Acts 27:22

GOOD CHEER IN THE STORM

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

Acts 27:22

Festus delivered his prisoner into the hands of Julius, a centurion of the Augustan band. The Apostle was accompanied by two friends—the beloved Luke and Aristarchus, an old Thessalonian friend and disciple (Acts 19:29). There does not appear to have been any ship in the harbour of Cæsarea going direct to Italy. So they went on board a merchant vessel which was in the harbour, bound for Adramyttium, a seaport of Mysia, where they hoped to find another vessel bound for Italy. And on the voyage the ship was wrecked. Yet it was St. Paul, the prisoner, who gave the word of cheer in the storm as accounted in the text.

What do these words suggest?

I. A trying situation.—How so?

(a) Well-nigh hopeless. ‘When neither sun nor stars,’ etc. (Acts 27:20).

(b) Brought about by no fault of his. St. Paul was in the right path. Greatest trials often when we are in path of duty.

(c) Seemed against fulfilment of God’s decree. It had been divinely ordained that St. Paul should preach at Rome (Acts 23:11). Was this purpose to be defeated?

II. A timely messenger.—There stood by St. Paul ‘the Angel of God.’

(a) God ever watchful of His own (Psalms 121).

(b) God ever ready to interpose in their straits. ‘Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.’

(c) Only His own He thus favours—those who, like St. Paul, can say, ‘Whose I am.’

III. A tender message.—‘Fear not, Paul.’

(a) Fear not for thyself. ‘Thou must be brought before Cæsar.’ God will bring through present danger.

(b) Fear not for those with thee in the ship. The wicked spared often because of the righteous.

Illustration

‘The description of the storm in this chapter is admitted by those who know what a storm is to be one of the best ever written. It is stated that Lord Nelson read this chapter on the morning of the Battle of Copenhagen, and that the ships at that battle, as well as others in which Nelson had the command, were anchored by the stern (an unusual thing), as was the ship in which St. Paul sailed.’