Acts27

Paul, a prisoner, embarks on a perilous voyage to Rome. Despite his warning, the ship's crew sails into a violent tempest, the Euroclydon, losing all hope. An angel assures Paul that all lives will be saved, though the ship will be lost. After fourteen days, the ship wrecks on an island, but all 276 souls safely reach land as prophesied.

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Paul Begins the Voyage to Rome

When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.

We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul with consideration, allowing him to visit his friends and receive their care.

After putting out from there, we sailed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

And when we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.

There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.

After sailing slowly for many days, we arrived off Cnidus. When the wind impeded us, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.

After we had moved along the coast with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

Paul Warns Against Sailing

By now much time had passed, and the voyage had already become dangerous because it was after the Fast. So Paul advised them,

“Men, I can see that our voyage will be filled with disaster and great loss, not only to ship and cargo, but to our own lives as well.”

But contrary to Paul’s advice, the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and by the owner of the ship.

Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to sail on, if somehow they could reach Phoenix to winter there. Phoenix was a harbor in Crete facing both southwest and northwest.

The Voyage Encounters a Great Storm

When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had their opportunity. So they weighed anchor and sailed along, hugging the coast of Crete.

But it was not long before a cyclone called the Northeaster swept down across the island.

Unable to head into the wind, the ship was caught up. So we gave way and let ourselves be driven along.

Passing to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we barely managed to secure the lifeboat.

After hoisting it up, the crew used ropes to undergird the ship. And fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and were driven along.

We were tossed so violently that the next day the men began to jettison the cargo.

On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.

When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the great storm continued to batter us, we abandoned all hope of being saved.

Paul’s Vision and Divine Assurance

After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have averted this disaster and loss.

But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because you will not experience any loss of life, but only of the ship.

For just last night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood beside me

and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’

So take courage, men, for I believe God that it will happen just as He told me.

However, we must run aground on some island.”

Preparing for Shipwreck

On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea. About midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.

They took soundings and found that the water was twenty fathoms deep. Going a little farther, they took another set of soundings that read fifteen fathoms.

Fearing that we would run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daybreak.

Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Pretending to lower anchors from the bow, they let the lifeboat down into the sea.

But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.”

So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and set it adrift.

Right up to daybreak, Paul kept urging them all to eat: “Today is your fourteenth day in constant suspense, without taking any food.

So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.”

After he had said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.

They were all encouraged and took some food themselves.

In all, there were 276 of us on board.

After the men had eaten their fill, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

Shipwreck and Survival

When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they sighted a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.

Cutting away the anchors, they left them in the sea as they loosened the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach.

But the vessel struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was being broken up by the pounding of the waves.

The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so none of them could swim to freedom.

But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s life, thwarted their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.

The rest were to follow on planks and various parts of the ship. In this way everyone was brought safely to land.

Study Notes for Acts 27

Verse 1

Paul, along with other prisoners, was committed to Julius, a centurion (a commander of 100 men). The 'Augustus' band' refers to an elite cohort, likely stationed in Syria or Caesarea, suggesting Julius was an officer of some standing.

Verse 2

Luke, the author, uses the inclusive 'we,' confirming his presence on the journey. Aristarchus, a Macedonian companion, demonstrates great loyalty by traveling with Paul, even as a presumed fellow prisoner (cf. Col 4:10).

Verse 3

Julius’s courteous treatment of Paul suggests respect, perhaps influenced by the favorable reports Paul received from governors Festus and Felix, or recognition of Paul's status as a Roman citizen.

Verse 4

Sailing under Cyprus indicates they were using the island’s shelter for protection because prevailing winds (the westerly Etesian winds) were contrary to their intended course to Italy.

Verse 6

The centurion transferred them to a large grain ship from Alexandria, Egypt, which was the primary supplier of grain to Rome. Such ships were large and often carried hundreds of passengers and crew.

Verse 9

The 'fast' refers to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which occurred in late September or early October. This date marked the end of the safe sailing season in the Mediterranean, making further travel highly dangerous.

Verse 10

Paul, though a prisoner, offers expert advice, likely based on his extensive experience in maritime travel (cf. 2 Cor 11:25) combined with divine foresight, though the centurion chose to trust the ship’s professionals.

Verse 11

The centurion’s decision reflects the general ancient preference for trusting the technical expertise of the ship's master over the warning of an outsider or a prisoner.

Verse 12

Fair Havens was poorly suited for wintering. The crew’s desire to reach Phenice (Phoenix), a better harbor, led them to take a risk that proved catastrophic.

Verse 14

Euroclydon (often translated as Euraquilo, meaning 'northeast wind') was a sudden, violent, cyclonic wind known for rapidly changing direction and devastating ships in the eastern Mediterranean.

Verse 17

They used 'helps' (undergirding or frapping) by passing ropes or chains under the hull and tightening them to prevent the ship’s timbers from separating. The 'quicksands' refer to the dangerous sandbanks (Syrtis Major) off the coast of North Africa.

Verse 20

The inability to see the sun or stars meant they had lost all means of celestial navigation, leading to complete despair among the sailors.

Verse 21

Paul establishes his authority by reminding them of his ignored warning, but immediately pivots to offer hope, demonstrating leadership rooted in prophetic assurance.

Verse 23

Paul affirms his identity and mission: 'whose I am, and whom I serve.' He is secure in his relationship with God, even in the face of imminent death.

Verse 24

The promise that Paul 'must be brought before Caesar' guarantees his safety, demonstrating that God’s ultimate plan for the gospel’s spread overrides immediate physical dangers. God grants the safety of the entire ship’s company for Paul’s sake.

Verse 27

Adria here refers not narrowly to the Adriatic Sea, but to the central Mediterranean basin between Greece, Italy, and Malta, where they had been drifting for two weeks.

Verse 31

This verse presents a crucial theological principle: God’s guaranteed promises (V. 24) do not negate the necessity of human effort and practical obedience. Salvation requires both divine decree and responsible human action.

Verse 33

Paul takes command again, urging them to eat. This fasting was involuntary (due to the severity of the storm), and Paul recognized the need to restore physical strength before the final ordeal.

Verse 34

The assurance that 'there shall not an hair fall from the head' is a common biblical idiom (cf. 1 Sam 14:45; Luke 21:18) guaranteeing complete, divinely protected safety.

Verse 35

Paul publicly gives thanks for the bread. This action, mirroring the patterns of Jesus' meals, restores morale and establishes Paul as the spiritual and moral leader of the 276 people.

Verse 37

The number 276 is typical for large grain carriers (Alexandrian ships). Luke’s inclusion of this specific detail attests to his meticulous historical record-keeping.

Verse 41

Running the ship aground was a deliberate, desperate act to prevent the ship from sinking in deep water. The force of the waves immediately broke the stern, leaving the bow fixed.

Verse 42

Under Roman military law, a soldier was liable for the escape of his prisoner, often facing the same penalty (death). Killing the prisoners was standard protocol to avoid this liability.

Verse 43

The centurion’s desire to save Paul’s life, likely due to the respect Paul had earned and the assurance he provided, providentially overrides military protocol, ensuring the fulfillment of God’s promise.

Verse 44

The chapter concludes with a statement confirming the complete fulfillment of Paul’s prophecy (V. 22): all 276 people were saved, demonstrating God's faithfulness to His servant.

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Acts27

Paul Begins the Voyage to Rome

Paul Warns Against Sailing

The Voyage Encounters a Great Storm

Paul’s Vision and Divine Assurance

Preparing for Shipwreck

Shipwreck and Survival

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