Acts 27:1-12

Paul is taken to Rome Acts 27:1-12: It was the will of God that Paul preach in Rome. When it was time to sail to Italy he and some other prisoners were handed over to Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band. They went aboard a ship from Adramyttium. Aristarchus from Thessalonica in Macedonia was on this ship also. He was with Paul at Ephesus, and accompanied him into Asia. (Acts 19:29; Acts 20:4) He became Paul's fellow prisoner. (Philemon 1:24)

When they stopped at Sidon Julius was kind to Paul. He allowed him to visit his friends so that they could minister to his needs. Leaving Sidon the wind was so contrary that they had to sail below Cyprus to be safe. They sailed south of Cilicia and Pamphylia and came to Myra, a city of Lycia. At Myra, Julius found a ship from Alexandria that was going to Italy. He ordered Paul and the other prisoners to board that ship. They had a difficult time reaching Cnidus. They sailed under Crete, over against Salmone. After a long time they reached a place called Fair Havens, not far from the town of Lasea.

They lost a great deal of time on the trip. The Day of Atonement had now passed and it was dangerous to sail on. Paul warned the sailors saying, "Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage." But Julius listened to the captain of the ship instead of Paul. Almost everyone said that the "Fair Havens" was not a good place to spend the winter. So they attempted to reach Phoenix in order to spend the winter there.