soul, like this ship, is unable to bear up against the winds and storms of temptation. It would sink, if Jesus were not a covert from the tempest. Isa 32:2. (Starke).During this memorable voyage, Paul became a seaman to the seamen [1Co 9:20], in accordance with that love which, at all times, and in all things, accommodates itself to the circumstances. The centurion Julius was now able to report to Festus that Pauls much learning [ch. Act 26:24] had not made him mad. (Besser).

Act 27:18-19. We lightened the ship cast out the tackling of the ship.When our lives are in danger, we are often compelled to sacrifice objects which we highly value, and would gladly retain. But who would listen to us, if we should propose such a course for the sake of securing everlasting life? (Rieger).

Act 27:20. And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared.As here in the natural world, so in mens spiritual affairs, temptations sometimes prevent them for many days from seeing the light of grace; then they experience all that Luther describes in one of his hymns: When reason seeks our faith to shake, etc. (Starke).And yet one star continued to shine for Paul, the light of which no storm could obscureit was the promise of the Lord: Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. Act 23:11. (Besser).

Act 27:21. Sirs, ye should have hearkened, etc.When the advice of wise and devout men has been rejected, and evil results have thence followed, they do not lose time by exhibiting undue sensitiveness and by uttering reproaches, but proceed to give advice, if advice does not come too late, and offer their assistance, if it is still of avail.

Act 27:22. And now I exhort you ship.The servants of God do not enjoy the privilege of being exempted from the evils with which the world is, in the providence of God, often visited; they are compelled to suffer in company with others. But they do enjoy the privilege of being effectually protected amid all the evils of the world, and they are never put to shame. Even when the waves are madly raging, and when they threaten to ingulf lofty mountainswhen all others begin to despair, and believe that they are lost, the servants of God are able to lift up their heads with joy: for they know that there is an almighty and faithful Lord on high, who will never forsake them. (Ap. Past.).Although Paul was an apostle, and was endowed with miraculous powers, we do not find that he availed himself of the gift of prophecy, until he had received a direct command of God to do so. He had perceived the dangers which threatened the vessel, and had, in company with the seamen, resorted to all the ordinary means of safety; he was, at the same time, unobtrusive, and may, like others, have entertained serious fears, Act 27:24. He made no unusual pretensions, but waited for the help of the Lord. But after the Lord had appeared to him and promised that he and all who were on board, should escape with their lives, he spoke prophetically, on the authority of God, and the result confirmed the truth of his words. The servant of Jesus will follow this example, and refrain from uttering any predictions which proceed from his own will or an excited imagination. Our guide is the Gospel, and our duty requires us to exhort and beseech in Christs stead. If God should at any time direct us to make a communication to others, he will know how to accredit us. (Ap. Past.).

Act 27:23. The angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.Happy is he who can, with sincerity and joy of heart, repeat Pauls confession of faith: God, whose I am, and whom I serve, and who, amid all the scenes which may be presented on the troubled ocean of this world, can continue to pray: O God, I am thine; I serve thee; be thou my Preserver. (Rieger).

Act 27:24. Fear not,thou must be brought before Cesar.It hence appears that Paul entertained anxiety not for his life itself, but for the great object of his life. It is indeed the chief concern of faithful servants of God, that His holy purposes should not be frustrated in their case.God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.Thus it appears that Paul had prayed that the lives of all who were on board, might be spared. For the sake of righteous men, benefits are conferred even on the ungodly. For Lots sake, Sodom was spared as long as he remained in it. Understand this great truth, ye ungodly and arrogant children of the world! Ye owe it to such obscure lightsto simple Christians whom ye behold with scornto the despised prisoner Paulthat ye can supply your tables with food, breathe the air, and see the light of the sun. (Starke).We are, as it were, also in a ship on the stormy and dangerous ocean of this world, in company with the souls intrusted to our care. Let us, then, earnestly strive, with continued prayer and personal efforts, to carry them with us, as a precious gift of God, so that neither we nor they may make shipwreck concerning faith [1Ti 1:19], and finally perish; then, even if the ship of life is broken in pieces, we can, with them, enter the secure haven of eternal life. (Ap. Past.)

Act 27:26. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.Lord, reveal thou to us those islands of safety in the troubled ocean of this world, where we may temporarily repose, until we complete our last voyage, and, while we gaze at eternity, which is rapidly approaching, are able to exclaim: Land! Land! Wherever we lie at thy feet, we are in a safe haven; the route by which we reach it, we submit to thy wisdom; if we can at last enter thy eternal kingdom, we have no other care. (Williger).

Act 27:27. But when the fourteenth night was come.O how many nights of anxiety like this, have been passed, not only by those who are at sea, but also by others who cry unto the Lord from the depths of affliction, and wait for his help, from one morning watch to another! (Rieger).As we were driven up and down in Adria.It was on the same stormy Adriatic Sea that the great Csar cried to the trembling pilot: Steer boldly; thou carriest Csar and his fortune. [Mr. Humphry compares and contrasts the speech of Cesar to the pilot under similar circumstances: , , , . Plut. de Fortun. Rom., p. 518. (Alford).Tr.]. Paul could have, in loftier terms, said to the pilot: Fear not; thou carriest Christ and his salvation!

Act 27:29. They cast four anchors out and wished for the day.The spiritual anchor of Christiansfaith, combined with a living hopeis sent upwards, not downwards, Heb 6:19. (Starke).At night we wish for the day, whereas we may have already undervalued many of our past days; Ecc 11:7. (id.).

Act 27:30. And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship.Behold the fidelity of the world in the time of need! Those preachers, moreover, may be compared to the timid and fugitive shipmen before us, who fall away in the time of need, and desert the ship of the Church that had been committed to them, Joh 9:13. (Starke).

Act 27:31. Paul saidExcept these abide, etc.Paul had a heart that was full of faith and of love to man, and by these main-springs all his actions were regulated. He had imbibed the power of the divine promises; he was, consequently, undaunted and full of courage, and could comfort and sustain his companions. God had given him all them that were sailing with him; hence his zeal was watchful, so that not one should perish; he impressively warned them not to leave the ship; afterwards, he encouraged them to partake of food, and then urged them to save themselves by swimming. In short, he provided in every respect for the preservation of their lives. Thence we learn in what manner a teacher may, by his faith, experience and genuine love, become a blessing to others, particularly in seasons of distress and danger. (Ap. Past.)

Act 27:32. Then the soldiers cut off the ropes, etc.It was a strong faith which performed that act; for thus the last bridge was broken down that connected the land with the ship, which none now hoped to save. When the centurion directed that the boat should be cut loose and abandoned to the waves, he entered in the life-boat of Pauls word, which was firmly held by the faithfulness of the almighty God. Let it be also thy work to cut off the ropes of every boat in which thou puttest thy trust besides God; then will-thy dark night pass away before the morning light, and thou shalt behold the glorious help of God. (Besser).

Act 27:34. There shall not a hair fall from the head, etc.Such are the wonders which God performs! A prisoner in chains may be a prophet, and a saviour of those who had bound him, Gen 41:12-14. (Starke).When we are exposed to great danger, let us remember the omnipresence and gracious Providence of God, and consider that all the hairs of our head are numbered, Luk 12:7; Luk 21:18. (id.).

Act 27:35. He took bread, and gave thanks to God.When Paul thus prayed before the meal, he was the salt of good savour [Mat 5:13] for the whole company. (Rieger).This early meal in the tempest-tost ship, after Paul had given thanks, is the true counterpart to the peaceful slumber of the Lord Jesus on a pillow in the hinder part of the ship into which the waves were beating, Mar 4:37-38. (Besser).The whole of Psalms 66 may be applied to the present case; it was truly a meal of which heroes partook. (Lindhammer).

Act 27:36. Then were they all of good cheer.The word of God inspires men with true courage, and a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures [Germ. vers. Schalen, i. e., dishes] of silver. Pro 25:11. Therefore, let your light so shine, etc. Mat 5:16. (Starke).

Act 27:38. Cast out the wheat into the sea.Behold, o Christian, how these men cast away this food for the body, in order to preserve the remnant of their bodily life. Wilt thou not sacrifice temporal things, in order to obtain eternal life?What shall it profit a man, etc.? Mar 8:36. (Starke).

Act 27:39. And when it was day.After the darkness, light re-appears; the night passes away, and the sun rises; our troubles will at length come to an end. God is nearest to us in our greatest distress. (Starke).They knew not the land.A striking counterpart to the present situation may be found in the church hymn for mariners, written by Chytrus [one of Melanchthons students, and subsequently an eminent divine; died in 1600.Tr.]:The land is near, Well known to all, Towards which we steer the ship, etc. (Besser).

Act 27:42. And the soldiers counsel was to kill the prisoners.The soldiers were accountable, in case any prisoner should escape, and hence their apprehensions suggested this cruel thought. Thus men may be led by an undue zeal to entertain false views of their official duty, and may entirely forget that they are, besides, bound by duties which they owe to others. (Rieger).

Act 27:43. But the centurion, willing to save Paul.At this late period, when Paul had escaped so many dangers, he would have lost his life, if God had not touched the heart of this pagan centurion, and inclined him to show kindness and gratitude to the man whom he had learned to revere and love. (Besser).

ON THE WHOLE .The good counsel of a man of God should not be despised, even in temporal affairs: I. Pauls counsel, Act 27:10; II. The objections to it, Act 27:11; III. The consequences of rejecting it, Act 27:13 ff. (From Lisco.).

The dangerous voyage of Paul to Rome, an image of many a voyage of the bark of Christ: I. The conflict of the vessel with the winds and the waves, Act 27:14-15; II. The exertions of the shipmen; they undergird the ship and lighten it, Act 27:16-19; III. Their apparently hopeless condition, Act 27:20; IV. The wonderful rescuethe exhortation of Paul, and the help of God, Act 27:33 ff. (From Lisco.).

Pauls example of Christian self possession in the midst of danger: I. He frustrates the dangerous projects of the timid, Act 27:27-32; II. He encourages those who despond, Act 27:33-38. (Lisco.).

The voyage of life. (id.).

Paul in the storm, a noble example: I. Of manly calmness; his wise counsel, Act 27:10; his presence of mind, Act 27:31. II. Of Christian peace of mind; his kind admonition, Act 27:21; his unshaken trust in God, Act 27:25; III. Of the apostolic unction of the Spirit; his prophetic statement, Act 27:24; his priestly love-feast, Act 27:35.

Paul in Adria (Act 27:27), and Christ on the lake of Gennesaret (Mar 4:36 ff.), or, The eminent servant of the Lord of all: I. The suspicious calm which preceded the storm; Christ asleep; Paul a prisoner; II. The majesty revealed during the storm; Christ reproves the disciples, who had little faith; Paul cheers the desponding people on board; III. The wonderful escape from the danger of death; Christ rebukes the winds and the waves; Paul brings his shipwrecked companions safely to land.

Paul, the apostle, on the stormy sea, or, A greater than Jonas is here [Mat 12:41]: I. Jonas flees from the LordPaul journeys, in the service of his Master, to the great city of the pagans; II. Jonas brings the wrath of God upon his fellow-voyagersPaul comforts and saves his travelling companions: III. Jonas is rescued from the jaws of deathPaul brings 276 persons safely to land; IV. Jonas proceeds to Nineveh, and preaches repentancePaul proceeds to Rome, and proclaims the Gospel with the sacrifice of his life.

Paul on his journey to Rome, a glorious illustration of the truth that the strength of the Lord is made perfect in the weakness of his servants [2Co 12:9]: I. He departs as a prisoner, and, nevertheless, is a free man in Christ, free from fear, and alive in the Spirit, while those who sail with him, paralyzed by fear, look forward with terror to the danger which is at hand; II. As one ignorant of the sea, among experienced seamen, and yet he gives them the wisest counsel in external matters; III. As a man worthy of no regard, he is over-looked by the worldly-minded, but in the hour of trial he cheers and sustains all who surround him; IV. As a shipwrecked man, he is cast ashore; nevertheless he carries with him the Gospel, to which Rome and the whole world were to be made subject.

Paul in the storm, or, If God be for us, who can be against us? [Rom 8:31]: I. Not the winds and the waves, with all their violence, for they are controlled by the Almighty; II. Not men, with all their plans and devices, for the Lord says: Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought [Isa 8:10]; III. Not our own heart, with all its doubts and fears, for the comforting words are heard from above: Fear not, Act 27:24.

The Christians comfort and means of safety during the stormy voyage of life: I. Prudence and foresight, as all temporal things are uncertain, Act 27:9-10; II. Fraternal union and fidelity in the hour of danger, Act 27:21; Act 27:24; Act 27:30; III. Firmness and resolution in sacrificing temporal things, Act 27:18-19; Act 27:38; IV. Confidence and trust in God, amid the storms of temptation, Act 27:22-25; V. Grateful use of the means of grace, Act 27:34-36; VI. Hopeful contemplation of the heavenly land of rest, Act 27:44.

The ship of the Church of Christ, on the stormy ocean of the world: I. Its dangers; (a) contrary winds, Act 27:4; Act 27:14; (b) unwise pilots, Act 27:11-12; (c) superfluous goods, Act 27:18-19; (d) contending parties, Act 27:30; Act 27:42; (e) hidden rocks, Act 27:29; Act 27:41. II. Its means of safety; (a) the testimony of devout teachers, Act 27:9; Act 27:21; (b) the instructions of the divine word, Act 27:23 ff.; (c) the consolations of the holy Sacraments, Act 27:35; (d) the blessing of believing prayers, Act 27:35 : (e) the saving hand of the almighty God, Act 27:24; Act 27:34; Act 27:44.

Though the floods compass us about [Jon 2:3; Psa 42:7], thou, O Lord, abidest with thy people, Act 27:39-44 : I. Amid the billows of outward life; II. In the storms of inward temptations; III. In the conflicts of the Christian Church.

The consoling words addressed by the Lord to his servant, when his life is in danger, Act 27:23-25 : I. He attests the faithful obedience of his servants: there stood by me, etc. Act 27:23; II. He renews the promise of divine guidance: Fear not, Paul: thou must stand, etc. Act 27:24; III. He bestows on Paul all those on whom that apostle looks with love: God hath given thee, etc. Act 27:24.

The thoughts and intents of the heart, disclosed amid storms, or when death is near: then may be perceived, I. The utter helplessness of the man of the world

his want of counsel, courage, love, Act 27:22; Act 27:30; Act 27:33; Act 27:42. II. The true greatness of the Christianhis trust in God, his presence of mind, his love, Act 27:21-25; Act 27:31-35. III. The glory of the Lordhis awful majesty, his righteous judgments, his compassionate grace, Act 27:20; Act 27:24-25; Act 27:35; Act 27:44.

The sea, always an exalted scene of the holy acts of God: I. Of his creative power, since the days of creation; the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. [Gen 1:2.]; II. Of his impartial justice, since the days of the deluge; III. Of his saving grace, since the time of Noahs deliverance, and of Israels passage through the Red Sea.

[The shipwreck of St. Paul, described Acts, Acts 27. I. The facts connected with it; (a) the purposes of the voyage; (b) the unfavorable circumstances under which the ship sailed; (c) the catastrophe. II. The conduct of Paul, after the commencement of the voyage; (a) his prudence; (b) love; (c) faith. (See the foregoing sketches). III. The lessons which it teaches; (a) as to the mysterious ways of Divine Providence; (b) as to the trials of the servants of God; (c) as to the sovereignty of God.Tr.]

Footnotes:

[1]Act 27:2. The dative singular , which is found in the Alex. [A.] and Vat. [B.] manuscripts, [and also in Cod. Sin.], as well as in twenty minuscules and several versions, should be preferred to the nominative plural [of text. rec.], which is found in the two latest uncial manuscripts [G. H.]; the latter was introduced [by copyists] to suit . [This is also Meyers opinion. The Vulgate, as usually printed, has incipientes, but some manuscripts read incipientem, agreeing with navem, thus sustaining .Knapp, Lach., Tisch., Born., and Alf. (Winer: Gr. N. T., 32.1 ult.) adopt the sing. De Wette prefers the nom. plur., as it is apparently the more difficult reading.Tr.]

[2]Act 27:3. [, of text. rec. with G. H., and retained by Alf., is changed into by Lach. and Tisch., in accordance with A. B, and also Cod. Sin.De Wette here, too, regards the dative as a later correction; Meyer, who agrees with him, thinks that it was made to suit .Tr.]

[3]Act 27:5. [The text. rec. exhibits the form (acc. pl.), with G. and Cod. Sin., most minuscules, and some church fathers.A. reads ; B. , which Lach. and Tisch. adopt; H. ; Vulg. Lystram. Alford, who retains the form , remarks: The various readings merely show that the copyists were unacquainted with the place. See the Exeg. note below.Tr.]

[4]Act 27:7. [The margin of the Engl. Bible offers the form Candy, i. e., Candia, the modern name. (Wicl., Rheims: Crete; Tynd, Cranm. and Geneva: Candy).Tr.]

[5]Act 27:8. [The form in text. rec. is , found in G. H., which Alf. retains; A. reads , which Lach. adopts; B. , which Tisch. prefers: Cod. Sin. read originally: , which C altered to ; Vulg. Thalassa. There are other variations,Tr.]

[6]Act 27:10. a. [For hurt (Tynd., Cranm., Geneva, Rheims), the margin of the Engl. Bible proposes the word injury.2. Meton. injury, harm, danger, in person or property as arising from the insolence or violence of any one, and trop. from the violence of the sea, tempests, Act 27:10; Act 27:21. Robinson: Lex., p. 736; for authorities, see Wahl and Rob.Tr.]

[7]Act 27:10. b. [The text. rec. reads with some minuscules; (, found in A. B. G. H. and Cod. Sin. is adopted by editors generally. The two forms convey the same sense, although the second is a diminutive.Tr.]

[8]Act 27:12. It is true that [of text. rec. and retained by Alf.] is attested by only one uncial manuscript [H.], whereas three [A. B. G. with Syr. Vulg., and, as it now appears, also Cod. Sin.] exhibit ; it is probable, however, that of the compound was dropped [by copyists], as its purpose was not understood [i.e., thence also, as from their former stopping places (Alford, who adopts Meyers view). But Lach., Tisch. and Scholz read simply .Tr.]

[9]Act 27:13. [In the text. rec., appears as a proper name, and so too in the Vulgate (Asson), as in Act 20:13. But the English translators render the word as an adverb, , close. See the Exeg. note, below. Recent editors, (with Robinson, Wahl, de Wette, etc.) generally, adopt the latter view.Tr.]

[10]Act 27:14. a. [For arose (Cranmer, Geneva), the margin offers beat. See the Exeg. note.Tr.]

[11]Act 27:14. b. [The text. rec. reads , with G. H.; Alf. retains this form. A. B (original) and Cod. Sin. exhibit , which Lach. and Tisch. adopt. B (corrected): . Vulgate: Euroaquilo. There are other variations. See the Exeg. note.Tr.]

[12]Act 27:16. [The text. rec. exhibits the form , with G. H., which Alf. retains. B. exhibits , which Lach. and Tisch. adopt. Cod. Sin. exhibits in the text: ; Tischendorf remarks here: erasum so that, after the correction, it conforms to B.Vulg. Cauda, which form most commonly occurred. (Alf.)Tr.]

[13]Act 27:19. The text. rec. reads , on the authority of two manuscripts [G. H.], and Tischendorf has very properly adopted this reading rather than the one preferred by Lach. [Born. and Alf.], namely , which is found in three uncial manuscripts [A. B (corrected); B (original) . C. is the third; the Vulg. concurs: projecerunt]; the former, the first person plural, is sustained by . [Cod. Sin. reads: , that is, the third person. Meyer concludes that, as the verb could have been made by copyists to suit either (first person), or , Act 27:18 (third person), the authorities alone can determine the point, namely, the manuscripts, versions, etc., and that these decidedly attest the reading . He was not acquainted with the fact that Cod. Sin. confirms his view.Tr.]

[14]Act 27:27. [For of text. rec. with B (e sil) C. G. H. and Cod. Sin. and retained by Alf., is substituted by Lach. and Tisch., in accordance with A. Vulg. (supervenit), and very correctly, as the compound verb is very unusual, being found besides only in Act 28:13. (Meyer).Tr.]

[15]Act 27:29. [The text. rec. reads with some minuscules; is adopted generally by recent editors, in accordance with A. B. C. G. H. most minuscules, Vulg. (incideremus), etc.Cod. Sin., which reads , sustains the first person plural,Tr.].

[16]Act 27:34. a. [found in A. B. C. Cod. Sin., and adopted by Lach., Tisch. and Alf.], is better attested than [of text. rec. with G. H.; the latter (.) was taken from Act 27:33. (Meyer).Tr.]

[17]Act 27:34. b. . [of text. rec.] is better sustained by external authorities [by B (e sil). C. H. Cod. Sin., Vulg. (vestra)] than [found in A. G.]; the latter was substituted by those [copyists] who supposed that, as the preservation of all was meant, Paul must have expressed himself communicative. [Lach. Tisch. and Alf. adopt the second person.Tr.]

[18]Act 27:34. c. is sustained by the three oldest manuscripts [A. B. C., and also by Cod. Sin.], whereas [of text. rec.] occurs only in the two latest [G. H. Most editors adopt the former. De Wette says: Transcribers were more familiar with the latter, 1Sa 14:45; 2Sa 14:11; 1Ki 1:52. Sept.Meyer, on the other hand, while he admits that . is attested by important authorities, says that this word is liable to suspicion, as it may have been taken from Luk 21:18.Tr.]

[19]Act 27:35. [The text. rec. exhibits , with G. H., while A. B. C. and Cod. Sin. read , which Lach., Tisch. and Alf. adoptTr.]

[20]Act 27:37. [The text. rec. reads , with C. G. H., while the less usual form occurs in A. B. and also in Cod. Sin.; the latter is adopted by Lach., Tisch. and Alf. On this form see Winer: Gram. N. T., 14. 2.Tr.]

[21]Act 27:39. [The text. rec. exhibits , which is found in G. H., and is retained by Alf.Lach., Tisch. and Born. read , with B. C. and also Cod. Sin.A. exhibits .Tr.]

[22]Act 27:40. a [For taken up the anchors (Wicl., Tynd., Cranm., Geneva, Rheims), the English version proposes in the margin: cut the anchors, they left them in the sea. See the Exeg. note, below.Tr.]

[23]Act 27:40. b. [The text. rec. exhibits the form , with G., but A. B. C. H., and also Cod. Sin. read , which Lach., Tisch. and Alf. adopt.Winer: Gr., 9.1, d.See the Exeg. note, below.Tr.]

[24]Act 27:41. The words are wanting in the Alex. [A.] and Vat. [B.] manuscripts, and seem to have been added [by a later hand] as an explanation of . [They seem to be a gloss. (de Wette).Cod. Sin. originally omitted them, but C inserted them. They are dropped by Lach and Tisch. The Vulg. exhibits: a vi maris. Alf. retains them, in accordance with C. G. H., minuscules, etc., and, with Meyer, says: The transcribers eye passed from (before ) to (before . Act 27:42). The sentence could hardly have been written without some genitive after .Tr.]

[25]Act 27:42. [Instead of , of text. rec., recent editors generally read , with A. B. C. G. Cod. Sin.H. exhibits . De Wette remarks: The subjunctive is probably a correction, as the optative with , which was commonly employed by the Greeks after a preterite, is unusual in the New Testament. See Winer: Gr. N. T., on the passage, 56. 2.Tr.]

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

CONTENTS

We have here the Apostle entering on Ship-board, to be conducted to Rome. The Voyage is attended with danger. The Lord comforts Paul with a Visit in the Night. He foretells the Loss of the Ship, but of the saving of all the Crew. They are shipwrecked, but escape all to Land.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band. (2) And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. (3) And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. (4) And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. (5) And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. (6) And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. (7) And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; (8) And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.

It is very blessed to watch the Lord’s dealings with his people. Here seems to have been an overruling providence of the Lord, in relation to this voyage, in that Paul should be accompanied with several dear friends and companions. Luke, the writer of the Acts, it should appear, from certain passages in Paul’s writings, was with him in this voyage, 2Ti 4:11 ; Phm 1:24 . And, as he saith afterwards, when writing his last Epistle to Timothy, that he left Trophimus sick at Miletus, he must have been also with Paul at this time. And Aristarchus is mentioned by name, as here. This man, though but little known by us, we have reason to believe, was very dear to Paul; and what is infinitely more important, well-known in the book of life. He is spoken of, Act 20:4Act 20:4 ; Phm 1:25 . And we at length here of him as Paul’s fellow-prisoner, Col 4:10 . Oh! what multitudes have there been of the Lord’s faithful ones hidden from public view, like some sweet flower of the desert which hath opened its beauties to the sun, and shed its perfumes to the air unnoticed, and unknown of men, but which will be found transplanted into the garden of the Lord, when the great day shall appear!

Do, Reader, remark the courteous behavior of Julius the Centurion towards Paul. The Lord gave him favor, as he did in the instance of Joseph with Potiphar, Gen 39:1-6 . And before that Julius and Paul parted, the Centurion found, as Potiphar had in the case of Joseph, what a blessed thing it is, to have the Lord’s people with us in everything, Act 27:24 .

It must have been a refreshing season indeed to the disciples at Sidon, (for as Tyre and Sidon were nigh each other, no doubt, upon such an occasion they met, see Act 21:3-4 .) Here Christ himself exercised his ministry in the days of his flesh, Mat 15:21 . And we read that the Church in this place was made glad, when Paul and Barnabas passed through this neighborhood some time before. See Act 15:3 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Paul in the Storm

Act 27:22

We have here a page out of an ancient log-book, and it cannot fail to be interesting even to a dry-landsman.

I. In this strange world the good and the evil alike must endure their share of tribulation. On board this corn-ship we have a miniature world. How impartial the tempest. Fire burns the saint as well as the sinner. Storms have no favourites.

II. The world often rejects the sage counsel of the man of God. Paul advised them to steer the ship into the Fair Havens; but the master advised that they should make for Phenice and winter there. The man of God has ever been the despised and rejected of men.

III. The mocking world will discover sooner or later that it is sheer madness to ignore the warnings of the man of God. Paul’s true value will yet be recognised. Some men are greater in storms than in calms. The greatness that lives and thrives in a raging tempest is real and lasting.

IV. God honours His servants by using them as His media of communication with the world. The angel of God stood by Paul and not by the captain. ‘Them that honour me I will honour.’ God seldom employs aliens, so that if you wish to be His Ambassador you must first be His child.

V. The sublime calmness of the Man of God in the face of danger. The tempest revealed the cowardice and cruelty of the soldiers and sailors, but it also revealed the moral grandeur of Paul. Religion is never so divinely grand as in a storm. Paul saw on the crest of every prancing wave the words: ‘Jehovah-Jireh,’ and he was strengthened in spirit.

VI. No storm can thwart the eternal purposes of heaven. ‘Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Csar.’ It was God’s must, and it had the full power of the great throne behind it. Whatever God promises will surely come to pass. Rome must be reached. ‘Blessed are the homesick, for they shall reach home.’

J. Ossian Davies, The Dayspring from on High, p. 207.

References. XXVII. 22, 23. F. B. Meyer, Christian World Pulpit, vol. li. p. 342. XXVII. 24. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. 1. No. 2952. XXVII. 24, 31. W. H. Harwood, Christian World Pulpit, vol. liv. p. 24. XXVII. 25. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxiii. No. 1335. XXVII. 25, 26. J. Aspinall, Parish Sermons (1st Series), p. 126. XXVII. 30, 31. J. M. Neale, Occasional Sermons, p. 44. XXVII. 31. J. J. Blunt, Plain Sermons, p.301. J. Aspinall, Parish Sermons (1st Series), p. 73. XXVII. 34. T. Arnold, Sermons, vol. ii. p. 270. J. G. Greenhough, The Mind of Christ in St. Paul, p. 276. XXVII. 39. Expositor (6th Series), vol. x. p. 362. XXVII. 41. A. H. Bradford, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xlvi. p. 147. XXVIII. Expositor (4th Series), vol. i. p. 79.

Fuente: Expositor’s Dictionary of Text by Robertson

Chapter 97

Prayer

Almighty God, the morning is thine. It is full of light and hope; it is the seal of thy presence; it is the smile of thy love. Thou delightest in light: God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Thou hast called us, in Christ Jesus, to be children of the light and of the day; and to walk in paths that are lighted up with heaven’s glory; and to let our light shine before men, and draw them to the Father of lights. May we answer this Divine appeal with all the haste of love, with all the ardour of earnestness. Then shall our life be an open vision, and we shall see the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. We bless thee for all cheering words, for all tender encouragements, for every Gospel that can break the door and give liberty to the captive soul. These ministries we have in thy Son. He is our Saviour, our All in All; Beginning and Ending; Inexplicable, immeasurable, Infinite. We rest in Christ: we are calm in his tranquillity; we are mighty in his power; he is our one Defence; he is our blessed Lord. We thank thee that he has opened heaven. We now see it; even now we overhear its music; yea, more, by high faith, by unquestioning and undivided love, we are already in the city of God. Thou hast caused us to triumph in all places in the power of the Cross of Christ; so, even now, there is no more sorrow, nor pain, nor death. These things are but in the letter, they are incidents to be encountered and passed; but their bitterness is gone and their triumph is impossible. This is the joy of thy people, blood-washed, baptized with fire; having undergone all the mystery of the new birth and become adopted into the family of God; invested with eternal privileges and enriched with unsearchable riches. We do not always seize the inheritance. We own before thee that our rapture (ails us; the flesh for the moment triumphs, and there is no strength left in the soul whose hymns and psalms have been forgotten. But this is momentary; we come to ourselves again by quick inspirations from on high; we are lifted up into nobler manhood, and we triumph again and again in the Lord of all victories, whose battles can end but in one way. May we live often in this spirit; and if we must needs be bowed down because of the cloudiness of time and the weakness of the flesh, yet give us periods of renewed youth, great Sabbatic spaces in the life, in which we shall be more in heaven than on earth; and by the frequent coming again of such seasons of liberty and light, we shall know that we are not forgotten in heaven. Thou knowest us altogether our darkness and burden, our sin and shame, our selfishness and worldliness, our want of enthusiasm, our distrust of the very God whose name we breathe. Thou knowest, too, our penitence the tears of our heart, the contrition of our souls, the utter brokenness and self-renunciation of our will. Pity us; bind us up again; cleanse us from all sin yea, with thine own hands wash us in the fountain of cleansing. We pray for one another always it is the heart’s best gift. We pray for the blind, that they may see; for the perplexed, that the right road may be chosen out of the many converging paths; for the heavy-laden, that if they may not have less burden, they may have more strength. We pray for the coming generation, that they may be better than we have been manlier, greater, truer; that they may see Christ’s revelation more broadly and answer it with a completer loyalty. We pray for the sick, that they may forget their sickness in their approaching immortality. We pray for the traveller in the far-off land, for the voyager on the troubled deep, for all men far away from home and kindred and known speech and custom. We pray for all mankind the black and the white, the barbarous and the civilised; the great king and the poorest serf. “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.” We cannot understand this mystery, but we can commit it and commit ourselves to the keeping of the only wise God, redeeming all men with blood and sending upon all men an impartial light. Thou wilt explain thyself in due time. We are impatient because we are weak; we are in haste because our wisdom is imperfect. Would God we might in Christ, the Son, the Priest, rest quietly and hope confidently in God! Amen.

Act 27:1-20

1. And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band.

2. And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

3. And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.

4. And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

5. And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

6. And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.

7. And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;

8. And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.

9. Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them.

10. And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.

11. Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

12. And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south-west and north-west.

13. And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.

14. But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

15. And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.

16. And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:

17. Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.

18. And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;

19. And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.

20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

The Discipline of Delay

The ship is a prison. The list of prisoners is not a long one: “Paul and certain other prisoners.” When was Paul ever hidden in the crowd tailed off in the dim distance? He is still the chief figure; put him where you will, he comes naturally to the head and naturally assumes the sovereignty, what ever the occasion may be. A marvellous thing is this destiny. It is a pressure which cannot be explained in words; it is the inexplicable force by which our life is compacted together. It cannot be ruled; it cannot be modified; it cannot be transferred; it cannot be sold for mountains of silver. A man can only get rid of destiny as he gets rid of God. “Paul and certain other prisoners.” Here is sovereignty strangely and subtly shaded by humiliation. The very fact that the others were not named throws a kind of shadow upon Paul himself. He was one of the herd; he was head of the mob; he was the accent of the anonymous the mere emphasis that gave it boldness and articulateness. A singular thing is this admixture of the great and the small, the light and the cloud, the sovereignty and the abjectness of position. We belong to one another, and are advanced by one another, and are kept back by one another; and a most singular and educative process of restraint and modification is continually proceeding amongst us.

“Julius courteously entreated Paul.” How is it that Paul always stood well with men of the world? They took to him. There was a kind of natural kinship between them; there is amongst gentlemen. How do we pick out one man from another and say, as if ringing him on the world’s counter, “That is good gold,” or “That is counterfeit silver”? A wonderful thing this magic of recognition, this masonry of friendship, this brotherhood old as creation. Why run down what are called “men of the world”? They are so often the kings of men. I would never speak against men of the world who have “courteously entreated” me, to whom on some occasions I have owed my life, my progress, my enjoyment Do not attempt to shake them off as an inferior race. They are only less bigoted than I am, less troubled by technicalities and distinctions and metaphysical ideas and divisions. They represent a broader judgment, a glowing, generous human nature. What they would be if they were in the spirit of Christ! Why, they would be kings of men, not dwindling, withered bigots whose blood has lost all its wine; they would make the Church warm; they would turn it into a hospitable home; they would breathe a south-west wind through our ill-ventilated souls. Oh, pray for them!

Here is Paul still inspiring confidence. His look was his certificate; his tone was his letter of recommendation. There are some men who might have a whole library of testimonials, and you would not believe a word they said, notwithstanding the huge burden of stationery. There are other men who need no card or letter or endorsement; honesty lives in their eyes, breathes from their lips, warms in their hearty grip. Paul inspiring confidence is Paul preaching in silence. His Christianity is now eloquent. For the moment he is deposed from the platform which he made a throne; but his moral qualities, his spiritual elements, his inborn and sanctified forces of mind and heart, are continuing and completing the ministry of speech. Paul was allowed “to go unto his friends to refresh himself” a very happy English expression, but not really giving all the meaning of Paul’s purpose or of his friends’ hospitality. They really rigged him out again, clothed him. He was in sad plight. He was no particular patron of the clothier. Paul had been having a rough time of it as a prisoner, and now that he had the chance of running on shore for a little while at Sidon, his friends saw, as friends only can, that Paul would be none the worse for a new coat. There are many persons who live so very high above the cloud-line that they can take no notice of matters of such petty detail. But without saying a word to him, they got all things ready, and the clothes were laid there as if they had been laid there by Paul himself and he had forgotten to put them on before. There is a way of doing things a delicacy infinite as love. Paul never had occasion to speak ill of his friends in these matters: he said, “I have too much; if one Church did not give it to me, another did, and upon the whole I have an abundance; but whether I have or not, I have learned in all things to be content.”

Thus we have Paul in three aspects: Paul a prisoner, but the chief figure; Paul courteously entreated, still inspiring confidence; Paul amongst his friends, still an object of affectionate interest. He has not much now to stand upon, not much in superficies, but, oh! so much in depth; only a foothold, but what he stands upon stands itself upon the core of the universe. Do not always take the superficial measure; see what your position cubes up to, for figures do not all lie on one line.

We come now to say that the voyage was delayed. Thank God for delays. We should think much of the providence of postponement, hindrance, baffled project, and time apparently wasted. Why not let God keep the time-bill? much better in his hands than in ours. This was exactly what Paul needed, and Paul was permitted to enjoy it by the providence of God a good tossing on the water, a new kind of exercise, an abundance of fresh air “Oh, rest thee!” would seem to be the voice of every wind that kept the ship back on her course. God giveth his beloved sleep; God giveth his beloved rest by keeping the ship at sea a long, long time. There is nothing like it; great nurse water, great mother-ocean, beautiful, blessed ministry of the rocking winds! It is all right. Why so impatient, little fool? Why all this racket and noise and wish to be on shore? The shore can do well without thee two weeks longer. Believe me, the shore will be as grand and quiet in thine absence as it would be if thou wert standing upon it rest. Delays are not lost time when properly accepted, when sanctified by prayer. We do not like delay; that is because we are little and weak and unwise. We could do with some men if they were less impatient. They fret us by their eternal fever. You cannot get some men to sit down; nor are they to be converted by lecture, philosophy, or religious exhortation. They pine to be up again; they do not know their restlessness; they do not know how they are exciting and annoying other people. They call it energy, activity; they tell lies to themselves and eat the bad confectionery as if it were solid food. It is the Lord’s delight to teach us that the universe can get along without the aid of the very biggest man that is in it. The Lord is continually showing us that however long our bill of mortality, the solar system swings on as if we had never dug a grave. Take your bafflings, your hindrances, your delays, your postponements often so puzzling and vexatious as parts of a mysterious but beneficent providence, the purpose of which is the complete education and the final refinement of the human soul.

Paul, in the next place, ventured to speak upon subjects other than religious. In the tenth verse we read: Paul said, “Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.” Paul was observing, putting one day to another, running a silent process of logic through his own mind; and when he had completed the reasoning he spoke out. What right had Paul to speak? The eternal right. Under ordinary circumstances, the landsman has no right to speak on board ship. But what are ordinary circumstances? Affairs which may be measured by a tape line, little incidents that occur within the scoop of the hand. That is momentary etiquette or discipline; but there are eternal laws, eternal rights, and there come times when all human discipline is suspended and when man must speak as man. These are the critical times when our education takes great leaps; these are the occasions which make heroes, martyrs, leaders. There is a law of time, but it is involved in the greater law of eternity; there is a law of custom, which must be respected within given limits, because it is necessary to the momentary convenience and the incidental progress of society; but there is an eternal law which overrides, supersedes, or destroys it. One must enter into the mystery of the higher life to understand this. There are occasions upon which a landsman speaking on board ship would be snubbed by the whole company of sailors; there are other times when the sailors would be thankful for any landsman to speak if he could utter one would of rational hope. These are the times the Christian is waiting for. For the Christian to speak when the ship is going merrily over the blue waves, it would be impertinence, it would be fanatical piety; but the Christian waits. The ship comes into difficulty, the sailors begin to look despairingly at the whole situation; illness is about; the air is troubled; fortune is vexed, and has lost her way to the old quarters where she stored her gold now, if any of you can say a word of comfort, do say it. The Christian is waiting for those times. The moment the door stands on jar, he is in; the moment the opportunity shadows itself, he seizes it. Be wise and do not speak before the time, or your words will be like good seed sown upon the fickle and noisy wind. The clock will strike for you be ready when the hour beats. The word will keep, and when it is spoken after long delay it will come with the more thundering resonance, with the more penetrating emphasis. Know, ye swearing sailors, rioting mariners, that the time will come when you will be glad to hear another voice than your own! For that time the Christian apostle waits. But Paul was disbelieved. Certainly; because the circumstances were not quite mature. But the religious man turned out to be right, as he must always turn out to be. The theologian mock him as you like is by necessity the greatest man in the universe. Why? Because being true to his own philosophy not a dabbler in words and a mechanician in arrangements and adaptations he lives in God. That is my definition of the theologian; not a learned pedant, not a man who knows a hundred languages and never says anything worth hearing in any of them, but the man who lives in God, in heaven, who hears the first intimation of the Divine movement. He must be the greatest adviser, the truest counsellor of society; otherwise the word which we believe to be inspired is a lie: it says: “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him.” All inspired history shows that the first communications were made to the piety of the day, to the prayer of the time. The first intimations of Divine movement were made at the altar, when men of obedient heart shut their eyes, clasped their hands, bent down before the holy stone and waited for God; they heard the going of the Most High in the wind, and they were the first to report what they were the first to hear. All true wisdom is with the theologian. He knows more about sailing than captains who do not pray can ever know. He may not always have the faith that would make him master, but he has the spirit which makes him wise. These are questions not to be settled within little limits. Things may look large because they are near; may seem to be different because of their closeness; but when looked at from lofty heights they sink into insignificance, and their dissimilarities are blurred in the common cloud. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him; and he will give thee thine heart’s desire. Even the prisoner shall have his sovereignty; even a man in outwardly trying and discouraging circumstances may have the confidence of those who are appointed to watch over him; and even the man who is supposed to know nothing but religion may turn out to be in the long run the comforter of men who live in mere technicalities. Paul in trouble when was he out of it? Paul in danger it was from his Christian birth his native air. For Paul to have been in luxury and in comfort would have been a puzzle which even his religious genius could not have penetrated. Paul in the storm-tossed ship yes; so was Jesus Christ. The servant can never get in front of the Master. Paul can never say to Jesus, “Lord, I can surprise thee by a new suffering; I have been where even thy footprint could not be discovered.”

This is the marvel of the history of Christ: that though so short in time, it covers all spaces. There is not a possible experience of the Christian life which was not anticipated by the experience of the Son of God. That is a mystery which amounts to an argument. Show me one thing we have done in the way of duty or endured in the way of suffering unknown to the experience and excluded from the lines of the history of Christ. How is it with your ship? Is it much tossed about? That is an inferior question as compared with the inquiry “Is Christ on board?” How is it with your vessel? Steaming strongly and steadily towards the desired haven? Are you all well? Have you food enough and fire enough for the voyage? You return a hearty “Ay! Ay!” Be careful how you speak: boast not yourselves of tomorrow, for ye know not what a day may bring forth. You may be glad some time of an old rope thrown out to you. Do not boast. Do not forget the altar even in the ship. Do not turn away your thought from God. Even in the time of sunshine and rapid homeward movement, you cannot tell what may yet transpire. This will I do: I will leave my ship, myself, my destiny with God. He made me, shaped me, inspired me, has led me, fed me, until now; and if it be his will to dash me to pieces within a mile of home But, oh, it cannot be!

Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker

Chapter 101

Prayer

Almighty God, may we, being crucified with Christ, also rise with him, and prove our resurrection by setting our affections on things above and not on things on the earth. We would live in the spirit of the resurrection; we would be as men who have already passed the gates of death, and would live in the light of thy countenance, and walk all day in the strength of thy favour. This miracle thou canst work, thou God of wonders. Even now, so full may our heart be of Christ’s own life, that the bitterness of death may be passed. Enable us to feel the mystery we cannot understand. May we walk as men over whom death has no more power, saying, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” Show us these things day by day that we be no longer in bondage through fear of death, but enjoy the peace, the gladness, the holy inspiration of immortality. We bless thee for Easter Day, day of triumph, day of trumpeting and singing on earth and in heaven. Thy Son, our Saviour, made every day he touched into a holy time. When he was born, the universe was re-created; when he died, creation became a sanctuary of darkness; when he rose again, the morning stars sang together for joy, and all heaven quivered with infinite rapture. This is the day of tender memory, compassion, grief, of the shining and speaking angels, of the heavens rent that we may see into the larger liberties. May we enter into the spirit of the day and be no longer sore of heart, or heavy of spirit; but, shaking off the clay, and ordering the common body to stand back, may we, in the power of the Spirit, join the songs of heaven. We entreat thee, on our own behalf, that as death was conquered, so sin may be overthrown; when the cause is destroyed the effect will cease. Abolish, by the mysterious power of the Cross of Christ, the presence and the dominion of evil in our hearts; then every morning will be resurrection-day, every noontide will be heaven. As for the few days we have to be on this side the golden gates, help us to be industrious, patient, large of mind, noble in charity. Knowing that at any moment the great golden portals may swing back for our entrance, may we be ready, washed in the blood of the Lamb, purified by the fire of the Holy Ghost, made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light; may we hold the world with a light hand, letting it slip without sense of loss or pain, the momentary deprivation being overcome and lost in the infinite realisation of heavenly bliss. Help us to bear the burden, to toil up the last hill; and at the end may our only ailment be weariness that will soon be healed. May there be no sin to heal, no guilt to cure, no unholiness to destroy; but, at the last, may we be simply weary, outworn, quite tired, the journey all behind us, and our eyelids trembling because we want to sleep. Then will come the one touch of peace that will make us forget our weariness for ever. Amen.

Christian Pilotage

Act 27

( Continued )

The idea which I wish to make clear is, that as Paul was in that ship, so Christianity seeks to be in the world. We have spent a tempestuous month with all the sailors and prisoners, and we feel that the very spirit and destiny of the voyage are in us. We have seen what part Paul played in the tremendous tempest. What Paul was in that ship, Christianity seeks to be in the vessel of the world. The picture is a definite one: so definite that a child can follow its vivid lines. It is hung up before our vision now, and it will be for us to see, and having seen, to declare, that as Paul was in that storm-tossed ship, so Christianity seeks to be in the great ship of the earth.

What was Paul in that ship, tossed in Adria? He took upon himself the direction of common affairs; the master of the ship gave way, the centurion was no longer the centurion but in name, and the Apostle stood forward at the front and took upon himself the responsibility of the whole situation. That is what Christianity wants to do in the world, to be the senior member in every firm, to be the director of every company, to be the head of every family, to be the one lamp in the dark night time, and to assume the leadership and the benediction of the world; and that is what its own believers won’t allow it to be and to do. They are willing to make an idol of it. The idol may choose the substance in which it will be represented, so far, so condescending does the patronage go. It says to the thing that is to be represented, “Shall it be ivory, white ivory, without stain or flaw, the dear little creature would like? or gold, pure, refined? Or shall it be some figure in diamonds and precious stones of every hue and water? You can choose the form in which you will be imaged to the eye; only express your wish, and to the last syllable it shall be realised.” That is the very thing that Christianity declines to be and declines to do. Christianity says, “I will go to business with you; I will keep your books for you; I will issue all your papers sign and stamp them every one,” and that is precisely what the hottest Christian on earth respectfully declines. Do we wonder then that the Church is empty, that the infidel is laughing, and that the great enemy is feasting himself at the table of prosperity? We have come under the domain of the unutterably evil sophism that Christianity is a set of theological views. Theological views cannot live long. Nobody wants them; there is nothing in them by themselves, limited to themselves, made to talk a metaphysical language which the earth and its children cannot understand. Christianity wants to take the captaincy of the world-ship. Can Christianity conduct the world-ship across the sea of space and time and bring it into the haven of rest? Yes; and. that is the only captaincy under which the happy issue can be realised. What is the use of your saying your prayer in a few curt words in the morning and leaving your Christianity behind you while you put on an atheist’s hat and go down to town leaning upon an infidel’s staff?

It is a lie black, flat, blasphemous. There are Christian people who say, “Leave to men of the world the direction of the world.” No. As soon say, “Leave to agriculture the lighting of the stars.” Men of the world are the most ignorant of men, the most impotent of men, the lamest, feeblest of men. In their mind there is no background, no perspective; there is no horizon in their thinking. Christians are the true statesmen, the true politicians, the true merchants; only they have never realised their calling and election of God. They have allowed themselves to be dwarfed and humiliated into certain chatterers of pious phrases; they have not seized the captaincy and proved that they were meant to lead the world. Behold the Apostle prisoner, yet captain; standing uppermost in the ship; exerting a mysterious and other-world influence upon rough men; doing just what he pleases. That is where Christianity should be in the navigation of the world. Christianity understands everything. The praying man is the great man he who sees God, and grasps in his all but infinite vision the petty details that make up what we call earthly life. The master of the ship and the centurion at first edged Paul back into the stern, but they were obliged at the last to allow him to come forward. So it will be in the end of things: the captain that will take the ship in is Christianity, or the ship will never go in.

What did Paul do in that ship, tossed and torn by the rough and angry wind? He maintained the supremacy of God. In the twenty-fifth verse, he says, “I believe God.” That is what Christianity seeks to be and to do in the world to utter the word God in a tone that will amount to argument, with a pathos that will ensure conviction. The danger is that we pronounce the word God as if it were part of a common language and not a whole vocabulary in itself. We can degrade any word by the manner of its pronouncement. You can say the word “heaven” so flippantly as to take all the light out of it and quench all its thundering of music. You can pronounce the word “father,” or “mother,” or “home,” so lifelessly that nobody will know you have uttered the sacred term. The meaning is in the pronunciation. The printer lags behind the speaker, trying to do the impossible, for soul will not be printed. Do we pronounce the word God just as an infidel would pronounce it? No wonder we lose the argument. The word is nothing if it be not full of soul, passion, fire, blood. The utterance of the word should be a sacrifice. Christianity seeks to remind the world every day of the existence, government, personal superintendence, fatherly love, and motherly care of God. God is not an Old Testament word only. It is curious to observe how some words hardly carry themselves into the new covenant writing. They were noble words in the old book, they were part of it, they belonged to it, there was a kind of nativity about their position and relationship; but they could not transfer themselves into the new music; but the word God came right across from Judaism into Christianity. “The peace of God,” “the love of God,” “the God of Zion” became intelligible to Christian students under the definition of Love “God is Love.” If any man really and truly believed God, he could never be in fear, he could never commit sin, he could never be unhappy. Do we believe God? No. We do not disbelieve him, and our want of disbelief is so complete as to amount to a kind of intellectual assent to the proposition that there is a God; but if we believed God our joy would be too great for time and earth. Still we must maintain the ideal. We expect the preacher for the moment to be the ideal man and to maintain the ideal doctrine; but no man can fulfil his own prayers, no man can live up to his own sermons. Still there is the ideal. We cannot touch the sun, or lodge in his infinite effulgence, but we can walk in his light and rejoice in his splendor. So with the great ideal God; we cannot realize it to the full extent of its meaning, or we should ourselves be gods; but we can behold its effect, we can enjoy its comfort, we can respond to its inspiration. There is a religion in the world that proclaims God personal, living, near, redeeming. That religion, by the very energy of its declaration, is keeping right the balance that would soon lose its equipoise. Let us be thankful for every testimony of a higher life; for every man that gives us to know that the earth has a sky above it, and that the little known is meant to be but a syllable towards the whole world unknown. So I welcome every book that enlarges my thought. I do not care to agree with it. Who am I that I should agree with any other man, or any other man agree with me? What I want is intellectual enlargement, spiritual enthusiasm, a daily baptism of the imagination, continual leading forth into the wonder-spaces where I am filled with an astonishment that must pray and with a rapture that must sing. When any man amongst us writes a book that shows us that things are larger than we have imagined, he is sent of God with a gospel. The gospel never shows us that things are less than we have supposed them to be: the Gospel always shows us that our dream is but a little hint, our highest imagining a dim questioning of things, and that as the heaven is high above the earth, so is God’s purpose above our wit and thought.

What did Paul do in the ship? He cheered the distracted and helpless. Said he, in the twenty-second verse: “And now I exhort you to be of good cheer.” That is what Christianity would do in the world: it would make us all glad; it would have us sing songs in the night time. Christianity would have us regard the raging of the sea with perfect equanimity; when the sea roars and is troubled Christianity would have us rise and fall with the rhythm of the hurrying tempest. Christianity never said it wished to darken any man’s window, silence the singing birds which he had in his house, put out his fire, limit his food, and make his life into a pain or a fear. When Christianity meets men, it says, “All hail! This is Sabbath day; the bitterness of death is past: be glad.” The glad heart can never go far wrong. The great, big soul that guests the angel of joy, that has in it the singing one, can never do anything unworthy. Joy is a protective influence; gladness sends men home to sing their loudest, sweetest song. Christianity is the religion of joy. Who would think it to look upon Christian countenances? for if there is a dreary-looking set of men on the face of the whole earth, you will find those men in the various places of worship today. A more pitiful-looking set of persons it would be impossible for earth and time to produce. What wonder if people run away from us and little children are glad when we shut the gate and are gone for the day? What wonder if all the little folks at home watch the old man totter down the garden path and clang the little iron gate behind him and then feel as if the day of jubilee had come? Why are we not more glad? Why do we not breathe the very spirit of joy wherever we go? In so far as we carry any other spirit with us I care not how we pray or preach or otherwise profess we are not lying unto men, we are lying unto God. Faith comes to take away the burden; the mission of Christianity is to destroy night and fear and the accusing voice. Christianity always wants to kill another fatted calf, light another lamp, strike the drum with a stronger force, and increase the music until it affrights the Pharisees and makes the earth a sympathising listener.

What did Paul do in the ship? He blessed the food of men: “Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that we have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing…. And when be had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all.” It is but a little food we need, but the blessing may be immeasurable. You have mistaken this matter of eating and drinking: you thought it was a merely bodily exercise. Eating and drinking are religious acts. When you brake bread this morning, at your table, if you did it in the right spirit, you brake the Lord’s body. When you drank to quench your thirst this morning, if you did it in the right spirit, you drank the Lord’s blood. We have lost the sacramental idea. We have allowed the world to debase everything we do, and to take out of it dignity and music and hope. When you washed yourself this morning, you did in symbol what the soul must do in faith be washed in the blood of the Lamb. Why do we allow everything to be depleted, impoverished, and to have all its holy thought and suggestion torn out of it? Christianity would bless the food of every man; and being so blessed, it becomes the nutritious food. The crust is a feast when Christ breaks it for us; the little table, with room for only two, becomes a great banqueting-board when Jesus lays his hand upon it. There is no poverty, there is no want to them that fear him; the little is much, the bitter is sweet, and the whole occasion is so enlarged and glorified by an invisible but felt Presence, that even the earth becomes none other than the house of God. With Christ in the house, we have blessed bread, a table lighted by the Son, water better than all the wine of all the vineyards of the earth; and when we lay down to sleep, the pillow itself will receive us as with a mother’s benediction.

In the last part of the chapter, do we not see, in some sense, a picture of the final salvation of the human race? “The centurion commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: and the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.” May it be so with us! May no wanderer be lost! It is of little matter how we come as to mere method and circumstance, compared with the great matter of reaching shore, touching land. Some of us will get in with difficulty, but, thank God! we will get in. Some will swim, some will seize boards, others will clutch broken pieces of the ship; but if we only all land! That is my heart’s desire and prayer to God. “Would you not like to see some of your enemies drowned?” Not one of them. “Are you willing that all should go into port?” Yes, every soul of man. Some would like to go in under a full sail, with strains of music and singing, songs of triumph floating in the blue and sunny air. But I fancy that our going in will be very much like this escape from the sea some swimming, some on boards, some on broken pieces of the ship; the old earth-ship broken up, every soul saved; the old vessel gone, but no life lost. That is the inquiry we always make when great catastrophes occur; though we may be sorry that property is destroyed, and that certain temporary relations are shattered, yet when we know that no sacrifice of life has taken place, we experience a grateful relief. Poor old earth-ship! We like it, we are friends even of the ship; but it must go. It was made for a temporary purpose; it was never meant to stand for ever; it will be broken up, burned; it shall pass away, but no life lost. Poor prodigal, thou must be saved; hopeless man, the Captain wants to save you. We do not want any life lost. Towers and palaces and temples may fall, the earth itself be torn in pieces and destroyed; but we want every human creature to escape safe to land!

Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker

XXXII

FROM CAESAREA TO ROME

Acts 27-28.

In all literature there is not such an accurate description of a voyage as this given by Luke. Indeed, the book of Acts can be tested as to its accuracy on more points than any other book in the whole Bible. If it were not a true narrative, in a thousand places proof would be abundant of its falsehood. But the fact that on every point it is proven to be exactly accurate, is the highest demonstration of its historical value. Virgil, in his Aeneid, in describing the voyage of the Trojan fleet over a great many of the same places of the Mediterranean Sea, is generally exact in his references to the winds and to the navigation of that sea. Homer, in his Odyssey, while giving many important points, is not so accurate as Virgil. In the corresponding chapters of Conybeare and Howson on this voyage of Paul will be found about as good a thing as anybody can say about the journey in these two chapters, though there are some fine things in Farrar’s description of Paul’s voyage.

In the navigation of that day they had no regular passenger ships like we have. We have the great liners that run from New York to Liverpool, and to Hamburg and other points. They had no passenger ships. Even the emperors, when they didn’t go in their war galleys, took a merchant vessel. They had no compass to steer by. The compass has been invented since that time. They had no charts, and hence we can understand a number of things in this chapter that vessels that had no compass and no chart, and indeed no rudder such as we now use only two paddles that they used and what conditions these people would be in if they couldn’t see the sun or moon or stars for many days.

While these ships were inferior in build to the ships of modern times, their merchant vessels were large vessels, and for a part of this voyage Paul was on one of those big merchant vessels. He was not on the same ship all the voyage. He was on three different vessels in making this voyage, and the second one was a big merchant vessel an Alexandrian ship carrying wheat. The Romans themselves were no sailors, and when they fought on sea, they fought as land troops. The sailing of the sea was mainly in the hands of the Greeks. Alexandria, the coast of Asia Minor, the Peloponnesus, and the Aegean Islands, and some of the ancient Phoenicians were still great in commerce. There was a steady line of trade from Alexandria to Rome, carrying wheat. Rome was dependent upon the bread or wheat that came from the valley of the Nile. There was a steady line of commerce that came over the Isthmus of Suez brought by Arabian ships to that point, and after crossing the isthmus it was brought across the Mediterranean in Greek ships. The Greek ships also brought all of the trade from Middle and Western Asia.

Hence we find that when they start to send these prisoners, there being no regular line of passenger ships, they wait for the merchant ships, and the first available one wasn’t going on straight across to Rome at all. It was going to Adramyttium, on the coast of Asia Minor, and they took that vessel, and when they got nearly to their destination they found an Alexandria ship going to Rome, and they were transferred to that ship, and when that ship was wrecked on the Island of Malta (Melita it is called in our text), a third ship took them to that point where they went by land to the city of Rome.

The salient incidents of this voyage are as follows:

1. The first incident is that in taking a merchant vessel they had to go to the southern coast of Asia Minor in order to fall in with an Alexandria ship.

2. The second is that as soon as they got on this big Alexandrian merchantman, the weather became very bad, and remained so until the ship was wrecked.

3. In the terrible storm, many days and nights no sight of the sun or stars, Paul had a vision. An angel of God came to tell him that the ship would be lost, but that he, all the sailors, the soldiers, and the prisoners would be saved.

4. The next incident is the shipwreck itself. The ship, striking before it got clear to the coast line, 276 people, every one of them without exception got safe to land, a thing that doesn’t occur more than once in ten thousand cases.

5. The inhabitants of that island were very kind to them. Paul is bitten by a viper, and fulfilling the prophecy given in the latter part of Mark’s Gospel that the bite of deadly serpents should not harm them, he escaped, and then came the miracles that he wrought in that island, the great favor that came to those shipwrecked people where they remained for three months till the winter passed. Then there was a ship there, that had wintered there, that took them on to Rome, and when they got to Puteoli, the brethren there met him, and at the Appii and the Three Taverns the brethren out of Rome came and met him, and so they got safely to Rome.

On this voyage Paul came to the front. It doesn’t make any difference how he started out as a prisoner and little regarded before he gets there he is going to boss the whole crew. Long before that journey is over, he is the head man. It is Paul that saved them; it is Paul that secured them comfortable quarters in that island, and kept them three months. It was not Jonah that they had along.

The time consumed in this voyage was several months. They were three months wintering on the island of Malta. Many days were consumed in getting there, and more than a week after that; so it was a long time from Caesarea to Rome. They got there about A.D. 62. They passed Scylla and Charybdis, the famous celebrities, proverbial for danger, after leaving Melita, or Malta. Scylla was a dangerous rock just under the edge of the water, and off to the side and somewhat in front of or opposite, was Charybdis, a very dangerous whirlpool in that strait of the Mediterranean between Sicily and Italy, and hence the old Latin proverb, “He who shuns Scylla must beware of Charybdis.” We must not go out too far in trying to avoid Scylla or we will come into the dangerous whirlpool, Charybdis, and we must not go too far away from Charybdis lest we strike Scylla. During the earthquake in Sicily in 1909, those two places, both the whirlpool and the rock, disappeared from the strait, and are no longer there.

A part of the journey was by land. The record says that they came to Puteoli and met some brethren there, and then came to the Great Appian Way. This was a way leading to the Imperial City, Rome, and was the most beautiful street that earth ever saw. It was laid off for many miles, running down the Tiber, following the river’s course, like a broadway, and the whole length of that broadway was paved with broad sidewalks so that footmen would never come in contact with teams, or chariots; everywhere there were the most finished works of art all along the side. Sometimes, when Rome decreed a triumph to a consul, the great parade would come up that way. The people in the city would take their evening walks down that way, and in the moonshine would go miles down that beautiful way. Great men, world-illustrious, were buried in imposing sepulchers along that way. An American city would think that it was next to heaven if it had such a street.

The Emperor of Rome at this time was Nero, the infamous, the most bestial man that ever occupied a throne. His persecution had not commenced. It commenced soon after Paul’s imprisonment expired. Indeed, it commenced in A.D. 64, but Paul is loose and gone by that time. There was what is called the Ghetto, that is, a suburb set apart for the Jews on one of the banks of the Tiber, and there were a good many of them there a little before Paul’s time. Ten thousand of them had signed a petition with reference to some affray that occurred over in Judea. I recommend Jews of the Roman Empire, by Brice, which sets forth clearly the conditions of the Jews in that great city.

Two years after Paul got there, Nero burned Rome. He played his harp while it was burning, and then to escape the indignation of the people, he attributed it to the Christians, and then came the bloodiest persecution of all time. This is the way he fixed it up: He laid off a street about like the Appian Way, and instead of putting statuary all along the way, he put iron pillars, and to each pillar he chained a living Christian, and then had oil and tar poured over him and set him afire, and that constituted the light; then Nero drove up and down in the light of the burning Christians. Paul had just gotten away before that came, however.

There are several proofs of Paul’s mild imprisonment. We can see from the fact that the Christians went down that Appian Way a long ways, two bands of them, to meet him, that they were under no restraint, and when he got there that he was allowed to talk in the synagogue, to have an interview with the Jewish people, and then he lived in his own hired house, and there was chained to him a soldier, and the soldiers, one fast succeeding another, so that Paul was able to preach to nearly all of that famous Praetorian Guard of 10,000. His friends visited him from every part of the world. All that goes to show that the letters of Festus and of Lysias had made their proper impression on the mind of the emperor. Paul’s case might not come up soon, because from every direction of the world prisoners were being sent in whose cases Caesar adjudicated, not that Caesar paid any attention to them, but he appointed some delegate of his to examine all those cases of appeal, and it was two years before they got to Paul.

The centurion that had charge of Paul had charge of the Augustan Cohort, and he was certainly a noble fellow. Whenever we see such expressions as Italian Band or Augustan Cohort, we may know that this detachment is off in some foreign country. It belongs to that famous Praetorian Guard the emperor’s body-guard. They could not be sent to a foreign field except under peculiar circumstances when the emperor would detach portions of it. Three legions garrisoned Judea like the five legions in Syria, and the many legions on the Danube, all of whom would recruit from the natives, and in a Roman legion might be found men from Britain, men from the forests of Germany, and Gaul and Jews, and people from every nation under heaven, but that Praetorian Guard of 10,000 were all Italians. Now it chanced that a cohort of this Praetorian Guard was over in Judea, and quite naturally a centurion of that Judean garrison would take charge of these prisoners.

QUESTIONS 1. What is the scripture, and the theme of this chapter?

2. What can we say of Luke’s description, of this voyage, and what of navigation at that time?

3. What are the salient incidents of this voyage?

4. How does Paul come to the front?

5. What is the time consumed in this voyage?

6. What famous celebrities, proverbial for danger, did they pass after leaving Melita, or Malta?

7. What part of the journey was by land?

8. Who was Emperor of Rome at this time, what his character, what his history, and what of the Jews in Rome?

9. Had the persecution of Christians commenced at this time?

10. What are the proofs of Paul’s mild imprisonment?

11. What is meant by the “Augustan Band”?

Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

1 And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band.

Ver. 1. It was determined ] First by God, Act 23:11 , and then by the ordinary magistrate guided by God.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

1. ] (see reff.) contains the purpose of . The matter of the decision implied in is expressed in this form as if governed by the substantive , as in ch. Act 20:3 , . Meyer remarks that the expressions , , , &c. are analogous.

] Here we have again the first person , the narrator having, in all probability, remained in Palestine, and in the neighbourhood of Paul, during the interval since ch. Act 21:18 .

] Who ? perhaps the assessors with whom Festus took counsel on the appeal, ch. Act 25:12 ; but more likely the plural is used indefinitely, the subject being ‘they,’ = ‘on’ (Fr.), or ‘man’ (Germ.).

.] This expression, says Meyer, is purposely chosen, to intimate, that they were prisoners of another sort (not also Christians under arrest). But De W . shews this to be a mistake, by , Luk 8:3 , = , Mar 15:41 , in both places meaning ‘ many others of the same sort .’ Here also they are of the same class , as far as is concerned: further, nothing is implied in the narrative, one way or the other.

] There is some difficulty in determining what this cohort was. We must not fall into the mistake of several of the Commentators, that of confounding this . with an , mentioned by Josephus, B. J. ii. 12. 5, and Antt. xx. 6. 1, this latter implying ‘ natives of Samaria ’ ( ), whereas our word is the same adjective as that name itself, and cannot by any analogy have reference to it. More than one of the legions at different times bore the honorary title ‘Augusta.’ Wetst. quotes from Claudian de Bell. Gild [155] ‘Dictaque ab Augusto legio:’ from inscriptions in Mauritania, Legio III. Aug., II. Aug., VIII. Aug.: from Ptolemy, ii. 3, (in Britain); iv. 3, . ; but of a ‘ cohors Augusta,’ or ‘Augustana,’ we never hear. De Wette and Meyer suggest (but we have no historical proof of the supposition) that it was one among the five cohorts stationed at Csarea (see note, ch. Act 25:23 ) thus distinguished as the body-guard of the emperor (?), and therefore chosen for any services immediately concerning him, as in this case. Meyer thinks it may be the same (but then would the appellations be different?) with the of ch. Act 10:1 . It is remarkable that almost all the Commentators have assumed, without any reason, that this . must have been stationed at Csarea , whereas it may well have been a cohort, or body of men so called, at Rome. Wieseler is the only one that I have seen who has not fallen into this error. He controverts the other interpretations (Chron. d. Apost.-g. note, p. 391), and infers that Julius belonged to the Augustani , mentioned Tacitus xiv. 15, and Suet. Nero, 20 and 25 (see also Dio Cass. lxi. 20: , and lxiii. 8), who appear to have been identical with the evocati (veterans specially summoned to service by the emperors), and to have formed Nero’s body-guard on his journey to Greece. The first levying of this band by Augustus, Dio relates, xlv. 12. To this Julius seems to have belonged, to have been sent on some service into Asia, and now to have been returning to Rome.

[155] Gild as , fl. 581

We read of a Julius Priscus, Prefect of the Prtorian guards under Vitellius, who killed himself ‘pudore magis quam necessitate,’ after the military murder by Mucianus of Calpurnius Galerianus. This was ten years after the date of our narrative; but the identity of the two must be only conjectural.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Act 27:1 to Act 28:31 .] PAUL’S VOYAGE TO ROME AND SOJOURN THERE. I cannot but express the benefit I have derived in my commentary on this section, from Mr. Smith’s now well-known treatise on the voyage and shipwreck of St. Paul: as also from various letters which he has from time to time put into my hands, tending further to elucidate the subject. The substance of these will be found embodied in an excursus following the chronological table in the prolegomena.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Act 27:1 . Blass at the outset speaks of this and the next chapter as “clarissimam descriptionem” of St. Paul’s voyage, and he adds that this description has been estimated by a man skilled in nautical matters as “monumentum omnium pretiosissimum, qu rei navalis ex tota antiquitate nobis relicta sint”. He refers to Die Nautik der Alten by Breusing, formerly Director of the School of Navigation in Bremen, 1886; a book which should be read side by side with J. Smith’s well-known Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul , 4th edit., 1880 ( cf. also J. Vars, L’Art Nautique , 1887, and see also Introd., p. 8). : particula temporalis , often so used by St. Luke in Gospel and Acts, and more frequently than by the other Evangelists; in St. Matthew not at all, in St. Mark once; often in O.T., Apoc., and especially in 1 Macc. .: common construction in LXX with kindred words, e.g. , , but no other instances of the genitive with infinitive after (except 1Co 2:2 , T.R.) in N.T., Lumby; see also Burton, p. 159. .: St. Luke stands alone amongst N.T. writers in the number of compounds of which he employs, no less than nine, J. Smith, u.s. , p. 28, 61. : “with this section we tread the firm ground of history, for here at Act 27:1 the personal record of the book again enters, and that in its longest and fullest part” (Weizscker): see also on , as intimating by its recurrence the narrative of an eyewitness, Hilgenfeld, Zw. Th. , iv., p. 549 (1896), Wendt (1899), p. 402, note. The included Paul, Luke, Aristarchus; Ramsay, St. Paul , p. 315, maintains that both Luke and Aristarchus must have accompanied Paul as his slaves, and that they would not have been permitted to go as his friends, but see Gilbert, Student’s Life of Paul , p. 201; and Wendt (1899) in reply to Ramsay points out that as the ship was not sailing as a transport vessel with the prisoners direct to Rome, but that a vessel engaged in private enterprise and commerce was employed, it is quite possible that Paul’s friends may have travelled on the same ship with him as independent passengers. But see further Ramsay, p. 323. So far as Luke is concerned, it is possible that he may have travelled in his protessional capacity as a medical man, Lekebusch, Apostelgeschichte , p. 393. : assimilated to form of contracted verbs, so most certainly in Acts, cf. Act 3:2 ; Act 4:33 ; Act 4:35 , Simcox, Language of the N.T. , p. 37. Winer-Schmiedel, p. 121. , see below, p. 516. That Paul commanded respect is implied by the whole narrative: some of the other prisoners may also have been sent to Rome on the ground of an appeal, cf. Josephus, Vita , 3, but others may have been already condemned, Ramsay, p. 314. : Meyer and Zckler take the word to indicate prisoners of a character different from Paul, i.e. , heathen, not Christians; but Wendt (so Hackett) points out that Luke in Acts uses in singular and plural as simply = another, or other, additional; Act 7:18 , Act 8:34 , Act 15:35 , Act 17:34 . As against this Zckler quotes Luk 23:32 , Gal 1:7 . : name far too common for any identification; Tacitus speaks of a Julius Priscus, Hist. , ii. 92, iv. 11, a centurion of the prtorians, but see below on Act 28:16 . .: “of the Augustan band,” R.V. It is suggested that the term is here used is a popular colloquial way by St. Luke, and that it is not a translation of a correct Roman name, but rather “the troops of the emperor,” denoting a body of legionary centurions who were employed by the emperor on confidential business between the provinces and the imperial city, the title Augustan being conferred on them as a mark of favour and distinction. If this is so we gather from this notice in Acts a fact which is quite in accordance with what is known from other sources, although nowhere precisely attested. But can any connection be established between such a body and any branch of the imperial service which is actually known to us? There were certain legionary centurions who went by the name of frumentarii , who were employed not only, as their name implied, on duties connected with the commissariat, but also with the custody of prisoners and for purposes of police. In Act 28:16 , A.V. and R.V. margin, we have the remarkable reading: “and the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the [prtorian] guard” (see on l.c. ). But it is urged that we cannot understand by this expression the Prefect of the Prtorian Guard, who would not be concerned with the comparatively humble duty of receiving and guarding prisoners. But in the Old L.V, called Gigas (unfortunately the only representative of the Old Latin for this passage) we have for a translation of the Greek , in itself a very rare word, princeps peregrinorum . Now the legionary centurions who formed the frumentarii were regarded in Rome as being on detached duty, and were known as peregrini; on the Clian Hill they occupied the camp known as the castra peregrinorum , and their commander bore the name of princeps peregrinorum . If therefore we may identify the Stratopedarch in Act 28:16 with this commanding officer, we may also infer that Julius was one of the Peregrini , and that he hands over his prisoners to his superior officer, Ramsay, St. Paul , pp. 315, 347, Mommsen, Sitzungsberichte d. Berl. Akad. , 1895, p. 495 ff., Rendall, Acts , p. 340. But see on the other hand Zahn, Einleitung , i., p. 389 (1897), Knabenbauer, Actus Apostolorum , p. 448, Belser, Beitrge, p. 147 ff., who point out amongst other reasons (1) that there is no clear evidence of the title princeps peregrinorum before the reorganisation of Sept. Severus, (2) that we have evidence that prisoners were sent from the provinces and committed to the care of the prfectus prtorio, cf. Traj., Ad Plin. , 57, with reference to one who had appealed: “vinctus mitti ad prfectos prtorii mei debet,” and other instances in Zahn, u. s. , and Knabenbauer. See further for the value of the Old Latin reading in Gigas “Julius” (Headlam), Hastings’ B.D., and below on Act 28:16 . But whether we adopt the explanation suggested by Prof. Ramsay or not, it is still open to us to maintain that the title “Augustan” was a title of honour and not a local title; not connected with Sebaste the chief town of Samaria, or with Csar ea Sebaste. Schrer in answer to Mr. Headlam’s criticism (“Julius,” Hastings’ B.D.) is still of opinion, Theol. Literaturzeitung , 20, 1899, that reference is here made to one of the five cohorts of Csareans and Sebasteni mentioned by Josephus (for references see Jewish People , div. i., vol. ii., p. 53, E.T., and Schmiedel, Encyclop. Biblica , i., 909, 1899), and therefore a ; but he maintains that this same cohort was distinguished by the title Augusta from the other four cohorts, and that the writer of Acts is rendering this title in the word (see also below). It is possible (as Wendt admits, although he prefers Schrer’s view, 1899) that Julius might have belonged to the cohors Augusta, cf. C. I. L. , iii., 66, 83, Augustiani, Suet., Nero , 25, Augustani, Tac., Ann. , xiv., 15, etc. (Belser, Beitrge , p. 154, Knabenbauer, p. 425), a select number of Roman knights who formed a kind of body-guard for the emperor, instituted about 59 A.D., and that he may have been in Csarea on some temporary special duty; but on the other hand see Page’s note, in loco ( cf. note on Act 10:1 ). Grimm-Thayer, sub v. (2), describes it as (an adj [407] ) a title of honour given to certain legions, or cohorts, or battalions, for “valour”: “Ala Augusta ob virtutem appellata,” C. I. L. , vii., 340, 341, 344, but there is no inscriptional proof that this title was given to any Csarean cohort; see “Augustan Band” (Barnes), Hastings’ B.D., and Wendt can only refer to the bestowal of the title as “probable”.

[407] adjective.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

Acts Chapter 27

Thereon follows the voyage of the apostle to Rome, a narrative full of interest in every way. What believer can fail to find refreshment and cheer as he ponders its details and sees the prisoner as perfectly master of the situation on board ship in a storm and wreck, as before in the presence of judges and a king who attested his guiltlessness? But what reader of any version, even if believing, could anticipate, what every scholar ought to know, that here is more of real information about an ancient merchant ship, quite simply and incidentally conveyed, than is found perhaps in all the extant remains of Greek and Roman authors? So the late Dean Howson owns in Smith’s Bible Dictionary, as indeed the soundness of the judgment is notorious.

‘And when it was determined that we should sail away for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other-prisoners to a centurion named Julius of an Augustan cohort. And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium about1 to sail to2 the places along Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus of Macedonia, a Thessalonian, being with us. And the next day we arrived at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and permitted [him] to go unto the (or, his3) friends and receive attention. And thence putting to sea we sailed under the lee of Cyprus because the winds were contrary. And having sailed across the sea that is along Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came unto Myra [a city] of Lycia. And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and put us on board. And sailing slowly many days and coming with difficulty abreast of Cnidus, as the wind did not further suffer us, we sailed under the lee of Crete abreast of Salmone, and coasting it with difficulty, we came unto a certain place called Fair Havens, near to which was [the] city of Lasaea. And much time being spent and the voyage being already dangerous because the Fast was already past, Paul admonished them saying, 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. But the centurion believed the master and the ship-owner rather than the things said by Paul. And the harbour being ill-suited to winter in, the most gave counsel to put to sea thence, if by any means they might arrive at Phoenix to winter in, a harbour of Crete, looking north-east and south-east. And when a south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and coasted close by Crete’ (vers. 1-13)

1 (i.e. the ship) AB, some 30 cursives, and the ancient versions. (i.e., we) Text. Rec. with which agrees HLP and most MSS.

2 is doubtful, but the sense remains.

3 The article is genuine, though omitted in the Text. Rec.

We see at once that Luke is with the apostle on his voyage, and Aristarchus also. ‘One’ (ver. 1) in this case is quite uncalled for, as in all the Protestant English Versions from Tyndale. The fact is that he has been before us from time to time in this Book as the companion of the apostle. See Act 19:29 ; Act 20:4 ; as he is afterwards named in Col 4:10 ; Phm 1:24 . Neither appears to have been at this time a prisoner. Both became partakers with the one that was so used. Love led these to Join him in the face of shame and danger. They did not therefore cast away their boldness which has great recompense of reward.

Of Julius the centurion nothing more is certainly known than what is here recorded? but we are enabled to see at least his amiability, and the moral respect inspired by the apostle from first to last, hindered, one may say perhaps, at one point which must in the sequel have increased it more and more as we shall observe. It would seem that there was no special Augustan cohort, nor does the text say more than that he commanded a cohort which bore that designation. It is known that the emperor Nero had a body-guard organized at this very date, consisting of veterans specially called out for service. Julius may have been an officer among them. They were called Augustani (Tacitus Annales xiv. 15). Why he was in Palestine does not appear: if there, we can readily understand the prisoners and soldiers being under his charge on his return to Rome.

It seems amazing that there should be the least doubt about ‘Asia’ in verse 2. Neither the continent, nor even Asia Minor is meant, but the Roman province, which was but the western seaboard of the latter according to the usage of the Book.

‘The [or his] friends’ were the believers in Sidon, a mode of speech which we find in the Third Epistle of John (ver. 14). Evil times made them manifest: false brethren turned aside, ashamed of the cross. What the ‘attention’ was that is meant is conjectural, and may be expressly left so to meet any case in future.

The lee of Cyprus was in this instance to the north of the island, the winds being contrary. Hence they coasted along the south of Cilicia and Pamphylia. Otherwise the direct course must have been south of Cyprus. But it would seem that the ship had to touch at places (ver. 2). which called them north. Myra lay due north of Alexandria; so that the ship from this port met the one of Adramyttium1 in that Mysian harbour. Both ships were in their right course according to the winds then blowing. Where the first was bound we are not told. But the centurion avails himself of that from Alexandria, which had a cargo for Italy, and transferred all his company accordingly (ver. 6).

1 It is a strange oversight of Grotius, followed by not a few commentators, that Hadrumetum on the African coast is here meant. Even to this day Adramyti retains its old name, though reduced from an important seaport to a poor fishing village.

Great difficulties speedily follow; but disciples need not be agitated if the Lord seem not to heed. ‘Scarce’ as in the Authorized Version (ver. 7) does not give the thought intended, but ‘with difficulty’. The wind being about N.W., as Mr. Smith shows in his interesting Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul, made it slow and hard work to bring up the ship from Myra and Cnidus, even though with the advantage of a weather shore and a westerly current. The wind did not allow them to go on (not, to put in); so that their course lay under the lee of Crete, and this time its south side after sailing abreast of its eastern point, Salmone (called Sammonium by Pliny the elder, as by Strabo ). And it may be mentioned that Fair Havens to this day bears the same name corrupted – Kalolimounias, five miles west of Cape Leonda, in the immediate neighbourhood of which inland, lie the ruins of Lasaea, as distinctly identified by our countrymen lately.

The insurmountable delay from adverse winds and other circumstances brought them to a season of no small peril in that sea (ver. 9); and the apostle gave counsel on which events soon after, but too late, impressed the seal of indisputable value. Nevertheless he seems not to claim divinely given foresight for his warning: the terms employed in verse 10 are rather his own judgment simply, in apparent contradistinction from the prophetic intimation announced in verses 21-26. ‘I perceive’, introducing a general admonition of danger, differs widely from ‘I believe God’ with a precise assurance of the loss of the ship but of no life among the passengers and crew, which last he was unable to guarantee when he first spoke out.

But the shipmates and the shipowner were opposed to the warning words of the apostle; and we can easily understand why the centurion paid more heed to the opinion of men accustomed to the sea (ver. 11), themselves no doubt disposed to regard cheaply what a landsman might think or say. Then again, whatever its title promised, Fair Havens was beyond doubt inconvenient for wintering in, as the bay is open to almost one-half of the compass; and as all could see this, the majority advised to put to sea also from there, as from other places before (ver. 12): not that they meant to pursue the voyage to Italy in such weather and at such a time, but hoping to reach the unquestionably better port of Phoenix,1 now identified as Lutro, though well aware of their risk in attempting it.

1 This harbour on the south of Crete ought to have been distinguished by its true name from Phoenice or Phoenicia (Act 11:19 ; Act 15:3 ; Act 21:2 ), the Canaanite land of Tyre and Sidon: the one deriving its designation from the palm tree that flourished there; the other from the famous dye, or shell fish, that produced all shades from red to violet, generally called purple.

It may interest some to know that competent men declare Fair Havens to be a better harbour than its exposed look conveys at first sight. Mr. Smith who studied the whole question on the spot with minute care and professional skill pronounced it to be ‘so well protected by islands and reefs, that though not equal to Lutro, it must be a very fair winter harbour; and that considering the suddenness, the frequency, and the violence with which gales of northerly wind spring up, and the certainty that, if such a gale sprung up In the passage from Fair Havens to Lutro, the ship must be driven off to sea, the prudence of the advice given by the master and owner was extremely questionable.’ (Smith’s Voyage etc., p. 88, 2nd ed.) Hence we may learn that there is such a thing as divine guidance in the ordinary things of life, short of inspiration, no doubt, but superior to man’s experience and wisdom. Are we so unbelieving as to deny its reality save in an apostle? Blind indeed must we be, if we do, to the facts of every day among God’s children.

The value of a close adherence to the text is remarkably shown by the numerous mistranslations of this chapter, which had introduced confusion and insuperable difficulty for exposition. A striking instance occurs at the end of verse 12, where the Authorized Version represents this haven of Crete, Phoenix or Lutro, as lying ‘toward the south-west and north-west.’ What the clause says is that the harbour looks ‘down’ () south-west and down north-west. But looking down a wind means along or with the direction in which it blows, and not to the quarter whence it came. The meaning therefore is that the port of Phoenix looks north-east, and southeast, the points precisely opposite to those which have been understood. Now this (says Mr. Smith) is exactly the position of Lutro, which ‘looks’ or is open to the east; but, having an island in front which shelters it, it has two entrances, one looking to the north-east, which is , and the other to the south-east, .1

1 The translators not only mistake in this connection, but they omit the precision of the repetition of it from Tyndale downwards, as others did before them.

Hackett, who does not think it safe to give up the common interpretation, objects to this view of Mr. Smith that it involves two inconsistencies. First, it assigns opposite senses to the same term, viz., south-west as the name of a wind and north-east as the name of a quarter of the heavens. Secondly, it destroys the force of , which implies that the wind and the harbour confronted each other, and not that they were turned from each other. But the reasoning is faulty, because the fact is misunderstood. The harbour in question does look with the wind in each case, so that the force of ‘looking’ is preserved intact; and again the winds in question are preserved in their exact force and not confounded with aught else. Only looking down south-west wind and down north-west wind means in fact looking north-east and south-east. The Authorized Version confounds with or . The direction toward the source of the wind is expressed by the latter; whereas the nautical phrase of down the wind means whither it blows. Hence Phoenix looked north-east and south-east. The look of the harbour signifies the direction to which – not from which – these winds blow. The harbour looked down the southwest and down the north-west winds, i.e., in both directions; and hence to the north-east and south-east quarters, as the resulting force. The winds are only to mark the outlook definitely. Nautical phrases abound in the chapter. Josephus uses just as it is here (Antt. Jud. xv. 9, 6). See Liddell & Scott on B.I. 1.

But appearances often deceive, as they did here. For when a south wind blew softly they thought to gain their purpose, and weighing anchor (‘lifting’ is the technical phrase), they coasted close by Crete. Here the Vulgate misled Wiclif, Tyndale, and Cranmer to give the imaginary port of Assos (the true place was away in Mysia, compare Act 20:13 , Act 20:14 ), instead of ‘close’, rectified in the Geneva Version after Beza who refuted the proper name with ability, and proved the necessity of understanding the adverb.

The result justified the apostle’s advice notwithstanding a fair start. But seamen ought to have remembered how apt a mild southerly breeze, in those seas especially, is to shift to a violent northerly wind. So it was now.

‘But not long after there beat down it a tempestuous wind that is called Euraquilo1; and when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave up and were driven. And running under the lee of a certain small island called Clauda2, we were able with difficulty to secure the boat: and when they hoisted it, they used helps, frapping the ship, and fearing lest they should be cast upon the Syrtis, they lowered the gear and so were driven. But as we were exceedingly pressed by the storm, the next day they began a clearance overboard; and the third [day] they3 cast out with their own hands the gear [or, furniture] of the ship. And when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm lay on, at last every hope that wished us saved was taken away. And when they had been long without food, then Paul stood forth in their midst and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened to me, and not have put to sea from Crete, and have gained this injury and loss. And now l exhort you to be of good courage, for there shall be no loss of life among you, only of the ship. For an angel of the God Whose I am and Whom I serve stood by me this night saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must stand before Caesar; and, behold, God hath granted thee all that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good courage; for I believe God that it shall be as it hath been spoken to me But we must be cast upon a certain island’ (vers. 14-26).

1 So in the oldest MSS. and Versions; but most have Euroclydon.

2 In the Vatican and Vulgate it is Cauda.

3 Most MSS., et al., have ‘we’, but not the most ancient.

The hurricane that caught the ship ‘beat down’ from Crete, which appears to be the true force of , not ‘arose against it’, i.e., the ship, as in the Authorized Version (ver. 14). This is confirmed by Luk 8:23 , though is a far more forcible expression than . . . as indeed the case here demanded. Compare also, as Mr. Smith suggested, in Luk 8:33 . Other ways of taking the words are unnatural in the extreme. Tyndale, after Luther probably, refers ‘it’ to ‘their purpose’ in verse 13. The version of Geneva (1557) should be noticed: ‘But anone after there arose agaynst Candie, a stormye wynd out of the north-east.’ Now this was not the fact. The wind blew down from Crete, not against Crete, which it could not do. Besides the accusative not the genitive would have been employed in that case. The Authorized Version, with most, understood the ship, which however is in the context always , and therefore ungrammatical. Only in verse 41 is employed. The beating of the tornado down the highlands of Crete seems a far more graphic account than its striking against the ship, which was a matter of course in that sea when exposed to a rushing east-north-east wind.

And here it may be remarked that Euroclydon is no known appellation, nor is there any satisfactory source of the word. The more ancient is to be preferred, testified by the best MSS. and Versions. J. Bryant’s objections to the compound are not well grounded. Euro-Auster is a similar hybrid. A north-easterly wind fully accounts for the course of the ship. ‘Bear up into’ is more literally to ‘face’, a term often applied to the collisions of warfare and of common life. Some have attributed it to the practice of painting an ‘eye’ on each side of the prow, so common of old and not unknown still in the Levant.

The small island to the leeward of which they drove before the wind is now called Gozzo. Chlavda they say on the spot, which is the Romaic pronunciation of Clauda; so that the identification is certain. It was under this lee that they got the boat on board, though with difficulty (ver. 16). When was used absolutely as in verse 13 (cf. Thucydides ii. 15), it meant weighing anchor, here in verse 17 it has its ordinary force of lifting or taking up. The ‘helps’ in question were means to counteract the violence of the gale, rather than the aid of the passengers as some have thought. ‘Frapping’ is the technical English expressed by ‘undergirding’. It is done by passing a large cable four or five times round the ship’s hull. It was common of old, but has been practised in recent times and on British ships, mercantile and naval. The precariousness of mere scholarship in explaining such a thing may be seen in the learned A. Bockh’s notion that the cable was applied horizontally. Indeed on his authority Dr. L. Schmitz so gave it in the article on ‘Ships’ in Dr. W. Smith’s Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities.

What is rendered in the Authorized Version ‘the quicksands’ ought really to be ‘the Syrtis’. Two Syrtes are spoken of. This was the greater or eastern, now the gulf of Sidra, which Admiral Smyth was the first to survey adequately, as shown in his Memoirs on the Mediterranean: an object of great and natural dread to ancient seamen.

In this same verse (17) occurs one of the most serious of the many mm takes in the older versions, even Meyer and other moderns perpetuating them. Had they ‘struck sail’, the ship must inevitably have been driven directly into the Syrtis. ‘It is not easy (says Mr. Smith) to imagine a more erroneous translation than that of our Authorized Version “Fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, they strake sail, and so were driven.” It is in fact equivalent to saying that, fearing a certain danger, they deprived: themselves of the only possible means of avoiding it.’ Some sail, as the authorities lay down and as common sense feels, is absolutely requisite to keep the ship steady, and hinder her from pitching about and rolling so deeply as to strain and work herself to pieces. Hence the measures necessary were that storm-sails should be set, and the ship go on the starboard tack. ‘Lowering the gear’ is the right translation. Kypke who was a sensible man and sound scholar, is surprisingly loose in his annotations here. He will have it to be ‘letting down the anchor’! as in verse 12 and elsewhere: he illustrates by . It is singular that K?hn?l, De Wette, and Meyer followed in this wake, so inconsistent with the context.

In verse 18 we see them reduced to the very frequently adopted resource of getting rid of cargo, being the proper terms employed, as we may see in the Onomasticon of Julius Pollux. In verse 19 they go farther, and ‘with their own hands’ the seamen threw away – what they would not have done save in imminent danger – the ship’s furniture, spare gear, etc. The inability to see sun or stars added to their danger, and also the violence of the weather so prolonged.

But now leaving the details of the voyage, interesting though they are in the decisive proof they afford at every turn of the absolute reliableness of the divine word, and of its incomparable superiority to all the versions and the commentaries of the learned and pious, let us turn to the devoted servant of the Lord, who stands forth in the hour of need and danger and darkness. If he gently recalls their former slight of his counsel, it is neither to pain them nor to exalt himself. Dwelling in love, he dwelt in God and God in him; as every Christian should; and thus he is enabled to use wisely what grace gave.

He confesses openly the secret of favour from on high, a favour that extended to them; for the true God despises not any, while He loves perfectly those whom He adopts as sons to Himself by Jesus our Lord. Yet He does not overlook His offspring, as the same apostle once preached to the Athenians, idolatrous though they were. It is of no small moment that we too should remember this; for evangelical men are apt to think only of the relations of grace. These are of all importance, and only too feebly held by the saints in general. We can scarcely exaggerate what sovereign grace has given us in Christ. But we do not well to slight what scripture reveals of the place man has, as man, and sinner though he be, in the divine mind and compassion. It is the more to be remembered in these days when infidel dreams of development or evolution entice and defile real believers. Truth ignored or neglected by the faithful is the constant resource of Satan for those who know not God and His Son.

Man has a relationship to God which he alone of earthly beings possesses. Other creatures here below began to live when they were organized. Not so man, till Jehovah Elohim breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, the ground of his immortal soul and of his immediate responsibility to God. Therefore, when for him death came in through sin, he alone is to rise again and to give account to God.

Undoubtedly another than Adam was in the counsels of God, the Second Man and Last Adam, infinitely higher than man, even the Son of God, no less than the Father, in due time to become the new Head of divine blessing to God’s glory, far, far, more than retrieving in obedience unto death what the old head had lost through disobedience; so that mercy might rejoice over judgment, and grace to the sinner be a display of God’s righteousness in virtue of the blood of Jesus.

There are three considerations of no little moment to hold intact and without confusion. First, the moral nature of God abides in its invisible purity and honour. He loves good and hates evil. His will alone is entitled to guide and govern. The creature is responsible to obey Him. Secondly, the race being fallen and sinful (for Adam innocent had no child), grace in Christ alone produces what suits God’s nature according to His word and by His Spirit; as grace alone provided an adequate and everlasting redemption in Christ’s blood and gave that life in Him which is ever holy, dependent, obedient as He Himself was in all perfection. But, thirdly, God does not for all this give up His place as ‘a faithful Creator.’ He is the Saviour (i.e., Preserver) of all men, specially of those that believe. Not a sparrow falls on the ground without our Father; yea, the very hairs of our head are all numbered. Surely there is no reason to fear those that kill the body but are unable to kill the soul. He only is to be feared Who is able to kill both body and soul in hell. Not only are others not to be feared, but, as the children and servants of God, we are in a position, and ought to have the heart, to make supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings for all men; for kings and all that are in high places. no less than for the wretched, and suffering, and degraded, whom their fellows avoid and despise. Grace not only elevates above all the present glory of the world by uniting us to Christ at God’s right hand, but sheds abroad in our hearts the love of God through the Holy Ghost given to us.

All these elements we may see here full, and active, and in harmony. Christ before the heart delivers from mere and barren theory as well as onesidedness. Not only is there the union of humbleness and dignity, but faith and love with the unflinching confession of Him Whose he was and Whom he served. There is no seeking to please or win men as his aim. He abides the Lord’s bondman. He testifies a direct revelation sent at that very time. He declares the witness it bore to God’s compassion toward them all, united to His special favour to His servant; and all this in the midst of this busy, blind, selfish, ungodly world.

Two things are to be noticed in that divine message to the apostle, while a prisoner in the hands of the Gentiles through the malice of the Jews. First, he can speak of all his fellow-voyagers given him by God, not of course for eternal life, but for present security. Secondly, he predicts that they must be cast on a certain island, without pretending to know more. God had not disclosed its name: and he faithfully follows. Revelation was given to exalt not man but God.

‘But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven to and fro in the Adriatic, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some country, and on sounding, found twenty fathoms, and after going a little farther and again sounding, found ten fathoms; and fearing that haply we should be cast off on rough places, they cast four anchors from the stern and wished that day were come. And as the sailors were seeking to flee out of the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea, under pretext as though they would lay out anchors from the bow, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat and let her fall off. And while daylight was about to come on, Paul exhorted them all to partake of food, saying, [The] fourteenth day today ye wait and continue without food, having taken nothing. Wherefore I exhort you to partake of food for this is for your safety; for not a hair from the head of any of you shall perish. And when he said this, he took bread, and gave thanks to God before all, and having broken, he began to eat. And all were of good cheer, and themselves also took food. And we were in the ship, all the souls, two hundred and seventy-six. And being satisfied with food, they lightened the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea. And when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but perceived a certain bay with a beach, on which they took counsel, if they could, to drive the ship. And casting off, they left the anchors in the sea, at the same time loosening the lashings of the rudder and hoisting the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach. And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground; and the bow stuck and remained immovable; but the stern began to break up by the violence [of the waves]. And the soldiers’ counsel was that they should kill the prisoners, lest they should swim out and escape; but the centurion, wishing to save Paul, hindered them from their purpose, and commanded those able to swim to cast themselves off first and go to land, and the rest, some on planks and some on things from the ship. And it came to pass that all got safe to land’ (vers. 27-44).

A fortnight’s drifting under such a storm brought the end near, which is set as clearly before us as their previous course and efforts. The sounding of the lead indicated the approach of land, and no small danger imminent, which the night made more felt. There is no real difficulty in the Adriatic (ver. 27); because it was often used in a much wider application than to the sea between Greece and Italy, as has been shown in Ptolemy and in Pausanias. Modern usage confines the Adriatic to the gulf only. There is no ground, therefore, on this score to conceive of another Melita (that is, Melida) instead of Malta, as generally understood. The breakers (which are characteristic of the point of Koura, near St. Paul’s Bay, as Mr. Smith has shown from Smyth’s view of the headland), gave occasion, probably, to the surmise of the sailors, confirmed as it was by their repeated soundings (ver. 28). Anchoring from the stern (ver. 29) was the safer course under such circumstances; and ancient ships had many anchors. It is shown from the sailing directions that the ground is exceptionally good there; so that there is no danger as long as the cables hold.

The unworthy design of the sailors was defeated by Paul. It was not exactly ‘casting out anchors’, which would not require the use of a boat. Under pretence of extending anchors from the prow, which was no unusual measure, they meant to desert the ship (ver. 30); but his word of warning to the centurion and the soldiers sufficed: ‘Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved’ (ver. 31). With the promptitude of their class, they cut off the ropes and let the boat fall off (ver. 32). God had given His word to save all, but it must be in His way; and He Who promised the end insists on His own means. We have only to be subject and obey.

Nor was the apostle vigilant only thus; he sought, and not in vain, to comfort all and animate them with courage and confidence in God on the eve of the utmost apparent peril. He besought all to partake of food after their long abstinence, assuring them absolutely of preservation (vers. 33, 34), and he set the example himself after thanking God before all (ver. 35). There is no ground for the observation of Olshausen that it was, for the Christians, the celebration of the Lord’s Supper or of an agape. For though the terms are just such as were so employed, they are no less expressly applied to an ordinary meal in Luk 24:30 , and elsewhere. Indeed, there is no small superstition in the sense too often attached to them. It is the object of the Eucharist which gives it its character; and this was quite out of place here. But the most ordinary food should be sanctified by the word of God and prayer, and the apostle here acts on his own instructions to Timothy (1Ti 4:5 , 1Ti 4:6 ). No wonder that all became cheerful and took food (ver. 36) after long dejection and disinclination with death before their eyes! Their number (ver. 37) is carefully added as two hundred and seventy-six, and then the lightening of the ship (a fresh nautical expression) by casting out the corn (ver. 38). They had eaten their last meal before the wreck, which is minutely described in the closing verses.

Wonder has been expressed that none of the sailors knew the land (ver. 39), but we are told by those competent to judge, that, remote from the well-known harbour of Valetta, this spot possesses no marked feature by which it might be recognized.

The Authorized Version here (ver. 40) is far from accurate. They did not take up the anchors, but cast them away (lit., round), and abandoned them (not ‘themselves’) into the sea. The loosing of the bands of the rudders, attached to the stern on each quarter, was a necessary act; for when a ship was anchored by the stern, the rudders had to be lifted out of the water and secured by lashings, which again were loosed when the ship got under way. Further, it was not the ‘mainsail’, but the foresail, which they raised to the wind. Possibly the French term misled here, but the weight of practical or circumstantial evidence, as in Smith’s Dissertation iii., seems decisive. In this sense occurs in no ancient Greek author. We see a foresail in an old painting of Pompeii. Luke alone designates it here. It is remarkable how the master and the pilot vanish from notice at all these times of danger, and for wise measures. The apostle really guides at the crisis. The sailors are only mentioned as meditating ineffectual treachery. The centurion takes action, with the soldiers on one occasion, on another preventing a cruel deed to secure themselves from risk as to the prisoners.

For now the supreme moment had arrived. The ship must be stranded, as it was impossible to save it any more than its lading. Making for the beach, they fell into a place where two seas met, apparently through the island now called Salmonetta, in St. Paul’s Bay; and there they drove the ship aground (ver. 41). In few spots, save there, could the fact have been as here described, owing to a deep deposit of mud, where the bow stuck and remained fast, whilst the stern began to break up, exposed as it was to the force of the waves.

The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners (ver. 42). They were responsible under the severest penalties not to let them go, as even this Book itself shows on more occasions than one. But the centurion, not so much out of pity for the rest as through regard for Paul, interfered to save him at all cost (ver. 43). ‘Wishing’ is the force, not merely ‘willing’. His order was for such as could swim to cast off and get to land; as the rest did, some on boards, and some on parts of the ship now going to pieces. They all got safe ashore, as verse 44 tells us. The promise was made good, to God’s glory, as a living God and faithful Creator.

Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act 27:1-8

1When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, they proceeded to deliver Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort named Julius. 2And embarking in an Adramyttian ship, which was about to sail to the regions along the coast of Asia, we put out to sea accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica. 3The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul with consideration and allowed him to go to his friends and receive care. 4From there we put out to sea and sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the winds were contrary. 5When we had sailed through the sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it. 7When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, since the wind did not permit us to go farther, we sailed under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone; 8and with difficulty sailing past it we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

Act 27:1 “When it was decided that we would sail for Italy” Festus sent them at a dangerous time of the year for sailing. The “we” refers to Paul and Luke (possibly others). Most of the “we” sections of Acts have a sailing component (cf. Act 16:10-17; Act 20:5-15; Act 21:1-18; Act 27:1 to Act 28:16).

“some other prisoners” We do not know anything about them except they were imperial prisoners heading for Rome.

“centurion” These men are always presented in positive terms in the NT (cf. Matthew 8; Luke 7; Luk 23:47; Acts 10; and Paul’s trials, 21-28).

“of the Augustan cohort” They were thought to be official couriers between Rome and the provinces (cf. W. M Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveler and Roman Citizen, pp. 315, 348), but this is only undocumented supposition before Emperor Hadrian (A.D. 117-138).

Act 27:2 “an Adramyttian ship” This was a small coastal ship which stopped at every port. The home port of this ship was the seaport of Mysia in Asia Minor. This is the first stage of the long and dangerous trip to Rome.

“Aristarchus” His home was in Thessalonica; possibly he was returning home (cf. Act 19:29; Act 20:4; Col 4:10; Phm 1:24). He may have been accompanied by Secundas (cf. Act 20:4 and some western Greek manuscripts of this verse).

Act 27:3 “Sidon” This is a Phoenician city about sixty-seven miles north of Caesarea. It was the ancient capital of Phoenicia, but had long since been eclipsed by Tyre.

NASB”with consideration”

NKJV, NRSV”kindly”

TEV”was kind”

NJB”was considerate”

This is a compound term from “love” (philos) and “humanity” (anthrpos). The term is used twice in Acts, the noun in Act 28:2 (cf. Tit 3:4) and the adverb here in Act 27:3. Julius was a compassionate person (somewhat surprising for a Roman occupational soldier). He probably had heard about Paul’s case.

“his friends” This probably refers to the Christians there. Julius trusted Paul, but possibly a Roman guard went with him.

“receive care” The text does not specify what kind of attention (emotional, physical, financial).

Act 27:4 “under the shelter of Cyprus” This is a confusing phrase because it makes English readers think “south of Cyprus,” but in reality, it meant north. The other names mentioned are on the southern and western coast of modern Turkey.

Act 27:6 “Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy” This was a larger ship (276 people on board plus huge amounts of grain) from Egypt on her way to Rome. Moderns know of these large ships from pictures on the walls of Pompeii and from Lucian’s writings, around a.d 150. Myra was the major port for these large grain ships.

Act 27:7 “Cnidus” This was a free maritime city on the southwest coast of the Roman province of Asia. Most Rome-bound ships used this port (cf. Thucydides, Hist. 8.35). It had two harbors because it was located on a peninsula.

“Salmone” This was a city on the eastern tip of the island of Crete. Because of the time of the year they tried to work their way west by sailing close to the island.

Act 27:8 “Fair Havens” This is a bay near the southern city of Lasea on Crete. It is not a harbor, but a bay. It would have been difficult to stay here all winter.

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

when = as.

determined = decided. Greek. krino. App-122.

sail. Greek. apopleo. See Act 13:4.

delivered = were delivering Greek. paradidomi. See Act 3:13.

certain. Greek. tines. App-124.

other. Greek. heteros. App-124.

prisoners. Greek. desmotes. Only here and Act 27:42. The usual word is desmios. See Act 25:14

unto = to.

one, &c. = a centurion of an Augustan cohort, by name Julius.

centurion. Greek. hekatontarches. See Act 10:1. Augustus’. Greek. Sebastos. Compare Act 25:21, Act 25:25. More than one legion is said to have borne the name.

band = cohort Greek. speira. See Mat 27:27.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Act 27:1 to Act 28:31.] PAULS VOYAGE TO ROME AND SOJOURN THERE. I cannot but express the benefit I have derived in my commentary on this section, from Mr. Smiths now well-known treatise on the voyage and shipwreck of St. Paul: as also from various letters which he has from time to time put into my hands, tending further to elucidate the subject. The substance of these will be found embodied in an excursus following the chronological table in the prolegomena.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Chapter 27

When it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band ( Act 27:1 ).

So Julius is another Roman centurion we’re introduced to, and interestingly enough, in the scriptures we’re introduced to several centurions, and all of them were very commendable men. The Bible really speaks in a very favorable way of each of the centurions. There was a centurion who came to Jesus for the healing of his servant. And Jesus said, “I will come to your house.” And he says, “Oh no, Lord. I understand what authority is about because I’m under authority and I have under me men. And I can say to this one, go and he goes and I can say come and he comes. I understand what authority is about, and I’m not worthy that you should come to my house, but you just speak the word and my servant will be healed. I understand authority and I understand your authority. You just speak the word.” And Jesus said, ” I haven’t found this much faith in all of Israel” ( Mat 8:7-10 ).

The centurion at the cross, at the death of Jesus said, “Truly this was the Son of God” ( Mat 27:54 ). Cornelius, a Roman centurion, was the first Gentile converted in the church. And it was upon his household that the Holy Spirit was poured forth. Now, Julius is a very commendable man. He takes an interest and a liking to Paul, and he shows Paul special favors, and he actually spares Paul’s life on this journey.

So they entered into a ship, and they launched, intending to sail by the coast of Asia; and Aristarchus, from Macedonia, was with them. [Luke was with them also.] The next day we touched Sidon [that area you hear so much about today in Southern Lebanon]. And Julius treated Paul courteously, and allowed him the freedom to go to his friends in order that he might refresh himself [when they were there at Sidon]. And when we had launched from there, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. And there the centurion found one of the ships from Alexandria [It was a corn ship, which were about the largest ships in the sea at that time] and it was sailing to Italy; and so he put us on it. And when we had sailed slowly for many days, and were barely come over against Cnidus, the wind not allowing us, we sailed under Crete, and over against Salmone; and, hardly passing it, they came to the place that is called the Fair Havens [which is in about the middle of the island of Crete, which is south and slightly east from the tip of Greece]. Now when a long time was spent, the sailing was getting dangerous, because we were coming into the month of October ( Act 27:2-9 ),

Now, it was dangerous to sail on the Mediterranean much after October because of the winter storms and all that would whip up the Mediterranean Sea.

So Paul admonished them, and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage would be with great hurt and a lot of damage, not only to the cargo, but also to our lives. Nevertheless, the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul ( Act 27:9-11 ).

As they were harbored there in Fair Haven, Paul said, “Hey, fellows, I don’t think we ought to sail. I perceive that there’s going to be a bad voyage. We’re going to lose the cargo, and we could lose lives.” But the captain and the owner of the ship said, “Oh, I’ve been on the Mediterranean for years. What does this guy know? We can do it. I’ve got a good ship,” and all of this.

And because it wasn’t a very large city, it wasn’t really commodious to winter in ( Act 27:12 ),

There wasn’t enough entertainment for the sailors through the three months of the wintertime. Most of them were advised to depart in order that they might get to a larger city in Crete, the city of Phenice, which is on the western end of the island of Crete, that they might winter there where there was all kinds of entertainment for the sailors.

And so when the south wind was blowing softly ( Act 27:13 ),

They figured this is perfect, you know. They would just let out, and we’ll head up to Phenice there at the northwest point of the island of Crete.

But not long after they had set sail there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called the Euroclydon. [It’s like our Santa Ana.] And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, they just let her drive. And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: which when they had taken up, they used the helps, and the undergirding of the ship; fearing lest they should fall into the quicksand, they struck sail, and were so driven ( Act 27:14-17 ).

They pulled in the sail and just let the storm drive them. But they would gird up the boats. They would put these big undergirdings, these ropes, and they would tie the boat together so the thing wouldn’t break apart in the heavy surf. And so these big rope-type things that they would put under the ship, and then they would tighten them with a wench to hold the thing together. So they were doing everything they could, physically, to survive this furious storm.

And we being exceedingly tossed with the storm, the next day they lightened the ship; and the third day [Luke was talking,] we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship ( Act 27:18-19 ).

The ropes and the tackling and all. And so Luke was involved in throwing overboard the tackling.

And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared ( Act 27:20 ),

Of course they lost their bearings. Without the sun or stars they couldn’t, they really couldn’t tell where they were.

and no small storm lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was taken away. But after a long abstinence [that is, the time of fasting], Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, you should have listened to me ( Act 27:20-21 ),

Don’t you love that? Don’t you love to hear that? Oh, I hate that. “You should have listened to me.”

The first church that I pastored was in Prescott, Arizona. We had a boulder pile beside the church that I decided to move a bit so that the church would have a better view coming up the street. So I got the pry bars and the hydraulic jacks and all, and I was rolling those boulders down. And I was having a great time rolling these huge old boulders. And so they had this one boulder, and I’d been prying and I got the jack under it and started to jack it up and have it ready to go, and my wife came along and said, “Honey, you better be careful. I wouldn’t roll that boulder down there, it’s apt to go through the church.” I said, “Nah, no way. It’s going to slide right down and it’s going to lock right down there between those two boulders.” I had it all figured out. “Honey, you better not do that.” You know, and I said, “Nah, nah, nah.” So I was jacking the thing up and got it to that point of balance. “Honey, you better not!” The thing started over and started tumbling down and landed right where I figured it would; right between those two boulders. But, then the inertia within it carried it over once more, and right through the wall of the church and wiped out three pews inside. Guess what my wife said to me? “You should have listened to me.”

So Paul said,

You should have listened to me, and never loosed from Crete, you would have not gained this harm or loss. But now I exhort you to be of good cheer ( Act 27:21-22 ):

Hey, this guy’s really flipped you know. Fourteen days we haven’t seen the sun, the wind is still raging, the waves are still beating against us, we’re being driven, we don’t know where we are, we’ve given up hope of really being saved, and this guy’s saying, “Be of good cheer.”

for there shalt not be the loss of any man’s life among you. We’re only going to lose the ship. For there stood by me this night, the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve ( Act 27:22-23 ),

Jesus, you remember, came to Paul when he was discouraged in Jerusalem in the prison there and said, “Paul, be of good cheer. Even as you’ve born witness of me here in Jerusalem so shall you bear witness of me in Rome.” Now Jesus stood by Paul during the night when they had given up hope of ever getting to Rome now. I mean, you know, “We’ve had it. We’re going to die out here in the Mediterranean. We’re going to be part of the statistics.” And the Lord stood by Paul assuring him. “Hey, I told you, you are going to get to Rome, Paul. You’ll make it to Rome yet.” And so Paul, in the morning, stands up and says, “Hey, fellows, be of good cheer! Last night the angel of the Lord . . . ” The word “angel” there is “messenger of the Lord.” ” . . . whose I am and whom I serve, Jesus Christ stood by me.”

He said, Fear not, Paul; for you must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God has given to you all of them that sail with you ( Act 27:24 ).

You know, it’s great to travel with a godly man. Every once in a while in the airplane I have people come up to me and say, “Oh, I’m so glad to see you get on the plane. This is my first flight, and I’ve been so scared, and oh, you don’t know what it did when I saw you get on board.” I don’t know. I would hate to be on a plane that it was the pilot’s time to go.

But for Paul’s sake, “I’ve given thee all of them that are sailing with you.”

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God [great testimony], that it shall be even as it was told to me ( Act 27:25 ).

“Cheer up fellows, because I believe God. It’s going to be just like that.” But now notice, he said Jesus actually stood by me and talked to me. Now he’s saying, “I believe God.”

Now somewhere in geometry, equal sides and equal angles mean equal, you know, something else. I’ve forgotten my geometry. We had some kind of a theorem of that, you know. And so if he says, “Jesus talked to me,” and then he says, “I believe God,” you put it together and that puts Jesus as God.

Howbeit [he said,] we will be cast on a certain island. When the fourteenth night was come, and we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen realized that they were drawing near to some land ( Act 27:26-27 );

They probably heard the surf pounding.

And so they sounded, and found that it was twenty fathoms: and then when they went a little further, they sounded again, and it was fifteen fathoms ( Act 27:28 ).

And so they realized that they were reaching some land.

And so fearing lest they would have fallen upon the rocks, they cast out four anchors from the stern, and they waited for the day. And some of the sailors were about to flee out of the ship, for they had let down a little boat into the sea, but they were acting as though they would have cast out some anchors from the foreship, but Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Unless those men abide in the ship, you cannot be saved ( Act 27:29-31 ).

Notice how Paul has taken over here; he’s now giving the orders. The captain is probably, you know, down in the hold someplace in the ship, probably in chains at this point for his advice to sail. But Paul has taken over. He’s giving the commands and the orders now.

So the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let it fall off. And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them to take meat, saying, This is the fourteenth day that you’ve tarried and you’ve continued fasting, having taken in nothing ( Act 27:32-33 ).

They were probably so seasick they couldn’t with all of that storm.

Wherefore I pray you to eat some meat; for this is for your health ( Act 27:34 ):

Paul recognized again the natural and the supernatural, but a man needs strength. And so Paul is saying, “Now, this is for your health; you better eat something.”

for not a hair of your head is going to perish. And so when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and he gave thanks ( Act 27:34-35 )

And so we have a custom, and I think it’s a beautiful custom, of giving thanks to God for our food. Before we partake, to just give God thanks for His provision. And he gave thanks to God in the presence of them all. I like to see people in a restaurant bow their heads and ask God’s blessing upon their food. It actually gives you a great opportunity to witness. When we’re out with the family, we bow our heads in the restaurant and we ask God’s blessing upon the food, and a lot of times it opens up the doors of opportunity to witness. People will come over and say, “Oh, that was such a beautiful thing to see you and your children praying. There’s not enough of that today,” and all. And we can then say, “Well, are you a Christian?” It gives opportunity to share.

And so, “in the presence of them all.” When my wife and I were going together, there was a crowd that we were running with, and we used to often go to VandeKamps out in Glendale in the evening for, you know, the evening hamburgers and stuff. It was a popular place, and there was usually quite a few of us. They had some kind of a little rule that when the food was served, everybody would put up their finger like this, and the last one to put up their finger was the one that had to pray. And I was busy talking, and my wife (this was just our second date or so, she didn’t know me very well at the time), and I think I was busy looking at her, and talking to her, and when I looked back at the table everyone had their finger up, you know. And so I knew that I was stuck with the task of praying. But you know I like to pray, but I don’t like to be stuck with the task of praying. So I thought, “Well, alright, you know, you want me to pray, I’ll do that.” So I stood up and lifted up my hands. I’ll never forget the expression on Kay’s face. And she was wondering, “What am I going with?” I decided to play the Pharisee.

so when he had broken the bread, he began to eat. And they were all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. And there were about two hundred seventy-six people in the ship ( Act 27:35-37 ),

Plus the load of corn that they were bringing from Egypt. Because Egypt was really the breadbasket for Rome, and most of the grain and all came from Egypt. And they had many of these cargo ships, but they also carried passengers. Two hundred seventy-six, so it was a pretty good size ship.

And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and they cast the wheat that they were carrying into the sea. And when it was day, they did not know what land it was: but they discovered a certain little creek with a shore, and they were hoping, if possible, to steer the ship [on into this creek to get close to shore]. And so when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves to the sea, they loosed the rudder bands, and they hoisted up the mainsail to the wind, and they began to move to the shore. And they fell into a place where the two seas met, and they ran the ship aground; and the forepart of the ship stuck fast, and remained unmovable, but the back part of the ship was broken up with the violence of the waves. And the soldiers’ council was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away, and escape. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose ( Act 27:38-43 );

Again, the centurion, a very honorable person, and he kept them from their purpose, because he wanted to save Paul.

and commanded that those which could swim should dive in first, and get to land: and the rest of them, some hanging onto boards, some under the broken pieces of the ship [floated on into land]. And so it came to pass, that they all escaped safe to land ( Act 27:43-44 ).

We’ll finish the book of Acts next Sunday night. I tried. Next Sunday night when we finish the book of Acts, in as much as we just have one chapter, I’ll try to bring to you a brief account from history of what happened to Paul after the close of the book of Acts. Not only from history, but from some of the epistles. We get a little further insight of the things that took place in Paul’s life after the end of the book of Acts. And so we’ll serve a little history of Paul the Apostle next Sunday night after we’ve taken the twenty-eighth chapter of Acts, to carry it on up to the year sixty-seven when Paul was beheaded by Nero. And so we’ll sort of complete the life of Paul in history’s form next Sunday night. You’ll find, I think, it very interesting, this guy Paul. I just really desire to meet him, to spend time with him. I have such great admiration for this man, for his courage, for his strength, for his dedication and commitment. He’s just one of a kind, really, and I love him because of his great love for my Lord.

Eternity . . . the kingdom of God is going to be just a wonderful place, because we’re going to be able to spend time with so many wonderful people there in the kingdom. I hope to spend time with Paul. I hope to spend time with David. I hope to spend time with John. I hope to spend time with you when we get there, and we’ve got all eternity, so why not? It’s just going to be great when we come into God’s glorious eternal kingdom. “

Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary

Act 27:1-3. And, when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus band. And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.

Even a Roman centurion could see that Paul was no ordinary prisoner, and that it was quite safe to allow him privileges which others might have abused.

Act 27:4-12. And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; and, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called the fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea. Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more that those things which were spoken by Paul. And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete and lieth toward the south west and north west.

It was quite natural that the centurion should think that the master and the owner of the ship knew more about seafaring matters than Paul did, but the sequel proved that the apostle knew more than they did, for he had access to information that was hidden from them.

Act 27:13. And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.

That was not the only voyage that commenced favourably and ended disastrously.

Act 27:14-15. But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.

Apparently, that was the only thing they could do; and, at times, we may find that it will be well to follow their example. When we have done our best, and can make no headway, we had better commit our vessel to the care of God, and let her drive wherever he wills.

Act 27:16-19. And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest the should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; and the third day we cast out with our own hands the tacking of the ship.

They used all the means in their power, and evidently Paul and his companions took their full share of the work that had to be done: we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.

Act 27:20-22. And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. 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. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any mans life among you, but of the ship.

Paul might well remind the officers of the wise advice he gave them in Crete, but he did not rest content with that, but went on to cheer them as far as he dared, though he again warned them that they would lose their ship. To prove that he was not speaking without due authority, he added:

Act 27:23-26. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.

The next chapter tells us that the certain island was Melita, or Malta as it is now called. In that respect, as in all others, Pauls prophecy was literally fulfilled, for the ship was lost, but all on board were saved.

This exposition consisted of readings from Psalms 90.; and Act 27:1-26.

Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible

Act 27:1. , it was decided) The setting out of Paul to Csar was already before decreed: now the time was appointed, and their route by sea. As to Paul, it was decided in the strict judicial sense of the word: his friends freely followed Paul, and among them Luke.-) .-, other prisoners) Comp. Luk 22:37.- ) the Augustan band.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Act 27:1-12

PAULS VOYAGE TO ROME

Act 27:1 to Act 28:10

FROM CAESAREA TO CRETE

Act 27:1-12

1 And when it was determined that we should sail for Italy,-We do not know how long Paul remained in Caesarea as a prisoner ; it seems that there had been some doubt whether he was to be sent to Italy. The time for sailing was now fixed. Luke and Aristarchus are now with Paul and are included in the we of this verse. Some think that Luke was allowed to go as an attendant or slave of Paul; this was permissible under Roman law. It is possible that Luke was not with Paul during his trials before Felix, Fes tus, and Agrippa. The details and minute accuracy of Lukes account of this voyage and shipwreck reveal more about the ancient seafaring than may be read in other literature. Other prisoners and a centurion named Julius were with Paul. It is to be noted that Paul is classed with other prisoners. The Julian house, like the Cornelian (Act 10:1), was an illustrious one in Italy. Julius, like other centurions mentioned in the New Testament (Mat 8:5; Mar 15:39; Act 10:1), commands our respect. The Augustan band, or cohort, is thought to have been a corps of legionary centurions; the Augustan band may have been an independent cohort assigned to that particular service, and known as the Augustan or Imperial, because it corresponded in some sense to the emperors lifeguard at Rome.

2 And embarking in a ship of Adramtyttium,-Pauls voyage to Rome and the shipwreck as recorded in this chapter. The Ship of Adramyttium was a ship belonging to Adramyttium, a seaport of Mysia, on the western coast of Asia Minor, probably on its return journey from Caesarea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica” accompanied them. He is mentioned in Act 19:29 Act 20:4; Col 4:10; Phm 1:24.

3 And the next day we touched at Sidon:-This was probably in August A.D. 59 or 60. Sidon was sixty-seven miles from Caesarea; it was the rival of Tyre. The ship stopped here for trade. Jalius was very kind to Paul and permitted him to leave the ship and visit for a while with his friends and refresh himself. It may be that he had received orders from Festus and Agrippa to treat Paul courteously. At any rate, he was very kind to Paul and granted him favors that other prisoners did not receive. Paul had time to receive some personal comforts and clothing for the voyage. After two years in prison at Caesarea we may well believe that such things would be needed and acceptable to Paul.

4 And putting to sea from thence,-The ship remained at Sidon long enough to transact some business, which gave Paul some time with his friends. They sailed from Sidon under the lee of Cyprus, which direction was northward along the coast, and by the east side of Cyprus past the northeast point of that island. Cyprus was thus on the left between the ship and the wind from the northwest. The Estesian winds were blowing from the northwest so that they could not go straight across from Sidon to Pa tara with Cyprus on the right. Lee is the side sheltered from the wind.

5 And when we had sailed across the sea-The winds seem to have driven them farther north than the direct course which they should have followed. They sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia. The current runs westward along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia and the land would protect them from the wind. The ship came to Myra, a city of Lycia. Myra was about two and a half miles from the coast of Lycia; it was near the mouth of the river Andriacus; Myra was at one time the metropolis of Lycia. Lycia is a province joining Pamphylia on the west. It is thought that the ship spent fifteen days struggling along the Pamphylian coast.

6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria-This ship was from Alexandria in North Africa; it was bound directly for Italy with a cargo of wheat on board and two hundred seventy-six passengers. It is thought to have been one of the fleet of grain ships in use to carry wheat from Egypt to Italy. It must have been driven out of its direct course by the wind. The Alexandrian ships were very large; the vessel was steered, not by a rudder, but by two broad oars, one on each side of the stern. The rig consisted of one, or more than one, large square sail; flags floated from the top of the mast, as in modern vessels. The ancients had no compass, and all charts and instruments were very imperfect. This rig was specially favorable for running with the wind, but they could sail within seven points of the wind; they could make about seven knots an hour. A knot is a nautical mile, or 6,085 feet; hence, it would sail about 8.5 miles. These merchant ships were very large and could carry ten or eleven hundred tons; Josephus states that the ship in which he was wrecked had six hundred persons on board. The centurion transferred his prisoners to this ship.

7 And when we had sailed slowly many days,-The ship was large and heavy laden; the wind was contrary and they made very slow progress for many days. The prevailing wind was northwest, which was contrary to their course; hence, the ship worked slowly along from Myra to Cnidus. The distance from Myra to Cnidus is about one hundred thirty miles, but it seems that they were two or three weeks in making the journey on account of the strong westerly winds. The general direction of the coast till they reached Cnidus was westward. The ship was protected from the north by the land, but was open to head winds from the west, against which they struggled slowly on. The ship on leaving Cnidus seems to have turned southwest and sailed under the lee of Crete, over against Salmone. Salmone was at the eastward end of the island of Crete; here they turned westward again and were protected from the northerly winds by the island of Crete; they sailed along the southern coast of Crete.

8 and with difficulty coasting along-They sailed along westward, protected by the island of Crete until they came to a place called Fair Havens. Fair Havens is on the south coast of Crete; it lies a few miles east of Cape Matala, beyond which the coast suddenly trends to the north. Lasea, the ruins of which were discovered in 1856, was about two hours walk from Fair Havens. Fair Havens and Lasea are not mentioned by any writer except Luke.

9 And when much time was spent,-Much time was spent at Fair Havens waiting for favorable weather or making arrangements for the continuation of the journey. The voyage was now dangerous, and Luke adds, because the Fast was now already gone by. The ancient considered navigation on the Mediterranean unsafe from early October until the middle of March; the most dangerous season was from the middle of September to the middle of November. Navigation on the open sea was discontinued during that season. In A.D. 59 the Fast occurred on October 5. The great Day of Atonement, as fixed by the law of Moses, occurred on the tenth day of Tisri (September-October). (Lev 16:29 Lev 23:27; Num 29:7.) It is not certain whether this was A.D. 59 or A.D. 60. In A.D. 60 the Fast occurred on September 23. Since Paul and his companions were accustomed to reckoning time from tne Day ot Atonement, it is natural for Luke, who traveled with Paul, to mention this Fast. Paul admonished them of the great danger, but it seems that they did not heed his admonition.

10 and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive-Paul warned the captain and centurion and others that the voyage would not only be dangerous, but with injury and much loss. Some think that a consultation was held whether they should remain in the harbor, which lay open to many winds, though sheltered from the northwest, or try to get to the safe harbor of Phoenix at the western end of the island. Paul had warned them that there would be much loss of property and lives if they continued at this time. It seems that they did not heed Pauls warning; the centurion was in charge of the soldiers.

11 But the centurion gave more heed to the master-It is natural that the centurion who had charge of the soldiers would give more heed to what the captain and owner of the ship would say than to what a prisoner would say. The centurion was responsible for the soldiers, the prisoner, and the cargo of wheat; it was thought that this was a government ship. Master is from the Greek kubernetei, and means the steersman, pilot, sailing master. The centurion could not risk the criticism that would come upon him if he followed a prisoners advice rather than those who controlled the vessel.

12 And because the haven was not commodious-It seems that a conference was held with those in control as to what should be done. Luke gives Pauls advice on the matter, and then states that there was division in judgment of the crew. The majority who advised the attempt to reach Phoenix were by no means sure that it would be successful-all were doubtful because of the present condition. Phoenix was a harbor in the south of Crete west from Fair Havens; it is said to be a safe harbor in winter, well closed in from the wind and from breakers; the harbor looked toward the east, or looking northeast and southeast. There are two ways of interpreting the Greek; one is looking southwest and northwest, and the other is looking northeast and southeast. It depends on the viewpoint from which one observed the harbor. If one is on the land and looks toward the harbor, the direction will be northeast and southeast, but if one is in the harbor and looking toward the land, it will be southwest and northwest. The better interpretation is as the Revised Version has it.

THE STORM AND SHIPWRECK

Act 27:13-44

13 And when the south wind blew softly,-While in Fair Havens the stormy northwest wind ceased; a gentle breeze came from the south; they set sail for the harbor of Phoenix; they meant to keep close to the shore of Crete as it was safer. Phoenix was about forty miles west of Fair Havens on the southern shore of Crete. It was natural to hope that the south wind would continue long enough for them to sail the forty miles, as it would take but a few hours for the voyage. They were so sure that they did not even take up the boat that they were towing behind the ship; they took up anchor and sailed close to shore around Cape Matala, a point on the south side of Crete a few miles west of Fair Havens.

14 But after no long time-In a short time after they set sail a violent northeast wind came down on the ship from over the hills of Crete and they could not face it, and had to go before it. This tempestuous wind is called Euraquilo. Euraquilo describes the character of the wind; it comes from the Greek Eurakulon, and is not found anywhere else in the New Testament; it has been called a hybrid compounded of the Greek euros, meaning east wind, and the Latin aquilo, meaning northeast. The name here gives the direction of the wind.

15 and when the ship was caught,-The wind was so violent that the ship was unable to face it and go further but had to yield to the wind and be driven in its direction. The wind here is represented as seizing the ship so that it was not able to look in the eye of the wind; that is, to face it, and suddenly changed its course to the direction that the gale was going; the ship scudded before the wind.

16 And running under the lee of a small island-The ship was forced to run under the lee for protection there; a small island named Cauda, or Clauda, furnished the protection. Cauda was about twenty-three miles to the southwest of Crete. The ancients towed a small vessel behind, and it was very difficult to get this small vessel aboard. They were about to lose it. Luke uses the pronoun we which indicates that the passengers as well as the sailors were forced to work and help rescue the small boat; it had to be lifted on board the ship. Their future safety depended on their saving this boat.

17 and when they had hoisted it up,-An ancient ship with sails was exposed to extreme dangers from such bursts of wind ; the straining of the great sail on a single mast was more than the hull could bear, and the ship was exposed to the storm and in danger of foundering in the open sea. Hence, under-girding, with ropes or chains passing around the vessel, would help to hold the ship intact. Next they lowered all the sails, fearing that the gale might drive them southwest upon the Syrtis, which meant the great African quicksands. The greater and lesser Syrtis were on the north coast of Africa; the one was west of Cyrene, and the other near Carthage; they were the dread of Mediterranean sailors in Roman times. This verse does not imply that the ship was then near the Syrtis; the greater Syrtis is here meant. After making this preparation by girding the ship and lowering the sail, they let the vessel drift.

18-19 And as we labored exceedingly with the storm,-As the storm grew more furious the experienced sailors saw that the ship would not be able to weather it; hence, they put everyone to work. They labored with the storm the first day, and the second day they began to throw part of the cargo overboard. It is to be remembered that the ship was laden with wheat bound for Italy. The sailors and soldiers with their own hands on the third day threw overboard the tackling of the ship. Tackling is from the Greek skeuen, which means the furniture of the ship that could be spared. The danger was more imminent, and a part of the ships gear would not have been thrown overboard without urgent necessity. The danger was great and increasing every moment; they had now disposed of the cargo of wheat and must suffer the loss of the furniture or equipment of the ship. The tackling which they threw overboard must refer to that furniture which would be useless in time of storm.

20 And when neither sun nor stars shone-The weather was so cloudy, and the storm so furious and continued so long that the danger increased hourly. It should be remembered that the great reason which made ancient navigation perilous in winter was that the sky is then more overcast than at other seasons. They did not have efficient compass and were to large extent dependent upon the sun and stars for their bearings and steerings when the compass was not available. All hope of rescue was lost. Two stages in the progress of increasing fear have been mentioned; the third stage was absolute despair. It was at this psychological moment, when no escape through human agency was possible, that Paul interposed with divine encouragement. They did not know where they were drifting; no land was in sight; the ship was strained and possibly leaking; the tempest was high; and all hope that we should be saved was now taken away.

21 And when they had been long without food,-Another thing which increased the hardship during this emergency was the lack of regular food. The fires were put out; the provisions were soaked with water; every effort that could be suggested for safety of the lives and ship was made. In the midst of the storm, when gloom and despair had settled heavily upon all, Paul stood in their midst and said: Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have set sail from Crete. He did not remind them of this in order to taunt them, but chiefly to impress them more forcibly with the counsel which he was now about to give. Paul interfered four times, twice unsuccessfully and twice successfully; he spoke twice from his own experience and good judgment; he spoke twice to tell his vision which promised them safety in the end. (See verses 10, 21-26, 31, 33-35.) Paul had advised them to winter in Fair Havens; his advice was discussed, but rejected. Paul was the only one who was calm and able to encourage the others by his message from God; he was the only one who could encourage them not to give way to despair, but keep up their strength for what was before them; Paul alone had the presence of mind to prevent the escape of the sailors.

22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer;-Paul, a prisoner, assumes authority to give advice and encourage the company. No doubt Pauls look and tone of voice helped his words to give encouragement to those in despair. It was unusual for a man, even a prisoner, to stand in the midst of a scene of misery and dejection with such calm confidence as Paul portrayed. Paul assured them that there would be no loss of life among them; he added that the only loss that would be sustained was the ship. No doubt that they were greatly encouraged when he gave the ground or basis of his encouragement.

23 For there stood by me this night an angel-Paul gave further reason for their taking courage; he recited his vision that night. Paul was a servant of God; he had committed his life to God and was in his care; hence, he was cheerful when others were disturbed, trustful when others doubted. Paul had seen an angel of God, and this angel had given courage to him. He now gives God the honor for his courage and assurance; he did not take any credit to himself as being wiser than others; he only pointed them to the God whom he served as being able to take care of him and others.

24 saying, Fear not, Paul;-This angel assured Paul that he should stand before Caesar. Paul had been praying, and the angel came in answer to his prayer, and gave him the courage that he now manifested. God hath granted thee all them that sail with thee shows that Paul had been praying, not only for himself and his Christian companions, but also for all on the ship. The lives of those that sailed with Paul had been presented to him as a gift. Since Paul was to stand before Caesar that meant that he would be brought safely through the present danger. There is no assurance here that all would become converted; only the safe arrival of all is meant.

25-26 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer:-The faith that Paul had in God gave him an advantage over the others; he was made both captain and pilot of the ship; his calmness and courage enabled him to take the place of the centurion in caring for the prisoners. The most useful man on board was Paul, because he believed in God and God took care of him. Paul spoke with assurance when he warned them that they should be cast upon a certain island. It is very probable that Paul preached the gospel to all that were on the ship, and gave them his reason for believing in God. Since he predicted that they would be cast upon a certain island, it appears that some details of the manner of their preservation had been made known to Paul by the angel.

27 But when the fourteenth night was come,-It is not clear as to the point of time that the fourteenth night is calculated; it is very probable that the time is reckoned from their leaving Fair Havens. The ship was driven to and fro in the sea of Adria. Adria was a name given to the wide sweep of the Mediterranean lying between Greece, Italy, and Africa; this was not the Adriatic Sea as we now know it. About midnight the sailors thought that they were drawing near to some country. Possibly the sound of the breakers, the white lines of foam seen through the darkness, were interpreted by the experienced sailors that they were drawing nigh to land. They did not know their location; hence, they did not know the country or land that they might be near; they were in total darkness and lost on the wild tempest of waters.

28 and they sounded, and found twenty fathoms;-Sounded is from the Greek bolisantes, and is apparently from bolis, which means a missile or dart, and hence to throw down the lead into the sea, to heave the lead, to take soundings. A fathom is reckoned as six feet; hence, the depth of the water at that point was one hundred twenty feet; however, after a little space, or a little later, they sounded again, and found the depth to be only fifteen fathoms, or about ninety feet; this was proof that a shore was near; they did not know what kind of shore, whether it was sandy or rocky; they feared that it was rocky.

29 And fearing lest haply we should be cast ashore-There was great fear that the ship would be cast upon a rocky shore; hence, they let go four anchors from the stern. These four anchors should be sufficient to hold the ship in position; however, it was unusual to anchor the ship from the stern. The usual way of anchoring a ship was from the bow. In this situation, had they anchored by the bow, the ship would have swung round from the wind and would have been more difficult to manage after the storm ceased. The harbor of St. Pauls Bay, in Malta, is still good for small ships. The ship had been drifting since it left Cauda. It is about four hundred seventy-six miles from Cauda to Malta. The only thing that they could do would be to wait for daylight. If the sailors had headed the ship toward the northwest to keep it from being driven upon the quicksands, it would have been beaten back by the northeast gale and would have drifted westward.

30 And as the sailors were seeking to flee-The hour of danger naturally aroused the instinct of self-preservation to the exclusion of better feelings. It was easy for the sailors to urge that the ship needed anchors fore as well as aft, and, while pretending to be occupied about this, to lower the boat which they had before hoisted on deck (Act 27:16), and so effect their escape. The boat, it might appear, was necessary to their purpose, as their aim was not merely to pass anchors from the bow, but to carry them out to the full tether of the cables length. This was a treacherous act on the part of the sailors.

31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers,-The shrewd observance of Paul detected what the sailors were doing, and he spoke to the centurion, and to the soldiers. He said: Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Paul had the courage to rebuke their action and to warn them of the danger of such a course. He had been assured of protection and safety by the angel of the Lord, but he could not supinely lie down and leave it all to God; he must do all that he could in order to be protected by God. The soldiers and prisoners could not handle the large ship under such critical conditions, so the presence and help of the sailors were essential to the safety of others. All should have been grateful to Paul for his thoughtful vigilance in these hours of darkness and danger.

32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes-Apparently there were four classes on board the ship; namely (1) the officials, including captain, pilot, and centurion; (2) sailors; (3) soldiers; (4) prisoners. The sailors were attempting to flee, and when the soldiers heard what Paul had said they cut the rope by which the small ship had been lowered and let it fall off; this prevented the sailors from escaping. The soldiers settled the question with military promptitude. The boat was left to drift off into the darkness and perhaps was dashed to pieces on the rocks. God had promised Paul that all should be saved; hence, he insists that all cooperate harmoniously in order to fulfill that promise.

33 And while the day was coming on,-While they were waiting for day to dawn, Paul again assumes the lead and takes command and besought them all to take some food. Nothing could be done in the emergency until daylight; sleep was impossible; and anxiety and fear intense. Paul advised that since they had been fasting about fourteen days some food be taken. He knew that strength would be needed for hard work when morning came; he also knew that if they would take nourishment they would be encouraged for further duties. Soldiers and sailors would need something that would draw them together after the incident just mentioned; all were liable to be discouraged and irritable. It is not clear whether the waiting means fourteen days of continuous fasting, or only fourteen successive nights of eager watching without food. Paul probably means that they had taken no regular meals, and only bits of food now and then, as the word for fasting is not that which is commonly used in the New Testament to express entire abstinence from food.

34 Wherefore I beseech you to take some food:-Paul encouraged all of them to take some food. Paul had promised them their lives, but they must work and cooperate with him for their safety. Paul, a captive going to judgment, yet what a leader of men he is! It was necessary that they take nourishment for their safety. The Greek for safety is soteria, which means personal or physical safety, and not spiritual salvation. Paul meant that the preservation of his fellow passengers depended on their keeping up their strength. He reassures them that not a hair should perish from the head of any of them. This is a proverbial expression for safety. (1Sa 14:45; 2Sa 14:11; 1Ki 1:52; Luk 21:18.)

35 And when he had said this,-Paul had given advice that they take some nourishment; he now sets the example by taking nourishment himself. Some have said that this was the Lords Supper to Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus; however, it appears to be only a common meal, as Paul had encouraged all to take nourishment. The Lords Supper was never intended to furnish physical nourishment to anyone. Paul gave thanks to God and then began to eat. Thanks is from the Greek eucharistesen, and means giving thanks, as did our Lord on different occasions. (Luk 24:30.)

36 Then were they all of good cheer,-Pauls words and example inspired cheerfulness and courage. It is wonderful how one calm, deliberate person can have such influence on others. The cheerfulness and hopefulness of Paul had spread to the entire company ; they now looked to him as their friend and leader, and followed his example in eating. The giving of thanks to God called attention again of all to God, whom Paul served, and who had protected them and promised safety to them.

37 And we were in all in the ship-The number is here given, either as a fact that had been omitted before, and was not without its interest, or probably because then for the first time, they were all gathered at their meal. Luke, the writer, had taken the trouble to count them. These two hundred seventy-six were under the influence now of Paul. This was a large company to be on this ship; however, the grain ships were large and frequently carried passengers. Some have interpreted the Greek to mean seventy- six, as this number is found in some ancient manuscript; these manuscripts are not of sufficient weight to change the text.

38 And when they had eaten enough,-Eaten is from the Greek koresthentes, and means to satisfy, to satiate. Hence, they were filled. The first effect of this was seen in renewed activity for work. They began now to lighten the ship. The wheat which they now cast out was a part of. the cargo which had been reserved probably for provisions. It appears that they had only thrown overboard a part of the cargo as mentioned in verse 18. As they could no longer continue in the ship, it was not necessary to keep the ship burdened with this wheat. They hoped to keep the ship floating until they could reach the shore.

39 And when it was day, they knew not the land:-None of the sailors, neither the officers, recognized the land when daylight came. They perceived a certain bay with a beach. It was such a sandy beach as would suit to run the ship ashore. The main coast was not safe for such an attempt. Some think that it was strange that they did not know the land, for Melita was a well-known island, having an admirable harbor, familiar to Alexandrian sailors; however, these sailors were not at this moment in the harbor, but on a part of the coast which they had never before seen. They held a consultation together to decide what to do; they decided to attempt to run ashore. This required the help of experienced sailors, and showed that Paul was right in having the sailors kept on board. (See verse 31.)

40 And casting off the anchors,-Casting off is from the Greek perielontes, and literally means having taken away from around; that is, all four anchors from around the stern. These were left in the sea; they let the anchors go and the ropes fell down into the sea. They thought that they would have no further use for them. At the same time they loosed the bands of the rudders; the ancient ships were equipped with two rudders; these had been made fast and raised out of the water when the anchors were cast out. Since they now are to attempt to steer the ship toward the beach, they need to let down the rudders again into the water. Next, they hoisted up the foresail to the wind. Foresail is from the Greek artemona, and scholars have been puzzled as to which sail is indicated; the majority of scholars have agreed that it is foresail. This does not mean what we understand as the mainsail. Wind, as used here, means a breeze, and the change of words seems to imply that there was a lull in the fury

of the gale.

41 But lighting upon a place where two seas met,-Instead of landing on a smooth, sandy beach, the ship was run and grounded on a mudbank between the small island and the coast. Unexpectedly the ship stuck in this mud bar. The ship did not touch dry land, but stuck fast in the bank over which the water was too shallow to allow the ship to go further; they were still some distance from the shore. The waves swept through the channel behind the island and struck the stern of the ship sideways, and the ship began to break in pieces. Modern scholars who have attempted to trace the journey of Paul have found just such conditions as described here by Luke, showing the accuracy of his description. The front part of the ship was stuck in the mud, while the hind part was in deep water and exposed to the force of the two currents; it seems that the hinder part of the ship was broken of? and the entire crew and passengers crowded to the fore part.

42 And the soldiers counsel was to kill the prisoners,-The soldiers were as cruel as the sailors. (Act 28:30.) The sailors were willing to leave the soldiers and prisoners to perish, and now the soldiers want to kill the prisoners. Their excuse was to keep any of them from escaping. The soldiers were responsible for the lives of the prisoners. (Act 12:19.) The Roman law made the soldiers answerable with their own lives for the prisoners placed under their charge.

43 But the centurion, desiring to save Paul,-Paul had won the friendship of the centurion; he had been instrumental in saving the entire crew. The centurion was not without gratitude; hence, he would seek some way to save Paul. The centurion was in charge of the soldiers, and they must obey his command. He suggested as an alternative that the soldiers who could swim should cast themselves overboard and get to the land first; they could then take charge of the prisoners as they swam to land. The centurion was in full command of the soldiers; he had not in the confusion lost his thoughtfulness and presence of mind. By his suggestion there would be a body of soldiers ready on shore to help those who only could float thither by the aid of something to which they were clinging. We know that Paul had already been shipwrecked three times before this, and had been in the deep a night and a day. (2Co 11:15.) Hence, we may conclude that he was among those who swam to land. Many think that the centurions suggestion included not only the soldiers who could swim, but even the prisoners who could swim were commanded to go to shore. It is probable that this suggestion came from Paul, as he had had experience in such trials.

44 and the rest, some on planks,-This strengthens the idea that all who could swim, both soldiers and prisoners, were commanded to do so. The others were to float on planks and such other things as could be had from the ship. It appears that there had been some broken pieces of timber from the bulwarks, loose spears, tables, stools, and other pieces of furniture, which could be used by those who could not swim. All escaped safe to the land. This shows that Pauls prophecy (Act 27:24) was fulfilled; Paul, the prisoner, is the guide in the voyage, the hero in the shipwreck, and the example to all in calmness.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

The study of Paul’s last voyage reveals some apparently contradictory facts, and yet common in the experience of the saints. On the one hand, difficulties and dangers multiplied. On the other, the divine purpose was being carried out. It would seem as though all forces were combined in an effort to prevent his coming to Rome. On the other hand, we see how all ‘the way he was conducted, cared for, comforted. From first to last no note of complaint was uttered by this servant of the Master.

We have a graphic description of the storm, in the course of which strictly nautical expressions are used which are arresting. So fierce it was that Luke writes, “All hope that we should be saved was now taken away.” It was at this juncture that Paul addressed the people, and his message is a splendid evidence of his confidence in his Master. His, “Be of good cheer,” was a word of faith, but it was also the language of reason, for had he not heard his Lord assuring him that he must come to Rome.

Under the stress of the occasion, the human management came at last completely into the hands of Paul, and he took wise precautions to prevent the sailors from leaving the ship. At last all were saved. In this story we surely have a valuable picture of the divine method: God overruling, while man trusts Him and acts. A firm confidence produces a strong courage, and true faith manifests itself in reasonable action.

Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible

on a Dangerous Voyage

Act 27:1-13

The we indicates that the good physician, Luke, had rejoined the party. Separated from Paul by the Apostles imprisonment, he now accompanied him on the ship to Rome. The centurion was indulgently disposed toward Paul. He may have been one of the brilliant crowd who had listened to Pauls last address. It was a most merciful Providence that placed the Apostle with such a man. He showed exceptional kindness in releasing Paul on parole at Sidon, that he might visit his friends, and, no doubt, provide himself with necessaries against the stormy and hazardous winter voyage.

The travelers were fortunate enough to find at Myra a large vessel carrying wheat from Egypt to Rome. There was room for the centurion, his soldiers, and prisoners, as well as such others as chose to accompany them. It was toward the close of September, and perhaps at Fair Havens the Apostle and any Jewish Christians on board may have observed the great Day of Atonement, the one fast of the Jewish calendar. The season for navigation with sailing vessels was drawing to a close, and Paul counseled delay, but his words were unheeded. The man who knew God was wiser than the men who knew the sea.

Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

Acts 27 is one of the chapters of the Bible that we really ought to study with a map of the Mediterranean before us. Those who have carefully investigated Lukes record are amazed at the accuracy with which he refers to the various ports and to ancient shipping routes. Some people have suggested that perhaps certain portions of the Bible were written at a date later than they professed to be. The book of Acts has been particularly attacked.

Some years ago a little group of freethinkers in Scotland decided on a plan whereby they might show up the supposed inaccuracies of Scripture, and so discredit the Word of God. One member was given the task of going to Asia Minor, southern Europe, and the islands of the Mediterranean, visiting all the places mentioned by Luke in connection with Pauls journeys. It was hoped that he would be able to unearth enough information to make evident any falsity in Lukes record, so that many who had pinned their faith to the book of Acts as a part of Gods inspired Word would have to give it up.

The young man chosen was Sir William Ramsay. He investigated very carefully, and after the most minute examination concluded that Luke was absolutely accurate in every particular. He himself, once a freethinker, became a Christian and wrote some splendid books in defense of the Word of God.

It would be interesting to trace the details of Pauls voyages from one place to another, but space forbids this. There are a few things though to which I would like to call particular attention. First, the use of the little pronoun we. It is very evident that Luke, the writer of this book, volunteered to accompany Paul after his arrest. Also the continuing use of this pronoun in the next chapter shows that Luke was with Paul to the last.

Another person of note who accompanied him was Aristarchus, one of Pauls own converts from Macedonia. We read of Aristarchus elsewhere as an outstanding witness for Christ. He was not ashamed to share the prisoners lot in order to be a comfort to Paul (Col 4:10).

As we read the book of Acts we are struck by the way in which Paul the prisoner takes command. This man of God, wherever you find him, seems to be master of every situation. When they put him and Silas in jail and made their feet fast in the stocks, he and his companion put on a sacred concert. There were only two of them and they had no organ accompaniment, but they gave such a splendid performance that they brought down the house! There was an earthquake, and next thing you know the jailer and all of his household were converted.

Then when Paul was arraigned before various dignitaries, he always came out as the real master of the situation. Again and again we have seen the roles reversed-the prisoner questioning the judge! When he appeared before Felix he dared to reason with him concerning righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. When he stood before Festus he said, Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead? To King Agrippa he declared, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day. were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds-a Christian.

In this present chapter, when he was a prisoner on shipboard, it was not long before all the crew, the soldiers, the master of the ship, and Julius the centurion, were taking orders from Paul. He is Gods man for every occasion. There is one thing about a man who walks with God-circumstances never affect his fellowship and communion with the Lord. Paul could say, I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. A brother once asked another brother in my hearing, How are you getting on? The other answered, I am doing very well under the circumstances. The first brother replied, I am very sorry to hear that you are under the circumstances. You know, if you keep your eyes on the Lord, He will keep you above the circumstances. So Paul always seemed to be above the circumstances.

As the ship sailed from one port to another, Paul gave wise advice that they refused to accept, and they soon ran into trouble. When they did accept his advice, Gods blessing rested on them.

Reading from verse 14 however we find that they ran into a fierce hurricane. The winds became so violent that they almost lost the lifeboat. After securing it, they arranged to pass cords underneath and over the ship in order to hold the almost shattered timbers together. Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus pitched in with the sailors and the rest of the men, to help cast off the ships tackling. They were not afraid to do their share.

And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away (20). Here we find people who have come to the very end of their own ability. There they are in their ship, the cargo having been tossed overboard, the tackling gone, feeling absolutely hopeless of either the salvation of the ship or of their own lives. But it has been well said, Mans extremity is Gods opportunity, and so here God intervenes.

Verses 21-29 bring before us in a very striking way the divine sovereignty of God. 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. Think of that! Here is a prisoner talking to both the centurion and his guard, as well as the master of the ship and his sailors, saying, You should have listened to me and let me run this ship. If you had listened to me, everything would have been all right. He had warned them that they ought not to leave a certain harbor, but they did not believe him. People do not believe Gods messengers; yet some day they are going to find out that as the servants of God tell of a fearful storm coming upon this poor world, they are speaking according to the Word of God.

Following his rebuke, Paul said: And now I exhort you to be of good cheer. I like that. He did not turn to them and exclaim, Well, it serves you right. You are getting what is coming to you. He said, I have been praying and, when I prayed, God answered, and now I have something to tell you that will encourage you. You are going to lose the ship, but you are not going to lose your lives. I can promise you beforehand that every one of you is going to be saved.

How did Paul know that? Because God had told him so. He said, For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve (23). Oh, the dignity of that! Paul could look at these representatives of the Roman Empire who had put him in bonds, and say, I am the servant of the most high God. I belong to Him, and I serve Him; I am in His service even now. He sent His angel to me. You couldnt see him. You had eyes only for the storm, the creaking timbers, and the treacherous rocks ahead, but I have seen the angel of the Lord. The man of God can see things that the man of the world can never see. Paul saw an angel who said to him: Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar [therefore you cannot be drowned]: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

Here is a striking instance of the sovereignty of God. God spoke through His angel and declared His purpose. He said in effect, I have settled it that all these men are going to be saved. Of course. He was speaking of their temporal salvation, their physical salvation, but it is God speaking, you might say, arbitrarily. He speaks in His sovereignty, just as He has chosen in Christ certain ones who are going to be saved for all eternity. Who are they? All who trust in the Lord Jesus. This is not hyper-Calvinistic fatalism. It is divine, elective love.

When God predestinates, He does it in love. Notice in Ephesians 1: In love: Having predestinated us. But His predestination is to what? To go to Heaven? It does not say so, either there or in the eighth chapter of Romans. It says in Ephesians that He has predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself. It says in Romans 8: For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son. Again, in Ephesians we are told that He has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should-what?go to Heaven while other people go to Hell? It does not say that. What does it say? That we should be holy and without blame before him.

I am not afraid of that kind of predestination. It tells me that, having trusted Christ, I will some day be wholly like Him. I am predestinated to be holy and without blame before Him. But nowhere in Gods Word are we told that all this is purely arbitrary. God insists on mans responsibility to face his sins before Him, to turn to Him in repentance, and to put his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. He shows us that the invitation to salvation is as broad as the human race. He says, Whosoever will may come; Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Here we get one side of this great truth of the divine sovereignty. God declared these men who sailed with Paul were all going to be saved. That part was settled. But next we notice the source of Pauls confidence: Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me, Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. Can you say, I believe God? It is a great thing when God speaks, and you can just put your foot down and say, God says it, and I believe it.

When studying the Chinese language many years ago, I was struck by the symbol for faith. It is partly made up of the character for word: the lower part of that character stands for a mouth, and above it are several lines indicating something coming out of the mouth. After all, that is what a word is! Then to one side there is a character of a man. And is not that what faith is-a man standing by the Word? I wonder where the ancient Chinese got that. They composed that symbol for faith thousands of years ago-long before the dawn of our civilization.

Sometimes a poor soul comes to me in distress and says, I have been praying and praying for months for salvation, but I dont seem to get it and I am miserable. I ask, Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Oh I do, is the response. Do you believe He died for you? Yes. Do you believe He bore your sins in His own body on the tree? Yes I do. Have you come to Him and told Him you are a sinner and are ready to trust Him? Yes, but He doesnt seem to accept me; I am not saved. Where are you looking for assurance? Well, I expect to feel different when I am saved. I answer: You might feel very happy and not be saved at all. You might be trusting in the wrong thing or the wrong person. The Lord Jesus Himself said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Notice, carefully what is said here. He that heareth my word. Have you heard Gods Word? And believeth on him that sent me. Do you believe that God sent Jesus to be your Savior, to die for you? Yes, I believe that, All right; now look at the next phrase: Hath everlasting life. Have you everlasting life? Well, I hope so, was her response. But it does not say that maybe he will have everlasting life. Cant you take your stand on the Word of God? That poor womans face brightened and she said, Oh, I see it. I must just take Him at His Word. That is sufficient.

Why, I know people who say, I know everything is all right. I have been baptized. But they were just deluded by the devil, for baptism itself saves nobody. Jesus alone saves and He does it for all who believe in Him.

I remember speaking to a woman who had just joined a certain church that teaches salvation by sacraments and legal obedience. She said, Before I joined this church I never was at peace, but now I just trust my salvation to those in authority. That is false peace; a peace built on error.

Paul said to his frightened traveling companions, God has spoken and I believe God. Christian, what about you? Do you believe God? Why do you then go about with your head hanging down like a bulrush, as much as to say, Oh, if you only knew my circumstances; my health is poor, and I am afraid I shall lose my job; I dont know what I shall do when I get old? Do you trust the One who has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee? Do you know that it is written: My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus? Do you know the Holy Spirit has declared, All things work together for good to them that love God? Well then, why not brighten up and say, I believe God; the devil is not going to get me down because circumstances seem to be against me? I believe there is a God who is above all circumstances.

But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria-think of it! Fourteen awful days and nights in a dreadful storm, and all they had to rest on was the word of God that they would get safely to shore! About midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country. They began to hear the roaring of breakers, and they sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day (28).

What a graphic picture of that little ship driven before the tempest all those days and nights! And now in the deep darkness they cant see what is ahead of them, but they can hear the water dashing against the rocks, so they cast four anchors out of the stern and wish for the day. How we Christians are like that sometimes. Things all seem to be going wrong, and it looks as if we are going to crush against the rocks, but faiths anchor holds because the Word of God can never fail.

The next verses suggest another side of the truth of faith and salvation. The sailors have had the word from God that they are all going to be saved, but it looks as if they are going to be dashed on the rocks. And so these miserable rascals say, We will save our own lives and let the ship go to pieces. Under cover of the darkness and pretending to cast out the anchors, they seek to let down the lifeboat, planning to row away and find some cove of safety. But Paul is on the alert. He sees what they are up to, and to the centurion he says, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Then see what happens. The soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

The captain might have said, What difference does it make? You told us we are all to be saved anyway. It doesnt make any difference what anybody does; if God has foreordained it, that is what will happen. Then Paul might have replied: Yes, it makes a great deal of difference. You see, human responsibility is one spoke in the great wheel of Gods purpose, and divine foreordination is another, And so, though God foreordained the whole thing, He showed Paul that these men were responsible to abide in the ship. This was how He was to accomplish His purpose.

In a similar way, man might say, If God is going to save me, He will save me; and it doesnt make any difference what I do. It makes a great deal of difference! If you do not respond, you will be lost, but if you turn to God and confess your sin and put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, then-thank God-you will be saved. And when you are saved, you will be able to look up in gratitude to the God of all grace and say, Lord, I thank Thee that Thou hast chosen me in Christ before the foundation of the world. You see, there are two sides: Mans responsibility and Gods sovereignty.

And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing (33). Notice how he again took charge of the situation. He appointed himself chief steward, and said, Come now, you are going to be saved, but you need some food. It has been fourteen days since you have had anything to eat. Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health. There shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. What confidence possessed the soul of this man because he had a word from God that he dared to believe! In gratefulness he looked up to God and thanked Him for preserving their lives and providing them food to eat.

In the last section Luke wrote, We were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. Think of it! God had promised to deliver safely all 276 travelers! But notice how they were delivered. They were saved with difficulty, through great trials; but they were saved. God fulfilled His word.

In verses 38-40 Luke described in detail the sailors efforts to move the ship closer to shore. It took a real seaman to write this, and Luke certainly entered into the spirit of the sailor.

And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves (41). And now the enemy comes in. Satan would make the plight of the seamen an excuse to destroy Paul. And the soldiers counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. It was the voice of the devil, though he spoke through the soldiers lips.

But the centurion again intervened and Gods word was fulfilled. All were saved, but they had to meet their own responsibility in the matter. There is surely a lesson here for every one of us. No word of God shall be void of power, but we are responsible to obey His Word and manifest our faith by our works.

Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets

Act 27:24-34

I. God judged that St. Paul was concerned with the lives of the crew of the ship he sailed in, and gave these men their lives as a precious gift. Here we have what may be called the head and the feet of the same truth: the head-God’s estimate of the value of life; the feet-man’s estimate of the contempt deserved by any one who, being strong, uses his strength to benefit himself at the expense of his neighbour. The value of life on the one hand, and on the other the meanness of selfish gain, that even life itself must be quietly thrown away when compared with the meanness of saving it by selfishness.

II. And round this great truth as a fence and encircling wall, determining where it is to be practised, runs the strong enclosure of the same place and the same common object, unity and communion, through living together, typified in the ship. And how true this is! Whether we like it or not, we share largely in the fortunes and reputation of the place we live in, even as we contribute largely to it by good and evil, however loose the tie of place may be. But when it takes the ship form, that close association, which comes from all on board at the time depending on one another, and on the well-doing of the place in which they are, then, indeed, from the highest to the lowest, however discordant the mixture of persons may be, the welfare of the place is their welfare, its reputation is their reputation, and it becomes more than ever true that the lives of all belong to each other, and it is unutterable meanness for the strong to take advantage of the weak, or for the weak to endeavour to overreach the strong or not give true service in their way. In many societies, the actual safety of all as much depends on each doing his duty as in a ship. The golden rule of life is, that weakness is at once a claim on every one who is stronger. The prisoner Paul, the weakest man there, saved the whole crew.

E. Thring, Uppingham Sermons, vol. ii., p. 140.

References: Act 27:25.-Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxiii., No. 1335. Act 27:27-29.-A. G. Brown, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxvii., p. 339. Act 27:27-37.-T. Gasquoine, Christian World Pulpit, vol. iv., p. 35. Act 27:29.-J. Thain Davidson, Sure to Succeed, p. 177; Christian World Pulpit, vol. iv., p. 364. Act 27:30, Act 27:31.-J. M. Neale, Occasional Sermons, p. 44; Homilist, vol. iv., p. 263. Act 27:38-44.-T. Gasquoine, Christian World Pulpit, vol. iv., p. 52.

Act 27:44

Safe to Land.

I. In reading the narrative of this voyage and shipwreck (1) the first impression on the mind is produced by the prisoner, the Apostle Paul. He is singularly unlike a prisoner. He is the true captain, the foremost man, evidently, on board the ship. (2) The narrative is a statement of the unconditioned freeness and the glorious fulness of Divine goodness. (3) See what an important thing in the scheme of means human responsibility is. “Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.” Even the boards and the broken pieces of the ship are all parts of the Divine purposes. (4) Here we have exemplified and illustrated the mystery of the salvation of sinners for the sake of the saints. This text most solemnly illustrates to us that God has somehow set together human earnestness and human conversion.

II. “Some on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship.” All means are good means which save-none are insignificant which give security. In the storm of darkness and unbelief, in the tempestuous night, it seems as if all is shipwrecked in thee, broken in pieces; and yet, see what scattered glimpses, what broken, imperfect appearances, what scattered discoveries of Jesus Christ float up and down and do at any time appear in thy spirit! Thou wilt see some if thou wilt look and watch for them. Cast thyself upon them: these are the broken planks, the most imperfect, darkest, narrowest glimpses of Christ. Many a sacred text has been the board, the broken piece of ship, on which souls have escaped safe to land.

III. God is a good Captain. If the ship is lost, He saves the crew. There is land, and all who sail in the ship are safe. Gather up all the promises which, like so many planks, have floated over and sustained on death’s waves, and you will build a ship to hold the Church.

E. Paxton Hood, Dark Sayings on a Harp, p. 313.

References: Act 27:44.-H. J. Wilmot Buxton, Waterside Mission Sermons, p. 18; Talmage, Old Wells dug Out, p. 239. Act 28:1-6.-T. Gasquoine, Christian World Pulpit, vol. iv., p. 57. Act 28:7-10.-Ibid., p. 93. Act 28:11-15.-Ibid., p. 108.

Fuente: The Sermon Bible

CHAPTER 27

1. From Caesarea to Fair Havens (Act 27:1-8).

2. The Unheeded Warning. The Storm. Pauls Vision and Assurance of Safety (Act 27:9-26).

3. The Shipwreck (Act 27:27-44).

Much has been written on this Chapter. The voyage of the Apostle Paul to Rome and the shipwreck is often explained as being typical of the stormy voyage of the professing church, her adversities and shipwreck.

However, such an application needs caution. it is easy to make fanciful and far-fetched allegorical applications. Besides church history other lessons have been drawn from this narrative. A recent commentator claims that the keynote to the interpretation is given in Act 27:34 in the word salvation. This and cognate words occur seven times in the chapter: Hope to be saved; ye cannot be saved; to be completely saved. While the contrary fate is no less richly depicted–injury, loss, throwing away, perish, kill and to be cast away. The history, then, is a parable of the great salvation, by which man is brought through death to life. We shall not attempt to seek for an outline of church history in the events of this chapter. The central figure, the prisoner of the Lord, must occupy us more than anything else. It is said that in all the classical literature there is nothing found which gives so much information of the working of an ancient ship as this chapter does. Even the critics have acknowledged that this chapter bears the most indisputable marks of authenticity. Historical research and inscriptions have confirmed the facts given in this chapter, while the accuracy of Lukes nautical observations is shown by the great help he has given to our understanding of ancient seamanship. None have impugned the correctness of his phrases; on the contrary, from his description contained in a few sentences, the scene of the wreck has been identified.

The Apostle is courteously treated by the Centurion Julius. Paul may have been in a physically weakened condition. The Lords gracious and loving care for His faithful servant shines out in this. How clearly the whole narrative shows that all is in His hands: Officers, winds and waves, all circumstances, are under His control. So far all seemed to go well; but contrary winds now trouble the voyagers. The ship is tossed to and fro. If we look upon the ship as a type of the professing church and the little company, headed by Paul, as the true church, then there is no difficulty in seeing the issue. Winds which drive hither and thither trouble those who hold the truth and live in fellowship with the Lord, while the professing church is cast about. Then Myra was reached. Here they took a ship of Alexandria. Danger then threatened. Most likely a consultation of the commander of the ship and the owner, who was on board, and the centurion, was held, and Paul was present. He gives them a solemn warning and cautions them to beware. This shows his close fellowship with the Lord. In prayer, no doubt, he had laid the whole matter before the Lord and received the answer, which he communicates to the persons in authority. They looked upon it as a mere guess, and the centurion rather trusted in the judgment of the captain and the owner.

And here we can think of other warnings given through the great Apostle. Warnings concerning the spiritual dangers, the apostasy of the last days, the perilous times, warnings against the seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. The professing church has forgotten these divinely-given predictions. The world does not heed them. Like these mariners, who believed in their own wisdom and disregarded the warning given, Christendom has paid no attention to these warnings. For this reason the ship is drifting, cast about by every wind of doctrine and rapidly nearing the long predicted shipwreck. Then there came the terrific tempest. Sun and stars were hidden for many days.

When despair had reached its heights, Paul appears once more upon the scene. When all was hopeless the prisoner of the Lord spoke the words of hope and cheer. He reminds them first of their refusal and disobedience. What had come upon them was the result of having not heeded the warning. He then assures them that an angel of God had assured him once more that he would have to stand before Caesar; but God had given to him all that sail with him. Only the ship is to go down, the lives of all who sail with him will be preserved. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer; for I believe God, that it shall be even so as it hath been spoken unto me. And now they were willing to listen to him. They had to acknowledge their disobedience and believe the message of cheer as it came from the divinely instructed messenger, assuring them of their ultimate salvation.

And so, at least in part, drifting Christendom can listen to the Apostle Paul, and if the mistake, the wrong course, is acknowledged, the heavenly-sent message is accepted, salvation is assured.

How calm the Apostle and his companions must have been after this assurance of their safety. The dreadful winds might continue and the ship drift still further. They knew they were safe, for God had spoken. Different it was with the crew of the ship. In great distress they feared the coming disaster and cast out four anchors. The shipmen attempted flight by a clever scheme. Paul discovered their plan and said to the centurion and soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye (not we) cannot be saved. God had given him all who were in the ship. The work of the sailors was needed when the daybreak came. And the soldiers believed the word of Paul, for they cut the ropes, which set the boat adrift the sailors tried to use. Then Paul exhorted them to eat. Once more he assured them that not a hair should fall from the head of any one. Before the whole company, two hundred and seventy-six persons, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God. The Lord had exalted the prisoner, and he really stands out as the leader of the distressed company. They all became encouraged by the words and action. All has its lessons. However the meal has nothing to do with the Lords Supper. It tells us typically how necessary it is that we must feed on the bread of life in the days of danger, the times when everything breaks up. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.

Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)

76. PREPARATION FOR THE STORM

Act 27:1-44

After being a prisoner at Caesarea for more than two years, Paul was finally sent to Rome. There he would make his personal appeal to Caesar. While en route to Rome, travelling by sea, a terrible storm arose from the northeast which placed the whole company in great danger. Acts 27 is a detailed account of that storm. We need no more than an atlas and common sense to understand the literal, historical events recorded in this chapter. But the chapter is recorded to give us more than historical data. It is recorded in the Volume of Inspiration to give us practical, spiritual, gospel instruction (2Ti 3:16).

In Paul’s day the sea could be a terrible thing. The sailor had no compass. So when the sun and the stars were blotted out, he had no idea where he was or where he was going. He had no engine to propel his ship through the mighty winds and raging waters. His sails and oars were helpless before the force of a hurricane. The imagery of the sea’s terror is used throughout the Word of God. Jonah was thrown into the sea to appease its wrath (Jonah 2:12-15). The disciples were terribly frightened on the Sea of Galilee and cried out to the Master to save them (Mar 4:38). In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul tells us he was shipwrecked three times and spent a night and a day in the deep. Jude compares the influence of false religion to the “raging waves of the sea” (Jud 1:13). John saw the “beast rise up out of the sea” (Rev 13:1). In Rev 21:1 he says, in the new creation there shall be “no more sea”, as if to indicate that the sea is a symbol of terrible calamity and evil. In literature, poetry, and Scripture, our life in this world is compared to a voyage across a vast sea (Job 9:29). As we sail across the vast sea of life in this world we all must pass through many storms. The Book of God shows us how to prepare for and survive those storms. “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” the spiritual lessons of this chapter.

First, we learn that THINGS SELDOM HAPPEN ACCORDING TO OUR DESIRES, PLANS, AND EXPECTATIONS (Act 27:1-8). “The best laid plans of mice and men are soon destroyed.” Paul had planned to go to Rome on his way to Spain. This band of soldiers took their prisoners on board the ship, and “launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia” (Act 27:2). They mapped out their course, prepared for their voyage, and expected to have smooth sailing to Rome by the Asian coasts. But Divine providence interfered with their well-laid plans. A storm arose and “the winds were contrary” (Act 27:4), contrary to their plans! When we are making our plans, we will be wise to consider the storms ahead and submit our will to God’s will, even in our plans (Jas 4:13-15). Life is full of storms and contrary winds (Job 5:6; Job 14:1). They usually arise suddenly without warning. Without question, the greatest storm a person will ever face is the storm of his own sin. When a person comes face to face with his sin, the mighty wind of conviction and judgment is overwhelming. He feels the storm of God’s wrath in his soul (Nah 1:2-3). But, blessed be God, in Christ Jesus there is a refuge for sinners and a hiding place for the guilty (Isa 4:6; Isa 32:2).

Secondly, we are here shown that OUR STORMS ARE OFTEN THE FRUIT OF DISOBEDIENCE TO THE WILL OF GOD (Act 27:9-14). I do not suggest that all trials are the result of some particular sin. But many of our trials and sorrows could be avoided by simple obedience to our God. If these men had just given heed to the Word of God, they would not have suffered the terrible shipwreck recorded in this chapter. Read these verses carefully and learn their obvious lessons. The will of God is usually contrary to the opinion of the majority (Act 27:11). The will of God is always contrary to the pleasures and accommodations of the flesh (Act 27:12). The path of least resistance is always most appealing to the flesh; but usually it is the path to destruction (Act 27:13-14). That which God plainly reveals is his will; and disobedience to his revealed will is disastrous. No matter how unreasonable, unpleasant, or costly it seems to be to obey God, “whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (Joh 2:5). Obedience may be costly; but disobedience is always more costly. Faith in Christ evidences itself by obedience to Christ (Pro 3:5-6).

Thirdly, WHEN THE STORM COMES, THE ONLY COURSE OF SAFETY IS SURRENDER (Act 27:15-20). Luke says, “When the ship was caught, and could not bear up into (against) the wind, we let her drive.” That is all we can do. Just hold on and “let her drive.” This is not an act of fatalism. They had done all they could. They worked hard. They used all the help they could get. They lightened their load. They even threw all the tacklings overboard. But all hope of deliverance by their hands was gone. So they hoisted their sails and “let her drive.” The men in command of the ship, (If you can imagine that without laughing!), had no fear of God. But for Luke, Paul and Aristarchus, this was an act of faith. Luke says, “We let her drive.” They knew who was in command of the ship! They realized who had sent the storm (Isa 45:7; Psa 107:25; Nah 1:3; Jon 1:4; Amo 3:6). Like Eli of old, they humbled themselves under the hand of God, saying, “It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good” (1Sa 3:18; Jas 4:7; Jas 4:10). Turning to the Lord in submission and faith, they found peace (Isa 26:3-4; Psa 42:11). Bow to the will of Christ. Slip your neck into his yoke, and you will find peace (Mat 11:29). Trust the wisdom, grace, and promise of God. Hoist the sails of your little ship into the wind of Divine providence, and “let her drive” (Rom 8:28).

Fourthly, WHEN THE STORM COMES, SEEK A WORD FROM GOD TO COMFORT, INSTRUCT, AND DIRECT YOU THROUGH IT (Act 27:21-25). If you would find comfort in trouble, bury yourself in the Book of Consolation (Rom 15:4). Paul found a word from God, believed it, and faithfully delivered it, even in the midst of the storm. It was a word of stern reproof (Act 27:21) and of cheering assurance (Act 27:22-24).

Fifthly, NO MATTER HOW SEVERE THE STORM IS, STAY IN THE SHIP (Act 27:26-38). Some of the shipmen were about to forsake the ship. They let down the lifeboat and were about to leave when Paul said, “Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.” Immediately, the soldiers cut the ropes and let the boat fall. They did not stand around arguing about Divine predestination and human responsibility. They cut the ropes! They cut off every other source of hope and cast themselves upon the Word of God. They took only what they needed and threw everything else overboard (Act 27:19; Act 27:38). Storms have a way of changing values and making all the things of this world appear to be what they really are – vanity! They stayed in the ship and were saved (Act 27:37). When storms arise, cling to Christ. Stay in the good ship grace. Only those who endure the trials and storms of life, only those who persevere in faith are saved (Mat 10:20; Joh 8:31; Joh 15:9; Col 1:23; Heb 3:6; Heb 3:14; Jas 1:12; Act 13:43; Act 14:22).

Sixthly, SET YOUR HEART UPON CHRIST ALONE (Act 27:39-40). Seek him and nothing else. Throw everything else to the wind. Ask for nothing, care for nothing, and pursue nothing but Christ, and make “toward shore” (Col 3:1-3). If Christ is all your desire, you shall have all your desire; and the storms of life will do you no harm.

Seventhly, we see in this chapter that OUR GOD WILL GRACIOUSLY BRING US THROUGH THE STORM INTO OUR DESIRED HAVEN OF REST (Act 27:41-44). Some swam to safety. Some floated on boards. Some rode on broken pieces of the ship. But when they came to that place where two seas met, they all came to shore safely. “And so it came to pass, they escaped all safe to land.” So it shall be with all God’s elect (1Pe 5:10-11; Jud 1:24-25; Rom 8:35-39).

Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible

centurion

Commander of 100 soldiers.

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

when: Act 19:21, Act 23:11, Act 25:12, Act 25:25, Gen 50:20, Psa 33:11, Psa 76:10, Pro 19:21, Lam 3:27, Dan 4:35, Rom 15:22-29

Italy: Italy is a well-known country of Europe, bounded by the Adriatic or Venetian Gulf on the east, the Tyrrhene or Tuscan Sea on the west, and by the Alps on the north. Act 10:1, Act 18:2, Heb 13:24

a centurion: Act 27:11, Act 27:43, Act 10:22, Act 21:32, Act 22:26, Act 23:17, Act 24:23, Act 28:16, Mat 8:5-10, Mat 27:54, Luk 7:2, Luk 23:47

Augustus’: Act 25:25

Reciprocal: Mat 27:27 – band Mar 15:39 – the centurion Act 21:8 – we that Act 22:25 – the centurion Act 23:18 – Paul Act 25:21 – Augustus Act 27:3 – Julius Act 27:6 – the centurion Rom 1:10 – a prosperous Rom 15:32 – I may 2Co 11:23 – in prisons 2Co 11:25 – thrice

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

WHILE AT EPHESUS Paul had purposed in the spirit saying, I must also see Rome (Act 19:21); and, what is more important still, it was the Lords purpose for him- so must thou also bear witness at Rome (Act 23:11). We have just been tracing Gods ways behind the scenes bringing to pass that it was determined that we should sail into Italy. Again Luke uses we, showing that he was now again a companion of Paul as they started on this journey, which was to be so full of disaster, and yet have so miraculous an ending.

Looking at second causes, Paul might have bitterly regretted his appeal to Caesar, when Agrippa declared that but for it he might have been set at liberty. Looking to God, all was clear, and Paul with other prisoners started on the voyage. Yet though the journey was thus ordered of God, it did not follow that everything moved with ease and smoothness. The very opposite; for it is put on record from the beginning that the winds were contrary (v. Act 27:4). The fact that circumstances are against us is no proof that we are out of the way of Gods will, nor do favouring circumstances necessarily mean that we are in the way of His will. We cannot safely deduce from circumstances what may or may not be His will for us.

Circumstances continued contrary and progress was tedious, the wind not suffering us (v. Act 27:7), and the dangerous time of year arrived when it was customary to suspend voyages in some safe harbour. The place called Fair Havens was reached, which in spite of its name was not a suitable spot, and here a conflict of opinion developed. The skipper was desirous of reaching Phenice, while Paul counselled that they were about to run into disaster and loss, not only for ship and cargo but also to their lives. The Roman centurion, in charge of the party of prisoners, held the casting vote, and having listened to the voice of worldly wisdom and nautical skill on the one hand, and that of spiritual understanding on the other, he decided in favour of the advice of the skipper.

Any ordinary person, without a doubt, would have decided as did the centurion and when suddenly the wind veered and blew gently from the south, it looked as though God was favouring the centurions decision. But again we see that circumstances furnish no true guidance; for they set sail only to be caught in the dreaded Euroclydon, which upset all their plans. They proceeded by sight and not by faith, and all ended in disaster. They took all possible measures to work out their own salvation, but without effect, so that ultimately all hope was abandoned. It is easy to see that all this may be effectively used as a kind of allegory; representing the souls struggles for deliverance, whether from the guilt or the power of sin. Nothing was right until God intervened, first by His word through Paul, and then by His power in the final shipwreck.

It was when they were nearly starved and quite hopeless that the angel of God appeared to Paul. Nearly a fortnight had passed since the storm began, and until this point Paul had not had anything authoritative to say. But now the word of God had reached him, stating that he must appear before Caesar, and that he and all sailing with him were to be saved. God having spoken Paul could speak with authority and the utmost assurance. After a fortnights tossing on the wild seas the feeling of one and all must have been deplorable and depressing. But what had feelings to do with the matter? God had spoken, and Pauls attitude was, I believe God, in spite of all the feelings in the world.

All the probabilities of the situation also would have given a negative to what the angel had said. That a small sailing vessel, packed with 276 people, should be wrecked and destroyed, in days when there were no friendly lifeboats, and yet every one of the 276 be saved, was so highly improbable as to be pronounced impossible. But God had said it, so Paul laughed at the impossibility and said, It shall be done. Moreover so strong was his faith that not only did he say this in his heart but he also said it aloud in the way of testimony to the other 275 people on board. His exact words were, It shall be even as it was told me. The salvation of all had not yet happened, but he was as sure of it as if it had.

Faith has very simply been defined as Believing what God says, because God says it, and this is well supported by Pauls words, I believe God. In this case feelings, reason, experience, the probabilities of the situation, all would have contradicted the Divine statement, but faith accepted what God said, though all else denied it. Faith in our hearts will speak in just the same way. The Divine testimony to us deals with matters far greater than a salvation for time only, and it reaches us not from the mouth of an angel but through the holy and inspired Writings, which we now have in print in our own tongue; but our reception of it is to be equally definite. We simply believe God, and thus set to our seal that God is true.

Verses Act 27:34-36 show us that Pauls attitude and actions corroborated his brave words of faith. Thus we see him exemplifying what James so stresses in his epistle: faith, if it is alive, must express itself in works. If, having uttered words of faith, he had remained depressed and dejected like the rest, no one would have paid much attention to his words. But rather, having announced words of good cheer, he was himself most evidently of good cheer. He gave thanks to God, he partook of food, and exhorted the others to do the same. His works thus attesting the reality of his faith, all were impressed by it. They too were of good cheer and took food. As yet the circumstances were not altered, but they were altered as the confidence of faith found a place in their hearts, for it furnished them with the substantiating of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Heb 11:1. N. Trans.). The whole episode is an excellent illustration of what faith is and how faith works.

It illustrates also how faith is vindicated. God was as good as His word, and every soul was saved. His promise was fulfilled literally and exactly, and not approximately and with tolerable accuracy, as is so common amongst men. We may take Him at His word with absolute certainty. Yet this does not mean that we can become fatalistic, and ignore ordinary measures of prudence. This also is illustrated in our story. After Paul had announced that all should be saved, he did not permit the sailors to flee out of the ship, since their presence was needed; and later, when all had eaten enough, they lightened the ship still further by casting the wheat into the sea. They did not fold their arms and do nothing as fatalism would have decreed, but took the ordinary measures of prudence, while trusting in Gods word. The ending was really miraculous. In one way or another all were saved.

Fuente: F. B. Hole’s Old and New Testaments Commentary

1

Act 27:1. This chapter and half of the next has to do with the voyage to Rome in Italy, the capital city of the Roman Empire. The voyage was made necessary by Paul’s appeal from the lower courts (chapter 25:11; 26:32). Augustus’ band. Josephus writes of a “Troop of Sebaste [the Greek word for Augustus], of Caesarea,” and it was an officer of this band of soldiers who was given charge of Paul and the other prisoners.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Act 27:1. When it was determined. It might seem that there had been some doubt whether the apostle after all was to be sent into Italy. Festus indeed had, in the first instance, decided on this course (Act 25:12); but after a careful consultation with Agrippa (Act 25:14-22), and after a full hearing of St. Paul in Agrippas presence (Act 26:1-29), serious doubt was expressed (Act 26:32) whether this was really a case for appeal to the emperor. The word , however, may only mean that time for going to Italy was now fixed.

Certain other prisoners. Who they were, and under what circumstances they were going to Rome, we do not know. The same opportunity which was available for conveying any one group of prisoners would naturally be used for conveying others. See below on the next verse.

One named Julius, a centurion. Rather, a centurion named Julius. The name being merely a praenomen, determines nothing. It may be remarked, however, that the Julian house, like the Cornelian (Act 10:1), was an illustrious one in Italy. As to this Julius personally, we presently feel that we know a good deal of him through his character and his treatment of St. Paul. Like other centurions mentioned in the New Testament (Mat 15:10; Mar 15:39; Act 10:1), he commands our respect. We should especially compare the case of Cornelius in his connection with St. Peter.

Of Augustus band. More correctly, of the Augustan cohort. Josephus tells us (war, Act 2:12; Act 2:7, and Act 2:12; Act 2:5) that one cohort of the Roman garrison at Csarea in the time of Felix had this title, though most of the soldiers were recruited in Syria. Various cohorts, as well as legions, had honorary titles. We have an instance in Act 10:1. We must not, however, identify the Italic cohort and the Augustan cohort. It is possible that the corps to which Julius belonged was a detachment of the Praetorian Guards. That he had an escort of soldiers with him is clear from Act 27:31-32. Dr. Hackett gives a good illustration of the position of these detached Roman cohorts from Lord Macaulay, where he speaks of a troop of dragoons, which did not form part of any regiment, as stationed near Berwick for the purpose of keeping the peace among the moss-troopers of the Border.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Subdivision 5. (Act 27:1-44; Act 28:1-31.)

The way and the end: conditions and exercises.

With the apostle’s voyage to Rome the book of the Acts ends. The strangeness of such an ending has been often commented upon, and naturally; especially for those who imagine a history of progress on to final triumph for the Church on earth. We expect some correspondence between the history at large and this its specimen page; and to end with a shipwreck and the apostle of the Gentiles in a Roman prison gives an impression of an unfinished fragment instead of the perfect workmanship of the divine hand. But this proceeds from a wrong conception of what the Church’s course was in fact to be, which all the sorrow and disaster of near nineteen centuries has for many been incompetent to remove. Allow the Scripture-statements their full weight, and the want of correspondence will be no longer felt: for the history is really that of a shipwreck and a prison; and instead of wondering any longer at the apparent contrast, we shall perhaps suspect that the similarity may be closer than it seems, and begin asking ourselves if the one is not indeed an allegory of the other.

The very name of Rome to us at the close of so many long years as have passed is predictive of disaster. Rome has through all its existence as a dominant world-power antagonized the gospel. Submit to it it never really did. It took the name of Christian, but as a symbol of material conquest and political dominion; and thereby dragged in the dust what professedly it exalted. As already said, it was judaized rather than Christianized, and with the Jewish spirit of legality drank in its bitter animosity to the gospel. The spirit of Rome was indeed always legal; but this legality now became ecclesiastical, sacerdotal, hierarchical, and necessarily persecuting. Begin Paul’s captivity it did not, for it never knew him but as a prisoner. But keep him prisoner it did, until the time of God’s release came. The picture does not go as far as this; probably for the reason that after all this never has been, -never will be -complete; while what has taken place in this way is the mere mercy of God, and for us the instruction is in the causes leading to the disaster: causes which are still at work, and in which we may have part, if we do not avert it by self-judgment.

1. There are two parts in this account, the first of which consists of the voyage and shipwreck, ending with the reaching land at Melita or Malta. Here also there are two parts: the first, that in the ship of Adramyttium to Myra; the second, that in the ship of Alexandria, wrecked at Malta. The conflict of man’s will with God’s rule appears all through, though most conspicuously in the second part. The detail given all through should surely show us the interest that it should have for us, and that there is more in it by far than appears upon the surface.

All through Paul is a prisoner; and yet with the clear vindication of the judge from any charge which should make him rightly this. Finally he is shown to be the one to whom God has given the lives of all that sail with him. If we see in him the representative of the truth for which he stands, there can be in this no perversion of fact; and the sorrowful fact is that the truth of the gospel for which he stood has been, almost from the beginning of the Church’s history until we reach the full development of the system which has Rome for its head, as it were shut up, without formal accusation perhaps, yet fettered, and scarce permitted speech; professing Christians being its courteous guard like Julius here, with a certain honor for Paul, but not freedom. Indeed Julius himself has not his choice in this: he is under authority, a centurion of the Augustan cohort, an instrument of the world power simply, and to whom in those interests with which he is identified, Paul is simply a stranger.

The meaning of his name may be variously given; that which would have significance of the kind that we are looking for, would be derived from “julus,” a wheatsheaf, and might thus be “belonging to the wheatsheaf;” an enigma, no doubt, as we might expect: all here is necessarily enigmatical; but it is not impossible to penetrate the disguise.

Christ in resurrection is the significance of the one sheaf of wheat which stands out prominently in connection with the types. The sheaf of firstfruits, presented to God between Passover and Pentecost, occupies a remarkable place in that series of feasts which we easily see to be specially related to Christian truths. Christ in resurrection was also, as we know, the basis of the gospel; and in a pre-eminent way, of Paul’s gospel. It is Paul’s gospel that specially identifies all believers with that wheatsheaf presented to God, -that is, with. Christ gone up to Him. If Julius in such an allegorized history as we are taking this to be, represents in fact, as has already been suggested, those who, even while they might be true believers in Christ, yet were ignorant of those priceless truths with which the apostle of the Gentiles was identified, and who could thus hold the truth shut up, as it were in captivity, then the implications of the name he bore would be indeed significant. They who themselves had that Christian place of identification with the risen Christ which Paul’s doctrine made so conspicuous, were yet in ignorance of the place and what belonged to it; that is, of Paul in the truth he carried; and however courteous to himself they might be, were but the instruments (yea, the imperial band) of the enemies of the truth he lived and died for. Look at the imperial band of the church fathers: do they not treat the apostle after this manner? Are they not just so many courteous Juliuses in this way?

They are bound for Italy, all these; though it may well be, not by a straight road. The first ship we find here is not going to Italy, but to the coast of Asia, and is a ship of Adramyttium -a name of which there is doubt as to the meaning, but it seems as if it might mean that “one must not haste,” while Asia speaks of a “miry” shore. Spiritually at least, these things go well together. A lack of earnest diligence in the way is apt enough to have a slough for its terminus. Corinth had got so mired with the world at a very early date, though they knew little of it: they were reigning as kings, following their wills, as such a course implies, and not the guidance of the Spirit. The “best Ruler,” as Aristarchus means, was with them all the way through, but we hear of him no more: he is a passenger and only that. Yet, as the Macedonian may remind us, He is the Spirit of worship, which putting God in His place is seen as of Thessalonica too, the means of “victory over that which brings into commotion.” But so the start is made.

The next day they are at Zidon, still in what is properly Israelitish territory, though in fact in other hands. It means “taking the prey,” and in Joshua’s time we find it coming into Asher’s portion (Jos 19:28, see notes), and there with reference to victory over evil, which is indeed the portion of Asher, the “happy” saint. But in fact, as we know, in the common failure of Israel, Asher never did even conquer Zidon, which had many and great kings of its own, some of whom were in alliance with Israel afterwards. The “taking of prey,” so connected, would come to have a different meaning, and imply such a career of conquest as that upon which, when become conscious of her power, the Church soon started. The victory over the world which faith in the Son of God gives became exchanged for victory by which the things of the world became the possession of the victors. Thus the parable of the mustard-seed began to be fulfilled, and the church to take rank among the powers of the world. Friends of Paul were still to be found, for whom victory over the world retained the old and contrasted principle of separation from it, crucifixion to it by the Cross. With these the apostle would still find communion, and hearts drawn to him.

But the ship of Adramyttium is bound for Asia; and starting again, the winds are contrary, and she is forced under the lee of Cyprus. Cyprus means blossom, especially of the olive and the vine, and became identified in the Grecian mind with what is fair and lovely in nature, with Venus and her worship, the soft influences which woo and win man’s heart. And here indeed is how the heart, realizing that after all the winds for the Christian voyager are contrary, would shelter itself under what in nature it can plead, and with truth also, God has made for man’s enjoyment. So He has; and yet how easy to make enticement of it, the ship using it as her shelter to reach the “miry” shores of Asia beyond! How all this fits together in the picture here! Was not this in fact the history of declension in the Church of God? a history so often repeated in individual experience that we cannot but know it all too well!

Not difficult is it to understand that beyond this there are dangers, which Cilicia, Pamphylia, Lycia, all in different ways express. Cilicia is said to mean “which rolls, or overturns,” and to play the Cilician is to be cruel and treacherous like these. Pamphylia would mean a union of various tribes; and their history seems to correspond with this. Lycia is from lycus, a wolf, which whether referring to beast or man has no encouraging significance. In two of these names the dangers following the thirst for pleasure may be fitly indicated; the relaxation which it implies exposing to such dangers as the apostle speaks of to the Ephesians as the entering in of grievous wolves, not sparing the flock; while the union of various tribes was truly what practically the church soon came to be as mingling with the world’s various interests affected and moulded it, making the diversity as apparent as the uniting tie. How soon did the Body of Christ cease to have visible expression; and the church united with the world become divided within itself!

Striking it is that here presently the end is reached of the first voyage at Myra, where the ship of Adramyttium is exchanged for another. If Pamphylia has the import which we see in it, the breaches of unity which it pictures would have need of the “ointment” of which Myra speaks. How many salves have been sought for this broken condition! And the change of ship for a ship of Alexandria is still more plainly significant. Alexandria speaks of help given to men, or better, of the warding of from them impending danger. The new ship of the church is a human means adapted to that end, while openly pointing now towards Italy.

Notice how well all of this agrees together: the perils have been shown us, following self-indulgence and love of pleasure. The new vessel from Egypt, which stands all through Scripture for that independence of God, alas, how natural, and from Alexandria, -a human device for warding off danger, -and now with her course directly Rome-ward, towards which in fact, indirectly, they have been going all the time, -all this surely speaks to us not uncertainly in what we have upon other grounds concluded to be an allegory of the Church. Most undeniably, for all who take their view from Scripture, the vessel of God’s testimony has changed much since it came from His hands at the first; and there has been human shaping, taking its justification from expediency largely, -the warding off of dangers, real or imaginary. The simple eldership of the apostles, days has grown into an episcopate, more and more monarchical; and this into archi-episcopates and patriarchates, and from ministry to priesthood, and all the ranks of a hierarchy conspicuously absent from the New Testament original. The “best Ruler” is little seen, and a mere passenger: there would be danger indeed in letting the blessed Spirit have that governing place which, at the beginning, was His. We have taken a fresh start clearly, and our vessel is Egyptian -Alexandrian; and we are manifestly on our way to Rome.

But still the wind is contrary; heaven does not vouchsafe its favors for some reason; and it is with difficulty, and after many days of sailing that the vessel is got abreast of Cnidus. Cnidus means “chafing, nettling,” and may be a bad augury for the new regime; and here they leave the coast of Asia for Crete.

The wind, still contrary, forces them to take refuge under the lee of Crete abreast of Salmone, a name which, like that of Salamis in Cyprus, seems to be derived from the breaking of the waves upon it. That of Crete seems to be derived from the Cherethim of the Old Testament, who in the judgment of many were its inhabitants. The meaning in that case would not be doubtful. The cherethim were the “cutters down, or cutters off,” sometimes given as “executioners.” But the word was also very commonly applied to the making or “cutting” of a covenant, for which as a whole sometimes the one word stood. That the covenant of the Lord should connect itself with the cutting off of evil can be no mystery to us; and significant it is that it is in turning from the “miry” shores of Asia that Crete presents itself to us. Self-judgment would have been indeed the resource for the Church bemired with the world, and it is no wonder that it should present “Fair Havens” to the buffeted ship, or that the apostle’s advice should be to winter there. Final rest indeed it could not be, but yet quite helpful against winter storm; but the ship of Alexandria, under the guidance of those belonging to it, will not stay there; and Julius of the imperial band, while courteous enough to the apostle, yet approves their choice. Alexandria seems a name peculiarly significant here, and the history of the church shows here indeed how the notion of “Crete” that came from Alexandria would be in grave enough contrast with the apostle’s. “Cutting off” in the shape of asceticism, and even in a covenant form, had indeed its home there. Monasticism in its pseudo-Christian form arose there: a direct descent from heathen principles and practice. “Fair Havens,” with its city of the Rock (as Lasaea seems to mean) near by, did not suit with the ideal of the Alexandrians as Phenice did. Phenice means “palm,” the constant figure of the righteous. Righteousness is not after all found in cutting off, and the city of the Rock intimates the corrective truth, distasteful naturally to the true ascetic. Its ideal is in this way unattainable; and when, mocked by the softness of a favorable south wind, the vessel leaves the harbor that would have saved it, the storm-blast Euroclydon descends upon it, and it is blown out irrevocably from all land.

The wind that now assails the ship is called in most manuscripts Euroclydon, but in the oldest Euraquilo. The one term means “the eastern wave,” referring to the effect upon the water. The latter, the “north-easter;” which has the sanction of most of the editors. The east, as we have seen elsewhere, is the quarter that speaks simply of adversity; the north is that which speaks of darkness, mystery, and spiritual evil. Taking Euraquilo as the best-attested reading, we find it also to be the most significant. It speaks not merely of adversity, but of Satanic influence: in the case of the Church, besides persecution, of evil doctrine; and such were in fact the influences which assailed the early Christians. In the epistle to Smyrna, which stands second in that apocalyptic series in which many have learned to trace the successive stages of the Church’s history, we have on the one hand the ten days of tribulation, the persecution under the Roman emperors, and on the other the blasphemy of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie. Doubtless these work together, as the shout of the hunters, which drives the deer into the trap prepared. Judaism, as we know, favored that fusion with the world as well as those defensive methods which promised best for protection from outside attack; while it was itself the most complete attack upon the vitals of Christianity. And the same two influences are, no doubt, to be seen here in the storm that hunts the Alexandrian vessel to its wreck. We must distinguish, of course, carefully, between that worldly prosperity into which, through all the assaults upon it, the church was steadily rising, and the spiritual wreck to which in this very way it was going on; until under Constantine its pilgrim and heavenly character was exchanged for an opposite one; and the gospel of grace, except perhaps with a few hidden and hunted men, was well nigh gone from the earth. We have the creed of these orthodox Nicene days, and the faith of their most eminent men in various expression, and we know with exactness what they held and taught; their doctrine as to Christ, in general orthodox enough, -as to the gospel, what the extremest ritualism may permit of it: baptism to wash away past sins, and make children of God; penance and priestly absolution, to take away sins afterward; helped, and needing to be helped, by the virtues of the saints, and even their dead bones! That was for the people of ordinary lives; but the religious life, which alone made saints, was to be found in following out what Scripture calls “the doctrines of demons, . . . forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” (1Ti 4:1-3.) This life too was to be spent in deserts, or between monastery or convent walls; and then might attain merit which would help to save other people, -the merit of doing more than it is one’s duty to do.

If scripture in hand we place ourselves in the midst of that flourishing church of the Nicene period, which the hand of Constantine has just liberated from the dungeon to put it upon the throne, -and look at it with the eyes of him who said to the Corinthians, “Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us” (1Co 4:8), we shall no doubt see that, spite of all the seeming prosperity, there has been in fact a change and a loss, such as would imply no less than a shipwreck; while the “honey” of nature’s sweetness enjoyed might make a Melita for the released sufferers. Into the details of the 14 days of storm and drift it is harder to enter by way of exposition. The lack of food we can understand, while yet the wheat was in the ship; the fact of the safety of the voyagers depending upon that Paul whom yet they knew so little; his voice being heard once more as the storm worked on to imminent disaster: surely ears must have been opened to hear it! The shore was won, though the ship had gone to pieces; there was a pause in the progress towards Rome, and a new ship must be found to get there, though of the same Egyptian, Alexandrian build; and then by easier stages, and with fairer weather the end will soon be reached.*&**

{*The details of “the Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul” have been fully examined by Mr. Smith, of Jordanhill, in a well known volume, from which all commentaries since have necessarily borrowed. On this account, and because detail of this kind is outside the purpose and scope of the present work, I have omitted mention of it. He has fully shown the exactness of knowledge which the whole narrative displays, both of the topography of the voyage, and of the navigation of the Ancients. I pass it over with this reference.

**There are many details in the narrative which are doubtless as suggestive of spiritual meaning as those given in the notes. What was the boat, which there was so much difficulty in getting at? What was the small island which proved a temporary shelter? No doubt the helps with which the ship was undergirded suggest the similar means which have been so popular in all ages of holding together from the outside that which has not strength in itself to withstand the storms. Human methods may hold the ship together for a while, but they are but human expedients and tell the tale of weakness most unmistakably. The tackling of the ship points to what might be called the machinery of church life. How often in storms must this tackling prove itself but a menace to safety. No light from heaven shines upon the storm-tossed ship, for they had embarked upon a course of disobedience. -S.R.}

2. The incidents of Paul’s stay at Melita have all one character. They show us how the favor of the islanders was won by the display of divine power acting through him in the setting aside of what was in fact the power of the enemy, but in their minds divine, and in the relief of human suffering. The chief man receives and entertains all Paul’s company. The bearing of all this upon the allegorical meaning is as plain as need be. If we have indeed arrived at that period in the Church’s history when Christianity became the religion of the empire, and the emperor its official head, -when in the thoughts of men it had reached the land of milk and honey, which by the application to themselves of Jewish prophecies they could believe also to be their land of promise, then there is little difficulty in what is before us now. The very acceptance of this new head changed everything, however much the old forms might be maintained, and declared to all who had heart to understand the wreck of all true church principle. It was decisive enough that the first who took this place of ecclesiastical head was a man unconverted, and (what was still more decisive according to the doctrines of the day) unbaptized; baptized at last by a denier of the deity of Christ; the slayer also of his son and of his wife. They had afterwards to invent the fiction of the bath of Constantine to cover what was ecclesiastically the sorest disgrace. Yes, the ship was wrecked, but they had reached nevertheless the land of honey, their Melita. By and by a new ship also would be found to carry them to their destination.

Yet had not in fact the serpent’s power been overcome when the Pontifex Maximus, the head of heathen power, the head that had so recently and fiercely bit at Christianity, and not in vain, was now itself Christian, and putting down heathenism? According to many since, it was the fulfilment of the Apocalyptic story of the Dragon and the Woman, and the Dragon’s being cast out of heaven. Was it not indeed a good that in the seat of widest earthly power the malignant forces of evil should be dispossessed by the healing and life-giving influences of heaven’s sweetest grace? That is what captivates the people of Melita, who see the viper harmless and cast into the fire, and presently experience the mercy of God in the undeniable signs of divine working. Who can deny the blessings thus coming in through that wonderful change which we have been contemplating? So Paul is in the house of Publius, and the new ship is laden with things which are the thankful acknowledgment of benefits received. Yet is Paul after all a prisoner still, and the vessel’s head, at much less distance than before, is pointing towards Rome!

So again we have a ship of Alexandria, and the fresh start is but a continuation of the former voyage. The vessel went under the sign of the Dioscuri, the “sons of Jupiter,” Castor and Pollux, the patron divinities of sailors. Perhaps we may interpret this as showing what is certainly true, that while Jupiter himself may have passed away, the ideas born of heathenism remain to preside over the course of the state-church. The very title of Pontifex Maximus to which reference has been made, was retained by the Christian emperors for some time, and when dropped by them was revived, and at the present time is borne by the pope! It carried with it the claim of chief authority in matters of religion, and it is intended to announce this claim today.

At Syracuse they land and tarry for three days. Syracuse means “dragging unwillingly,” and speaks sufficiently of the exercise of arbitrary power; which Rhegium, a “forcing the way through,” intensifies. It is singular at least, that here the Dioscuri, who presided over the vessel’s course, were again the patron-divinities. Puteoli ends the voyage, and takes its name from the thirty-three mineral “wells” that were there, or else from their ill-odor. Puteoli was the chief harbor of Rome, although some distance from the city. Here they found brethren, with whom at their solicitation Paul was able to stay seven days; “and so we came to Rome.” The market place and the taverns complete the journey -morally, as in fact; though here also we have the meeting of the apostle with the Roman brethren.

In all this the tracing of historical fulfilment may be little detailed, but the general character of the period between the state-church and the church-state is sufficiently shown. Violence, breach of faith, pretentious assumption, characterize it; the malodorous wells (of error introduced) bring us nearly to Rome itself, though the traffic of the market and the dissipation of the tavern are needed touches to the picture. Even here Paul’s heart is cheered as he looks upon the brethren; and prisoner as he is, he thanks God and takes courage. This is always the style of God’s precious book: His “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” rings throughout it. The head hung down means only unbelief, and it is not in this way that Paul enters the miscalled “eternal city.” All things that are seen are temporal; “things which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, God hath revealed unto us by His Spirit.”

3. There is yet a brief closing portion, which has a sorrowful yet tender interest for us. Once more we are made to see how, spite of all that he has experienced at their hands, the heart of Paul -in this not unlike his blessed Master surely -clings still to Israel. Three days only elapse after he has reached Rome when he sends for the chief of the Jews, to explain his position to them. They have forced him to appeal to Caesar; but he has no thought to appear before him as the accuser of his nation. Accuse them he cannot, while it is their hope of which he is partaker; and on account of that hope he is bound with that chain.

To which they reply that they have heard no evil of him; but that they have heard of the Christian sect as that which everywhere is spoken against. They would fain hear therefore from his lips an account of what he believes. Upon which a day is set, and they come to his lodging; and there from morning to evening he expounds, as only he among men perhaps could, the whole matter from their own scriptures, law and prophets. The result is the same as ever: “some assented to the things that were said, and some disbelieved.” On the whole there is clearly rejection, and Paul has to leave them under the burden which the Spirit through Isaiah had long ago pronounced with regard to them. Alas, they would not be healed, but deliberately sealed up their eyes and ears against conviction. Yet they cannot prevent the outflow of a grace which will not be content to have no response from men to His long labor of love. Nay, if Israel values it not, there are others who need it. “Be it known to you therefore that this salvation of God is sent unto the nations; and they will hear it.”

Yet his position at that moment was, as we have seen, a sad prognostication that as to the Gentiles also their reception of the divine message will allow no boast over the insensate Jew. Rome is the fatal word that epitomizes their history; and not Rome pagan, but Rome papal. We may refuse in our pride to accept such a sentence, -we with our three hundred years since for us Rome’s yoke was broken. Yes, and whither are we tending now? But the true answer is, not in any prophesying of our own, but in the statement of the conditions which we are under as those who have taken place and responsibilities of Israel’s broken off branches as the people of God today; and these conditions the apostle Paul himself has stated for us (Rom 11:18-22): “Boast not against the branches; but if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee goodness, if thou continue in His goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” Now Rome with its claim to be the Catholic Church today, whatever abatement we may justly insist on as to this, is at least a positive proof that the Gentile body as such has not “continued” in the goodness of God. It is useless to talk of reformation and recovery: all that is but confession that the body has not continued. It is useless to plead that Rome is an apostate: apostasy is the plainest possible non-continuance. Thank God for all whom His mercy has saved from complicity with its wickedness! but the salvation of individuals, however much it may mean for them, is by no means the salvation of the Gentile body, which has had its trial, and is to be set aside. This is, I doubt not, why the Acts ends with Rome: it is the complete forecast of the issue in responsibility; although we have for this to look beyond the literal history which is but the foreshadow, to that which it has been overruled to express. It is thus like the epistles to the seven churches, which were, as we know, actually existent, and in the condition which the epistles depict at the time when these were written, yet were similarly overruled to give us the full-length history of the Church till Christ’s coming again.

We are left with a touching yet cheering picture of the apostle’s position in a hostile world in which nevertheless God acts still as He will, making the wrath of man to praise Him and restraining the remainder of it. The minister of Christ is fettered; the word of God not bound. And yet to common eyes this too might seem to be. Faith is needed everywhere, for God seeks and delights in faith; yet “of Him, and through Him, and for Him are all things; to whom be glory for ever” (Rom 11:36).

Fuente: Grant’s Numerical Bible Notes and Commentary

A PRISONER AT ROME

The reader is urged to add to the interest of this lesson by the further use of the map. The sea journey is marked by different stages, from:

Adramyttium to Myra (Act 27:1-5), Myra to the Fair Havens (Act 27:6-8), Fair havens to Melita or Malta (Act 27:6 to Act 28:1), Melita to Syracuse (Act 28:2-12), Syracuse to Rhegium, Puteoli and Rome (Act 28:13-15).

The most interesting stage is the third, which covers the shipwreck. In all classic literature there is nothing which gives so much information of the working of an ancient ship. Moreover, historical research has confirmed the facts of the chapter and identified the scene of the wreck. The narrative has often been used in an allegorical sense to portray the history of the church, and also the history of the salvation of a single soul, but we have no time to enter into this. Frank Gaebelein has a striking observation on Pauls warning to the centurion and the shipmaster (Act 27:9-11), saying:

We can think of other warnings given through the great apostle, warnings concerning the spiritual dangers, the apostasy of the last days, the perilous times of seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. The professing church has forgotten these, for which she is drifting cast about by every wind of doctrine and rapidly nearing the long-predicted shipwreck.

Alas! how true this is!

The phrase barbarous people (Act 28:2), is not to be understood as meaning savages, but simply foreigners to the Greeks. All who did not speak their language were called barbarians. What a striking fulfillment of Mar 16:18 is found in Act 28:2-6! Read Act 28:15-16 in comparison with Rom 1:11-13, written years before, and be impressed with the different way in which Paul entered Rome from that which he expected. Note in Act 28:17 how consistent is his method of preaching the Gospel with the principle he laid down in Rom 1:16, to the Jew first. Note too, his quotation of Isa 6:9-10, when the Jews turned their back upon his message, and how sadly those words of the prophet have been fulfilled in the history of their nation from that day to this. But the latter part of Romans 11 should be read in the same connection, to learn what Gods gracious purpose is for that same people in the time to come. Act 28:28 marks a larger beginning of the world-wide proclamation of the salvation of God among the nations. This proclamation however will one day close as Romans 11 foretells, when it will have come to pass that they too have judged themselves unworthy of eternal life.

Paul is now a prisoner in Rome where he remains for two years actively engaged not only in preaching the gospel by word of mouth, but expounding its deeper truths through the epistles he wrote from his prison house to the churches of Ephesus, Colosse and Philippi. There is reason to believe from his later pastoral epistles that he was liberated after his hearing before the Emperor, and once more took up his itinerary among the churches and in unevangelized parts. He was arrested a second time however, as we may gather from the same sources, when, according to tradition, he was beheaded in Rome for his testimony to the Gospel and the Savior he loved.

QUESTIONS

1. Name the stages of Pauls sea journey.

2. How is the word barbarous explained?

3. Have you read the latter part of Romans 11?

4. What church epistles were written from Rome by Paul?

5. What have history and tradition to say concerning the subsequent life of this great apostle?

Fuente: James Gray’s Concise Bible Commentary

The time being now come for the fulfilling of God’s purpose and determinate counsel concerning Paul, recorded Be of good cheer, Paul, as thou hast testified of me at Jerusalem, so shalt thou bear witness also at Rome. Act 23:11

Pursuant to this purpose of God, Festus the Roman governor delivers the apostle and his associates, Luke, Timothy, and Aristarchus, to Julius, in order to their sending, with several other prisoners, who probably were great malefactors, to the city and court of Rome, where all appeals made to the Roman emperor were heard and determined before himself.

Now here we have observable, 1. The person whom the apostle was delivered to: Julius, a very civil person to the apostle, who suffered him to see and receive the civilities of his friends. Thus God raises up his people friends in the midst of their sufferings, and when persecutors send his saints to prison, he will provide keepers for their turn. Julius, an heathen soldier, was kinder to him than his own countrymen the Jews.

Observe, 2. The villianous company of malefactors and prisoners that the innocent apostle was packed with, They delivered Paul, and certain other prisoners, to Julius. Saints and sinners, good and bad, innocent and nocent, share together in the same outward miseries: but though they be thus jumbled together in this world, (where all things come alike to all,) yet the righteous Judge will make a difference between them in the other world, according to their works.

Observe, 3. Though the apostle was thus yoked with malefactors and criminals in the ship, yet God favoured him with some companions which were according to his heart’s desire; namely, his dear associates, St. Luke, Timothy, and Aristarchus. It is a great comfort to the afflicted to have good companions in their afflictions; Optimum Solatium est Sodalitium.

But above all, it was the happiness of the apostle that he enjoyed the presence of God with him in so comfortable a manner, in and under all his sufferings, according to his promise, I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee. Act 18:10

The gracious special presence of God with his children and people, is a sure and sufficient support unto them in and under all the difficulties and trials, which his wisdom seeth fit to exercise and try them with.

Observe, 4. What an additional favour it was from God, that St. Paul found friends in Sidon, such saints as he could comfortably converse with, and receive refreshments from, even needful accommodations for his tedious voyage.

Learn hence, That God’s care of, his compassion towards, and provision for, his children and people, is universal and perpetual, at all times and in all places.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Travelling in a Ship of Adramyttium

Though no guilt had been ascribed to Paul, he had appealed to Caesar. So, Festus, along with Agrippa and Bernice, delivered the apostle and some other prisoners into the hands of a centurion named Julius. Luke went along on this journey to Italy and noted the officer was of the Augustan Regiment, which Ash says was a tenth part of a legion of 6,000 soldiers. The ship they boarded was either flagged out of Adramyttium, located in northwest Turkey, or it was bound there. In either case, Luke told Theophilus that Aristarchus, whose home was in Thessalonica, was with them ( Act 27:1-2 ; Act 19:29 ; Act 20:4 ; Col 4:10 ).

Their first stop was in Sidon, where Julius gave Paul the special privilege of visiting his friends and being refreshed by them. Rather than sailing due west against the wind, the ship’s captain sailed northward, using Cyprus as a shelter. The next stop, Myra in Lycia, was frequently used as a port in the Egyptian wheat trade, so Julius looked for a ship bound for Rome ( Act 27:3-5 ).

Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books

Act 27:1-2. When it was determined that we should sail into Italy The apostle having, by appeal, transferred his cause to the emperor, Festus determined to send him to Italy by sea, as being a shorter and less expensive passage to Rome; and for that purpose delivered him, with certain other persons, who were also to be judged at Rome, to one Julius, a centurion of the Italian legion. All these prisoners, with the soldiers who guarded them, went aboard a ship of Adramyttium, a seaport of Mysia, and sailed from Cesarea in the autumn of A.D. 62. From the history here, it appears that the messengers of the churches, who accompanied Paul into Judea with the collections, (Act 21:4,) were not intimidated by the evils which the Jewish rage brought upon him in Jerusalem. For, while he continued there, they remained with him; and when he was sent a prisoner to Cesarea, they followed him thither, and in both places, doubtless, ministered to him, and perhaps attended him on his trials. And when it was determined to send him to Italy, two at least of these affectionate friends went in the same ship with him; namely, Luke, the writer of this book, as appears from his style here, and Aristarchus, a Thessalonian.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

XXVII: 1, 2. Not long after the interview with Agrippa, Paul saw an immediate prospect of departing upon his long-purposed voyage to Rome. The answer to his prayers was about to be realized, and the promise made him by night in the prison of Claudius Lysias that he should yet testify of Jesus in Rome as he had done in Jerusalem, was about to be fulfilled. This was being accomplished, not by any direct divine interference, but by a providential combination of circumstances. The machinations of the Jews, the corruption of Felix, the indecision of Festus, the prudence of Paul, and the Roman statute in behalf of citizens, had all most strangely, yet most naturally, combined to fulfill a promise of God made in answer to prayer. (1) And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort, named Julius. (2) And embarking on a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, intending to sail to places along the coast of Asia, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. Here, again, we find the significant we of Luke, showing that he was again in Paul’s company. The last time we met with this term was upon the arrival of the apostolic company in Jerusalem. He had probably not been far from Paul during the two years of imprisonment in Csarea, and was now permitted to accompany him to Rome. Aristarchus was also a voluntary companion of the prisoner, as we infer from the manner in which his name is mentioned. There were, however, other prisoners on board.

As the ship belonged to Adramyttium, which is on the coast of Mysia, it was now homeward bound, and was not expected to take the prisoners further than its own destination. But as they were about to touch at several places along the coast of Asia, they could calculate upon falling in with some vessel bound for Rome.

Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)

Acts Chapter 27

His innocence fully established and acknowledged by his judges, the purposes of God must still be accomplished. His appeal to Caesar must carry him to Rome, that he may bear testimony there also. In his position here he again resembles Jesus. But at the same time, if we compare them, the servant, blessed as he is, grows dim, and is eclipsed before Christ, so that we could no longer think of him. Jesus offered Himself up in grace; He appealed to God only; He answered but to bear testimony to the truth-that truth was the glory of His Person, His own rights, humbled as He was. His Person shines out through all the dark clouds of human violence, which could have had no power over Him had it not been the moment for thus fulfilling the will of God. For that purpose He yields to power given them from above. Paul appeals to Caesar. He is a Roman-a human dignity conferred by man, and available before men; he uses it for himself, God thus accomplishing His purposes. The one is blessed, and his services; the other is perfect, the perfect subject of the testimony itself.

Nevertheless, if there is no longer the free service of the Holy Ghost for Paul, and if he is a prisoner in the hands of the Romans, his soul at least is filled with the Spirit. Between him and God all is liberty and joy. All this shall turn to his salvation, that is, to his definitive victory, in his contest with Satan. How blessed! Through the communications of the Spirit of Jesus Christ the word of God shall not be bound. Others shall gain strength and liberty in view of his bonds, even although, in the low state of the church, some take advantage of them. But Christ will be preached and magnified, and with that Paul is content. Oh how true this is, and the perfect joy of the heart, come what may! We are the subjects of grace (God be praised!), as well as instruments of grace in service. Christ alone is its object, and God secures His glory-nothing more is needed: this itself is our portion and our perfect joy.

It will be remarked in this interesting history, that at the moment when Paul might have been the most troubled, when his course was perhaps the least evidently according to the power of the Spirit, when he brought disorder into the council by using arguments which afterwards he hesitates himself entirely to justify-it is then that the Lord, full of grace, appears to him to encourage and strengthen him. The Lord, who formerly had told him at Jerusalem to go away because they would not receive his testimony, who had sent him warnings not to go thither, but who accomplished His own purposes of grace in the infirmity and through the human affections of His servant, by their means even, exercising at the same time His wholesome discipline in His divine wisdom by these same means-Jesus appears to him to tell him that, as he had testified of Him at Jerusalem, so should he bear witness at Rome also. This is the way that the Lord interprets in grace the whole history, at the moment when His servant might have felt all that was painful in his position, perhaps have been overwhelmed by it, remembering that the Spirit had forbidden him to go up; for, when in trial, a doubt is torment. The faithful and gracious Saviour intervenes therefore to encourage Paul, and to put His own interpretation on the position of His poor servant, and to mark the character of His love for him. If it was necessary to exercise discipline for his good on account of his condition and to perfect him, Jesus was with him in the discipline. Nothing more touching than the tenderness, the opportuneness, of this grace. Moreover, as we have said, it all accomplished the purposes of God with regard to the Jews, to the Gentiles, to the world. For God can unite in one dispensation the most various ends.

And now, restored, reanimated by grace, Paul shews himself in his journey to be master of the position. It is he who counsels, according to the communication he receives from God, he who encourages, he who acts, in every way, on Gods part, in the midst of the scene around him. The description, full of life and reality, which Luke his companion, gives of this voyage, needs no comment. It is admirable as a living picture of the whole scene. Our concern is to see what Paul was amid the false confidence, or the distress of the whole company.

Fuente: John Darby’s Synopsis of the New Testament

PAULS VOYAGE AND SHIPWRECK

1-44. Fortunately Paul is committed to the Roman centurion Julius of the imperial cohort, who, in the finale also shows up a very beautiful character for gentility, so yielding to the Holy Spirit and to Gods Providence as to become the staunch friend and protector of his Apostolical prisoner.

Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament

Act 27:2. Adramyttium, a town of Egypt, at the eastern mouth of the Nile; also a town of Mysia of the same name, where the ship touched.

One Aristarchus, a Macedonian, being with us. The numeral adjective injudiciously supplied, degrades him: one Aristarchus. Better as the vulgate, and persevering with us was Aristarchus: or as all the versions read, having, or entering with us. He was a Greek by name and by birth, had laboured two years with Paul at Ephesus, and had nearly lost his life when Paul, speaking after the manner of men, fought with beasts in that city. He accompanied Paul to Rome, as in Act 19:29; Act 20:4. He was also a minister in that city, and sustained imprisonment there for a time. Col 4:10. Calmet adds, that he was bishop of Apamea in Syria, and finally suffered martyrdom with Paul at Rome, under Nero.

Act 27:7. Salmone, a promontory of Crete, according to Tremellius, on the east of the island.

Act 27:8. The fair havens are a port lying on the north of Crete, and was open to Levanters, or Euroclydion tempests.

Act 27:9. The fast was now already past. The great day, or anniversary of the atonement, the tenth day of the seventh month. See the calendar in Exodus 12. Lev 23:27. Isaiah 58. The jews this day wore white garments, and wept for their sins.

Act 27:10. Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt, and much damage. It is dangerous to touch the Lords anointed, or to treat them with injustice and cruelty. Heaven would chastise the wrongs done to Paul; and the ship was made a total wreck. Satan wished to destroy the three ambassadors of Christ, who would raise the infant church of Rome to glory, but he was disappointed. The centurion honoured Paul as a great and good man, but did not believe in him as a prophet.

Act 27:14. Euroclydon. St. Luke, according to the Alexandrian copy, is supposed to have written, , a north-east wind. Jerome reads, qui vocatur euro-aquilo, which is called a burning north wind, a wind of Typhon; a levanter, as described by Dr. Edward Clarke, our accredited traveller, and quoted on Psa 48:7.

Act 27:15. When the ship was caught in the tempest, we let her drive, which was the easiest method to weather the gale.

Act 27:17. Undergirding the ship with ropes to hold her together, that she might make less water, and to prevent the starting of the planks. Add to this, they lightened the vessel by throwing much of the cargo and tackling of the ship into the sea. Sic jubet necessitas, durum telum: so necessity required, a hard weapon.

Act 27:31. Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Persons in danger must be calm, have presence of mind, and use all lawful means of safety. He who loses his courage in the time of danger is hardly worth saving. A sailor-boy, during a wreck, once threw himself into the sea, and pleasantly said, I am cruising about to seek a better berth.

Act 27:34. There shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you, the Saviour having especially repeated his promise to Paul. Mat 10:30. Luk 12:7. Assuredly the angels of God had charge of this ship, to punish the crew, to destroy their goods, and save their lives, solely for the sake of Paul, that they might instruct tyrants on the danger of persecuting the church. But when our Saviour made the above promise, it was understood of a special preservation only till their work should be done, for he told the sons of Zebedee that they should drink of his cup; and Peter, that he should be bound and led to martyrdom. Good men sometimes fall that all may watch.

REFLECTIONS.

How strange is life, how uncertain are its vicissitudes. Here is a most faithful servant of the Lord, excelling the world in worth, hurried away in chains to an unknown land, and before pagan tribunals. All his spiritual children in the east, dear as his own bowels, he must never see again; no, nor water the yet tender plants of grace. But why do I feel emotions? It is thy pleasure, oh Holy One. We too, like him, are all embarked in the voyage of life. Of the places and persons most dear to us we are losing sight, and shall see them no more. Our hopes and our treasures are all in the ship. Henceforth may our expectations and our hearts be in a better country; and let us pray for those we leave behind.

In the voyage of life, we embark with a mixed multitude. Paul was accompanied by Luke, his faithful friend, and by Aristarchus, another minister of Christ, who had not flinched in the time of tumult. The centurion was also a man of probity and honour, and exhibited marks of reverence for God; the rest, two hundred and seventy six in all, were of various nations, and mostly wicked men. So it is now: those who are faithful in temptations hour are truly few, and the wicked are a great company.

In the voyage of life we are, like the mariners, exposed to tempests, dangers, and shipwreck. Who can count the natural, the civil, and moral disasters of our passage to another world?

In danger, men must use all lawful means of safety. When the heavens grew black, when the hurricanes blew, when the waves washed the decks, and when the labouring ship admitted the water at every plank, the crew begirt her with ropes, and threw much of the cargo into the sea. Let all men, trembling at first, learn to become great in danger: and even when all hope is apparently gone, let the soul compose itself with the calm dignity of prudence, for providence often sends unexpected aid. But here virtue alone is great, and vice, though bold for awhile, betrays a criminal soul in the issue. Good men only are great in the time of danger, being cheered by the presence of God and his angels, while the wicked are abandoned to gloom and despair. Paul, when his advice was rejected, had confidence that all things would work together for good to him and his cause, and awaited the issue with a patient calm. But the wicked were affrighted with a thousand fears; their crimes came to their remembrance, and their apprehensions were renewed by every incident of encreasing danger. Nor was it a small reproach to have believed the nautical opinion of the captain, in preference to the divine admonition of Paul. So in the day of visitation sinners will be pierced with anguish for the contempt they have evinced to sermons, and all divine admonitions; yea, God himself will upbraid them with rejecting his calls, and refusing his reproofs. Pro 1:25.

The devotion of wicked men in a time of danger is of a doubtful nature. It is, in the most candid view, an untried devotion. These seamen, these soldiers, and this mixed multitude, had for fourteen days lived on the brink of a watery grave, and their danger daily encreased. For fourteen days they had fasted and prayed, eating but once in the day. For fourteen days they had been instructed by the greatest apostle of Christ, and by two other most admirable men. And were they not all converted, all sanctified, and become the best of saints? You shall hear. The sailors, knowing nothing but self-love, were about to steal the boat, and leave the poor unskilful passengers to the mercy of the waves. The soldiers, no better, but rather worse, agreed to kill the prisoners, lest they should be punished for letting them escape. Thus when the ship had taken ground in a cove, and when the danger was past, their devotion was no more. And are all thy hopes, oh procrastinating sinner, deferred to a deathbed repentance? Then thou also wilt be a hypocrite on the verge of the grave, and thy repentance will resemble the fastings of these ungodly men.

But the wicked we see are often spared for the sake of the good. Had Paul and his brother ministers not been in this ship, perished they surely had: for God said to Paul, Lo, I have given thee all the souls that sail with thee in the ship. Happy is the man for whom prayer is made; he may yet live, he may yet be saved.

The distressed condition in which this wrecked and weather-beaten crew reached the shore, may remind us that it is with wading through the Jordan, with many throes and conflicts of fainting nature, that saints sometimes reach the celestial shore. No matter, if we may but all escape safe to land. However, it often pleases God that Jordan divides, and we pass over dryshod. Sometimes a saint, like Moses, dies on the mountain top. In reality it is then not dying, but living. We leave the shell below, and spread our wings in the regions of liberty and of life. Or, in a moral view, if we improve this landing of St. Paul, of a deliverance from sickness and danger; let us learn of him to improve our future life to greater holiness and usefulness in the Lord. Let us be instructed that all things waste with time, and that the things of eternity alone are realities, and worthy of our whole heart.

Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Acts 27. Pauls Journey to Rome.[103]

[103] On the whole chapter see The Voyage and Shipwreck of S. Paul. by James Smith, 1848; a book full of valuable information on the whole subject.

Act 27:1-8. To Crete.Hero we again reach the Travel-document, which accompanies us to Act 28:16. There is evidence of an Augustan cohort in Syria. A coasting vessel is taken for the first part of the voyage. For Aristarchus, see Act 19:29, Act 20:4. The voyage eastwards (Act 21:3) passed to the S. of Cyprus; this time the northern route is taken, on account of the W. wind which prevails in the Levant in summer. On reaching the coast of Asia Minor local land breezes carried the ship more slowly westward, the voyage to Myra (Act 21:1*) is said in various MSS to have taken 15 days. The W. wind would enable the corn ship (Act 27:38), in which the voyage was continued, to cross the Mediterranean from Alexandria direct to Myra, and it would coast from there along Asia Minor; this was the normal voyage in those days. Progress was slow from Myra to the longitude of Cnidus, the wind being still from the W., and from there the shelter of the S. of Crete was sought, as that wind allowed. Salmone is the NE. point of Crete, on rounding which it was possible, though not easy, to coast along westwards. Fair Havens is a bay sheltered from the W. and the N. winds, and the last shelter in this voyage from the W. wind.

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

The journey to Rome has been seen as a striking picture of the history of the church publicly in its earlier years, with its rapid decline and eventual shipwreck. Paul is on board, but a prisoner, indicating that the truth he proclaimed was not given the liberty that is properly due to it, though there is some measure of respect for him. The end of the journey (and the end of Acts) sees Paul a prisoner in Rome itself, as in the great Roman church Paul’s ministry has been confined severely for centuries, though he himself is given some measure of honor. Though Paul is emphatically “minister” of the truth of the body of Christ, the church (Col 1:24-25), yet that which professes to be the one church confines his ministry in such a way that it is ineffective so far as that church is concerned.

In verse 1 the word “we” is of precious interest. Luke has identified himself with Paul the prisoner, as we see he also did later when Paul was about to be offered (2Ti 4:6; 2Ti 4:11). Paul and other prisoners are put in custody of a centurion named Julius, who proves to be a considerate man. They find a ship that is expected to sail by way of the Asian coast. Aristarchus of Thessalonica is mentioned as being with them, no doubt a believer also who willingly identified himself with Paul. The ship stopping briefly at Sidon the next day, Julius showed remarkable kindness to Paul in allowing him to visit with his friends in the city. He evidently saw in Paul a character sufficiently trustworthy that he had no fears of his trying to escape.

Leaving Sidon, the ship carrying Paul and his company was required to change its plan of sailing close to the Asian coast because of contrary northerly winds, and sailed more westward on the south side of Cyprus. From there they travelled northwest to the Asian coast, arriving at Myra, a city of Lycia. Here they changed ships, the centurion finding an Alexandrian vessel due to sail to Italy. In trying to remain close to the coast, progress was slow, however, and many days elapsed in sailing about 100 miles. They still wanted to sail toward the northwest, but evidently headwinds prevented this, so that they turned southward and sailed around the east end of Crete and turned westward along its south coast. The sailing was hard there, but they finally arrived at a promontory of the island where they stopped in a small harbor called Fair Havens.

In all of this we are surely taught that much of the church’s history has been influenced by the winds of circumstance. How often we too have found contrary winds that cause us to take a course much longer than we desire.

Because of unfavorable weather, time lengthens out, and with winter approaching, sailing was threatened by serious danger. Paul respectfully warned the centurion and the captain and owner of the ship that he perceived (not by distinct revelation, but by wisdom that perceived when danger threatened) that to proceed then would result in much damage to the ship and danger to their lives. However, both the captain and the owner were anxious to go on, and the centurion accepted their judgment, specially since Fair Havens was a small port, and Phenice, about forty miles further up the coast, would suit them much better. This has been an attitude repeated far too often in the history of the church. Though Paul’s ministry has warned us of the dangers in the path, yet, instead of being content to wait on God while in confined circumstances, we act in view of finding better circumstances and run headlong into trouble.

The south wind blew softly. Outwardly the prospect seemed favorable, for the wind would keep them near the coast since they would be traveling northwest. All began well: they sailed close to Crete. But depending on present appearances is not depending on the Lord: in fact He had already spoken through Paul. When God has given His word, all rationalizing is disobedience to Him.

A violent change very soon took place. A northeast wind, Euraquillo as is understood by translators the most tempestuous known on the Mediterranean, arose with terrible fury. This drove the sailing vessel far off course, away from the Isle of Crete. It was impossible even to tack: they had to let the wind drive them toward Clauda, an island to the southwest, which they skirted on the south side. Luke mentions the difficulty with which they secured the lifeboat, which evidently was in danger of being swept overboard. In fact, it proved of no value to them anyway! We spend time and effort on human expedients to insure against possible danger, while the best insurance, obedience to God’s word, we forget!

Using helps, they undergirded the ship, which is apparently called “trapping,” done by passing cables around the ship to preserve it intact against the force of the waves. They lowered the gear also, which does not mean totally leaving themselves without sail, but with some lowered sail left they would at least have some measure of control remaining. Yet they were driven. The next day they lightened the ship by throwing overboard its cargo — not all of it, for there was wheat at least left (v.38). The day following they threw out those furnishings of the ship that could be spared. Do we not see implicit in this the effort to preserve the church from ruin by means of giving up some of the valuable blessings with which the grace of God has blessed her?

This continued for many days with no glimpse of the sun or stars, no light from heaven to either cheer them or give guidance. Typically speaking, no doubt at the period of the church’s history of which this is typical, many felt that they had been forgotten by God, but it was their own neglect of dependence on God that had brought them to this. They come to the point of despair as to the possibility of being saved from a watery grave.

Through all the time of the tumultuous tempest until everything seemed totally hopeless, Paul had restrained himself from speaking his mind about the matter; but finally boldly drew the attention of the crew, respectfully reminding them that they ought to have listened to his counsel before, yet not in an arrogant way, but in kindness encouraging them to take courage, for he assures them that none of their lives would be lost, though the ship would be. He speaks with fullest confidence that God had revealed this through His angel. The interest of God in that ship was mainly because of His servant being on board: that servant, Paul, must eventually stand before Caesar. Divine wisdom had ordained that this great man must hear the gospel through God’s imprisoned servant. But it was added that God had given him all that sailed with him: their lives would be spared because of Paul’s presence on the ship. Is there not here an indication that the ministry of Paul is a wonderful preservative for the saints of God though the outward testimony of the church is reduced to ruins?

His words to them are full of refreshing encouragement in contrast to the despair that others were so keenly feeling, for he says, “I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me.” Whatever the causes of discouragement, this is the precious basis of all encouragement. However, he tells them that they would be “cast upon a certain island,” a very descriptive phrase in view of what actually happened.

The ordeal continued until the fourteenth night, and it was a virtual miracle that all should survive through this. About midnight the sailors sensed that they were nearing land. Their soundings confirmed this, and fearing the possibility of shipwreck on the rocks, they threw Out four anchors. Other than in this chapter, we read of an anchor only Heb 6:19; but there the anchor is secured within the veil where Christ has entered. The anchor is our hope in Him, both sure and steadfast. In this case they later cut the anchors off and wrecked the ship (vs.40-41).

The sailors however lowered the lifeboat, wanting to give the impression that they were going to secure the bow of the ship by anchors, but with the intention of rowing to shore themselves. Paul discerned this and warned the centurion and soldiers that it was necessary that all must remain in the ship if they were to be saved at all. On this occasion the centurion believed Paul: experience had taught him enough for this. The soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat and the sailors had no time to board it. Typically, does this not tell us that deserting the testimony of the church is no remedy for its condition?

Day being about to break, Paul urged all on board to eat, since they had not done so for the fourteen days of violent weather. Because of troubles through which the church passes too, we neglect the feeding of our souls on the truth of the Word of God. In view of such a condition as 2nd Timothy contemplates, Paul also tells Timothy, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth” (2Ti 2:15). Let us take Paul’s words to heart. He accompanies this exhortation by the assurance that God would preserve all of them, certainly a hint of the eternal security of all true believers. Before them all he then took bread and gave thanks to God. His doing this, and himself eating, encouraged them all to eat also.

The number of people on the ship is recorded here — 276. If all the soldiers under the centurion were on board, this would be 100. Therefore there were many passengers besides, including Luke and Aristarchus as well as the prisoners and of course the sailors. When all had eaten sufficient, the remaining cargo of wheat was thrown overboard to lighten the ship.

Daylight gave them no recognition of the land to which they had been driven, and they had no idea where they were. However they found themselves near the mouth of a creek bounded by shores rather than rocky crags, a convenient place for them to run the ship aground. If the weather had been favorable they may have tried proceeding along the shore to see if they could find a landing, but they were no longer inclined to battle with the wind and waves nor to risk the danger of being wrecked on the rocks.

After so traumatic an ordeal the captain of the ship had no hesitation in beaching it. They cut off the anchors and left them in the sea. Also loosening the lashings that had kept the rudders from movement and running up the foresail, they used the power of the wind to drive them as forcibly as possible toward the beach. The ship grounded in a place where two currents met and the prow stuck and remained unmoveable. The violence of the two contrary currents was directed against the stern, causing it to break up.

The cruel suggestion of the soldiers that the prisoners should be killed was forbidden by the centurion because of his regard for Paul. He gave orders that those who could swim should get to land that way, while the rest used boards or other paraphernalia of the ship to support themselves in the water. Paul’s words were fulfilled in all getting safely to land.

Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible

Verse 1

Augustus’ band; a body of the Roman army,–this name being a title of distinction.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

27:1 And {1} when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto [one] named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band.

(1) Paul, with many other prisoners and through the midst of many deaths, is brought to Rome, but yet by God’s own hand as it were, and set forth and commended to the world with many singular testimonies.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

4. Ministry on the way to Rome 27:1-28:15

For a number of reasons Luke seems to have described this stage of the gospel expansion in detail. He evidently wanted to demonstrate God’s protection of Paul, to illustrate the increasingly Gentile nature of gospel expansion, and to document the sovereign Lord’s building of His church.

"Ever since the purpose of going to Rome had been planted in Paul’s mind by the Holy Spirit, his plans had been formulated with that goal in view (Act 19:21). No warnings of dangers to come could make him deviate from that ultimate aim, nor from the intermediate stages (Macedonia, Achaia, Jerusalem). The intervening weeks had stretched into months and then into years, and Paul had been confronted with one crisis after another, but he had divine assurance that Rome would yet be reached (Act 23:11). The means were not what Paul could have foreseen nor what he might have chosen, but God was in control and the apostle was fully willing to leave the details in His hands." [Note: Kent, p. 184.]

God led Luke to record Paul’s journey to Rome in a way that is very similar to the biblical record of Jonah’s journey. He may have done this so Luke’s readers would note these similarities and connect the purposes for both journeys, namely, the salvation of lost Gentiles.

The amount of detail in this section also raises the possibility that Luke, as a good storyteller, was building to his climax by emphasizing the improbability of Paul ever reaching Rome. He probably did this to produce a feeling of great relief and satisfaction in the reader when Paul finally did get there. Ancient Greek novelists often used this literary device for this purpose. Storms and shipwrecks were favorite obstacles heroes had to overcome to win their prizes, as in Homer’s Odyssey, for example. Luke purposely built to his climax in this section as he did in his Gospel. There he described in detail Jesus’ final trip to Jerusalem and His last days there, a feature peculiar to the third Gospel. [Note: See the map of Paul’s journey to Rome in Longenecker, "The Acts . . .," p. 251, or in Toussaint, "Acts," p. 425.]

"The story is told with such a wealth of detail that in all classical literature there is no passage which gives us so much information about the working of an ancient ship." [Note: Rackham, p. 476.]

This story also throws more light on the personality and character of Paul. Though he was a prisoner, he became the leader and savior of all those who travelled with him. Though he was weak, God made him strong (cf. 2Co 12:9-10). He was God’s man, the Holy Spirit working in and through him, for the blessing of everyone he touched. Paul is the main subject. Some people on the trip even concluded that he was a god (Act 28:6; cf. Luk 8:25; Luk 23:47).

Toward the end of the nineteenth century a group of Scottish unbelievers decided to expose errors in the Bible. They designated one of their number to visit all the places Luke mentioned that Paul visited with a view to proving the record in Acts inaccurate. The man chosen was Sir William Ramsay who, after thorough study of the matter, concluded that Luke was accurate in every detail. [Note: Ironside, Lectures on . . ., pp. 618-19.] Ramsay became a Christian and wrote several books on Acts and Paul in defense of God’s Word, some of which appear in the bibliography of these notes.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

The voyage from Caesarea to Crete 27:1-8

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

Luke appears to have remained with Paul from the time he left Philippi on his third missionary journey (Act 20:5). He may have ministered to him during his entire two-year detention at Caesarea. We know he travelled with Paul to Rome (Act 28:16). Here begins the longest of the four "we" sections of Acts, Act 27:1 to Act 28:16 (cf. Act 16:10-17; Act 20:5-15; Act 21:1-18).

"For the sake of the credibility of his work as a piece of Greek history writing, at some point Luke needed to be able not merely to claim but demonstrate that he had participated in at least some of the events he chronicled." [Note: Witherington, p. 755.]

Scholars have not been able to identify the Augustan Cohort (a battalion of 1,000 soldiers, cf. Act 21:31) with certainty. Some of them believe this was the cohort responsible for communications and service between the emperor and his provincial armies. [Note: E.g., Ramsay, St. Paul . . ., p. 315.] However this group may not have been in existence this early in Roman history. [Note: Longenecker, "The Acts . . .," p. 557.] Since "Augustan" was a title of honor that the government gave to several cohorts, this simply may have been one of the Augustan cohorts that was based in the Syrian province. [Note: Bruce, Commentary on . . ., p. 500.] These Augustan cohorts served various police and judicial functions. [Note: Longenecker, "The Acts . . .," p. 558.]

Since he was a Roman citizen who had appealed to Caesar, Paul would have enjoyed greater privileges than the other regular prisoners. Julius was another centurion (cf. Cornelius, ch. 10; Act 22:26; Act 24:23) who demonstrated fairness, consideration, and mercy, as this story will show. Adramyttium was a seaport of Mysia, opposite the island of Lesbos, 110 miles north of Ephesus. Sidon stood on the Mediterranean seacoast about 70 miles north of Caesarea.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

Chapter 18

IN PERILS ON THE SEA.

Act 27:1-3; Act 28:16

THIS chapter terminates our survey of the Acts of the Apostles, and leads us at the same time to contemplate the Apostle of the Gentiles in a new light as a traveller and as a prisoner, in both which aspects he has much to teach us. When St. Paul was despatched to the judgment-seat of Caesar from the port of Caesarea, he had arrived at the middle of his long captivity. Broadly speaking, he was five years a prisoner from the day of his arrest at Jerusalem till his release by the decision of Nero. He was a prisoner for more than two years when Festus sent him to Rome, and then at Rome he spent two more years in captivity, while his voyage occupied fully six months. Let us now first of all look at that captivity, and strive to discover those purposes of good therein which God hides amidst all his dispensations and chastisements.

We do not always realise what a length of time was consumed in the imprisonments of St. Paul. He must have spent from the middle of 58 to the beginning of 63 as a prisoner, cut off from many of those various activities in which he had previously laboured so profitably for Gods cause. That must have seemed to himself and to many others a terrible loss to the gospel; and yet now, as we look back from our vantage-point, we can see many reasons why the guidance of his heavenly Father may have led directly to this imprisonment, which proved exceedingly useful for himself and his own souls health, for the past guidance and for the perpetual edification of the Church of Christ. There is a text in Eph 4:1 which throws some light on this incident. In that Epistle, written when St. Paul was a captive at Rome, he describes himself thus, “I therefore the prisoner in the Lord,” or “the prisoner of the Lord,” as the Authorised Version puts it. These words occur as the beginning of the Epistle for the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity. Now there is often a marvellous amount of spiritual wisdom and instruction to be gained from a comparison between the, epistles and gospels and the collects for each Sunday. All my readers may not agree in the whole theological system which underlies the Prayer Book, but every one will acknowledge that its services and their construction are the result of rich and varied spiritual experiences extending over a period of more than a thousand years. The mere contrast of an epistle and of a collect will often suggest thoughts deep and searching. So it is with this text, “I therefore the prisoner in the Lord.” It is preceded by the brief pithy prayer, “Lord, we pray Thee that Thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The words of St. Paul to the Ephesians speaking of himself as the prisoner of God and in God suggested immediately the idea of Gods grace surrounding, shaping, constraining to His service every external circumstance; and thus led to the formation of the collect which in fact prays that we may realise ourselves as so completely Gods as, like the Apostle, continually to be given to all good works. St. Paul realised himself as so prevented, using that word in its ancient sense, preceded and followed by Gods grace, guarded before and behind by it, that he looked beyond the things seen, and discarding all secondary agents and all lower instruments, he viewed his imprisonment as Gods own immediate work.

I. Let us then see in what way we may regard St. Pauls imprisonment as an arrangement and outcome of Divine love. Take, for instance, St. Paul in his own personal life. This period of imprisonment, of enforced rest and retirement, may have been absolutely necessary for him. St. Paul had spent many a long and busy year building up the spiritual life of others, founding churches, teaching converts, preaching, debating, struggling, suffering. His life had been one of intense spiritual, intellectual, bodily activity on behalf of others. But no one can be engaged in intense activity without wasting some of the spiritual life and force necessary for himself. Religious work, the most direct spiritual activity, visiting the sick, or preaching the gospel, or celebrating the sacraments, make a tremendous call upon our devotional powers and directly tend to lower our spiritual vitality, unless we seek abundant and frequent renewal thereof at the source of all spiritual vitality and life. Now God by this long imprisonment took St. Paul aside once again, as He had taken him aside twenty years before, amid the rocks of Sinai. God laid hold of him in his career of external business, as He laid hold of Moses in the court of Pharaoh, leading him into the wilderness of Midian for forty long years. God made St. Paul His prisoner that, having laboured for others, and having tended diligently their spiritual vineyard, he might now watch over and tend his own for a time. And the wondrous manner in which he profited by his imprisonment is manifest from this very Epistle to the Ephesians, in which he describes himself as Gods prisoner – not, be it observed, the prisoner of the Jews, or of the Romans, or of Caesar, but as the prisoner of God-dealing in the profoundest manner, as that Epistle does, with the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith. St.

Paul had an opportunity during those four or five years, such as he never had before, of realising, digesting, and assimilating in all their fulness the doctrines he had so long proclaimed to others, and was thus enabled out of the depth of his own personal experience to preach what he felt and knew to be true, the only kind of teaching which will ever be worth anything.

Again, St. Paul designates himself the prisoner of the Lord because of the benefits his imprisonment conferred upon the Church of Christ in various ways. Take his imprisonment at Caesarea alone. We are not expressly told anything about his labours during that time. But knowing St. Pauls intense energy we may be sure that the whole local Christian community established in that important centre whence the gospel could diffuse itself as far as the extremest west on the one side and the extremest east on the other, was permeated by his teaching and vitalised by his example. He was allowed great freedom, as the Acts declares. Felix “gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in charge, and should have indulgence; and not to forbid any of his friends to minister unto him.” If we take the various centurions to whom he was intrusted, we may be sure that St. Paul must have omitted no opportunity of leading them to Christ. St. Paul seems to have known how to make his way to the hearts of the Roman soldiers, as his subsequent treatment by Julius the centurion shows, and that permission of the governor would be liberally interpreted when deputies from distant churches sought his presence. Messengers from the various missions he had founded must have had recourse to Caesarea during those two years spent there, and thence too was doubtless despatched many a missive of advice and exhortation. At Caesarea, too, may then have been written the Gospel of St. Luke. Lewin (vol. 1. p. 221), indeed, places its composition at Philippi, where St. Luke laboured for several years prior to St. Pauls visit in 57 A.D. after leaving Ephesus; and he gives as his reason for this conclusion that St. Paul called St. Luke in 2Co 8:18, written about that time, “the brother whose praise is in the Gospel,” referring to his Gospel then lately published. I think the suggestion much more likely that St. Luke took advantage of this pause in St. Pauls activity to write his Gospel at Caesarea when he had not merely the assistance of the Apostle himself, but of Philip the deacon, and was within easy reach of St. James and the Jerusalem Church. St. Lukes Gospel bears evident traces of St. Pauls ideas and doctrine, was declared by Irenaeus (“Haer.,” 3:1) to have been composed under his direction, and may with much probability be regarded as one of the blessed results flowing forth from St. Pauls detention as Christs prisoner given by Him in charge to the Roman governor.

The Apostles Roman imprisonment again was most profitable to the Church of the imperial capital. The Church of Rome had been founded by the efforts of individuals. Private Christians did the work, not apostles or eminent evangelists. St. Paul came to it first of all as a prisoner, and found it a flourishing church. And yet he benefited and blessed it greatly. He could not, indeed, preach to crowded audiences in synagogues or porticos as he had done elsewhere. But he blessed the Church of Rome most chiefly by his individual efforts. This man came to him into his own hired house, and that man followed him attracted by the magnetic influence he seemed to bear about. The soldiers appointed as his keepers were told the story of the Cross and the glad tidings of the resurrection life, and these individual efforts were fruitful in vast results, so that even into the household and palace of the Caesars did this patient, quiet, evangelistic work extend its influence. Nowhere else, in fact, not even in Corinth, where St. Paul spent two whole years openly teaching without any serious interruption; not even in Ephesus, where he laboured so long that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word; nowhere else was the Apostles ministry so effective as here in Rome, where the prisoner of the Lord was confined to individual effort and completely laid aside from more public and enlarged activity. It was with St. Paul as it is with Gods messengers still. It is not eloquent or excited public efforts, or platform addresses, or public debates, or clever books that are most fruitful in spiritual results. Nay, it is often the quiet individual efforts of private Christians, the testimony of a patient Sufferer perhaps, the witness all-powerful with men, of a life transformed through and through by Christian principle, and lived in the perpetual sunshine of Gods reconciled countenance. These are the testimonies that speak most effectually for God, most directly to souls.

Lastly, St. Pauls imprisonment blessed the Church of every age, and through it blessed mankind at large far more than his liberty and his external activity could have done in one other direction. Is it not a contradiction in terms to say that the imprisonment of this courageous leader, this eloquent preacher, this keen, subtle debater, should have been more profitable to the Church than the exercise of his external freedom and liberty, when all these dormant powers would have found ample scope for their complete manifestation? And yet if Christ had not laid His arresting hand upon the active, external labour in which St. Paul had been absorbed, if Christ had not cast the busy Apostle into the Roman prison-house, the Church of all future time would have been deprived of those masterly expositions of Christian truth which she now enjoys in the various Epistles of the Captivity, and specially in those addresses to the churches of Ephesus, Philippi, and Colossae. We have now noted some of the blessings resulting from St. Pauls five years captivity, and indicated a line of thought which may be applied to the whole narrative contained in the two chapters with which we are dealing. St. Paul was a captive, and that captivity gave him access at Caesarea to various classes of society, to the soldiers, and to all that immense crowd of officials connected with the seat of government, quaestors, tribunes, assessors, apparitors, scribes, advocates. His captivity then led him on board ship, and brought him into contact with the sailors and with a number of passengers drawn from diverse lands. A storm came on, and then the Apostles self-possession, his calm Christian courage, when every one else was panic-stricken, gave him influence over the motley crowd. The waves flung the ship of Alexandria in which he was travelling upon Malta, and his stay there during the tempestuous winter months became the basis of the conversion of its inhabitants. Everywhere in St. Pauls life and course at this season we can trace the outcome of Divine love, the power of Divine providence shaping Gods servant for His own purposes, restraining mans wrath when it waxed too fierce, and causing the remainder of that wrath to praise Him by its blessed results.

II. Let us now gather up into a brief narrative the story contained in these two chapters, so that we may gain a birds-eye view over the whole. Festus entered upon his provincial rule about June, A.D. 60. According to Roman law the outgoing governor, of whatever kind he was, had to await his successors arrival and hand over the reins of government-a very natural and proper rule which all civilised governments observe. We have no idea how vast the apparatus of provincial, or, as we should say. colonial government among the Romans was, and how minute their regulations were, till we take up one of those helps which German scholars have furnished towards the knowledge of antiquity, as, for instance, Mommsens “Roman Provinces,” which can be read in English, or Marquardts “Romische Staatsverwaltung,” vol. 1, which can be studied either in German or French. The very city where first the new governor was to appear and the method of fulfilling his duties as the Judge of Assize were minutely laid down and duly followed a well-established routine. We find these things indicated in the case of Festus. He arrived at Caesarea. He waited three days till his predecessor had left for Rome, and then he ascended to Jerusalem to make the acquaintance of that very troublesome and very influential city. Festus then returned to Caesarea after ten days spent in gaining an intimate knowledge of the various points of a city which often before had been the centre of rebellion, and where he might at any moment he called upon to act with sternness and decision. He at once heard St. Pauls cause as the Jews had demanded, brought him a second time before Agrippa, and then in virtue of his appeal to Caesar despatched him to Rome in care of a centurion and a small band of soldiers, a large guard not being necessary, as the prisoners were not ordinary criminals, but for the most part men of some position, Roman citizens, doubtless, who had, like the Apostle, appealed unto the judgment of Caesar. St. Paul embarked, accompanied by Luke and Aristarchus, as the ship, being an ordinary trading vessel, contained not only prisoners, but also passengers as well. We do not intend to enter upon the details of St. Pauls voyage, because that lies beyond our range, and also because it has been thoroughly done in the various “Lives” of the Apostle, and above all in the exhaustive work of Mr. James Smith of Jordanhills. He has devoted a volume to this one topic, has explored every source of knowledge, has entered to discussions touching the build and rigging of ancient ships and the direction of Mediterranean winds, has minutely investigated the scenery and history of such places as Malta where the Apostle was wrecked, and has illustrated the whole with beautiful plates and carefully drawn maps. That work has gone through four editions at least, and deserves a place in every mans library who wishes to understand the life and labours of St. Paul or study the Acts of the Apostles. We may, however, without trenching on Mr. Smiths field, indicate the outline of the route followed by the holy travellers. They embarked at Caesarea under the care of a centurion of the Augustan cohort, or regiment, as we should say, whose name was Julius. They took their passage at first in a ship of Adramyttium, which was probably sailing from Caesarea to lie up for the winter. Adramyttium was a seaport situated up in the northwest of Asia Minor near Tress, and the Sea of Marmora, or, to put it in modern language, near Constantinople. The ship was in fact, about to travel over exactly the same ground as St. Paul himself had traversed more than two years before when he proceeded from Troas to Jerusalem. Surely, some one may say, this was not the direct route to Rome. But then we must throw our, selves back into the circumstances of the period. There was then no regular transport service. People, even the most exalted, had to avail themselves of whatever means of communication chance offered. Cicero, when chief governor of Asia, had, as we have already noted, to travel part of the way from Rome in undecked vessels, while ten years later than St. Pauls voyage the Emperor Vespasian himself, the greatest potentate in the world; had no trireme or warship waiting upon him, but when he wished to proceed from Palestine to Rome, at the time of the great siege of Jerusalem, was obliged to take a passage in an ordinary merchant vessel or cornship. It is no wonder, then that the prisoners were put on board a coasting vessel of Asia, the centurion knowing right well that in sailing along by the various ports which studded the shore of that province they would find some other vessel into which they could be transferred. And this expectation was realised. The centurion and his prisoners sailed first of all to Sidon, where St. Paul found a Christian Church. This circumstance illustrates again the quiet and steady growth of the gospel kingdom, and also gave Julius an opportunity of exhibiting his kindly feelings towards the Apostle by permitting him to go and visit the brethren. In fact. we would conclude from this circumstance that St. Paul had already begun to establish an influence over the mind of Julius which must have culminated in his conversion. Here, at Sidon, he permits him to visit his Christian friends; a short time after his regard for Paul leads him to restrain his troops from executing the merciless purposes their Roman discipline had taught them and slaying all the prisoners lest they should escape; and yet once again, when the prisoners land on Italian soil and stand beside the charming scenery of the Bay of Naples, he permits the Apostle to spend a week with the Christians of Puteoli. After this brief visit to the Sidonian Church, the vessel bearing the Apostle pursues its way by Cyprus to the port of Myra at the southwestern corner of Asia Minor, a neighbourhood which St. Paul knew right well and had often visited. It was there at Patara, close at hand, that he had embarked on board the vessel which carried him two years before to Palestine, and it was there too at Perga of Pamphylia that he had first landed on the shores of the Asiatic province, seeking to gather its teeming millions into the fold of Jesus Christ. Here at Myra the centurion realised his expectations, and finding an Alexandrian transport sailing to Italy he put the prisoners on board. From Myra they seem to have sailed at once, and from the day they left it their misfortunes began. The wind was contrary, blowing from the west, and to make any way they had to sail to the island Cnidus, which lay northwest of Myra. After a time, when the wind became favourable, they sailed southwest till they reached the island of Crete, which lay half-way between Greece and Asia Minor. They then proceeded along the southern coast of this island till they were struck by a sudden wind coming from the northeast, which drove them first to the neighbouring island of Clauda, and then, after a fortnights drifting through a tempestuous sea, hurled the ship upon the shores of Malta. The wreck took place towards the close of October or early in November, and the whole party were obliged to remain in Malta till the spring season permitted the opening of navigation. During his stay in Malta St. Paul performed several miracles. With his intensely practical and helpful nature the Apostle flung himself into the work of common life, as soon as the shipwrecked party had got safe to land. He always did so. He never despised, like some religious fanatics, the duties of this world. On board the ship he had been the most useful adviser to the whole party. He had exhorted the captain of the ship not to leave a good haven; he had stirred up the soldiers to prevent the sailors escape; he had urged them all alike, crew and passengers and soldiers, to take food, foreseeing the terrible struggle they would have to make when the ship broke up. He was the most practical adviser his companions could possibly have had, and he was their wisest and most religious adviser too. His Words on board ship teem with lessons for ourselves, as well as for his fellow-passengers. He trusted in God, and received special revelations from heaven, but he did not therefore neglect every necessary human precaution. The will of God was revealed to him that he had been given all the souls that sailed with him, and the angel of God cheered and comforted him in that storm-driven vessel in Adria, as often before when howling mobs thirsted like evening wolves for his blood. But the knowledge of Gods purposes did not cause his exertions to relax. He knew that Gods promises are conditional upon mans exertions, and therefore he urged his companions to be fellow-workers with God in the matter of their own salvation from impending death. And as it was on board the ship, so was it on the shore. The rain was descending in torrents, and the drenched passengers were shivering in the cold. St. Paul shows the example, so contagious in a crowd, of a man who had his wits about him, knew what to do and would do it. He gathered therefore a bundle of sticks, and helped to raise a larger fire in the house which had received him. A man is marvellously helpful among a cowering and panic-stricken crowd which has just escaped death who will rouse them to some practical efforts for themselves, and will lead the way as the Apostle did on this occasion. And his action brought its own reward. He had gained influence over the passengers, soldiers, and crew by his practical helpfulness. He was now to gain influence over the barbarian islanders in exactly the same way. A viper issued from the fire and fastened on his hand. The natives expected to see him fall down dead; but after looking awhile and perceiving no change, they concluded him to be a god who had come to visit them. This report soon spread. The chief man therefore of the island sought out St. Paul and entertained him. His father was sick of dysentery and the Apostle healed him, using prayer and the imposition of hands as the outward symbols and means of the cure, which spread his fame still farther and led to other miraculous cures. Three months thus passed away. No distinct missionary work is indeed recorded by St. Luke, but this is his usual custom in writing his narrative. He supposes that Theophilus, his friend and correspondent, will understand that the Apostle ever kept the great end of his life in view, never omitting to teach Christ and Him crucified to the perishing multitudes where his lot was cast. But St. Luke was not one of those who are always attempting to chronicle spiritual successes or to tabulate the number of souls led to Christ. He left that to another day and to a better and more infallible judge. In three months time, when Februarys days grew longer and milder winds began to blow, the rescued travellers joined a corn-ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the island, and all set forward towards Rome. They touched at Syracuse in Sicily, sailed thence to Rhegium, passing through the Straits of Messina, whence, a favourable south wind springing up, and the vessel running before it at the rate of seven knots an hour, the usual speed for ancient vessels under the circumstances, they arrived at Puteoli, one hundred and eighty-two miles distant from Rhegium, in the course of some thirty hours. At Puteoli the sea voyage ended. It may at first seem strange to us with our modern notions that St. Paul was allowed to tarry at Puteoli with the local Christian Church for seven days. But then we must remember that St. Paul and the centurion did not live in the days of telegraphs and railway trains. There was. doubtless a guard-room, barrack, or prison in which the prisoners could be accommodated. The centurion and guard were weary after a. long and dangerous journey, and they would be glad of a brief period of repose before they set out again towards the capital. This hypothesis alone would be quite sufficient to account for the indulgence granted to St. Paul, even supposing that his Christian teaching had made no impression on the centurion. The Church existing then at Puteoli is another instance of that quiet diffusion of the gospel which was going on all over the world without any noise or boasting. We have frequently called attention to this, as at Tyre, Ptolemais, Sidon, and here again we find a little company of saintly men and women gathered out of the world and living the ideal life of purity and faith beside the waters. of the Bay of Naples. And yet it is quite natural that we should find them at Puteoli, because it was one of the great ports which received the corn-ships of Alexandria and the merchantmen of Caesarea and Antioch into her harbour, and in these ships many a Christian came bringing the seed of eternal life, which he diligently sowed as he travelled along the journey of life. In fact, seeing that the Church of Rome had sprung up and flourished so abundantly, taking its origin not from any Apostles teaching, but simply from such sporadic effects, we cannot wonder that Puteoli, which lay right on the road from the East to Rome, should also have gained a blessing. A circumstance, however, has come to light within the last thirty years which does surprise us concerning this same neighbourhood, showing how extensively the gospel had permeated and honeycombed the country parts of Italy within the lifetime of the first apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ. Puteoli was a trading town, and Jews congregated in such places, and trade lends an element of seriousness to life which prepares a ground fitted for the good seed of the kingdom. But pleasure pure and unmitigated and a life devoted to its pursuit do not prepare such a soil. Puteoli was a trading city, but Pompeii was a pleasure-loving city thinking of nothing else, and where sin and iniquity consequently abounded. Yet Christianity had made its way into Pompeii in the lifetime of the apostles. How then do we know this? This is one of the results of modern archaeological investigations and of epigraphical research, two great sources of new light upon early Christian history which have been only of late years duly appreciated. Pompeii, as every person of moderate education knows, was totally overthrown by the first great eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79 A.D. It is a curious circumstance that contemporaneous authors make but the very slightest and most dubious references to that destruction, though one would have thought that the literature of the time would have rung with it; proving conclusively, if proof be needed, how little the argument from silence is worth, when the great writers who tell minutely about the intrigues and vices of emperors and statesmen of Rome do not bestow a single chapter upon the catastrophe which overtook two whole cities of Italy. These cities remained for seventeen hundred years concealed from human sight or knowledge till revealed in the year 1755 by excavations systematically pursued. All the inscriptions found therein were undoubtedly and necessarily the work of persons who lived before A.D. 79 and then perished. Now at the time that Pompeii was destroyed there was a municipal election going on, and there were found on the walls numerous inscriptions formed with charcoal which were the substitutes then used for the literature and placards with which every election decorates our walls. Among these inscriptions of mere passing and transitory interest, there was one found which illustrates the point at which we have been labouring, for there, amid the election notices of 79 A.D., there appeared, scribbled by some idle hand, the brief words, “Igni gaude, Christiane” (“O Christian, rejoice in the fire”), proving clearly that Christians existed in Pompeii at that time, that they were known as Christians and not Under any other appellation, that persecution and death had reached them, and that they possessed and displayed the same undaunted spirit as their great leader and teacher St. Paul, being enabled like him to rejoice even amid the seven-fold-heated fires, and in view of the resurrection life to lift the victorious paean, “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

After the weeks rest at Puteoli the centurion marched towards Rome. The Roman congregation had received notice of St. Pauls arrival by this time, and so the brethren despatched a deputation to meet an apostle with whom they were already well acquainted through the epistle he had sent them, as well as through the reports of various private Christians like Phoebe, the deaconess of Cenchreae. Two deputations from the Roman Church met him, one at Appii Forum, about thirty miles, another at the Three Taverns, about twenty miles from the city. How wonderfully the heart of the Apostle must have been cheered by these kindly Christian attentions! We have before noticed in the cases of his Athenian sojourn and elsewhere how keenly alive he was to the offices of Christian friendship, how cheered and strengthened he was by Christian companionship. It was now the same once again as it was then. Support and sympathy were now more needed than ever before, for St. Paul was going up to Rome not knowing what should happen to him there or what should be his sentence at the hands of that emperor whose cruel character was now famous. And as it was at Athens and at Corinth and elsewhere, so was it here on the Appian Way and amid the depressing surroundings and unhealthy atmosphere of those Pomptine Marshes through which he was passing; “when Paul saw the brethren, he thanked God, and took courage.” And now the whole company of primitive Christians proceeded together to Rome, allowed doubtless by the courtesy and thoughtfulness of Julius ample opportunities of private conversation. Having arrived at the imperial city, the centurion hastened to present himself and his charge to the captain of the praetorian guard, whose duty it was to receive prisoners consigned to the judgment of the Emperor. Upon the favourable report of Julius, St. Paul was not detained in custody, but suffered to dwell in his own hired lodgings, where he established a mission station whence he laboured most effectively both amongst Jews and Gentiles during two whole years. St. Paul began his work at Rome exactly as he did everywhere else. He called together the chief of the Jews, and through them strove to gain a lodgment in the synagogue. He began work at once. After three days, as soon as he had recovered from the fatigue of the rapid march along the Appian Way, he sent for the chiefs of the Roman synagogues, which were very numerous. How, it may be thought, could an unknown Jew entering Rome venture to summon the heads of the Jewish community, many of them men of wealth and position? But, then, we must remember that St. Paul was no ordinary Jew from the point of view taken by Roman society. He had arrived in Rome a state prisoner, and he was a Roman citizen of Jewish birth, and this at once gave him position entitling him to a certain amount of consideration. St. Paul told his story to these chief men of the Jews, the local Sanhedrin perhaps, recounted the bad treatment he had received at the hands of the Jews of Jerusalem, and indicated the character of his teaching which he wished to expound to them. “For this cause therefore did I entreat you to see and speak with me: for because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain,” emphasising the Hope of Israel, or their Messianic expectation, as the cause of his imprisonment, exactly as he had done some months before when pleading before King Agrippa. {Act 26:6-7; Act 26:22-23} Having thus briefly indicated his desires, the Jewish council intimated that no communication had been made to them from Jerusalem about St. Paul. It may have been that his lengthened imprisonment at Caesarea had caused the Sanhedrin to relax their vigilance, though we see that their hostility still continued as bitter as ever when Festus arrived in Jerusalem and afterwards led to St. Pauls appeal; or perhaps they had not had time to forward a communication from the Jerusalem Sanhedrin to the Jewish authorities at Rome; or perhaps, which is the most likely of all, they thought it useless to prosecute their suit before Nero, who would scoff at the real charges which dealt merely with questions of Jewish customs, and which imperial lawyers therefore would regard as utterly unworthy the imprisonment or death of a Roman citizen. At any rate the Jewish council gave him a hearing, when St. Paul followed exactly the same lines as in the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia and in his speech before Agrippa. He pointed out the gradual development of Gods purposes in the law and the prophets, showing how they had been all fulfilled in Jesus Christ. It was with the Jews at Rome as with the Jews elsewhere. Some believed and some believed not, as Paul preached unto them. The meeting was much more one for discussion than for addresses. From morning till evening the disputation continued, till at last the Apostle dismissed them with the stern words of the prophet Isaiah, taken from the sixth chapter of his prophecy, where he depicts the hopeless state of those who obstinately close their ears to the voice of conviction. But the Jews of Rome do not seem to have been like those of Thessalonica, Ephesus, Corinth, and Jerusalem in one respect. They did not actively oppose St. Paul or attempt to silence him by violent means, for the last glimpse we get of the Apostle in St. Lukes narrative is this: “He abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, none forbidding him.”

Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary