Acts 27:38

AND WHEN THEY HAD EATEN ENOUGH, THEY LIGHTENED THE SHIP, AND CAST OUT THE WHEAT INTO THE SEA. _ And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea._ With fresh strength after the meal, they make a third and last effort to lighten the ship, not only by pumping, as before, but by throwing the whole cargo of wheat into the sea (see the note at )....

− 38._And when they had eaten enough. _This circumstance doth show that they were at length moved with Paul’s words. It was not yet light, that they could know whether there were any haven near. And yet they cast out into the sea the wheat which remained, that they might lighten the ship. They would not have done this unless Paul’s authority had prevailed more with them now than before. But as all unbelievers are unstable, that persuasion did quickly vanish out of their minds. −...

30-38 God, who appointed the end, that they should be saved, appointed the means, that they should be saved by the help of these shipmen. Duty is ours, events are God's; we do not trust God, but tempt him, when we say we put ourselves under his protection, if we do not use proper means, such as are within our power, for our safety. But how selfish are men in general, often even ready to seek their own safety by the destruction of others! Happy those who have such a one as Paul in their company, who not only had intercourse with Heaven, but was of an enlivening spirit to those about him. The sorrow of the world works death, while joy in God is life and peace in the greatest distresses and dangers. The comfort of God's promises can only be ours by believing dependence on him, to fulfil his word to us; and the salvation he reveals must be waited for in use of the means he appoints. If God...

Verse 38. _THEY LIGHTENED THE SHIP_] They hoped that, by casting out the lading, the ship would _draw less water_; in consequence of which, they could get nearer the shore....

THEY LIGHTENED THE SHIP - By casting the wheat into the sea. As they had no hope of saving the cargo, and had no further use for it, they hoped that by throwing the wheat overboard the ship would draw less water, and that thus they would be able to run the vessel on the shore....

EXPOSITION ACTS 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 Acts 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 _(σπεῖρα); as...

AND WHEN THEY HAD EATEN ENOUGH,....] Were satisfied, having eaten a full meal: THEY LIGHTENED THE SHIP; of its burden, that it might the better carry them to the shore, and that by the following method: AND CAST OUT THE WHEAT INTO THE SEA; which seems to have been part of the ship's provision; or one part of their lading, which they brought from Egypt, and were carrying to Italy: they had cast out some of the goods of the ship before, and also the tackling of the ship, and now, last of all, the wheat; for what was eatable they reserved till last, not knowing to what extremity they might be reduced....

Paul had advised the captain not to set sail for a while, Acts 27:11. _Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than 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. And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete._ He is very unwise who trusts the winds, and equally so is he who sets his confidence upon any earthly thing, for fickle as the wind that blows are all things beneath the moon, Acts 27:14. But not long after ther

CHAPTER 27 _ 1. From Caesarea to Fair Havens (Acts 27:1)._ 2. The Unheeded Warning. The Storm. Paul's Vision and Assurance of Safety (Acts 27:9). 3. The Shipwreck (Acts 27:27). 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...

LANDING ON MALTA.Adria was not then what is now called the Adriatic, but was a general name for the sea between Malta, Italy, Greece, and Crete. After a fortnight's tossing on this sea there were signs that some land was approaching. This took place at night when nothing could be seen; distant breakers probably were heard. The surmise was confirmed by the use of the lead, and lest she should go upon the rocks in the dark, the ship was anchored, but in such a way that her bow pointed to the shore. When day broke they would know what kind of a shore it was. The crew may not have wished to desert the ship (Acts 27:30), but the safety of the party required that they should remain _on_ board, and on Paul's initiative, the soldiers secured that they should do so. The exact translation of the first clause of Acts 27:33