Acts 27 · The Lantern

And when it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band.

But after Paul, in consequence of his appeal to Caesar, had been sent to Rome by Festus, the Jews, being frustrated in their hope of entrapping him by the snares that they had laid for him, turned against James, the brother of the Lord, to whom the episcopal seat at Jerusalem had been entrusted by the apostles. The following daring measures were undertaken by them against him.

See how far Aristarchus also accompanies Paul. To good and useful purpose is Aristarchus present, as he would take back the report of all to Macedonia.

When it was decided that he should sail to Italy, Paul, along with the rest of the prisoners, was handed over to a centurion. More accurately read in Greek: "When it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion."

And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail unto the places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

And the next day we touched at Sidon: and Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him leave to go unto his friends and refresh himself.

And putting to sea from thence, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

And when we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy; and he put us therein.

And when we had sailed slowly many days, and were come with difficulty over against Cnidus, the wind not further suffering us, we sailed under the lee of Crete, over against Salmone;

and with difficulty coasting along it we came unto a certain place called Fair Havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.

And when much time was spent, and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast was now already gone by, Paul admonished them,

By "the fast" here, I suppose he means that of the Jews. For they departed thence a long time after the Pentecost, so that it was much about midwinter that they arrived at the coasts of Crete. And this too was no slight miracle, that they also should be saved on his account.

"because the fast was now over." Here the fast means that of the Jews. For after Pentecost he departed from there after a long time, as if to come to the parts of Crete almost in the winter itself. Behold, Paul now prophesies again, telling them that they would be shipwrecked. [AMMONIUS]

I think Paul is speaking here of the Jewish fast, since he had departed a long time after Pentecost, so that he arrived at the borders of Crete almost by winter.

and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the lading and the ship, but also of our lives.

See [Paul's] modesty: in order that he may not appear to prophesy but to speak as if from supposition, he says "I see." They would have not received his words if he had pronounced them at once. In the first place he prophesies and says, "God, whom I worship," thus leading them. How would have it happened without a loss of lives?

Even if the shipwreck did not occur to them with loss of lives according to his word. For this would have happened as far as the nature of the thing was concerned, if God had not preserved them. For through him he also caused those men to be saved. The shipwreck that took place, then, occurred because the season was bad, since the storm was great.

But to show that he is not prophesying, but speaking by conjecture, he expresses himself thus: "I perceive," – because they would not have immediately believed him even if he had said this as a prophet.

But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship, than to those things which were spoken by Paul.

And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to put to sea from thence, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there; which is a haven of Crete, looking north-east and south-east.

And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close in shore.

But after no long time there beat down from it a tempestuous wind, which is called Euraquilo:

and when the ship was caught, and could not face the wind, we gave way to it, and were driven.

And running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat:

and when they had hoisted it up, they used helps, under-girding the ship; and, fearing lest they should be cast upon the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and so were driven.

And as we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw the freight overboard;

and the third day they cast out with their own hands the tackling of the ship.

And when neither sun nor stars shone upon us for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was now taken away.

And when they had been long without food, then Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss.

And now I exhort you to be of good cheer; for there shall be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

For there stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I am, whom also I serve,

Both good and bad angels are among people. Not by chance or without reason was that angel, for example, allotted to be the guardian of Peter or that other one for Paul or those of the children of the church, those that always "behold the face of their Father, who is in heaven." Concerning these things there can be no doubt that, by the judgment of God, who clearly sees their ra…

"For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo God hath given thee all them that sail with thee." So that righteous men, though they may be in a tempest, or on the sea, or in the deep, suffer nothing dreadful, but even save others together with themselves.

For an angel of God stood by me this night. He was not boasting of himself by saying this but was provoking them to faith. For the sea was allowed to be stormy so that by what was heard and by what was not heard, the spiritual grace in Paul might be revealed.

saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must stand before Cæsar: and lo, God hath granted thee all them that sail with thee.

"God has granted safety to all," so that what Homer says appears to be false: "I say that no one can avoid his fate, neither good man nor bad, even though he be noble." And this means that it is impossible to escape the death that Fate establishes at the moment of birth.

You cannot deny that the prisoner and the jailers were of unequal merit. And what were the circumstances of that shipwreck involving the apostle and the soldiers? The apostle Paul described a vision afterwards and said that those who were on the ship had been given to him by the Lord.

"Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you." Behold, if it were not for Paul, all who were in the ship would have had to perish. Thus, what was said by Homer is false: Homer says that it is impossible to escape the mortal fate that determines the hour of a person's death together with their birth.

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even so as it hath been spoken unto me.

But we must be cast upon a certain island.

But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven to and fro in the sea of Adria, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some country:

and they sounded, and found twenty fathoms; and after a little space, they sounded again, and found fifteen fathoms.

And fearing lest haply we should be cast ashore on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for the day.

And as the sailors were seeking to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, under color as though they would lay out anchors from the foreship,

Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.

Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved": so saying, not on this account, but that he might restrain them, and the prophecy might not fall to the ground. Accordingly observe how the centurion does as he bids him, insomuch that he even let the boat go, and destroyed it.

But when he said, "Unless these stay in the ship, you cannot be saved," Paul spoke wisely, so as to hold them and not let the prophecy fail. Therefore when they saw that their lack of resolve had put them in danger, then they began to obey him.

"Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved," etc. Because in the danger of shipwreck, the knowledge of sailors who were experienced in the sea was more beneficial than the weapons of soldiers, they were therefore more likely to control the boat than to let the sailors be cast away.

Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take some food, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing.

And how, say you, did they go without food, having taken nothing? How did they bear it? Their fear possessed them, and did not let them fall into a desire of food, being, as they were, at the point of extreme jeopardy; but they had no care for food. Moreover, the place is a trying one, for it was in the Adriatic, and then their long abstinence. They were in the midst of death.

"And when it began to be light, Paul besought," etc. After fourteen days of storm, Paul besought them to take food, since it was clear that, of two hundred seventy-six men, not even a hair of their heads had been lost. To encourage others by his own example, he broke bread and himself began to eat.

And as the day was about to dawn, Paul urged everyone to take some food. In this passage, the most beautiful sense of allegory is laid open, as Paul urged those he promised would be saved from the wreck to take food.

Wherefore I beseech you to take some food: for this is for your safety: for there shall not a hair perish from the head of any of you.

And when he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all; and he brake it, and began to eat.

But how" in every place," since we are prohibited (from praying) in public? In every place, he means, which opportunity or even necessity, may have rendered suitable: for that which was done by the apostles (who, in gaol, in the audience of the prisoners, "began praying and singing to God") is not considered to have been done contrary to the precept; nor yet that which was done…

And he exhorts them again to take some meat, and they do as he bids them, and he takes some first, to persuade them not by word, but also by act, that the storm did them no harm, but rather was a benefit to their souls. Observe, his giving thanks after all that had happened strengthened them. For this showed an assured mind that they would be saved.

That Paul began to eat was so that he would not die of hunger. "Having taken bread, he gave thanks to God" for what had happened. The order of the Eucharist also teaches us to say the same thing: "We thank Thee, O God, that Thou hast vouchsafed us…"

Then were they all of good cheer, and themselves also took food.

And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.

And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they perceived a certain bay with a beach, and they took counsel whether they could drive the ship upon it.

And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosing the bands of the rudders; and hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.

But lighting upon a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground; and the foreship struck and remained unmoveable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.

And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.

But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stayed them from their purpose; and commanded that they who could swim should cast themselves overboard, and get first to the land;

and the rest, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. And so it came to pass, that they all escaped safe to the land.

Acts27