Acts 27
Introduction
When Paul wrote Romans, he had not yet completed his mercy mission to the “poor among the saints in Jerusalem” (Romans 15:26). He was on his way and had some prophetic warning as to what awaited him there (Acts 20:22, 23; 21:10). The execution of his relief journey to Jerusalem, despite preventive precautions (21:17–26) stirred up the Jewish community with false accusations of defiling the Temple (21:28). He was rescued from murder by the quick action of a Roman centurion (21:31, 32). Having been under the constant scrutiny and agitation from the Jews in Jerusalem who wanted to kill him (21:29–31; 22:22; 23:12–15), Paul was transferred by a heavy guard (23:23–33) to Caesarea. There he appeared before the governor Felix who also invited the High Priest, Ananias, and some Jewish elders to come before him to bring charges (24:1–9). Paul made his defense filling it with circumstantial details and theological witness (24:10–21). Felix made no judgment but left Paul in prison for two years (24:27). Felix was replaced by Festus who again brought in the Jews to make their charges and hear Paul’s defense (25:1–11). When it appeared that he would be transferred to Jerusalem, Paul refused that tactic and appealed to Caesar (25:11). The appeal was granted, but in the meantime, Festus invited King Agrippa to come and hear this case, informing him of the details of the charges, including the judgment, “I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death” (25:25). Paul was brought in and gave an explanation of how he was changed from persecuting the Way to being its zealous proponent. His references to the resurrection from the dead brought Festus to express alarm that Paul had been driven insane by his overmuch learning. Paul responded that he uttered words of “truth and rationality” (26:25). Words to Agrippa emphasized the historical demonstrability of this message of resurrection—“for this has not been done in a corner” (25:26). Agrippa’s words set the stage for the next leg of Paul’s journey to Rome: “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar” (26:32). In fulfilling God’s promise: “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also” (23:11), Paul had no idea as to the circuitous and torturous route the journey to Rome would take but, nevertheless, it fulfilled his stated desire (Romans 1:10–13; 15:23, 24) as well as the words of assurance from God.
I. God’s promised journey to Rome begins.
John Calvin remarks, “Luke’s chief purpose in giving us an account of Paul’s voyage is that we may know that he was led to Rome in a wonderful way by the hand of God, and that on the actual journey the glory of God was clearly evident in many ways in his sayings and doings, and confirmed his apostleship more and more.” Luke was with Paul as was Aristarchus from Thessalonica.
A. “Paul and some other prisoners” is a startling phrase for contrast.
Paul, having written to the Romans while in prison at Caesarea had admonished the church to respect the civil powers for “they are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad” (Romans 13: 3). Very soon the difference between Paul and “some other prisoners” would become obvious so that Julius the centurion allowed Paul a high level of personal autonomy on this entire journey, took pains to accommodate and protect him, and responded to his advice. He knew the evidences of strength and character and also the ambience of guilt and deceit; the first he saw in Paul but none of the second. He might have been one of those who heard Paul’s defense before Agrippa (25:23).
B. A short leg of the journey of about one day culminated with a stop at Sidon, where the commander allowed Paul to visit with friends.
The friends probably were persons who had been converted under Paul’s preaching. This was a mercy granted Paul by God through the Roman commander, removing Paul from the stench and tedium of the ship and showed that Paul was considered trustworthy and would not betray this man and endanger his life in the loss of a prisoner. Compare Paul’s concern for the Philippian jailer in Acts 16: 26–30.
C. They journeyed to Myra, where the centurion put Paul and his company as well as the collection of prisoners on an Alexandrian ship whose destination was Italy.
In human purpose, this was to be the ship that would deliver Paul to Rome. In God’s providence this was not to be the case. Difficulty, tumult, danger, and despair would confront the entire group and would demonstrate the sense of security derived from a persuasion of God’s providence manifested by Paul.
II. “Nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”—not even a destructively stormy sea.
A. They sailed with great difficulty to Fair Havens on the island of Crete, where Paul advised them to spend winter because he sensed there would be disaster if they continued (27:10).
Observing the nature of the winds and having observed patterns at this time of the year, Paul gave advice on the basis of informed intuition. This does not appear to be a revelation from God for he thought it would end in the loss of lives. The fast connected with the Day of Atonement was gone and October was under way. Good weather for sailing would be less predictable and storms could develop quickly.
B. They sailed anyway upon the advice of the pilot and ship owner, seeking a harbor in Crete where they could winter (27:11, 12).
The centurion did not distrust Paul, but understandably took the advice of experienced seamen in light of the poor position of this port and the appearance of fair weather. We can grasp the fringes of God’s purpose in observing how this decision opened up even greater demonstrations of Paul’s position in his knowledge of the God who made heaven and earth and his calling as His servant.
C. The ship was captivated by a massive storm, blacking out sun, moon, and stars for several days, leading all on board, (with the possible exception of Paul, since God had told him he would witness for him in Rome) to lose hope and fear all was lost (27:14–20).
D. God’s manner of fulfilling his will in our lives often involves personal testing along the way.
His will includes not only the use of the Spirit-given gifts to accomplish a peculiar function of ministry (Romans 12:3–8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–31; Ephesians 4:1–16; 1 Peter 4:10, 11), but a deepening trust in his purposes for our sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3). God was pressing Paul into service in his calling and gifts as an apostle but also increasing his level of trust and sanctification as a Christian.
III. God gives a special revelation of ultimate safety and preservation of life (28:21–32).
A. Having a vision from an angel sent by God, Paul told the entire group that though the ship and all its cargo would be lost, all lives would be preserved.
God’s use of the water for the manifestation of his power and providential purpose both in judgment and redemption is as old as creation.
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- In the first day of creation, the world appeared as all water and the Spirit of God hovered above it, as if the power of God had an original purpose in the presence of the water and its appearance of domination (Genesis 1:1–5) Days 2 and 3 of creation also focus on the position of the waters relative to the globe of the earth—their abundance above the earth and their positioning relative to the appearance of dry land.
- God judged the world by the phenomenon of the massive power of water both above the earth and its presence within the earthly sphere. From below and above water came for forty days completely submerging the earth and killing all that was not protected in the ark (Genesis 7:10–24).
- The army of the enslaving enemy God’s chosen nation was destroyed by the engulfing water of the Red Sea that the Egyptians “may know that I am the Lord” (Exodus 14:4, 18; 10–31). God’s absolute control of the waters shows his great power in the obedience to his command of the most unruly part of his creation. Led by Moses, the descendants of Jacob celebrated God’s power over the water (Exodus 15:8–10).
- Jonah found the power of the sea to be an invincible perpetrator of divine purpose. He was thrown into stormy waters when no escape was possible for the other occupants except a remedial action of “Man overboard” (Jonah 1:12–16).
- Jesus showed his power over the water in the beneficent miracle of turning water into wine. The pots designed for ceremonial cleansing became the holders of water that issued in great joy for a happy occasion (John 2:6–11). The purifying water of the gospel brings about the joy of the wedding supper of the Lamb.
- When waves threatened while Jesus slept, his disciples called for saving intervention. Jesus awoke, rebuked their lack of faith, and commanded the winds and the sea into a state of “great calm.” Their shocked but spiritually and intellectually necessary question was, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” (Matthew 8:23–27). They experienced this again as they rowed alone in a tempest and Jesus walked on the water to them while they were “tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary” (Matthew 14:22–33). When Jesus rescued Peter and stepped into the boat the storm ceased.
- The water under the force of the wind not only responds for its peaceful settlement but for its stirring up. God was no less in charge of each wave, each gust of wind, and each particle of spray upon the calming of a storm than in its beginning. Both show that “He upholds all things by the word of his power” and all things were created “through him and for him” and presently are held within their proper sphere by his power (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:16, 17).
- This massive struggle with the invincible forces of nature served to give Paul the mark of apostolic revelation and triumphant faith (27:25). The prisoner commands the course of action and for his sake all lives were spared (27:24)
B. They must, however, run aground on an island (28:21–26).
A series of events shows that the assurance of divine providence necessarily involves the use of means embedded within the created order.
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- Paul told the entire company of the message given him by the angel, emphasizing that this was a messenger from “the God to whom I belong, and whom I serve” (23). Paul knew and he wanted all these people to know that he belonged to God, he was not his own. Earlier in one of his letters he had told the Corinthians in encouraging their sanctification, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20). The world in its susceptibility to immediate judgment benefits from the presence of the elect and God’s patience until he calls them all to salvation by his eternal purpose of grace and accomplishes in them what he desires (Peter 3:8–13).
- When some of the sailors sought to escape, Paul stopped their attempt by informing the centurion and the soldiers that unless they stayed on board, none of the people could be saved. Paul’s warning did not make the revelation of God untrue but established the necessary means of its coming to pass and the unity of those to whom the promise was relevant.
- Paul encouraged all of them to eat. Though God has promised to bring them all to land without loss of life, they could not stay alive if they did not eat. He took food and gave “thanks to God in the presence of them all” and began to eat. His thanks showed not only the clarity of his confidence in the one true God but his commitment to the beneficence of his providence.
- The ship was destroyed, but all lives were saved, and they came to firm ground on the island of Malta.
IV. Paul is granted an apostolic witness on Malta.
The inhabitants were kind and started a fire for these wet, weary, and bewildered survivors of the storm. In helping with the fire and gathering wood, Paul was bit by a serpent but shook it off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The inhabitants’ evaluation of Paul went from murderer to deification. A man named Publius received them to his estate. Paul healed his father; this led to many other sick people coming to Paul who healed them all (28:9). The vision, the lack of any ill effects from the viper bite, and the healings are among those events that Paul would describe as “signs of an apostle, . . . in signs and wonders and mighty deeds” (2 Corinthians 12:12) and again as “mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God (Romans 15:19).
V. Three months later, they sailed for Rome, by way of Syracuse, Rhegium, and Puteoli “where we found brethren, and were invited to stay with them seven days.”
At last, what Paul had written in his earlier correspondence to the Romans had come to pass: “Always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you . . . in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles” (Romans 1:10–13).
Poem
When falsely charged by unbelief
Appeal to justice, trust in God.
His grace provides his saints relief;
He plans each step the path they plod.
When bound with prisoners on his ship,
A soldier sensed Paul’s zeal for good.
God’s providence arranged this trip
For gospel truth; Paul understood.
When tossed by wind and beat by waves,
Paul’s faith in God shined bright and clear.
He knew the gracious God who saves.
Fear God. There’s nothing else to fear.
When set with those whose life is fright,
Whose gods can’t speak nor can be strong,
God’s truth shows mercy and brings light.
You serve Him and to Him belong.
The world’s strong plans all fall apart,
Its riches lost beyond retrieve,
With desperation, sinking heart,
They trust weak things that can’t relieve.
But we’ve a God steadfast and sure,
O’er earth, and sin, and death he reigns.
His word is truth, His care secure;
When all else crumbles, He remains.
