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 Rom... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Rom... [ Continue Reading ]
3. The apostolic company are now fairly launched upon their voyage, the details of which constitute a peculiar and most interesting passage in sacred history. (3) "_ And the next day we landed at Sidon: and Julius, treating Paul humanely, permitted him to go to the friends, and partake of their kind... [ Continue Reading ]
4. "_ And having put to sea from that place, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. " As the proper course of the ship was westward, the contrary wind must have come from that quarter. With a favorable wind she would have passed to the south of Cyprus; but in tacking to... [ Continue Reading ]
5, 6. Passing around the north-east point of Cyprus, the vessel entered the open to the south of Cilicia and Pamphylia. (5) "_ And when we had sailed across the sea along Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia._ (6) _There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria, sailing for Italy,... [ Continue Reading ]
7-8. The wind was still contrary when they left Myra. (7) "_ And having sailed slowly many days, we reached Cnidus with difficulty, the wind not favoring us, and sailed under the lee of Crete, over against Salmone;_ (8) _and coasting along it with difficulty, we came into a place called Fair Havens,... [ Continue Reading ]
9-12. The voyage, thus far, had been so tedious that winter was approaching, and it was deemed unsafe to attempt to complete it before spring. It became a question, however, whether they would spend the winter where they were, or seek a more desirable winter haven. (9) "_ Much time having now elapse... [ Continue Reading ]
13. The harbor called Fair Havens lay on the east side of Cape Matala, which they would have to round in order to reach Phoenix; but it could not be rounded in the face of a north-west wind, hence they had to wait for the wind to change. (13) "_ Now when the south wind blew moderately, thinking they... [ Continue Reading ]
14-17. (14) "_ But not long after, a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon, struck, against her,_ (15) _and the ship being seized by it, and unable to face the wind, we gave up and were driven by it._ (16) _And running under the lee of an island called Clauda, with difficulty we were able to secure th... [ Continue Reading ]
18-20. (18) "_ And being exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day we lightened the vessel,_ (19) _and on the third day, with our own hands we cast out the tackling of the ship._ (20) _And as neither the sun nor the stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, at last all hope that w... [ Continue Reading ]
21-26. (21) "_ Now, after long abstinence, Paul stood in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, you should have hearkened to me, and not have sailed from Crete, and gained this harm and loss._ (22) _And now, I exhort you to be of good cheer; for there will be no loss of life among you, except of the shi... [ Continue Reading ]
27-29. Notwithstanding the assurance of final safety, their danger, for a time, became more imminent. (27) "_ And when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven along in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors supposed that they were drawing near to some land;_ (28) _and having sounded,... [ Continue Reading ]
30-32. Under circumstances like these, both the nobler and the baser traits of human character have fair opportunity to exhibit themselves. The strong and skillful have often been known to save themselves without concern for the more helpless; while, at times, the utmost magnanimity has been display... [ Continue Reading ]
33-36. In a time of extreme danger like the present, a man who is able to maintain complete self-possession has great control over those who are alarmed. Paul had already displayed his coolness and watchfulness to the soldiers, and had outgeneraled the sailors; consequently he became at once the lea... [ Continue Reading ]
37-38. The gathering of the whole ship's company to partake of this meal seems to have suggested to the historian to mention, here, the number of persons on board. (37) "_ Now all the souls in the ships were two hundred and seventy-six._ (38) _And when they had eaten enough, they_ _lightened the shi... [ Continue Reading ]
39-41. All was now done that could be, until daylight should reveal the nature of the shore ahead. (39) "_ And when it was day they did not recognize the land. But they discovered a certain inlet having a sandy shore, into which they determined, if it were possible, to thrust the ship._ (40) _And ha... [ Continue Reading ]
42. At this critical juncture there was exhibited by the soldiers an instance of depravity even greater than that of the sailors the night before. They owed their present prospect of safety to the watchfulness of Paul, yet they felt no apparent gratitude to him, and while hoping to escape themselves... [ Continue Reading ]
43, 44. But God had a purpose and a promise to fulfill, which did not admit of such a disposition of the prisoners, and the more cultivated nature of the centurion was the means of saving them. The incidents of the voyage had made an impression upon his mind most favorable to Paul, and he would not... [ Continue Reading ]