Acts 27:1-44

Good News for Everyone

Acts

Marion Adams

Chapter 27

Paul begins his journey to Rome, 27:1-12

v1 It was time for us to go to Rome. They handed Paul and some other prisoners over to Captain Julius. He belonged to the *Emperor’s special group of soldiers. v2 We went on a ship from Adramyttium. It was ready to sail to certain ports. Those ports were along the coast of Asia. We started to sail away. Aristarchus was with us. He was from Thessalonica in Macedonia.

v3 The next day, we arrived at Sidon. Captain Julius was kind to Paul and he allowed Paul to visit his friends. Then, they could give him the things that he needed. v4 We left Sidon and the wind was blowing against us. We sailed close to the island called *Cyprus. v5 We sailed across the sea. We were sailing near the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia. Then we landed at Myra in Lycia. v6 There, Captain Julius found a ship that was going to Italy. The ship was from Alexandria. He ordered us to get on the ship.

Verses 1-2 Luke travelled with Paul from *Jerusalem to Rome. The final passage where Luke uses the word ‘we’ starts here. It ends at Acts 28:16. Luke gives us many details about the voyage. He probably wrote down many notes during the voyage. He gives a very accurate record of how an ancient ship sailed.

Other prisoners were also on the ship and Captain Julius was guarding them all. Aristarchus, too, came with Paul. (See Acts 19:29; Acts 20:4.) Probably, Aristarchus and Luke had agreed to be Paul’s slaves. William Ramsay, a writer in the 19th century, suggested that. It was the only way that Aristarchus and Luke could go with Paul. They were both very loyal to Paul.

Verse 3 Sidon was 113 kilometres (70 miles) north from Caesarea. Paul had friends there in Sidon, and Captain Julius let Paul visit them. They probably gave him food and other things to take on the voyage. Captain Julius was a kind man. During the voyage, he showed kindness to Paul.

Verses 4-5 At this time in the year, there was a strong west wind. So, they had to sail past the northern side of *Cyprus. Myra was 241 kilometres (150 miles) north-west of *Cyprus. It took a long time for them to reach Myra. The journey from Caesarea to Myra had taken two weeks.

Verse 6 At Myra, they went onto another ship. It was taking grain to Italy (see verse 38). Alexandria was in *Egypt. The people in Rome got most of their grain from *Egypt.

The ship reaches a place called Fair Havens, 27:7-12

v7 We sailed slowly for several days. It was difficult to reach Cnidus. The wind did not allow us to go any further in that direction. So, we sailed past *Cape Salmone. There, the island called Crete protected us from the wind. v8 We sailed slowly along the coast and it was very difficult. We reached a place called Fair Havens. It was not far from the town called Lasea. v9 Much time had passed and it had become dangerous to sail. It was now after the time called Yom Kippur. (See the note.) v10 Paul warned them. He said, ‘Men, I know that it is dangerous to sail now. Damage will happen to the ship and to its goods and many people will die also.’ v11 But Captain Julius did not listen to Paul’s advice. Instead, he listened to the ship’s captain and to the ship’s owner. v12 The harbour there was not a good place to stay during the winter. For this reason, nearly everyone wanted to sail away. They hoped to reach Phoenix. Phoenix was a harbour in Crete and it faced both south-west and north-west. The ship could stay there during the winter.

Verses 7-9 The ship could not sail directly to Italy. The strong west wind was against it. So, it travelled very slowly along the coast and it was difficult to sail. At last, they reached a harbour and they stayed there. They waited for the wind to change. But it was now late in the year. People did not sail during the winter because it was too dangerous. Luke records that ‘it was now after the time called Yom Kippur’ (verse 9). Yom Kippur was a special day when *Jews asked God to forgive their *sins. Paul was travelling in *AD 59. In *AD 59, Yom Kippur was on 5th October, so there was not much time left to sail.

Verses 10-12 The men on the ship had to make a quick decision. They had to decide whether to sail or not. Fair Havens was a bad place to stay during the winter. Winds blew into the harbour from the east and north-east. That made it difficult and dangerous for the ships there. Also, it was not near a big town. But Paul had travelled often by sea and he had a lot of experience. He advised the men to stay at Fair Havens. He said that it was too dangerous to sail.

Captain Julius did not follow Paul’s advice. Julius agreed with the ship’s captain and with the owner. Probably, the owner wanted to deliver the grain on time. So, they decided to continue their voyage.

They wanted to sail to Phoenix, which was a safer harbour. There was more shelter there from the bad weather.

The storm on the sea, 27:13-20

v13 A gentle south wind began to blow. The men thought, ‘This is exactly what we want!’ They pulled up the *anchor and we sailed along the coast of Crete. v14 Soon, a very strong wind blew down from that island. It was called ‘the North-east wind’. v15 The wind hit the ship and the ship could not sail against it. So, we let the wind push the ship along. v16 We travelled along by the island called Cauda. We were on the side where there was some shelter. It was difficult to hold the *lifeboat in place. But we did it. v17 The men dragged the *lifeboat onto the ship. Then, they tied *ropes round the ship. The *ropes held the ship together. The men were afraid that the ship might hit the sandbanks by Syrtis. (Sandbanks are heaps of sand that make shallow places in the sea.) So, the men lowered the sail and they let the ship float along.

v18 The storm was very strong. So, the next day they threw some of the ship’s cargo into the sea. (Cargo means goods that a ship takes from one place to another.) v19 On the third day, they threw some of the ship’s equipment into the sea. They did that with their hands. v20 For many days, we could not see the sun or the stars. The strong wind continued to blow. In the end, we did not think that anyone could rescue us.

Verses 13-20 So, the men started to sail and the wind was gentle. Phoenix was only 64 kilometres (40 miles) to the west. But a very strong storm surprised them and they were in great danger. They dragged the *lifeboat onto the ship. They did not want the *lifeboat to break up. They were also afraid that the whole ship might break up. So, they tied it with *ropes, like a parcel.

The wind was then taking them towards the south and west. Many ships had hit the *sandbanks near North Africa. The men were afraid that it would happen now. So, they tried to make the ship less heavy. They threw the grain into the sea. Then they became more desperate. They even threw away some of the ship’s equipment.

Sailors usually guided ships by the position of the sun and the stars. But these sailors had not seen the sun or the stars for many days and nights. They were lost. They did not know where they were going. They did not know whether they were near to the dangerous *sandbanks. They had no hope that anyone could help them now!

Paul encourages everyone, 27:21-26

v21 Nobody had eaten anything for a long time. So, Paul stood up in front of them. He said, ‘Men, you should have listened to my advice. I told you to stay in Crete. There, we would have avoided this damage and loss. v22 But now, I urge you to be brave! Not one of you will die. We will lose only the ship. v23 I belong to God and I *worship him. Last night, he sent an *angel to me. v24 The *angel stood next to me and he said, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You will have your *trial in front of the *Emperor. God will not allow anyone to die on this ship. It is because of you that God shows *grace to them.” v25 So, continue to be brave, men! I trust God. I believe what he has told me. It will happen as he said. v26 But first the ship will crash on an island.’

Verses 21-26 Everyone was weak and tired. They thought that they would all die soon. But Paul knew that this would not happen. He already knew that he would reach Rome. God had promised that (Acts 23:11). Also, God had sent an *angel to him on the ship. The *angel had repeated what God had promised. The *angel had also promised that God would protect everyone else on the ship.

So, Paul spoke to the men. There were nearly 300 men (Acts 27:37). Paul, Luke and Aristarchus were probably the only *Christians there. Paul encouraged everyone and he told them about the *angel. He was sure that they would all be safe. They would not die, even when the ship crashed on an island. The *angel had told Paul this, too. Paul trusted God’s promises completely. He trusted God even when the situation seemed hopeless.

They make the ship less heavy, 27:27-38

v27 It was the 14th night since the storm began. The storm was still blowing our ship all over the Mediterranean Sea. At about midnight, the sailors realised that we were approaching land. v28 They measured the water’s depth. The water was about 40 metres (120 feet) deep. A short time later, they measured again. They discovered that the water was about 30 metres (90 feet) deep. v29 The sailors were afraid that we might hit some rocks. So, they dropped four *anchors from the back of the ship and they prayed for daylight.

v30 The sailors tried to escape from the ship. They lowered a *lifeboat into the sea. They pretended that they were lowering *anchors from the front of the ship. v31 Paul spoke to Captain Julius and the soldiers. ‘If these men do not stay with the ship, our lives will not be safe’, he said. v32 So, the soldiers cut the *ropes that held the *lifeboat. They let it fall into the sea.

v33 Just before dawn, Paul urged everyone to eat something.

‘You have worried all the time for 14 days! During that time, you have not eaten anything. v34 Now I urge you to eat some food. You need it to stay alive. If you do that, nobody will suffer.’

v35 After Paul had said that, he took some bread. He thanked God. In front of everyone, he broke up the bread. He began to eat. v36 They felt more cheerful and they all ate something. v37 There were 276 people on the ship. v38 After everyone had eaten enough, they threw the grain into the sea. So, the ship became less heavy.

Verses 27-32 The ship was in danger. The sailors knew that they were very near to the shore. It was night. The water was becoming shallower quickly. They did not want the ship to hit any rocks. So, they tried to stop the ship. They dropped *anchors from the back of the ship. Usually, they would drop *anchors from the front. But if they did that, the ship would turn into the wind. Then, it might be difficult to turn it to the shore.

The sailors were still afraid. So, they tried to escape. They pretended that they must put *anchors down from the *lifeboat. But really they were getting the *lifeboat ready to sail away.

Paul told Captain Julius what the *sailors were doing. He listened to Paul’s advice this time! Captain Julius ordered some soldiers to cut the *lifeboat’s *ropes. So, they lost the *lifeboat.

Again, Paul showed his authority. God had promised to keep everyone safe. This meant that they must stay together.

Verses 33-38 Paul offered some other practical advice. He urged everyone on the ship to eat. They needed strength. Soon, they would have to swim to the shore.

Paul thanked God for the food and then he ate. Everyone else ate, too. Then, they threw the rest of the grain into the sea. When the ship was less heavy, it was easier to approach the shore. 276 people were a heavy load!

The ship hits a *sandbank, 27:39-44

v39 It was morning and the sailors saw the coast. They did not recognise it. They saw a bay with a sandy beach and they made a decision. They would make the ship go onto that beach, if they could. v40 They cut off the *anchors and they let the *anchors sink in the sea. At the same time, they untied the *ropes that held the rudders. (Rudders are things like oars that guide the ship’s direction.) Next, they raised the sail at the front of the ship. They let the wind carry the ship forwards and we approached the beach. v41 But the ship hit a *sandbank and it landed on the *sandbank. The front of the ship stuck in the sand and it could not move. The strong waves broke the back of the ship into small pieces.

v42 The sailors decided to kill all the prisoners. They did not want the prisoners to swim away. They did not want them to escape. v43 But, Captain Julius wanted to save Paul from death. So, he did not let the soldiers kill the prisoners. Instead, he gave orders to everyone who could swim. He told them to jump into the sea before the other men. Then, they must swim to the beach. v44 Next, he told everyone else to follow them. They must hold on to pieces of wood. Or they could hold on to broken parts of the ship. That was how everyone reached the shore safely.

Verses 39-44 The sailors did not know where they were. They did not recognise the coast. But, there was a sandy beach. So, it was probably safe to land.

They tried to land on the beach but they hit a *sandbank. They could not move the ship. The wind was behind them. The ship began to break up and the soldiers were worried. They would get into trouble if the prisoners escaped. (See also Acts 12:19; Acts 16:27.)

But Captain Julius did not want Paul to die. So, he did not allow the soldiers to kill anyone. Everyone had to leave the ship before it broke up completely. They had to get to the beach. Some people could swim, so they swam to the beach. Some people could not swim. But they held on to objects that floated. So they too got to the beach. Nobody drowned. Everyone was safe.

emperor ~ the most important ruler in Rome.
Rome ~ the most famous city in the world when Jesus lived on earth.
Cyprus ~ an island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city in Israel.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Egypt ~ a country in North Africa. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for several hundred years. God told Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. And finally they went to the Promised Land. The escape from Egypt was a very important event in Jewish history.
Israelites ~ another name for the Jews. They are the people from Israel.

Promised Land ~ the country that God promised to give to Abraham and his family.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Cape ~ a corner where the land sticks out into the sea.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
AD ~ AD 50 means 50 years after Jesus was born, and so on.
anchor ~ a heavy piece of metal that holds a ship in one place.
lifeboat ~ a small boat on a ship. People can go in the lifeboat if the ship sinks.
rope ~ a long narrow piece of strong material that people use to tie things together.
sandbanks ~ heaps of sand that make shallow places in the sea.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
angel ~ a servant of God. He brings messages from God to people that live on earth.
trial ~ a legal examination in which a person answers questions. Then the judge decides whether the person is guilty of a crime.
grace ~ God’s generous free gift; God’s love, help and protection that people do not deserve and they cannot earn it; when God forgives us although he does not have to forgive.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.