Acts 27

-8 1 3 2 -9 1 0 0 0 0 13 96 -9 2 0 0 2 0 1 RVStyle2 7 StyleNameNormal textFontNameArialUnicode Size Standard StyleNameDefaultFontNameTahomaUnicode Size Standard StyleNameJumpFontNameTahomaStylefsUnderlineColorclBlue HoverColorclMaroonHoverEffects rvheUnderlineUnicode Jump Size Standard StyleNameHeading - Module name SizeDoubleFontNameTahomaColorclMaroonUnicode SizeStandard StyleName"Heading small - Module descriptionFontNameTahomaColorclMaroonUnicode Size Standard StyleNameHeading - LinkFontNameTahomaColorclNavy HoverColorclPurpleUnicode Jump Size Standard StyleNameDefaultFontNameTahomaStylefsUnderlineColorclBlueUnicode Jump Size Standard StyleNameDefaultFontNameTahomaColorclBlue HoverColorclMaroonNextStyleNoUnicode Jump Size -9 2 0 0 2 0 2 RVStyle2 jBiDiModervbdLeftToRightTabs StyleNameCentered Alignment rvaCenterTabsStandardTabs-9 2 0 0 2 0 4 RVStyle2 -9 0 0 0 0 0 7 1 33 2 8 0 0 27. Voyage to and Stay in Rome, part 1) 27:1 44) ) ) Outline) 27:1 28:31 X. Voyage to and Stay in Rome ) 27:1 44 A. Caesarea to Malta ) 27:1 12 1. To Crete ) 27:1 2 a. Boarding Ship ) 27:3 8 b.

Sailing to Crete ) 27:9 12 c. Waiting at Crete ) 27:13 44 2. The Storm ) 27:13 20 a. The Northeaster ) 27:21 26 b. Revelation ) 27:27 32 c. Soundings ) 27:33 38 d.

Encouragement ) 27:39 44 e. Shipwreck ) ) ) ) X. Voyage to and Stay in Rome) 27:1 28:31) ) A. Caesarea to Malta) 27:1 44) 27 1 When it was decided that we would sail to Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were entrusted to an officer named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. 2 We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail for ports of the province of Asia. We set out to sea and were accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 On the following day we arrived at Sidon; Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to friends to take care of his needs. 4 From there we set out to sea again and sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5 And having crossed the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we arrived at Myra of Lycia. 6 There the officer found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy; he made us board the ship. 7 For many days we sailed slowly and with difficulty arrived at Cnidus. The wind did not permit us to go farther, so under the shelter of Crete we sailed opposite Salmone. 8 With difficulty we sailed along the coast of Crete to a place called Fair Havens, which was near the town of Lasea.) 9 When much time had passed and the voyage had become dangerous because the season in which the Fast [the Day of Atonement] was observed had passed, Paul warned them, 10 saying, Men, I perceive that the voyage will be disastrous and will be a great loss not only to the cargo and the ship but also to our lives. 11 But the officer was persuaded more by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what Paul said. 12 Because the harbor was unsuitable for winter quarters, the majority decided to sail from Fair Havens, hoping to reach Phoenix and spend the winter in that harbor of Crete, which faced both southwest and northwest.) 13 When a moderate south wind came up, they thought that they had achieved their purpose.

They lifted the anchor and began to sail as close as possible along the coast of Crete.14 But before very long, a violent wind, called the northeaster, rushed down from the island. 15 The ship was caught and was unable to sail against the wind; we were carried away and let ourselves be driven along. 16 Running under the shelter of a small island called Cauda, we were scarcely able to fasten the lifeboat. 17 After they had lifted it up, they used supporting cables to undergird the ship. Because they feared they might run aground at the sandbars of Syrtis, they had let down the sea anchor, and thus the ship was carried along. 18 Since we were violently beaten by a storm, they began to throw out the cargo the next day. 19 On the third day, they threw the tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 Because neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and no small storm lay upon us, we gradually gave up all hope of being saved.) 21 When they had gone without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said: Men, you should have followed my advice and not sailed from Crete; you would have avoided this damage and loss. 22 And now I advise you not to lose courage. No one of you, but only the ship, will perish. 23 This very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand trial before Caesar. Moreover, God has granted to you all those who are sailing with you. 25 Therefore, men, be courageous, for I believe in God that it will happen exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island. ) 27 On the fourteenth night while we were being driven across the Sea of Adria, about midnight the sailors began to sense that they were approaching some land. 28 They took soundings and discovered the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A little farther, they took another sounding and found the water to be ninety feet deep. 29 Fearing that we might run aground on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and wished for daylight. 30 The sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had lowered the lifeboat into the sea under the pretense of intending to let down anchors from the bow. 31 Paul said to the officer and soldiers, Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved. 32 Then the soldiers cut the ropes of the lifeboat and let it fall away.) 33 Until the day began to dawn, Paul continued to urge everyone to take some food. He said, Today is the fourteenth day you have been on watch.

You have been without food; you have taken nothing. 34 Therefore, I urge you to take some food. This is for your own survival, for none of you will lose a single hair from his head. 35 When he had said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God before them all. He broke it and began to eat. 36 All of them were encouraged and they themselves took some food. 37 Altogether on board we numbered 276 people. 38 When they were filled, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.) 39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land. But they noticed a bay with a beach onto which they decided to run the ship, if possible. 40 After they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, they loosened the ropes of the rudders, hoisted the foresail to the wind and headed for the beach. 41 They struck a reef and ran the ship aground. The bow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the pounding of the waves. 42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so that no one might escape by swimming away. 43 But the officer wanted to spare Paul and prevented the soldiers from carrying out their plan. He commanded that those who were able to swim should jump overbeard first and get to land. 44 And the rest were to reach land on planks or on various parts of the ship.

Thus everyone arrived safely on land.) ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.21.1|AUTODETECT|” Except for fishermen, the Jews were not seafaring people. Only when necessity forced him to travel by ship would the Jew make an extended voyage across the sea. He had an innate fear of the unpredictable power of the wind and waves. When John writes that he saw the new heaven and new earth appear, the sea was no longer there 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.21.1|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 21:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). For him, the disappearance of the sea was a source of comfort. Now he could expect peace and tranquility.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.11.25|AUTODETECT|” Paul had sailed the waters of the Aegean and the Mediterranean on more than one occasion. He was acquainted with the dangers of the sea, for he writes that three times he suffered shipwreck and that he spent a night and a day on the open waters of the sea 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.11.25|AUTODETECT|” II Cor. 11:25) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Once more Paul had to board ship, but now as a prisoner sent under guard to Rome. He was accompanied by Luke, who has written a detailed account of the harrowing experience of sailing from Caesarea to Italy. The account begins with the passage from Caesarea to Crete.) 1 13 2 8 0 0

1. To Crete) 27:1 12) Throughout this chapter and the next, the writer again (see 16:10 17; 20:5 21:18) uses the first person plural pronoun to indicate that he accompanied Paul from Caesarea to Rome.��1�� He mentions names of places and some are rather obscure that scholars have identified as being accurate; he describes climatic conditions that can best be understood as the observations of an eyewitness.��2�� We favor the view that the vivid details presented in this account are the work of an eyewitness who experienced the storm and subsequent shipwreck.) a. Boarding Ship) 27:1 2) 1. When it was decided that we would sail to Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were entrusted to an officer named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.) a. When it was decided. The sentence shows the author s desire to introduce a measure of anonymity, because the subjects for the verbs decided and entrusted are lacking.

Even though Festus gave the order to have Paul transported to Rome, the fulfillment of his order depended on a number of factors and people. For instance, the governor would not send to Rome one prisoner accompanied by a centurion and a band of soldiers. He would wait until a group of prisoners from various parts of Palestine and the interior could be sent by ship to Italy. The authorities would have to wait for a ship that was able to accommodate a sizeable company. (Note that the ship that was wrecked carried 276 people [v. 37].) Transportation was by means of a fairly large freighter that would sail along the coast to deliver and receive freight and provide passage for voyagers.) b. We would sail to Italy. When Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea, his friends might visit him and supply his daily needs.

But could Luke accompany Paul on a ship? The same thing can be asked concerning Aristarchus, who is identified as a Macedonian from Thessalonica (v. 2; 19:29; 20:4). These men are Paul s friends and travel companions.��3�� We conjecture that they paid their own fare and so could accompany Paul and attend to his needs. Prisoners had to depend on friends and relatives for food, clothing, and other necessities.��4��) Note that Luke writes they sailed for Italy, not Rome. Travelers to Rome often journeyed by ship to the southern part of Italy and then walked to the imperial city.) c. Paul and some other prisoners were entrusted to an officer named Julius.

The significant person in this account is not Luke but Paul; except for the use of the pronouns we and us, the writer cloaks himself in anonymity. Paul is set apart from another group of men who are prisoners, writes Luke. That is, the other men presumably are criminals. But the centurion regards Paul as a person of stature who receives due respect and to whom people listen (see especially vv. 21 26, 31, 33 35).) The Roman officer in charge of the prisoners was a centurion named Julius. Luke describes him as an officer who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.��5�� With the aid of his soldiers, Julius served as a military courier with special authority to escort and protect prisoners.��6�� Presumably he was a member of Nero s bodyguard who had been sent on a special mission to Caesarea and now was returning to Rome.) 2. We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail for ports of the province of Asia.

We set out to sea and were accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.) Governor Festus apparently was unable to find suitable means to send Paul along Roman roads from Caesarea to Troas, then across the Aegean Sea to Macedonia, along the Via Egnatia to the west coast of Macedonia, and then by ship across the Adriatic Sea to Italy. Instead, he believed that confinement on a ship would make escape difficult, if not impossible. For the transport of prisoners by vessel, he had to rely on freighters that plied the coastal waters. The ships that carried Egyptian grain from Alexandria to Italy did not stop at the harbor of Caesarea, but sailed to the coast of Asia Minor. Festus put Julius, his soldiers, and the prisoners aboard a freighter that stopped at various places until it reached its home port of Adramyttium. This harbor city was located along the northwest coast of Asia Minor to the east of Troas and Assos and opposite Mitylene (see 20:13 14).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.4.10|AUTODETECT|” Luke writes that Aristarchus accompanied Paul on his voyage. Paul later writes in one of his prison epistles that Aristarchus is his fellow prisoner, so we may conclude that this person traveled with Paul the entire distance to Rome 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.4.10|AUTODETECT|” Col. 4:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). There he stayed with the apostle in a rented house. He probably volunteered to be with Paul and share his imprisonment.��7��) 1 49 2 8 0 0 ) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 27:1 2) Verse 1) ����� the aorist passive has the articular infinitive ��� ������� as subject: it was determined that we should sail for Italy. ��8�� The construction, however, is unusual. The third person singular construction is indefinite.) The Western text has provided an expansion (the additions are in italics): So then the governor decided to send him to Caesar; and the next day he called a centurion named Julius of the Augustan Cohort, and delivered to him Paul with the other prisoners. And beginning to sail for Italy we embarked in a ship. ��9��) ���������� the use of the imperfect of the verb ���������� (I deliver) is descriptive.��10��) Verse 2) D���� the present active participle is part of a genitive absolute construction.) �������� the verb ���� (I bring up) in the middle and passive is a nautical term (compare 13:13; 16:11; 18:21; 27:12; 28:11) and means put out to sea. Luke employs no fewer than fourteen different verbs to express the progress of a ship. All these nautical terms are peculiar to his Gospel and Acts; they are not found in the other New Testament books.��11��) ) ) b. Sailing to Crete) 27:3 8) 3.

On the following day we arrived at Sidon; Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to friends to take care of his needs.) If the winds were favorable, the captain of the ship could easily sail the seventy nautical miles between Caesarea and Sidon in a day, but Luke makes no remarks about the wind (contrast the following verse). At Sidon they docked to load and unload cargo. Because this work was time-consuming, Julius gave Paul permission to go ashore to visit friends in the city. Julius apparently knew that Paul was a Roman citizen and not a criminal, and for this reason he was kindly disposed toward him. Luke seems to indicate that throughout the voyage Paul was not chained. By contrast, when Paul eventually arrived in Rome and was under house arrest, Luke mentions that Paul was bound with a chain (28:20).) Although Luke fails to identify Paul s friends, we conjecture that they were believers who belonged to the church in Sidon.

Luke provides indirect evidence that Christians were present there, for he writes that the people who were scattered following the death of Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia (11:19). Moreover, Paul and Barnabas traveled through Phoenicia on their way to the Jerusalem Council and told the brothers about the conversion of Gentiles (15:3).) 4. From there we set out to sea again and sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the winds were against us.) On an earlier voyage from Patara to Tyre, when the ship had sailed to the south of Cyprus (21:1 3), Luke had seen the island from the south and west sides. But on this voyage the winds were adverse (from the west), he writes, and the ship sailed under the shelter of the island that is, east of the island in a northerly direction. Now, a sailor or a person accustomed to these seas would not have thought of making any explanation, for the course of the ship was the normal one. ��12�� However, Luke perhaps was not accustomed to these seas and writes as an eyewitness who describes exact details.��13��) We are not told whether the ship made additional stops at harbors along the coast of Syria and Cilicia. By staying close to the shoreline, the captain and his crew would take advantage of the protective shelter of land areas.

But the time came for them to move west and face the northwesterly breezes.) 5. And having crossed the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we arrived at Myra of Lycia.) Sailing in a westerly direction, the men aboard the ship could see the mountains of Cyprus disappear behind the horizon. The crew knew they were on the open sea and that they would do well to navigate within sight of the two adjoining southern provinces, Cilicia and Pamphylia. The sailors were acquainted with the current that runs west along the southern coast of Asia Minor.) Even though Luke condenses his story, we surmise that the northwesterly winds caused the ship to make slow progress over an extended period of about two weeks. With favorable winds the estimated traveling time from Patara to Tyre was four to five days (21:3), but with adverse winds a return trip could last five times longer.��14�� The voyage from Caesarea to Myra took three if not four weeks and probably occurred during the last week of August and the first half of September (see the additional comments at v. 9), when the prevailing winds are from the northwest.) Eventually the ship arrived at the port city of Myra, located in the province of Lycia. This was a major harbor, similar to Patara, where passengers booked voyages on ships going to various parts of the Mediterranean basin.

Julius and his men could have stayed aboard the freighter to Adramyttium, crossed the Aegean Sea, and traveled over land to the west coast of Macedonia. But Julius chose to transfer the prisoners and his soldiers to a vessel that would go directly to Italy.) 6. There the officer found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy; he made us board the ship.) In the first century, Rome depended on Egypt for its grain supply; in consequence, the Roman government developed a merchant marine that transported large quantities of grain from the Egyptian harbor of Alexandria to Puteoli in southern Italy. Relying on westerly winds, these ships sometimes crossed the Mediterranean Sea from Alexandria directly to Myra, which lies due north. But if the winds blew from the northwest, they would sail to Phoenicia and then to either Patara or Myra in Asia Minor. From there they would continue their voyage toward the island of Rhodes and to Crete.

They proceeded along Crete s southern coast and, sailing across the Mediterranean, continued westward to Malta and Sicily.) Using his military authority, Julius arranged passage for the prisoners, his soldiers, and himself on an Alexandrian ship that was bound for Italy. All these people left the Adramyttian craft and, as Luke says, boarded the Alexandrian ship. (The adjective Alexandrian reveals that the vessel carried cargo and grain from Egypt [see vv. 18, 38].) Incidentally, even though Julius had used his military power to secure passage for his men, the relationship between this Roman officer and the captain of the ship appears to have been cordial.) By the standards of the day, the grain freighters were immense, measuring 180 feet in length, 45 in width, and 43 in depth.��15�� Some of the passengers on these vessels were given small cabins, but most of them had to stay on the open deck, where they made their own shelters. Conditions on board were excessively crowded, as Josephus relates.��16��) 7. For many days we sailed slowly and with difficulty arrived at Cnidus. The wind did not permit us to go farther, so under the shelter of Crete we sailed opposite Salmone. 8. With difficulty we sailed along the coast of Crete to a place called Fair Havens, which was near the town of Lasea.) The large vessel, loaded with cargo, grain, and 276 people, set out in a westerly direction.

Because of the strong winds from the west and northwest, the ship had to hug the coastline and take advantage of its shelter. Yet it made little progress. After many days the craft arrived at Cnidus, a city located on the tip of a long peninsula that juts from the coast in a westerly direction. When the vessel came to Cnidus, it no longer received protection from the mainland and the advantage of the westerly current. The ship was forced to go nearly straight south toward Crete. With the northwesterly wind blowing in its sails, the vessel moved to the lee of Crete near Cape Salmone, a promontory situated on the northeast corner of the island.

The name itself may suggest that Salmone was a refuge from exposure to the wind. ��17��) The eastern shore of Crete is relatively short. Within a matter of hours, the crew faced the task of turning the vessel westward and sailing along the southern coast. Luke indicates that they expended much toil in doing so. The crew eventually moved the ship toward a place that was called Fair Havens, located near the village of Lasea, where they cast anchor.) Not much is known of these two places. Lasea was situated about five miles east of Fair Havens.��18�� At Fair Havens vessels were relatively safe from the northwest winds; the area had two adjoining bays that in their own way were attractive, as their name indicates. Although they were protected by several insignificant offshore islands, the bays faced the open sea, and the suitability of wintering there for four months proved questionable.) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 27:4 8) Verses 4 5) Q����������� this compound in the aorist active signifies we sailed close by. ��19��) �� the adjunct particle unites verses 4 and 5.) ��� notice that one definite article precedes the two nouns Cilicia and Pamphylia.

The construction indicates proximity and unity (compare 9:31).) Verses 7 8) ���������� from the verb ������� (I permit to go farther), the present active participle is part of the genitive absolute construction. The preposition ���� in the compound is directive, not intensive.) ����� with difficulty. The adverb occurs twice, once with the aorist participle ��������� (arrived) and again with the present participle ������������� (sailing).) ) ) c. Waiting at Crete) 27:9 12) 9a. When much time had passed and the voyage had become dangerous because the season in which the Fast [the Day of Atonement] was observed had passed.) a. Time.

In the last week of September, the ship anchored in one of the bays of Fair Havens. There it was detained, possibly because of adverse winds blowing from the northwest. If the crew decided to leave Fair Havens, they would have to navigate around Cape Matala (a few miles further west) and then face the open sea. At Cape Matala, the shoreline moves sharply to the north for a number of miles. The ship would be unable to stay close to shore with a wind from the northwest.) Luke merely states the passing of time. Everyone aboard ship knew that a day spent waiting in the harbor meant shortening the time that was favorable for sailing the high seas.

The season for navigating the high seas was rapidly coming to an end.) b. Danger. Luke writes that sailing across the Mediterranean Sea had become dangerous. In ancient times, sailing the high seas after September 15 was not advisable.��20�� By then, cloudy weather set in; the cloud cover made it impossible for seafarers to observe the stars, by which they navigated. And from November 11 to March 10 all seafaring ships stayed in port. The Jewish rabbis advised people to travel by sea only between Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles (observed five days after the Fast on the fifteenth of Tishri).��21�� We know that along the southern shores of Italy, coastal traffic began to sail again in the first week of February.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=3.16.29-3.16.34|AUTODETECT|” c. Fast. Luke mentions the Fast, which is the Jewish Day of Atonement, observed in the last part of September or first part of October 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=3.16.29-3.16.34|AUTODETECT|” Lev. 16:29 34) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=3.23.26-3.23.32|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=3.23.26-3.23.32|AUTODETECT|” 23:26 32) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). We are compelled to take the latest possible date for the observance of the Fast because of the time indications Luke provides in the sequence of his account. The latest date for the Fast (the tenth of Tishri) fell on October 5 in a.d. 59.��22�� While the ship was at Fair Havens, Paul and his friends observed the Fast. A few days later, the captain decided to lift anchor and sail to the harbor of Phoenix (v. 12). After leaving Crete, the ship spent two weeks on the high seas before being shipwrecked (vv. 27, 41) in the last week of October. Thereafter, Paul waited for three months on the island of Malta (November, December, and January) before he boarded another ship and landed at Puteoli (28:11, 13). By that time it was the middle of February.) 1 2 2 8 0 0 If we conjecture that the Adramyttian vessel left Caesarea in the last week of August and that Paul landed at Puteoli in the middle of February, we have some notion about the beginning and the end of his voyage. We lack absolute proof, but the corroborative evidence in the account seems to illustrate that Paul came to Italy in February of a.d. 60.) 9b. Paul warned them, 10. saying, Men, I perceive that the voyage will be disastrous and will be a great loss not only to the cargo and the ship but also to our lives. ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.11.25|AUTODETECT|” Paul was an experienced traveler who, according to his own testimony, had suffered shipwreck three times 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.11.25|AUTODETECT|” II Cor. 11:25) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). He knew that a decision had to be made regarding where to spend the winter months.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=3.16.29|AUTODETECT|” What authority did Paul have to advise the pilot, the captain of the ship, and the centurion? We do not know, but his experience, demeanor, and insight did not go unnoticed during the voyage. When Paul spoke, the people listened to what he had to say (vv. 21 26, 33 34). The sum and substance of Paul s advice was that continuing the voyage meant facing the danger of losing the ship, its cargo, and even the lives of crew and passengers. (The tense of the verb to warn indicates that Paul repeatedly advised a number of people not to leave the harbor [see v. 21].) Paul and his friends had humbled themselves before God on the day of the Fast 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=3.16.29|AUTODETECT|” Lev. 16:29) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ) and were hesitant to risk leaving port to face the inevitable danger of the sea. This risk they perceived as tempting God.��23��) 1 45 2 8 0 0 11. But the officer was persuaded more by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what Paul said. 12. Because the harbor was unsuitable for winter quarters, the majority decided to sail from Fair Havens, hoping to reach Phoenix and spend the winter in that harbor of Crete, which faced both southwest and northwest.) Julius had authority in this matter, for he was a military officer in charge of both prisoners and grain bound for Rome.��24�� He listened to Paul, but he also had to consider what the pilot and the captain of the ship had to say. The pilot and the captain were not unfamiliar with the coast of Crete. They knew that Fair Havens was not a harbor that would provide protection from winter storms. They also knew that if they could sail approximately forty miles west to the harbor of Phoenix, they would have a more suitable place for spending the winter months.) Luke relates that Phoenix had a harbor that faced both the southwest and the northwest.

At this place, Cape Mouros juts out into the sea to the south and to the west. It provides two bays: one on the east side of the cape and the other on the west side. Along the shores of the western bay lies a village that today bears the name Phoinika, while the village of Loutro is located along the shore of the eastern bay. Not only in ancient times but even today sailors prefer the western bay during the winter months; the boatmen of Loutro are said to regard the harbor on the Loutro side as unsafe from November to February. ��25�� In the western bay was the harbor of Phoenix, where the crew of the Alexandrian ship wanted to spend the winter.) Commentators have a problem explaining how a harbor on the south side of Crete can face the northwest. The reading seems logically absurd. However, archaeological research has shown that in Paul s day the western bay had two harbors.

As the map below indicates, harbor A faces the south and harbor B the northwest. The topography of Crete has changed since ancient times. Earthquakes have raised the western part of Crete as much as twenty feet in some places and probably thirteen and a half feet at Loutro. Harbor B has become dry land. The line of shells, marking the limit of the raised beaches here and right round the bay, is about 14 feet above present sea-level. ��26�� Also, since ancient times the rocky projection of the west promontory of Cape Mouros has decreased by about fifty to a hundred yards and consequently offers less protection from the sea than in former days.) ) ) Practical Considerations in 27:9 12) In Acts, Luke records the festive days of the Jewish calendar. For instance, he refers twice to the feast of Pentecost (2:1; 20:16), twice to the Passover feast (also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread; 12:4; 20:6), and once to the Fast (27:9).

The references occur because Luke writes about Peter and Paul, who observed the festive days of this calendar. In the harbor of Fair Havens, Paul s observance of the Fast coincided with the Day of Atonement that was celebrated in Jerusalem.) The Christian church has constructed its own festive calendar that begins for some believers with Epiphany. All Christians observe Good Friday and Easter, Ascension Day (forty days after Easter, 1:3), Pentecost (seven weeks after Easter), and Christmas. The church has composed hymns and cantatas to be sung and played for these occasions. Believers are urged to celebrate these holy days and to express their joy and happiness. Conversely, the world lacks a storehouse of hymns and looks enviously at Christians when they celebrate their special days.) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 27:9 12) Verses 9 10) The genitives in the first half of verse 9 twice form the genitive absolute construction.

This construction is followed by the causal use of the articulate infinitive in the perfect active mode ������������� (to have passed). In a grammatically concise manner, three times in succession Luke expresses the idea that time has elapsed.) ������� from �������� (I advise, recommend, warn), the imperfect tense connotes repeated action.) ������� ������ the infinitive construction is introduced by the conjunction E�� (that). The syntax, however, is cumbersome and probably due to an inadvertent slip by the author.��27��) Verse 12) �4 ��� the combination of two particles introduces a purpose clause which, by implication, has the indirect discourse.��28��) �������� if by any means they could. Here is the present optative in an implied indirect discourse construction. The apodosis is lacking but can be deduced from the protasis.) ) ) 2. The Storm) 27:13 44) Paul s voyage to Rome is a compelling story in the Book of Acts, and the section on the storm must be considered the best part of this story.

Luke proves to be an excellent chronicler, an eyewitness who uses the first person pronoun we. With a few strokes of his masterful pen, he depicts drama on the high seas and composes literature that ranks among the classic stories of all times.) a. The Northeaster) 27:13 20) 13. When a moderate south wind came up, they thought that they had achieved their purpose. They lifted the anchor and began to sail as close as possible along the coast of Crete.) The sailors waited until they detected a change in the direction of the wind. Instead of a northwest breeze, a gentle wind from the south or southwest began to blow.

The crew saw the opportunity which they had awaited and, without losing any time, they lifted anchor to sail the forty miles to Phoenix.) For three or four miles they sailed straight west until they rounded Cape Matala. At that moment, they had to move north for about twelve miles and then proceed in a west-northwesterly direction. All along they hugged the coast for fear that a sudden storm would drive them into the open sea. If the wind should stay in force from the south, they would reach the safety of Phoenix in a few hours.) 14. But before very long, a violent wind, called the northeaster, rushed down from the island.) Before the crew could properly turn the rudder and steer the ship to the north, the wind unexpectedly turned and began to blow from the northeast. In the Greek, Luke writes that the south wind was blowing underneath, which seems to indicate that the skies above were far from cloudless.

A storm swept down from the island and caused the ship to drift away from the land and out onto the open sea. James Smith graphically describes the changing weather conditions in the eastern Mediterranean: The sudden change from a south wind to a violent northerly wind is a common occurrence in these seas. The term typhonic, by which it is described, indicates that it was accompanied by some of the phenomena which might be expected in such a case, namely, the agitation and whirling motion of the clouds caused by a meeting of the opposite currents of air when the change took place. ��29��) The wind is called the northeaster, which in the Greek is Euraquilon. The word is a nautical term that derives from the Greek word euros (east wind) and the Latin expression aquilo (north wind).��30�� At a place named Thugga in proconsular Africa, archaeologists have discovered a twelve-point wind rose that was chiseled into the pavement. The names of the winds begin with the north and move clockwise to the east, south, and west. For the northeast wind, the name euraquilo appears.��31��) 15.

The ship was caught and was unable to sail against the wind; we were carried away and let ourselves be driven along.) The word choice that describes the fury of the hurricane is striking. Luke says that the ship was torn away and unable to face the eye of the wind (lit.). The storm swooped over the mountains of Crete to the sea and struck the vessel with a violent wind from the east-northeast. The crew did everything possible to stay close to shore as they tried to use the wind to their advantage, but they realized that the force of the wind would not allow the ship to stay on course. The ship began to drift. The men could do no more than yield to the wind and let the ship drift in a southwesterly direction.��32��) Although Luke himself was not a sailor, he nevertheless became so personally involved in the tension and uncertainty of the voyage that he wrote this verse and the succeeding sentences in the first person plural.) 16.

Running under the shelter of a small island called Cauda, we were scarcely able to fasten the lifeboat.) The northeast wind blew the ship on a west-southwesterly course from Cape Matala toward a small island named Cauda (modern Gaudos or Gozzo).��33�� The ship covered the distance between Cauda and Crete, which is about twenty-three miles, within a few frantic hours. The men managed to steer the vessel into the shelter of the island. With the protection of the land, they had an opportunity to prepare the ship for worse things to come. The first task was to secure the lifeboat that normally drifted along behind the ship. The howling wind was about to knock the lifeboat against the vessel. The sailors (and, apparently, the passengers, including Luke himself), had great difficulty hauling it toward the ship.) 17.

After they had lifted it up, they used supporting cables to undergird the ship. Because they feared they might run aground at the sandbars of Syrtis, they had let down the sea anchor, and thus the ship was carried along.) The sailors had three tasks to perform:) a. Lifeboat. The ship had passed the east side of the island; the crew avoided the west side with its dangerous reefs. Now, with the ship s sails trimmed and its stem to the wind to minimize drifting, the crew managed to hoist the lifeboat aboard ship.) b. Ropes.

As soon as they had accomplished the one task, the seamen began the next. They wanted to put ropes underneath and around the ship to undergird and strengthen it. How this was done cannot be ascertained, because the Greek words in the text are obscure. Probably ropes were drawn tightly around the hull of the ship to keep the planks against the timbers and thus prevent leakage. This procedure is called frapping; it refers to running ropes across and around the ship at various places from stem to stern.��34�� Other suggestions are that the ropes stretched lengthwise from the front to the back of the vessel or along the outside of the ship from fore to aft.��35�� Whatever the procedure may have been, the objective was to fortify the ship against the battering wind and waves.) c. Anchor.

As soon as they had arrived in the lee of the island Cauda, the crew had lowered the sea anchor in an attempt to keep the vessel stationary. The Greek word skeuos, which I have translated sea anchor, is a general term that can mean thing, object, vessel, instrument. This object may have been a drift anchor or a floating anchor.��36�� The context dictates that the skeuos served to slow the drifting of the ship. The sailors knew that if the northeaster drove the vessel toward the southwest, eventually the ship would strike the dreaded sandbanks of Syrtis (the Gulf of Sidra on the coast of Libya. The lesser Syrtis is the Gulf of Gabes off the east coast of Tunisia.). These sandbars of greater Syrtis, as the sailors knew, were extremely dangerous.��37�� Hence, the men were doing everything in their power to prevent shipwreck on the quicksands of Syrtis.) Anchoring at Cauda proved to be impossible because the harbor of the island was on the east-northeast side and thus offered no protection from the storm.

The ship had to leave the lee of Cauda and move into the open sea. With the aid of storm sails, the sailors could exert some control and keep the ship steady. The use of the sails prevented the craft from drifting toward Syrtis.��38�� Even though the vessel drifted, with the help of the storm sails it slowly moved westward.��39��) 18. Since we were violently beaten by a storm, they began to throw out the cargo the next day. 19. On the third day, they threw the tackle overboard with their own hands.) Mariners in ancient times lacked navigational instruments and had to rely on the sun, moon, and stars to determine direction. But overcast skies made it impossible for them to get their bearings, and during the storm the crew of the Alexandrian ship was unable to check their course.

When winds of hurricane force blew, and rain and spray from tempestuous waves greatly diminished visibility, the crew panicked. Although Luke gives a day-by-day report, he leaves to the imagination of the reader how the crew and passengers coped during the night. It is no wonder that the frightened seamen took drastic measures the next morning.) We have difficulty explaining why the sailors threw cargo and tackle overboard, except to say that the vessel would be lightened. But an empty ship rides much higher on the waves than a loaded vessel and catches more wind. Perhaps the crew was of the opinion that an empty ship would clear the sandbars if it entered the greater Syrtis.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=32.1.5|AUTODETECT|” The word cargo is a general term; accordingly, we should understand that the crew threw overboard the extra cargo stacked on deck and in the ship s hold 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=32.1.5|AUTODETECT|” Jon. 1:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).��40�� Luke relates that about two weeks later, when shipwreck was almost certain, the crew threw the grain into the sea (v. 38).) 1 35 2 8 0 0 The next day (that is, the third day since they left the coast of Crete), the sailors with their own hands cast the ship s tackle into the sea. Some manuscripts have the reading we threw,��41�� which would indicate that all the members of the crew and the passengers were needed to throw overboard the mainmast that was as tall as a full-grown tree. Discarding this heavy spar would lighten the ship considerably. The Greek word skeue is general and refers to not just the mainmast but the ship s equipment, namely, its rigging.��42�� Equipment which the sailors thought should be jettisoned they threw away with their own hands. The mainsail attached to the yardarm was cast overboard and, when tied to the ship s stern, served as a brake. With these few words, Luke depicts the panic that gripped the crew.) 20.

Because neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and no small storm lay upon us, we gradually gave up all hope of being saved.) In plain terms Luke describes the scene aboard ship. As if the reader might have missed the point, the writer restates the obvious. The crew and passengers were unable to see the sun by day and the stars by night. Thus, lost at sea, they were fearful of striking land. If they had been stationary near land, the storm would have passed. But on the high seas, they stayed with the storm that began at Crete and ended at Malta.) Luke characteristically expresses himself with a negative understatement: no small storm lay upon us.

The tempest raged about them day and night, hour after hour. Not surprisingly, the men despaired of their lives. Luke frankly admits, We gradually gave up all hope of being saved. We are not told whether the ship was taking on water because of leakage, rain, and surging waves, but an increasing volume of water in the hold of the ship may have been one of the reasons for discarding cargo and tackle.) ) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 27:13 20) Verse 13) Every sentence in this verse and the following verses (14 20) begins with one or two genitive absolute constructions. This usage appears to be a characteristic literary device of the author.) ������������ the perfect active infinitive of ������ (I attain) takes the genitive ��������� (purpose) as a direct object. The perfect tense reveals that the sailors had planned their action for a long time.) ������ from �4�� (I lift), the aorist active participle is supplemented by an understood noun and verb: having lifted the anchor, they sailed. ) ���� although this comparative adverb of ��� (near) means nearer, it should be perceived as a superlative: they began to sail as near to the land as possible.

The verb ����������� (v. 8) is the inchoative imperfect.) Verses 14 16) ����� ���� �P��� the aorist is effective; it signifies that the wind beat down from it [Crete], not against it. ��43��) ����������� the present infinitive is a compound of the preposition ��� (against) and the noun @������� (eye). The ship was unable to face the wind.) �� ���� the wind. This noun in the dative can be taken with the preceding infinitive to face or the succeeding aorist participle �������� (surrendered). Most translators construe the noun with both the infinitive and the participle (e.g., JB, NAB, NIV, RSV).) Q����������� from Q������� (I run, sail under), this aorist participle descriptively shows that the ship sailed south of the island to find shelter from the storm.) 0�������� the aorist is ingressive: we began to succeed. ) Verses 17 18) �� after verbs expressing fear, the negative clause appears with �� and the subjunctive. The aorist subjunctive �������� (they ran aground) has the meaning of the passive form of ������ (I throw out).��44��) ���t� �������� the noun denotes jettisoning; the verb is the inchoative imperfect: they began to lighten. ) Verse 20) ������ an adverbial expression that signifies at last. It is akin to the French idiom enfin.) ��� �������� the articular infinitive complements the noun ���� (hope): all hope of being rescued. ) ) ) b.

Revelation) 27:21 26) Describing the tension-filled scene of coping with the hurricane (vv. 13 20), Luke leaves Paul entirely out of the picture. Yet Paul was with and among the people. When despair crushed the hearts of everyone aboard and no one uttered a word of hope or encouragement, Paul brought a spiritual message of rescue.) 21. When they had gone without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said: Men, you should have followed my advice and not sailed from Crete; you would have avoided this damage and loss. ) Despair has a debilitating effect on the mind and, by extension, on the body of man. Despair causes a person to not feel hunger pangs, with the consequence that the body becomes weakened. Anxiety caused the crew and passengers to not eat for a long time.

Besides, cooking had become nearly impossible, and the food supply may have been damaged by seawater.) In these dismal circumstances, Paul stood up to address the men who were sitting listlessly and waiting for disaster to strike. Paul took a place in the midst of the crowd. And these people, broken in spirit because of the hopelessness of their situation, were ready to listen to his words. He said,) a. Men, you should have followed my advice and not sailed from Crete. Earlier Paul had advised the Roman centurion, the pilot, and the captain of the ship (v. 10) not to continue the voyage.

But they rejected Paul s counsel. Within hours, they knew that they had foolishly risked the ship, its cargo, and the lives of crew and passengers.) b. To avoid this damage and loss. Everyone aboard knew about Paul s earlier advice, and many of the passengers had assisted the crew in casting cargo and equipment into the sea. This loss could have been averted if they had stayed at the port of Fair Havens. The price they paid for the rash decision to set sail was damage to the ship and loss of goods, not to mention the anguish and discomfort of the passengers.

In their desperation the people looked to Paul. If Paul had a word of encouragement to help them in their desperate plight, they were eager to hear him.) 22. And now I advise you not to lose courage. No one of you, but only the ship, will perish. 23. This very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24. and said, Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand trial before Caesar. Moreover, God has granted to you all those who are sailing with you. ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.4.13|AUTODETECT|” a. And now I advise you not to lose courage. Paul takes pride not in his own personal strength but rather in Jesus Christ, who gives him strength to endure 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.4.13|AUTODETECT|” Phil. 4:13) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). He knows that he will have to testify for Jesus in Rome (23:11), and on that basis he is able to advise the men not to lose courage. However, he needs definite information about the outcome of the voyage to make his words meaningful. Unless God communicates pertinent information to him, he will lack certainty in predicting that no one will perish.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.4.2|AUTODETECT|” b. This very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me. In season and out of season 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.4.2|AUTODETECT|” II Tim. 4:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ), Paul takes every opportunity to acquaint people with his God and the message of truth. After gaining the confidence of his audience, he tells the men that he has received good news from an angel of God concerning their physical safety and well-being. Although he had earlier warned that ship, cargo, and lives would be lost (v. 10), now he can assure the men that their lives, but not the ship, will be spared.) 1 18 2 8 0 0 Paul adds that he himself belongs to God and is God s servant. Notice that Paul is addressing Gentiles who were polytheistic in their religious conceptions and superstitions. But Paul unreservedly speaks about belonging to one God and serving that God. He has to oppose and correct the Gentile idea that if a person serves God, then God is obligated to reward him with favors.��45�� He shows the men that he has put his full trust in God, who has proven repeatedly that he will never fail Paul. For this reason, he conveys to them the exact words of the angel.) c. Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand trial before Caesar.

We suspect that on an earlier occasion the crew, soldiers, and prisoners had learned that Paul had appealed to Caesar. Now the men understand that if an angel of God spoke directly to Paul, he must be a righteous man. In their opinion, he cannot be a criminal, even though he will stand trial before Caesar.) God appears to Paul neither in a vision nor in a dream, He sends his angel with a special communication to corroborate Jesus assurance that Paul will arrive in Rome. In the middle of the storm, when everyone is giving up hope of being saved, God sends a special messenger to Paul to reinforce the earlier message of Jesus (23:11). Moreover, the angel told Paul:) d. God has granted to you all those who are sailing with you.

Paul is God s servant and, by implication, his spokesman. He presents himself as God s representative who presumably asked his God to spare the lives of all the people aboard ship. Now, through an angel, God informs Paul that his prayer has been answered and that the lives of all the men aboard ship belong to him. That Paul is in charge becomes evident when he instructs the centurion to keep all the men in the ship (v. 31). Even the centurion himself, in submission to God s providence and in deference to Paul, spared the lives of all the prisoners (v. 43).��46��) 25. Therefore, men, be courageous, for I believe in God that it will happen exactly as I have been told. 26.

But we must run aground on some island. ) For the second time (see v. 22) Paul urges his listeners to be courageous. He links courage to faith when he declares that he believes in God. Implicitly Paul invites the men to follow his example and trust God, who controls not only the weather but also everything else. He affirms that he fully trusts God to save both himself and everyone else aboard, but that the ship itself will be lost. Here is a man who demonstrates his unshakable faith in his God. Paul s faith was anchored in God.

Priscilla J. Owens communicates this thought in these words:) Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,) When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?) When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,) Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?) We have an anchor that keeps the soul) Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,) Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,) Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour s love.) Paul reveals that the ship will run aground on some island. This cannot be a guess on his part. It is revelation given to him by the angel of God, so that no one can say later that the landing at Malta was by chance. As God s representative, Paul vouches that the prediction he has received will come true.��47��) ) Doctrinal Considerations in 27:22 26) God wants his people to be the salt of the earth and to let their influence pervade the society in which he in his providence has placed them. Indeed, he urges his people to pray for the well-being of society.

From Scripture we learn that) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.12.3|AUTODETECT|” God blessed all the nations on earth because of Abraham 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.12.3|AUTODETECT|” Gen. 12:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.18.18|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.18.18|AUTODETECT|” 18:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.22.18|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.22.18|AUTODETECT|” 22:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 );) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.39.5|AUTODETECT|” God blessed the household of Potiphar for Joseph s sake 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.39.5|AUTODETECT|” Gen. 39:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 );) 1 25 2 8 0 0 God spared the crew and passengers who accompanied Paul on his voyage (vv. 22, 24).) For the sake of his elect., God grants blessings to unbelievers. In spite of God s promise of safety, some of the sailors demonstrated their lack of faith by attempting to leave the ship under a pretense (v. 30).) Blind unbelief is sure to err) And scan His work in vain;) God is His own Interpreter) And he will make it plain.) William Cowper) ) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 27:22 24) Verse 22) �p ��� this is an adverbial expression that signifies as far as the present situation is concerned. ��48��) ���� except. the adverb serves as an improper preposition that governs the genitive case.) Verses 23 24) The word order is striking and stresses the sequence God, Paul, and an angel. The definite article in ��� ���� must be translated into English, for it points to the special God Paul is serving.��49��) ���������� the perfect tense of the infinitive conveys the idea that God has granted Paul the lives of the crew and the passengers for the duration of the voyage.) ) ) c. Soundings) 27:27 32) 27. On the fourteenth night while we were being driven across the Sea of Adria, about midnight the sailors began to sense that they were approaching some land.) a. Time.

As Luke has shown in other parts of his book, he keeps accurate count of the days that pass. Here he mentions the fourteenth night of the voyage (i.e., since the ship left Crete). According to Smith, the distance between the islands of Cauda and Malta is about 476.6 nautical miles. He calculates that a first-century ship drifting at a rate of a mile and a half per hour with an east-northeast wind could cover this distance in thirteen days.��50�� The drift across the Mediterranean Sea appears to have been in a straight line rather than in the zigzag pattern often portrayed in sketches.) b. Location. The designation Sea of Adria in New Testament times refers to that portion of the Mediterranean which extends from Malta to Crete. ��51�� The name derived from the Italian city Atria in Etrusca and is used by the historiographer Strabo.��52�� Medieval sailors used the name Adriatic for the whole Eastern half of the Mediterranean (with the exception of the Aegean Sea).��53�� Luke, then, employs the geographical terminology of his day.) c.

Land. The sailors begin to sense that the ship is approaching land. The text literally says that land is approaching them, for from the seafarer s point of view, the land and not the ship is in motion. The men hear the noise of the breakers on the rocky promontory called the Point of Koura, a barrier located along the northeast shore of Malta. Driven by northeasterly gales, breakers crashing on these rocks can be heard at a distance of a quarter of a mile. In the middle of the night, the sailors are unable to see anything, but they hear the noise and know that a rocky shore is near.

The wind is no longer of hurricane force and, as they drift in a west-northwesterly direction, they hear the sound from the southeast. With terror in their hearts they imagine being shipwrecked on a rocky shore.) 28. They took soundings and discovered the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A little farther, they took another sounding and found the water to be ninety feet deep.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.22.58|AUTODETECT|” The members of the crew throw the fathom lines overboard to determine the depth of the sea. At first they learn that the water Isaiah 120 feet deep. And when they go a little farther, the depth is only 90 feet. Because the original text has only the word little, many translators supply the word while and understand the term in a temporal sense 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.22.58|AUTODETECT|” Luke 22:58) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).��54�� Other scholars take the term to mean distance.��55��) 1 20 2 8 0 0 29. Fearing that we might run aground on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and wished for daylight. 30. The sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had lowered the lifeboat into the sea under the pretense of intending to let down anchors from the bow.) Within a quarter of a mile from shore, the sailors try to prevent the ship from crashing against the rocks. They cast four anchors from the stern of the vessel and thus prevent it from completely swinging around with its stem to the wind. These four anchors, two on each side of the ship,��56�� hold the ship in place while the crew wishes for daybreak.) The temptation to find safety ashore proves too much for some or all of the crew, They decide to leave the ship under the pretense of letting down anchors from the bow. To do so they have to lower the lifeboat (see v. 16), which presumably has been kept in the prow of the ship.

Now the passengers, among them Paul and Luke, see the intentions of the sailors. The passengers realize that they lack the nautical skills to maneuver the ship safely toward harbor and thus will face great difficulties. We surmise that the pilot and the captain of the ship are among the sailors. They have abdicated their responsibility and now try to forsake the soldiers, prisoners, and other passengers.) 31. Paul said to the officer and soldiers, Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved. 32. Then the soldiers cut the ropes of the lifeboat and let it fall away.) According to the message Paul received from the angel, the lives of all the people aboard have been given to Paul.

He is in charge and therefore immediately addresses the officer and his soldiers. He tells them that if the sailors are allowed to leave the ship, they themselves will not be saved. Although Paul had given them a message from God that promised not one life would be lost, in the face of treachery he now warns the military that they no longer have the guarantee of safety. This is the third time during the course of the voyage that Paul speaks. Julius and the soldiers know by now that Paul s word is true and ought not to be taken lightly. Hence they listen to Paul s word.

As Julius and the soldiers take over, the sailors abandon their attempt to flee. Then the soldiers take the drastic measure of cutting the ropes and letting the dinghy fall into the sea. Both sailors and soldiers are prone to follies; the one group wishes to use the lifeboat for selfish purposes and the other group thoughtlessly abandons it. The loss of the lifeboat means that all the passengers are exactly the same: each one will have to go through the water to get to shore.) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 27:27 30) Verse 27) ��������� to approach. The awkwardness of the text is reflected in the rise of at least four variants, of which the infinitive ��������� (to resound) is interesting. the present infinitive to approach, which in context means was approaching them, remains the preferred reading.) Verses 29 30) ���������� see the comment on verse 17.) �T����� the imperfect tense of this verb indicates continued action: they kept on wishing. ) a� with the preceding participle ���������� (letting down), which is the aorist active in the genitive absolute construction, the particle introduces alleged reason: as pretext. ) ) ) d. Encouragement) 27:33 38) 33.

Until the day began to dawn, Paul continued to urge everyone to take some food. He said, Today is the fourteenth day you have been on watch. You have been without food; you have taken nothing. ) The eventful and eerie night is a time of waiting. While the storm has moderated and the ship lies at anchor, Paul takes the opportunity to exhort the crew and passengers to take some food before going on shore. He has given them the word of God s angel that no one would be lost and that they would land on some island. Paul is in control of the situation and now urges the people to eat so that they may have strength and confidence to face the unknown challenges of the day.

He realizes that the men have been on watch for the duration of the voyage, that they have lacked proper appetite for two weeks because of uncertainty and anxiety, and that they have not eaten a decent meal. They are physically exhausted and weak. But if they take some food, they will gain strength and will be able to go on shore.) 34. Therefore, I urge you to take some food. This is for your own survival, for none of you will lose a single hair from his head. ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.21.18|AUTODETECT|” Paul sets the example of being filled with hope, expectation, faith, and courage. He knows that everyone will be rescued and thus he looks forward to the developments of the day that lies before them. He says, I urge you to take some food. This is for your own survival. They are facing not death but salvation. As he told them earlier (v. 22), no one aboard ship will be lost. He even goes a bit further, adding a Jewish saying: None of you will lose a single hair from his head. ��57�� Paul repeats the exact words spoken by Jesus in the discourse on the last things 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.21.18|AUTODETECT|” Luke 21:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). These words are now applied to the seafarers, who in the course of the morning will all reach the shore in safety (v. 44). They need words of encouragement, but they also need to eat; the food will give them strength to act on Paul s words of encouragement.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 35. When he had said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God before them all. He broke it and began to eat. 36. All of them were encouraged and they themselves took some food. 37. Altogether on board we numbered 276 people.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.14.19|AUTODETECT|” The words of verse 35 resemble those of Jesus at the feeding of the five thousand 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.14.19|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 14:19) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.26.26|AUTODETECT|” ) and the institution of the Lord s Supper 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.26.26|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 26:26) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Paul follows the Jewish custom of uttering a prayer before a meal.��58�� In the presence of the people, Paul worships God in an act of thanksgiving. This practice he observes aboard ship and, by implication, encourages the people to adopt. He shows that he belongs to God and serves him (v. 23).) 1 2 2 8 0 0 Identification of Paul s act of worship and the celebration of Holy Communion is ruled out immediately on the basis of several points.) First, the text merely mentions prayer and the breaking and eating of bread; it does not say anything about drinking wine, the second element in the Lord s Supper.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.11.28|AUTODETECT|” Second, Paul would not celebrate communion in the presence of unbelievers. The Western text expands verse 35 after the clause [he] began to eat by adding the words [and] gave also to us. Perhaps the pronoun us refers to Luke and Aristarchus.��59�� But the scene itself is inappropriate for celebrating the sacrament of the Lord s Supper, which is observed in a worship service and is restricted to professing Christians who have engaged in proper self-examination 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.11.28|AUTODETECT|” I Cor. 11:28) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 0 Third, Paul prays, breaks bread, and eats without any trace of secrecy. Inviting the seafarers to follow his example is not to say that everyone present understood Paul s words and actions. His example to pray before eating demonstrated Paul s relationship with his God. All the seafarers witnessed Paul s devoutness and some may have been influenced by his example to give thanks to God.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.11.20-46.11.34|AUTODETECT|” Fourth, in his discussion on the celebration of the Lord s Supper Paul makes a clear distinction between bread eaten to satisfy hunger and bread that is taken at communion 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.11.20-46.11.34|AUTODETECT|” I Cor. 11:20 34) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Aboard ship the purpose of eating is to strengthen man s physical body.��60��) 1 117 2 8 0 0 When Paul breaks the bread and eats it, the others follow his example. Luke notes that they are encouraged and take some of the food. Thus we conclude that Paul has achieved his spiritual, psychological, and practical objectives. At this particular junction, Luke adds that the total number of persons aboard ship Isaiah 276.��61�� We are unable to say why Luke supplies that information here. Perhaps the captain and the centurion wished to have a final roll call before leaving the ship.) 38. When they were filled, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.) The captain and his crew believe Paul s word that the ship will be wrecked even though everyone will be saved.

Because they no longer have the use of the skiff, the ship itself has to serve as their lifeboat. And because of the storm, the ship may have taken on a great quantity of seawater. After the meal, the men go to work with renewed zeal and decide to lighten the vessel by dumping the cargo of wheat (see v. 18). Riding higher on the waves, the ship will perhaps be able to cross sandbars or reefs and reach land. All this happens while it is still night.) We suspect that the grain was transported loose in the hold of the ship. It had been carried aboard in sacks that were emptied in the hold; now the grain was put back in sacks to be dumped overboard.

The task of scooping the grain into sacks and carrying them to the deck was laborious; the men undoubtedly formed a brigade to facilitate the work. The crew used the foremast for loading and unloading cargo and in a relatively short period was able to lighten the load of the ship.��62��) ) Doctrinal Considerations in 27:33 38) Paul, the prisoner, is the man who is fully in control of the situation. He informs the crew and passengers that everyone will be saved (although the ship will be destroyed) and that they will land on an island (vv. 22 26). He commands the centurion and the soldiers to prevent the crew from leaving the ship (v. 31). And he tells the men to take courage, break their fast, and eat (vv. 33 34). In the eyes of the sailors and soldiers, Paul, who survives a snakebite (28:5) and heals the sick (28:8), must be divine.) Nowhere in the account is there any hint that Paul considers himself to be divine.

On the contrary, he is a servant of his God (v. 23); he worships God (v. 35); and, even though the storm rages, he firmly believes every word God has revealed to him. In the midst of the hurricane, Paul is a rock of faith. His trust in God is unshakable. He believes God and his Word and he challenges everyone to emulate his example.) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 27:33 38) Verses 33 34) ��� �W the conjunction serves as a preposition and governs the genitive case of the relative pronoun. The relative has an antecedent in the supplied noun ������ (time): until the time when. ) ������������ expecting. Translations vary for the clause in which this present participle appears.

The clause is an idiom that signifies today is the fourteenth day you have been on watch. ��63��) Q������ instead of the personal pronoun Q���, Paul uses the possessive adjective for emphasis: your own. ) Verse 38) �������� the imperfect tense of the verb to lighten is inceptive: they began to lighten. ��64��) ) ) e. Shipwreck) 27:39 44) 39. When daylight came, they did not recognize the land. But they noticed a bay with a beach onto which they decided to run the ship, if possible. 40. After they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, they loosened the ropes of the rudders, hoisted the foresail to the wind, and headed for the beach.) Malta was outside the shipping lanes of that day. If vessels passed the island at all, they would do so along the southern coast or would dock at the harbor of Valletta.

When morning came and the seamen could distinguish the contours of the land, they were unable to identify the coastline. They could not recognize any of the features: the bay, the beach, and the shores. They noticed that the bay had a sandy flat beach which, in their opinion, would be a safe place to land the vessel. A sandy beach was much preferred to the rocky coast that would smash the ship to pieces.) From the vantage point aboard ship, the sailors could not determine if there were sandbars or reefs in the bay. They would have to determine how to avoid them when they entered the bay itself. In fact, they were unable to see that at the northeast entrance of the bay was the island Salmonetta.

Only after entering the bay did they see a channel between Salmonetta and Malta. The water flowing through the channel of not more than a hundred yards in breadth met the water of the bay.��65�� The Greek word dithallason (v. 41) actually means lying between two seas. Luke clearly notes that the site of the shipwreck was at a place where two seas met (v. 41, NKJV). Incidentally, here is a clear indication that Luke was an eyewitness who accurately reported the exact spot where the shipwreck occurred.��66�� He presents his personal observations of these topographical details. Modern translators, however, interpret the word dithallason in terms of the result, namely, the reef created by the two seas. Today, at the traditional site where the seafarers landed, the waves have washed away the sandbar.) The crew chose a wise course of action by cutting the ropes that anchored the ship.

They wanted to keep the prow facing the entrance of the bay; they could ill afford to see the vessel swing toward the rocky shore if they lifted one anchor before the other one. Thus, they cut the ropes and left the anchors at the bottom of the sea. Simultaneously they loosened the rudders that ropes had held in place during the storm. On each side of the ship was a rudder in the form of a steering oar that was let down into the water through a hawsehole. These oars were lifted out of the water when the ship was at anchor to keep them from banging about. ��67�� At the same time the men hoisted the sail on the foremast and steered the ship toward the beach. All this work had to be done with utmost precision.) 41.

They struck a reef and ran the ship aground. The bow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the pounding of the waves.) Once inside the bay the ship struck a reef and ran aground. Conceivably the crew either lacked the time to maneuver the vessel around the reef or thought that the tide would carry the ship over it. In what is today called Saint Paul s Bay, sand and clay particles are moved by the currents and form deposits of mud. At the point where the two currents met ( at the place where the two seas met ; see the comment on v. 40), a reef had formed and the front of the ship became immovably stuck in the clay. But the stern, exposed to the pounding of the waves, could no longer withstand the battering and began to break up.

The men rushed to the front of the ship to find safety and keep dry. Yet each one knew that he had to abandon the wreck and swim to shore.) 42. The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so that no one might escape by swimming away. 43. But the officer wanted to spare Paul and prevented the soldiers from carrying out their plan. He commanded that those who were able to swim should jump overboard first and get to land.) In ancient times, soldiers were told that when they were assigned to guard condemned prisoners, they had to forfeit their own lives should a prisoner escape (see, e.g., 12:19). Roman law stipulated that if a prisoner escaped, his guard had to suffer the punishment of that prisoner.��68�� So in the confusion of the shipwreck, the soldiers think in terms of their personal safety when they eventually will have to report in Rome.

Calvin says the soldiers ingratitude was far too cruel as they contemplate killing Paul.��69�� He had given them the good news that their lives would be spared; he had encouraged them when all had lost hope of being saved; and he had given them sound advice and an exhortation to eat. These soldiers demonstrated ruthlessness by planning to kill the prisoners.) God rules and overrules. He moves Julius, the centurion, to stop the soldiers from executing the prisoners. Luke relates that Julius wanted to spare Paul. Throughout this chapter and the next (chap. 28), Luke indicates that the officer was kindly disposed to Paul. Julius had allowed Paul to leave ship in Sidon to visit friends (v. 3) and permitted him to stay a week with Christians in Puteoli before going on to Rome (28:14).

Luke does not indicate that Julius became a believer, yet we may suppose that the centurion wished to express his thanks to Paul for giving leadership in the midst of the storm. Julius had seen the literal fulfillment of the divine prophecy that everyone aboard would find safety on an island even though the ship would be destroyed. He knew that God had granted Paul the lives of all the men on the ship (v. 24). Sparing Paul s life meant sparing the lives of the other prisoners.) Thus, Julius told his soldiers not to kill anyone. Instead he instructed those prisoners who could swim to jump into the sea and head for shore. He knew that no one would be able to escape from an island.

We assume that the distance to shore was relatively short and that the storm had abated.) 44. And the rest were to reach land on planks or on various parts of the ship. Thus everyone arrived safely on land.) Everyone aboard ship who could not swim tried to find items that remained afloat. Clinging to these pieces of wreckage, they kept their heads above water and let the wind drive them to the shore. Luke mentions the word planks. These planks probably came out of the hold of the ship, where they were placed on top of the loose grain to keep it in place.��70�� When the ship began to disintegrate, the planks became available to the shipwrecked people, who used them as rafts to reach safe ground.) After his brief description of leaving the ship, Luke merely states that everyone landed safely on shore.

Thus, the word of the angel (vv. 22 26) was literally fulfilled. An interesting question to which we have no answer is, how did Luke keep his writing material dry?) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 27:39 44) Verse 39) ��������� the use of the imperfect refers not to the object perceived but to the persons who observe: one after the other noticed. ) ����� the aorist infinitive from the verb ����� (I propel, drive) is a nautical term meaning to drive a ship to shore. ) Verse 40) �4�� from the verb �� (I allow, permit, let), this imperfect denotes voluntary action: they let them [be]. ) �� the adverb indicates simultaneous action: at the same time. ) �� ������� the noun �T�� (morning air) should be supplied: the blowing morning wind. ) �������� this is a nautical term with �t� ���� (the ship). The verb signifies to head the ship. The imperfect is inceptive.) Verses 43 44) ������� he prevented. The aorist connotes single action with immediate effect. The verb is followed by the genitive construction ��� ���������� (the plan) because verbs of preventing and hindering govern the genitive case.) ����� this indefinite pronoun in the neuter is understood to refer to the pieces of debris floating near the ship.

If it is taken as a masculine, it means that swimmers placed nonswimmers on their backs. The preposition �� governs the dative case of planks and the genitive case of some. ��71��) Summary of Chapter 27) Paul and other prisoners are placed aboard a ship that is about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia. A centurion named Julius is in charge of the prisoners but allows Paul to visit friends in Sidon. From there the ship passes the east coast of Cyprus and continues its voyage to the harbor of Myra in Lycia. Here the centurion finds passage for his troops and prisoners on a ship that sails for Italy. The ship proceeds slowly to Cnidus and then, taking advantage of the wind, sails to the south side of Crete and docks in the harbor called Fair Havens.

Because the season for safe sailing is past, Paul advises the centurion, the pilot, and the captain of the ship to stay there. His advice is ignored and the crew decides to sail west to the port of Phoenix.) A hurricane, called the northeaster, sweeps across Crete, falls upon the ship, and drives it in a southwesterly direction toward the island of Cauda. Here the crew secures the lifeboat by hoisting it aboard the ship, girds the ship with ropes, and eventually throws cargo and tackle overboard. When the storm rages for many days, the people aboard ship give up all hope of being rescued.) Paul admonishes the men to be of good courage. He reports that an angel of the God to whom he belongs and whom he serves has informed him that Paul will stand trial before Caesar in Rome. He predicts that the ship will be destroyed but that they will come ashore on an island.) The sailors realize that the ship is approaching land and cast the anchors overboard.

Under the pretense of letting down anchors from the bow, they lower the lifeboat and attempt to escape. Paul alerts the centurion; the soldiers cut the ropes and so prevent the escape. Paul exhorts the people to eat, gives thanks to God for the bread he breaks, and sets the example of eating. The crew lightens the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.) At daybreak, the men fail to recognize the land. They see a bay, cut the ropes that hold the anchors, hoist the foresail, and steer the vessel into the bay. The ship strikes a reef, is stuck in the sand, and begins to disintegrate as the waves batter it.

The centurion prevents the soldiers from killing the prisoners, allows those who are able to swim to jump into the water and go ashore, and tells the rest to head for the beach on planks and other parts of the ship. Everyone comes safely to the shore.) ) ) ) ) ) 1 Hans Conzelmann doubts that Luke was present and calls the use of the personal pronoun a literary device. Acts of the Apostles, trans. James Limburg, A. Thomas Kraabel, and Donald) 2 Consult Colin J. Hemer, The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History, ed.

Conrad H. Gempf (T�bingen: Mohr, 1989), pp. 330 31; see also his article, First Person Narrative in Acts 27 28, TynB 36 (1985): 79 109.) 3 William M. Ramsay is of the opinion that Luke and Aristarchus were permitted to accompany Paul as his slaves. St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen (1897; reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Baker, 1962), p. 316. F.

F. Bruce suggests that Luke signed on as the ship s physician. The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary, 3d (rev. and enl.) ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990), p. 511.) 4 Consult Jean Roug�, Actes 27, 1 10, VigChr 14 (1960): 193 203.) 5 Another translation is a centurion of the Augustan cohort (NASB). In the first century, a regiment by that name was stationed in Syria and Batanea (east of Galilee). T. R.

S. Broughton, The Roman Army, Beginnings, vol. 5, pp. 443 44.) 6 Refer to A. N. Sherwin-White, Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament (1963; reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Baker, 1968), pp. 109 10. Consult Henry Alford, Alford s Greek Testament: An Exegetical and Critical Commentary, 7th ed., 4 vols. (1877; Grand Rapids: Guardian, 1976), vol. 2, p. 285.) 7 William Hendriksen, Exposition of Colossians and Philemon, New Testament Commentary series (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1964), p. 187.) 8 A. T.

Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (Nashville: Broadman, 1934), p. 1424.) 9 Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 3d corrected ed. (London and New York: United Bible Societies, 1975), p. 496.) 10 Friedrich Blass and Albert Debrunner, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, trans. and rev. Robert Funk (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1961), #327.) 11 Consult James Smith, The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul, 3d ed. (London: Longmans, Green, 1866), pp. 27 28.) 12 Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller, p. 317.) 13 Vernon K. Robbins contends that the writer received his material from oral tradition and written sources.

By Land and By Sea: The We-Passages and Ancient Sea Voyages, in Perspectives on Luke-Acts, ed. Charles H. Talbert (Edinburgh: Clark, 1978), p. 241. See the analysis of Hemer, Book of Acts, pp. 317 20; and First Person Narrative, pp. 81 86. See also C. K.

Barrett, Paul Shipwrecked, in Scripture: Meaning and Method, ed. Barry P. Thompson (Hull, England: Hull University Press, 1987), pp. 51 56.) 14 For literature on this subject, see Hemer, Book of Acts, p. 134 n. 102. The Western text adds for fifteen days after the words having crossed the open sea.) 15 Lucian Navigium 5.) 16 During the governorship of Felix, he traveled to Rome; suffering shipwreck, he and his company of some six hundred souls had to swim all that night. Eighty of these people were taken aboard a ship of Cyrene. Josephus Life 3 [13 15].) 17 Hemer, Book of Acts, p. 135.) 18 Consult Smith, Voyage and Shipwreck, pp. 83 85, 259 60.) 19 Robertson, Grammar, p. 634.) 20 Vegetius De Re Militari 4.39.

Consult Lionel Casson, Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1971), p. 270.) 21 SB, vol. 3, p. 771.) 22 Hemer, Book of Acts, pp. 137 38, 333; F. F. Bruce, The Book of the Acts, rev. ed., New International Commentary on the New Testament series (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), p. 481; Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller, p. 322.) 23 John Calvin, Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, ed. David W. Torrance and Thomas F.

Torrance, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1966), vol. 2, p. 288.) 24 Hemer, First Person Narrative, p. 94.) 25 Jack Finegan, The Archeology of the New Testament: The Mediterranean World of the Early Christian Apostles (Boulder, Colo.: Westview; London: Croom Helm, 1981), p. 197.) 26 R. M. Ogilvie, Phoenix, JTS n.s. 9 (1958): 312.) 27 C. F. D. Moule, Idiom-Book of New Testament Greek, 2d ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1960), p. 154.) 28 Robertson, Grammar, p. 1021.) 29 Smith, Voyage and Shipwreck, p. 101.) 30 The KJV and NKJV have the reading Euroclydon, which actually means the Southeast wind that stirs up waves (Bauer, p. 325).

But a wind from the southeast would have caused the ship to reach the harbor of Phoenix and not the island Cauda (v. 16).) 31 Hemer, Book of Acts, pp. 141 42. See also his Euraquilo and Melita, JTS n.s. 26 (1975): 100 11.) 32 The Western text expands the text: We gave way to [the wind] which was blowing, and having furled the sails we were driven. Metzger, Textual Commentary, p. 497.) 33 The spelling of the name varies from Cauda to Clauda and Clauden. Perhaps Cauda may be the Latin spelling and Clauda the Greek.) 34 Consult H. J. Cadbury, HypozMmata, Beginnings, vol. 5, p. 348; Smith, Voyage and Shipwreck, pp. 107 8; Hemer, Book of Acts, p. 143 n. 120.) 35 See Casson, Ships and Seamanship, pp. 91 92.) 36 Refer to Ernst Haenchen, The Acts of the Apostles: A Commentary, trans.

Bernard Noble and Gerald Shinns (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1971), p. 703 n. 2. See Jean Roug�, Ships and Fleets of the Ancient Mediterranean, trans. Susan Frazer (Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1981), p. 66.) 37 Vergil Aeneid 4.40 41; Strabo Geography 2.5.20; 17.3.16 17.) 38 Smith, Voyage and Shipwreck, p. 114.) 39 Lake and Cadbury, Beginnings, vol. 4, p. 333.) 40 Roug� comments that the practice of carrying cargo on deck was common. Ships and Fleets, p. 70.) 41 The Majority Text, reflected in the KJV and NKJV.) 42 D. J. Clark translates: The violent storm continued, so on the next day, they tried to hoist the ship s heavy equipment overboard; on the third day, by manhandling it, they succeeded.

What Went Overboard First? BibTr 26 (1975): 141 46.) 43 Moule, Idiom-Book, p. 60.) JB Jerusalem Bible) NAB New American Bible) NIV New International Version) RSV Revised Standard Version) 44 Robertson, Grammar, p. 802.) 45 F. W. Grosheide, De Handelingen der Apostelen, Kommentaar op het Nieuwe Testament series, 2 vols. (Amsterdam: Van Bottenburg, 1948), vol. 2, p. 404.) 46 John Albert Bengel, Gnomon of the New Testament, ed. Andrew R. Fausset, 5 vols. (Edinburgh: Clark, 1877), vol. 2, p. 725.) 47 Calvin, Acts of the Apostles, vol. 2, p. 293.) 48 Bauer, p. 546.) 49 Robertson, Grammar, p. 758.) 50 Smith, Voyage and Shipwreck, pp. 124 26.) 51 George H.

Allen and Donald H. Madvig, Adria, ISBE, vol. 1, p. 58.) 52 Strabo Geography 5.1.8.) 53 Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller, p. 334.) 54 GNB, JB, NEB, NIV.) 55 MLB, NAB, RSV, KJV, NKJV.) 56 Haenchen writes that ancient anchors weighed only 55 lbs. Acts, p. 705 n. 7. Smith observes that ships of the ancients were fitted to anchor by the stern. Voyage and Shipwreck, p. 132.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=9.14.45|AUTODETECT|” 57 See ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=9.14.45|AUTODETECT|” I Sam. 14:45) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=10.14.11|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=10.14.11|AUTODETECT|” II Sam. 14:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=11.1.52|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=11.1.52|AUTODETECT|” I Kings 1:52) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 18 2 8 0 0 58 Jews would not eat until they had thanked God for their food (SB, vol. 1, pp. 685 87). Christians also thank God for the daily provision of food.) 59 Metzger, Textual Commentary, p. 499.) 60 Theodor Zahn, Die Apostelgeschichte des Lucas, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament series, 2 vols. (Leipzig: Deichert, 1921), vol. 2, p. 837 n. 94.) 61 Manuscripts show a few variations; e.g., Codex Vaticanus has the reading about seventy-six. This reading results from the duplication of one of the Greek letters that represented the number.) 62 Refer to Haenchen, Acts, p. 707 n. 5; see also Roug�, Ships and Fleets, p. 74.) 63 Blass and Debrunner, Greek Grammar, #161.3. See also Robert Hanna, A Grammatical Aid to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1983), p. 249.) 64 Compare H. E. Dana and Julius R.

Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament (1927; New York: Macmillan, 1967), p. 190.) 65 Smith, Voyage and Shipwreck, p. 140.) NKJV New King James Version) 66 Conzelmann asserts that Luke took his material from a travel journal from a companion of Paul. Acts, p. 221. In Acts, p. 710, Haenchen agrees. Martin Dibelius notes that a secular description of the voyage and shipwreck served as a pattern, basis or source. Studies in the Acts of the Apostles (London: SCM, 1956), p. 205.) 67 Casson, Ships and Seamanship, p. 228.) 68 Recorded in Justinian s Code (9.4.4). See Bruce, Acts (Greek text), p. 528; Hemer, Book of Acts, p. 152.) 69 Calvin, Acts of the Apostles, vol. 2, p. 296.) 70 Roug�, Ships and Fleets, p. 71.) 71 Consult Bruce, Acts (Greek text), p. 528.) ) ) )