A Study of
Acts 27:1 – 28:10
Acts 27 is
the first half of Paul’s trip from imprisonment in Caesarea to imprisonment in
Rome. With Paul is Luke and Aristarchus a Macedonian from Thessalonica; Julius
an officer of the Emperor’s Regiment, the ship’s owner and captain and 270
ships crew, Roman guards, prisoners and passengers, a total of 276 persons.
The first
part of the trip is difficult sailing and after much time had been lost because
of contrary winds Paul advised that they should winter where they were, proclaimed
that they would suffer loss of property and life. But those in charge decided
to go on.
They get a
favorable wind and take their chance to get to Crete where there is better
wintering ports. But they get caught in a large storm that blows off the land
and carries them about for 14 days. They have to get rid of everything that
weights them down including the ships sailing equipment.
On the
fourteenth day Paul reminded everyone that he had recommended that they not
sail on and He told them of his angelic visitation and that they would had to
run aground on an island but by GOD’s Grace no life would be lost, only the
ship. That night the ship’s crew realized the waters were getting shallower and
they took readings, seeing that they must be close to some land they anchored
the ship. The crew then decided to abandon the ship and it passengers, Paul
warned the Romans and they stopped the ship’s crew.
At sunrise
Paul encouraged everyone on board to eat and fortify themselves for no one
would be lost. They saw a beach and cut the anchors and made for it but they
ran aground on a sand bar and the ship stuck fast. As the stern was breaking up
the Romans wanted to kill the prisoners so they would not escape, but the
officer wanting to save Paul stopped them. He ordered everyone who could swim
to jump and swim ashore and for the rest to use whatever floated to make their
way to shore. No one from the ship was lost.
The study of
this chapter is the result: Paul proclaimed (prophesied) that if they continued
their trip there would be loss of property and life and those in charge ignored
his warning. By this time everyone on the ship would have know that Paul and
his companions were Messianic Jews. Then after two weeks of being caught in a
huge storm Paul tells them of his angelic visitation and no one would die. Even
then some doubted so the ship’s crew decided to abandon the ship but Paul
intervened and eventually everyone was saved.
By this time
you would think that virtually everyone on the ship would repent of their sins
and become believers in JESUS, but there is no evidence of that in Luke’s
writing of this event. Yet in chapter 28 there is a revival on the island where
they were ship wrecked because Paul did not die after being bitten by a
poisonous snake, then he prayed and the Governor’s father was healed of a fever
and dysentery, and the island’s residents honored Paul and his two companions.
They were there for three months.
So were
those who were with Paul and his companions for over four months changed?
Absolutely, did they become believers? I’m sure some did but at the time it did
not make enough difference in their behavior that Luke felt he should write in
it his narrative of the events. After about a week on the island all the people
brought their sick to Paul for healing and honored him and his companions.
What does
this say about humanity, especially our society today? JESUS said the road to
destruction is wide and the way is easy and there are many who find it; the
road to Eternal Life is narrow and the way is hard and few find it. Most people
are self interested and most people will not be saved no matter what they see,
hear and experience. It’s so random who will and who will not believe and be
saved that we must share with everyone we can.
