Chapter 27
2022 - First verse:
1 And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. [Act 27:1 ESV]. This is being narrated in first person. "...that we should sail...". Luke is with Paul through all of this. He is telling the story from the inside.
A Centurion named Julius is in charge of the prisoners - several - being taken to Rome. Luke is using "we" here, and says "we were accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. We see this name is at least one of Paul's letters that I remember. So it looks like Paul was allowed traveling companions as he was taken to Rome.
The winds are not very favorable to them as their journey continues. Sometimes they even have to put in to port and wait for better winds. They arrive in a place called Fair Havens, near Lasea, which on the south side of the island of Crete. Because of the slow going, they are in danger of encountering storms and such, and Paul advises them to winter in Lasea, and continue later. The Centurion follows the advice of the pilot and the ships owner instead. They set off, aiming for a different port on Crete, more suitable for wintering over.
Their idea was to hug the coast and so make it just a few more miles to this other port - Phoenix. But a "northeaster" - that's the term used in the ESV, comes piling in from the land side of the ship. They cannot get turned toward the wind - likely because they were so close to land, and so have to let the wind drive them along. It would seem to me that it would drive them far from land, moving SW from Crete. They get to a small island called Cauda. There is a lot of ship talk about various things they tried to make themselves safe. They were unsuccessful. The next day they start throwing cargo overboard, then they throw even the ships tackle overboard. It is dark day and night for many days in this storm. Cauda is south of Crete, toward the west end.
An angel appears to Paul and tells him he must stand before Caesar, and that all those with him will be saved also, but the ship will be lost. This storm continues for two weeks. They get near land, and are afraid of running aground. The Centurion and the soldiers get into a boat, pretending to set out more anchors, but in reality, planning to abandon those on the ship using the small ships boat. Paul tells them that if they do this, they will die. So they cut the boat loose and stay on the ship.
Paul has them eat something since they've had nothing for 14 days. He assures them again that they will all survive this. It says there were 276 men aboard. The footnote says some manuscripts say 76, others say "about 76". They lighten the ship yet again by throwing over the wheat into the sea. MSB sides with the 276, saying this was a large vessel.
The ship wrecks on a beach. The soldiers decide to just kill all the prisoners, rather than get into trouble for letting them escape. These were difficult times! The Centurion wants to save Paul though, and shuts down their plan. All manage to either swim or float on boards to the beach. All survive, as Paul said they would.
2024 - It is interesting that after two years in prison, Paul is finally sent to Caesar, just as God wanted. And despite the fact that he is doing exactly as God has ordained, though not one detail of this journey was within Paul's control, they have all these mishaps and wrong turns, and then a shipwreck. In God's will, yet shipwrecked and stranded in a far land. We have no idea why God wanted these things to happen in this way. Perhaps a sailor came to Christ. Perhaps some on the island who would otherwise have died without hearing the gospel were saved. The lessons are, don't be surprised when doing God's will leads to a storm. And second, no matter our own circumstances, keep spreading the gospel.