Acts 27 - Though the Ship Wrecked, Paul's Faith Kept Everyone on Board Safe!

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Paul Sails for Rome

Paul and other prisoners were put on a boat to sail to Italy. Julius, the Centurion, was kind to Paul. When they landed in Sidon, he allowed Paul to meet with his friends and provide for his needs. With all of the changes in wind patterns, they faced difficulty making headway. 

Paul was different from the other prisoners on board. The other prisoners were probably all condemned criminals being sent to Rome to die in the arena. - Guzik

An Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy: This was a grain freighter, taking grain grown in Egypt to Italy. According to Hughes, the typical grain freighter of that period was 140 feet long and 36 feet wide. It had one mast with a big square sail, and instead of what we think of as a rudder, it steered with two paddles on the back part of the ship. They were sturdy, but because of its design, it couldn’t sail into the wind. - Guzik

As the boat continued to struggle in the wind, winter was approaching when they would have to harbor the ship. Paul advised that they might want to harbor in Fair Havens. But the Centurion convinced the pilot to keep sailing despite the risks involved. 

Paul did not necessarily speak here as a prophet of God, but perhaps as an experienced traveler on the Mediterranean, having already traveled some 3,500 miles by sea. Knowing the seasons and conditions – and perhaps with supernatural wisdom – Paul advised that they not go on. - Guzik

Paul did not necessarily speak here as a prophet of God, but perhaps as an experienced traveler on the Mediterranean, having already traveled some 3,500 miles by sea. Knowing the seasons and conditions – and perhaps with supernatural wisdom – Paul advised that they not go on. - Guzik

Yet they failed to properly regard the wise word from the Apostle Paul, which turned out to be prophetic: This voyage will end with disaster and much loss. They should have listened to Paul, and later told them so (Acts 27:21). - Guzik

The Storm

Sure enough the boat got hit with a major storm. Though they lowered their anchors, they still got battered by the wind, the waves, and the sand bars. They threw cargo overboard hoping to lighten the load on the ship. but the storm raged on for many days. It was such a bad storm that they never saw the light of day. After many days had gone by, they had lost hope that they would even survive. 

This wind was feared among ancient sailors for its destructive power. Helpless to navigate with this wind in their face, all they could do is let her drive. - Guzik

These were the final two things done to help save the ship – first throwing over the cargo and then the ship’s equipment. Even with this, the ship continued to drive in the wind for many days.

On the open sea they could only navigate with either the sun or the stars. Many days in this storm drove the crew to desperation. The great tempest drove them blind westward across the Mediterranean. All hope that we would be saved was finally given up: Acts 27:37 tells us there were 276 people on board, both passengers and crew. It seems that they had all finally given up, and had no hope of survival. - Guzik

Then Paul got up and said to them basically, "Men you should have taken my advice". I am surprised he didn't get taken out after saying this. But then Paul tells them they should not fear because not one of them would lose their lives. He knew that God's providence had guided and kept him safe thus, so why should God stop now. Because God would bring Paul to safety, they too would be safe. 

Paul shared the experience of an angel visiting him in the night telling him all would be okay, and by God's grace the men on the ship with him would also be saved. Paul was going to testify before Caesar by hell or high water. But, he warned they would run aground on an island soon. 

There will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship: This was a mixed message. The promise that no life would be lost was hard to believe if the ship were to be lost. It was also bad news to hear that the voyage would be a complete financial loss, with the cargo already overboard (Acts 27:18) and the ship to be lost. - Guzik

 Paul believed God when there was nothing else to believe. He couldn’t believe the sailors, the ship, the sails, the wind, the centurion, human ingenuity or anything else – only God. This was not a fair-weather faith; he believed God in the midst of the storm, when circumstances were at their worst. Paul would say along with Job: Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him (Job 13:15). The storm and the danger were real, but God was more real to Paul than the dreadful circumstances. - Guzik

Paul was not ashamed to say that he believed God. “I would to God that all Christians were prepared to throw down the gauntlet and to come out straight; for if God be not true let us not pretend to trust him, and if the gospel be a lie let us be honest enough to confess it.” (Spurgeon)

The Shipwreck

The ship finally struck the sand and was stuck. Paul urged them to eat some food, as they had not eaten in 14 days. He took the bread gave thanks to God in front them all. It was a great witness to Paul's faith in God and an allusion to Holy Communion. He had faith in God to tell them that not one of their hairs from their head would be lost. They filled themselves with food, and then threw grain overboard to lighten the load, which was also form of trusting in Paul's word to them. 

When they saw a sandy beach, they cut loose the anchors and made a run for the beach. They didn't make it, and when the ship struck the sand, basically the boat and its stern fell apart. The soldiers wanted to kill all the prisoners, including Paul, so they couldn't escape, but the Centurion dissuaded them from doing this. Instead those who could swim, swam to shore. And those who couldn't floated in on planks from the boat. 

All in all, as Paul had prophesied to the men not one man was lost. 

They did not know it at first, but they came to an island called Malta. The place where the ship came aground is now called St. Paul’s Bay. - Guzik

“Only the rarest conjunction of favorable circumstances could have brought about such a fortunate ending to their apparently hopeless situation…all these circumstances are united in St. Paul’s Bay.” (Ramsay, cited by Bruce)

“If they missed Malta, there would have been nothing for it but to hold on for 200 miles until they struck the Tunisian coast, and no one could have expected the ship to survive that long.” (Bruce)

God gave Paul favor in the eyes of this Roman centurion, and that favor kept Paul and all the prisoners alive – in fulfillment of the word spoken to Paul, God has granted you all those who sail with you (Acts 27:24). God’s word never fails.