Acts · chapter 27 of 28
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Acts 27 narrates Paul's voyage as a prisoner to Rome. Despite his warning, the ship leaves Crete and a storm drives it for fourteen days. An angel promises Paul that he will stand before Caesar and that God has granted him the lives of all who sail with him. The ship runs aground and breaks apart, but all 276 aboard reach land safely.
In Acts 26 Paul defended his faith before Festus, Agrippa and Bernice, and it became clear that he could have been released had he not appealed to Caesar. Acts 27 begins the sea voyage to Rome, told by the author in the first person plural. It is one of the most detailed accounts of ancient sea travel and shows that God's plan for Paul is not halted even by a storm.
Paul and other prisoners are handed over to a centurion named Julius and board a ship of Adramyttium, with Aristarchus of Thessalonica. At Sidon Julius treats Paul kindly. At Myra they transfer to an Alexandrian ship and reach Fair Havens on Crete with difficulty. Paul warns that the voyage will bring damage and loss of lives, but the centurion trusts the pilot and the owner, and the majority decide to go on. A gentle wind encourages them, but soon the violent northeaster bursts upon them.
The ship is driven along, and the sailors undergird the hull and throw cargo and tackle overboard. For many days neither sun nor stars appear, and all hope is lost. Paul stands up and encourages everyone: the ship will be lost, but no life. An angel of the God to whom he belongs told him that he must stand before Caesar and that God has granted him all who sail with him.
On the fourteenth night the sailors sense land. When they try to escape in the boat, Paul warns the centurion and the soldiers cut the ropes. Before dawn Paul urges everyone to eat, takes bread, gives thanks to God in front of all and eats. There were 276 persons. They throw the wheat into the sea.
At daybreak they see a bay and plan to run aground, but the ship strikes a reef and the stern breaks up. The soldiers plan to kill the prisoners, but the centurion, wanting to save Paul, stops them. Those who can swim jump first, the rest follow on planks, and all reach land safely.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Paul warns that the voyage will bring damage and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of lives. He speaks as one with experience of shipwrecks, but they do not listen.
Paul tells how an angel of the God to whom he belongs and whom he serves told him not to be afraid, that he must stand before Caesar and that God had granted him the lives of all who sail with him. In the middle of the storm, God reaffirms his plan and extends his care to those with Paul.
Paul declares that he believes God and that it will happen just as he was told. His faith is not in the state of the sea but in God's word, and that confidence encourages the others.
Paul takes bread, gives thanks to God in front of everyone, breaks it and begins to eat. His simple gesture of gratitude in the midst of crisis restores the spirits of the 276 on the ship.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: A centurion named Julius of the Augustan Cohort. — Acts 27:1
Answer: That the voyage would bring damage and much loss, of the cargo, the ship and also lives. — Acts 27:10
Answer: A violent wind called the northeaster burst on them and drove the ship. — Acts 27:14-15
Answer: Not to be afraid, that he must stand before Caesar and that God had granted him all who sailed with him. — Acts 27:23-24
Answer: He urged them to eat, took bread, gave thanks to God in front of everyone and began to eat. — Acts 27:33-35
Answer: There were 276, and all reached land safely. — Acts 27:37
Acts 27 shows Paul as a prisoner who leads calmly in the storm. He does so not because he is stronger but because God has given him a word. In a small group you can talk about how to act in crises: pray, listen to God, encourage others with truth and take practical steps, such as eating, staying together and not fleeing.
The chapter also warns about ignoring wise counsel. Paul warned, and the majority preferred to go on. Sometimes the cost of not listening is great. And yet God keeps his promise: the ship is lost, but the people are saved. This encourages those going through storms: we may lose things, but God keeps what he has promised to keep.
Acts 27 ends with all 276 safe on shore after the ruin of the ship, just as God had promised Paul. Chapter 28, the last of the book, tells of the stay on the island, the arrival in Rome and the two years in which Paul proclaims the kingdom of God without hindrance.
Acts 27 uses the first person plural (we), which indicates that the author, traditionally identified as Luke, traveled with Paul. The account has the detail of an eyewitness, with harbors, winds and soundings.
It refers to the fast of the Day of Atonement, in late September or October. That date marked the start of the dangerous season for sailing in the Mediterranean, so the text indicates that the voyage was already risky.
The text says they wanted to keep them from swimming away and escaping. Under Roman discipline, a soldier who lost a prisoner could pay with his own life. The centurion stopped them because he wanted to save Paul.