A SERIES OF MARITIME STAGES AND EXAMPLES OF PROPHECY (ACTS 27:10; ACTS 27:21) ON THE WAY TO ROME (27.L-26). This series of ‘maritime stages' on a voyage parallels that in Acts 21:1. That one led up to Jerusalem. This one takes Paul away from Jerusalem towards Rome. In both passages God's active pre... [ Continue Reading ]
‘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 corre... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.' They set sail in a ship from Adramyttium, a Mysian seaport opposite Lesbos, which was travelling from Caesarea up the coast... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him leave to go to his friends and refresh himself.' The next stop was Sidon, seventy miles up the coast, where they presumably stopped to unload or pick up cargo. This would leave a little time for going ashore. Julius... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.' They then set sail again and because of the westerly winds sailed to the east of Cyprus, sailing in the lee of the island, the regular route at that time of year. But it is mentioned as the first in... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.' From there they sailed across to the Asian coast, to Myra, a city of Lycia, a small district on the south coast of Asia Minor with a varied history, and thoroughly hellenised. Its port was... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us in it.' The ship they next boarded had come from Alexandria in Egypt and was a grain ship (compare Acts 27:38) although also possibly carrying other freight (Acts 27:18). It was bound for Italy. It would appear to... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when we had sailed slowly many days, and were come with difficulty over against Cnidus, the wind not further allowing us, we sailed under the lee of Crete, over against Salmone, and with difficulty coasting along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near to which was the city of La... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when much time was spent, and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast was now already gone by, Paul admonished them, and said to them, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the lading and the ship, but also of our lives.” ' This voyaging had tak... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship, than to those things which were spoken by Paul.' However the shipmaster and the captain (or the captain and the owner if it was a contracted ship) were for pushing on. They had risked a last, late trip, and wanted to be i... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to put to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there; which is a haven of Crete, looking north-east and south-east.' This decision to press on was partly because finding lodgings for the wi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close in shore.' At first the weather seemed to favour them, for the south wind had begun to blow gently. So they weighed anchor and, leaving Fair Havens, they sailed al... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But after no long time there beat down from it a tempestuous wind, which is called Euraquilo, and when the ship was caught, and could not face the wind, we gave way to it, and were driven.' The tempestuous wind that suddenly struck the ship as it came round the cape into the gulf was infamous. It... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat, and when they had hoisted it up, they used helps, under-girding the ship, and, fearing lest they should be cast upon the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and so were driven.' They were driven... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And as we laboured exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw the freight overboard, and the third day they cast out with their own hands the tackling of the ship.' But the storm continued to tear at the ship, and in order to prevent it foundering or being torn apart, various car... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was now taken away.' The blackened sky prevented navigation, and there were no breaks in the clouds. They had no idea where they were. But as the next verses bring out, God kn... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when they had been long without food, then Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, “Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have received this injury and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer; for there will be no loss of life among you, but... [ Continue Reading ]
“For there stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I am, whom also I serve, saying, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar, and lo, God has granted you all those who sail with you.” Then he explained that an angel of God had stood by him that night and had told him not to be... [ Continue Reading ]
“Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer, for I believe God, that it will be even so as it has been spoken to me.” So he assures them that they can be of good cheer, because he is sure that God will do as He has promised.... [ Continue Reading ]
“But we must be cast on a certain island.” However it will ‘be necessary' for them to be cast onto an unknown but determined island. In other words God has not just promised deliverance, He has filled in some of the detail. And He has a purpose for their landing on that island. Malta was awaiting t... [ Continue Reading ]
“But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven to and fro in the sea of Adria, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some country, and they sounded, and found twenty fathoms, and after a little space, they sounded again, and found fifteen fathoms. And fearing... [ Continue Reading ]
“And as the sailors were seeking to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would lay out anchors from the foreship, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these abide in the ship, you cannot be saved.” ' And as day approached the sa... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.' So the soldiers ran forward and cut the ropes which held fast the boat and it fell into the sea. Now the only hope of safety for them all lay in grounding the ship, something that they could not have done without the sailors.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take some food, saying, “This day is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore I beseech you to take some food, for this is for your safety, for there will not a hair perish from the head of any... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it, and began to eat.' Then he led by example and taking bread, deliberately and publicly gave thanks in the presence of them all, and breaking it, began to eat. This in itself was a kind of... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then were they all of good cheer, and they themselves also took food.' And the result of his practical example was that they all took heart and themselves also took food. Probably only Luke and Aristarchus had understood the significance of what he had been declaring by his act.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen persons.' The number aboard the ship is now given. (Josephus tells of a similar voyage where there were six hundred on board). The count may have been taken in handing round the food. Or it may have been a head count preparatory for... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.' Then when all had eaten sufficient, they lightened the ship by throwing all the grain that was left into the sea. The lighter the ship, the more likely to reach land... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when it was day, they did not know the land, but they perceived a certain bay with a beach, and they discussed together whether they could drive the ship on it.' And when day came they saw land. Many of them could hardly believe it. They had never expected to see land again. But they did not r... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosing the bands of the rudders, and hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.' Then casting off the anchors and leaving them to the sea so as to lighten the vessel as much as possible, they loosened the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But lighting upon a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground, and the foreship struck and remained unmoveable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.' For coming across a sand bar where two seas met, they ran aground, and the bow embedded itself and became immov... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the soldiers' advice was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape, but the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stayed them from their purpose, and commanded that they who could swim should cast themselves overboard, and get first to the land, and the rest, some on plank... [ Continue Reading ]