Acts 27 · The Lantern

But as it was demed hym to schippe into Ytalie, thei bitoken Poul with othere kepers to a centurien, bi name Julius, of the cumpeny of knyytis of the emperoure.

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 we wenten vp in to the schip of Adrymetis, and bigunnen to seile, and weren borun aboute the placis of Asie, while Aristark of Macedonye, Tessalonycence, dwellide stille with vs.

And in the dai suynge, we camen to Sydon; and Julius tretyde curteisli Poul, and suffride to go to frendis, and do his nedis.

And whanne we remouede fro thennus, we vndurseiliden to Cipre, for that wyndis weren contrarie.

And we seiliden in the see of Silicie and Pamfilie, and camen to Listris, that is Licie.

And there the centurien foond a schip of Alisaundre, seilinge in to Ytalie, and puttide vs ouer in to it.

And whanne in many daies we seilden slowli, and vnnethe camen ayens Guydum, for the winde lettide vs, we seiliden to Crete, bisidis Salomona.

And vnnethe we seilden bisidis, and camen into a place, that is clepid of good hauen, to whom the cite Tessala was niy.

And whanne miche time was passid, and whanne seiling thanne was not sikir, for that fasting was passid, Poul coumfortide hem,

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 seide to hem, Men, Y se that seiling bigynneth to be with wrong and myche harm, not oonli of charge and of the schip, but also of oure lyues.

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 centurien bileuede more to the gouernour, and to the lord of the schip, thanne to these thingis that weren seid of Poul.

And whanne the hauene was not able to dwelle in wynter, ful many ordeyneden counsel to seile fro thennus, if on ony maner thei miyten come to Fenyce, to dwelle in wynter at the hauene of Crete, which biholdith to Affrik, and to Corum.

And whanne the south blew, thei gessiden hem to holde purpos; and whanne thei hadden removed fro Asson, thei seiliden to Crete.

And not aftir miche, the wynde Tifonyk, that is clepid north eest, was ayens it.

And whanne the schip was rauyschid, and myyte not enforse ayens the wynde, whanne the schip was youun to the blowynges of the wynde, we weren borun with cours into an ile,

that is clepid Canda; and vnethe we miyten gete a litil boot.

And whanne this was takun vp, thei vsiden helpis, girdinge togidere the schippe; and dredden, lest thei schulden falle into sondi placis. And whanne the vessel was vndur set, so thei weren borun.

And for we weren throwun with strong tempest, in the dai suynge thei maden casting out.

And the thridde dai with her hoondis thei castiden awei the instrumentis of the schip.

And whanne the sunne nether the sterris weren seie bi many daies, and tempest not a litil neiyede, now al the hope of oure helthe was don awei.

And whanne myche fasting hadde be, thanne Poul stood in the myddil of hem, and seide, A! men, it bihofte, whanne ye herden me, not to haue take awei the schip fro Crete, and gete this wronge and casting out.

And now Y counsel you to be of good coumfort, for los of no persoone of you schal be, outakun of the schip.

For an aungel of God, whos Y am, and to whom Y serue, stood niy to me in this niyt, and seide, Poul, drede thou not;

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.

it bihoueth thee to stonde bifore the emperour. And lo! God hath youun to thee alle that ben in the schip 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.

For which thing, ye men, be ye of good coumfort; for Y bileue to my God, that so it schal be, as it is seid to me.

And it bihoueth vs to come into sum yle.

But aftirward that in the fourtenthe dai the niyt cam on vs seilinge in the stony see, aboute mydniyt the schipmen supposiden sum cuntre to appere to hem.

And thei kesten doun a plommet, and founden twenti pasis of depnesse. And aftir a litil thei weren departid fro thennus, and foundun fiftene pasis.

And thei dredden, lest we schulden haue fallun in to scharp placis; and fro the last parti of the schip thei senten foure ankeris, and desiriden that the dai hadde be come.

And whanne the schipmen souyten to fle fro the schip, whanne thei hadden sent a litil boot in to the see, vndur colour as thei schulden bigynne to stretche forth the ankeris fro the formere part of the schip,

Poul seide to the centurien and to the knyytis, But these dwellen in the schip, ye moun not be maad saaf.

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.

Thanne knyytis kittiden awei the cordis of the litil boot, and suffriden it to falle awei.

And whanne the dai was come, Poul preiede alle men to take mete, and seide, The fourtenthe dai this dai ye `abiden, and dwellen fastinge, and taken no thing.

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.

Wherfor Y preie you to take mete, for youre helthe; for of noon of you the heer of the heed schal perische.

And whanne he hadde seid these thingis, Poul took breed, and dide thankyngis to God in the siyt of alle men; and whanne he hadde brokun, he bigan to eete.

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…"

And alle weren maad of betere coumfort, and thei token mete.

And we weren alle men in the schip, two hundrid seuenti and sexe.

And thei weren fillid with mete, and dischargiden the schip, and castiden whete in to the see.

And whanne the dai was comun, thei knewen no lond; and thei bihelden an hauene that hadde a watir bank, in to which thei thouyten, if thei miyten, to bringe vp the schip.

And whanne thei hadden take vp the ankeris, thei bitoken hem to the see, and slakiden togidir the ioyntours of gouernails. And with a litil seil lift vp, bi blowyng of the wynde thei wenten to the bank.

And whanne we felden into a place of grauel gon al aboute with the see, thei hurtliden the schip. And whanne the formere part was fitchid, it dwellide vnmouable, and the last part was brokun of strengthe of the see.

And counsel of the kniytis was, to sle men that weren in warde, lest ony schulde ascape, whanne he hadde swymmed out.

But the centurien wolde kepe Poul, and forbede it to be don. And he comaundide hem that miyte swymme, to go in to the see, and scape, and go out to the loond.

And thei baren summe othere on boordis, summe on tho thingis that weren of the schip. And so it was don, that alle men ascapiden to the lond.

Acts27