Acts 27 Bible study

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The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 27:1–32 Paul and Company Sail for Rome 27:1 When it was decided we would sail to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius.

The inevitable day arrives for Paul and according to God’s plan and purpose he is handed over with other prisoners to the custody of a centurion called Julius who belonged to a band of soldiers that that was part of the legion called Augustan (Acts 23:11; Psalm 33:11; Isaiah 46:10).

27:2 We went on board a ship from Adramyttium that was about to sail to various ports along the coast of the province of Asia and put out to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.

They boarded a ship from Adramyttium (that is, the ship was built there), and was set to sail to various ports along the coast of the province of Asia. Paul was accompanied by Aristarchus from Thessalonica who had traveled with Paul before and had been caught up with the riot at Ephesus and was imprisoned with him for a while in Rome (Acts 19:29, Col. 4:10) 27:3 The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius, treating Paul kindly, allowed him to go to his friends so they could provide him with what he needed.

The following day they docked at Sidon and Julius was very kind to Paul and allowed him to visit his friends there so that they could provide him with what he needed for the journey (Titus 3:14).

27:4 From there we put out to sea and sailed under the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

Putting out to sea from there they encountered high winds blowing against them so the ship sailed between the mainland and Cyprus for sheltered.

27:5 After we had sailed across the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we put in at Myra in Lycia.

Sailing across the open sea they passed along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia until they arrived at the port of Myra.

27:6 There the centurion found a ship from Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it.

This was the end of the journey for this ship so the centurion found another one that was sailing from Alexandria in Egypt that was bound for Rome laden with wheat (verse 38) and he put Paul and the other prisoners aboard it 27:7 We sailed slowly for many days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus. Because the wind prevented us from going any farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone.

Because the wind was against them they sailed very slowly for many days until they arrived with difficulty off Cnidus a city standing on a promontory just north of the island of Rhodes. The wind prevented them from sailing on a direct course so they sailed across to Crete and along the sheltered coast of the island past the cape of Salmone.

27:8 With difficulty we sailed along the coast of Crete and came to a place called Fair Havens that was near the town of Lasea.

It was with great difficulty they sailed along the coast of Crete until they reach a place called Fair Havens on the southeastern part of the island near the town of Lasea. It would seem as if the devil was out to do all he could to keep Paul from ever arriving at Rome

Caught in a Violent Storm a) Paul gives a warning 9 - 13.

27:9 Since considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because the fast was already over, Paul advised them, Because of the contrary winds and having to sail along the coast a lot of time had been lost and because of the strong winds the voyage had become dangerous. The time of this event is made known by the reference that the fast was already over. “This was the fast which occurred among the Jews on the great Day of Atonement.

That was on the tenth of the month Tisri, which answers to a part of September and part of October. It was, therefore, the time of the autumnal equinox, and when the navigation of the Mediterranean was esteemed to be particularly dangerous, from the storms which usually occurred about that time� (Barnes). Paul from his many travels would have had some experience of the dangers of travelling in this sea gave his advice.

27:10–11 "Men, I can see the voyage is going to end in disaster and great loss not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives." But the centurion was more convinced by the captain and the ship's owner than by what Paul said.

He forewarns them that he could see the voyage ending in disaster with loss of life the cargo and also the ship unless they remained where they were. But the centurion listen to the captain and the owner of the ship than Paul that was quite understandable in a way as he would consider the captain more of an authority on these things than Paul.

27:12 Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there. They hoped that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

Fair Havens might have been a safe place to shelter from the present storm but it was not a suitable place to remain in throughout the winter and so the majority decided to put out to sea. They were hoping that by some chance they may be able to reach Phoenix further up the coast of Crete facing southwest and northwest and winter there.

27:13 When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought they could carry out their purpose, so they weighed anchor and sailed close along the coast of Crete.

When a gentile south wind began to blow this convinced them that they had made the right decision to carry out their purpose, so they pulled up the anchor and sailed along the coast of Crete. You could say they were lulled into a false hope of security.

b) The Storm Strikes 14 - 20.

27:14 Not long after this, a hurricane-force wind called the northeaster blew down from the island.

Not long after this a hurricane-force wind called Euroclydon blew down from the island “in the Greek text it is a typhonic wind, so called, not from the name of a country from whence it blew; rather from Typho the same with Python, an Heathen deity, who is said to be drowned in the lake Serbonis, or in the river Orontes; about which places this sort of wind is observed to be frequent, and which may take its name from him, being supposed to be raised by him” (Gill).

27:15 When the ship was caught in it and could not head into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.

The ship was caught up in this typhoon and the helmsman could not turn the ship to face the wind so it was perilously driven along with it; they could not control the ship it was at the mercy of the wind.

27:16 (NKJV) And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty.

As they were carried along under the shelter of a small island called Cauda they were with great difficulty able to take on board the skiff and secure it. (A skiff was the boat that was used to take people and items on shore 27:17 (NKJV) When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven.

After they had done this the sailors strengthened the ship by putting strong ropes around the hull of it to help the planks stay together and thus remain watertight. Because they were afraid of running aground on the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast they lowered the main sail and so were driven along.

27:18–19 The next day, because we were violently battered by the storm, they began throwing the cargo overboard, and on the third day they threw the ship's gear overboard with their own hands.

The following day because they were so battered by the storm they began to lighten the ship by throwing cargo overboard. On the third day they also threw some of the ship’s tackle overboard.

27:20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and a violent storm continued to batter us we finally abandoned all hope of being saved.

The terrible storm continued for many days blotting out the sun and stars battering the ship until finally all of hope of being saved was abandoned.

c) Paul Encourages 21 - 26.

27:21 Since many of them had no desire to eat, Paul stood up among them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me and not put out to sea from Crete, thus avoiding this damage and loss.

For many days no one had eaten any food until Paul stood up amongst them and reminded them of the warning he had given not to sail from Crete if they had listened then their lives would not be in danger now and nothing would have been lost.

27:22–23 And now I advise you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only the ship will be lost. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve came to me Now he encourages them to be of good cheer for an angel of the God to whom he belonged and served had appeared to him in the night assuring him that not one of them would lose his life (Psalm 31:24; 2 Cor. 1:3–4, Isaiah 43:2).

27:24 and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul! You must stand before Caesar, and God has graciously granted you the safety of all who are sailing with you.'

The angel had told Paul not to be afraid for he would certainly stand before Caesar as God had said and because of this God had graciously granted to him the safety of all who in the ship with him.

27:25 Therefore keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be just as I have been told.

Paul believed God and had proved Him to be faithful and true ever since he first believed and so he exhorts the men to have courage for what he had told them will be fulfilled (2 Timothy 1:12; Numbers 23:19).

27:26 But we must run aground on some island."

However, although this will come to pass it will mean that they shall run aground on some island.

A Great Deliverance 27:27 When the fourteenth night had come, while we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected they were approaching some land.

On the fourteenth night of the storm while they were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea about midnight the sailors by their sea knowledge began to suspect that they were drawing near to some land.

27:28–29 They took soundings and found the water was twenty fathoms deep; when they had sailed a little farther they took soundings again and found it was fifteen fathoms deep. Because they were afraid that we would run aground on the rocky coast, they threw out four anchors from the stern and wished for day to appear.

Using a line and lead they sounded out the depth of water beneath the ship and found that it was twenty fathoms; when they had sailed a little further they took soundings again and found it was fifteen fathoms. This confirmed to them that were drawing nearer to land and because they didn’t want to run aground they cast four anchors from the stern (back) of the shipped and prayed that daylight would come soon.

27:30 Then when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and were lowering the ship's boat into the sea, pretending that they were going to put out anchors from the bow, The sailors began to lower the ship’s boat into the sea while pretending to put out anchors from the prow (front) planning to abandon the ship.

27:31–32 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." Then the soldiers cut the ropes of the ship's boat and let it drift away.

However, Paul saw what they were doing and warned the centurion and the soldiers that if the sailors left the ship they cannot be saved. So the soldiers cut the ropes holding the boat to the ship and set adrift.

27:33–34 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense and have gone without food; you have eaten nothing. Therefore I urge you to take some food, for this is important for your survival. For not one of you will lose a hair from his head."

As the dawn was about to break Paul entreated them all to eat some food for they had not eaten anything for fourteen days because they had been battling the storm. It was important that should eat to be able to have the strength to order to survive. He again assures them that not one of them will lose their lives.

27:35–37 After he said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all, broke it, and began to eat. So all of them were encouraged and took food themselves. (We were in all two hundred seventy-six persons on the ship.)

Paul then took some bread gave thanks to God and ate it before them all and so they were all encouraged to eat. There were two hundred and seventy six people on the ship.

27:38 When they had eaten enough to be satisfied, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.

When they had all eaten enough and were fully refreshed and strengthened they lightened the ship by throwing all the wheat into the sea.

Paul is Shipwrecked 27:39 When day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.

When the morning dawned they did not recognize the land but saw a bay with a with a beach so they decided to run the ship aground upon it.

27:40 So they slipped the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the linkage that bound the steering oars together. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and steered toward the beach.

They cut off the anchors and left them in the sea and released the rudders so that they could steer to the beach. They hoisted the foresail to catch the wind and headed towards the shore.

27:41 But they encountered a patch of crosscurrents and ran the ship aground; the bow stuck fast and could not be moved, but the stern was being broken up by the force of the waves.

Things however did not go straightforward they were caught in a crosscurrent (a place where two seas met) and the ship ran aground before reaching the shore. The prow of the ship stuck fast and could not move. The stern of the ship began to broken up by the force of the waves.

27:42–43 Now the soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners so that none of them would escape by swimming away. But the centurion, wanting to save Paul's life, prevented them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land, The soldiers wanted to kill all the prisoners so that none of them could escape by swimming away but the centurion wanted to save Paul so he stopped them from doing so and ordered all those who could swim to jump overboard and make for the beach.

27:44 and the rest were to follow, some on planks and some on pieces of the ship. And in this way all were brought safely to land.

Those who could not swim ordered to follow the rest on planks and pieces of the ship. In this way all two hundred and seventy-six people were saved. God allowed all this to happen so that Paul could reach Rome the heart of the Roman empire so that he could preach the gospel message and that many would be saved and take the message throughout the whole of Europe.

Eph. 1:10–11 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will. © Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett 2015 Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk You may copy, print or distribute our studies freely in any form, just so long as you make no charges. Sign up today for our FREE monthly Bible study magazine “Living Word” Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org