Acts 27

Acts 27:1-44

PAUL AS A SHIP-CAPTAIN Acts 27:1-44. EVERY chapter of this Book, following the ninth, presents some new phase of Paul’s life, some new feature of Paul’s conduct or character. In this twenty-seventh chapter we see Paul in an altogether new role. We have known him as the most brilliant student from Gamaliel’s classes; we have seen him as a member of the Sanhedrin; we have watched, with wild eyes, the persecutor of the church; we have heard, with Christian enthusiasm, of his sudden and complete conversion; we have been present when he, as an Apostle, preached in the power and demonstration of the Spirit; we have admired his sagacity when, as a capable attorney, he undertook his own defense; we have listened with increasing respect when, in disputatious assemblies, he proved himself the supreme counsel.There are some men who are many-sided, and such are forever interesting you by revealing new features. Paul not only belongs to that company, but he is well-nigh the chief of the same. Put him where you will and he is a power to be reckoned with—a personality that cannot be despised.When on train or ship we see some manacled culprit, we look at him with amazement, and we may even feel some disgust at the sight of his face and the thought of his sins. Here is a prisoner who produces no such mental reactions, but on the other hand becomes the center of interest and the subject of the record.

Who would ever imagine that a manacled prisoner, being conveyed by ship to his adjudged cell, would suddenly come to be master of ship ceremonies, and even director of the ship’s course, and dictator to the ship’s officials? And yet, such Paul proved himself!

As a persecutor he had no equal; as a convert to Christ he challenged comparison; as a teacher of Christianity he out-towered the older Apostles! With a charm that eluded understanding, he practically controlled every situation into which he came. This ship voyage to Rome was no exception. Following it through, you will be profoundly convinced that Paul volunteered advice; you will be shown, also, that Paul’s advice was disregarded, and finally, you will be told as a fact that Paul enjoyed a visit from an angel.PAUL’S ADVICE The plural pronoun here includes Paul. Our author, Luke, says, “And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band” (Acts 27:1). The writer does not name himself, nor does he call the name of any other prisoner; but he does name the Apostle—the central figure of the whole story.There are some characters who are demanded as centerpieces of every picture.

The photographer will not squeeze the bulb until such are placed. The picture would be meaningless if these were flung into the background.

They constitute the occasion of the picture itself. There are others in it, but they are there as fillers.Luke was a man of considerable parts. He was prominent in the medical profession. He was a man of literary ability as the Book that wears his name, and the Book of the Acts, both attest. But Luke appears in the picture only in the dim outline of the plural personal pronoun “We”. “Julius”, on account of his official charge, of Paul, is actually named, but who stops to give him serious consideration, or to draw any important inferences from his office? The rest of the prisoners and passengers are simply spots on the page.

You see them and recognize them as men, but their features are not discernible and the sight of them conveys to you no other information than that Paul was attended by a company.There are people who seek to force themselves into central positions, into prominent stations. The Paul-sort have no such need.

They cannot escape the central place any more than Charles Lindbergh, the first man to fly across the Atlantic, could escape the attention and laudation of a world. He had done something that exceeds, something that is, in nature and character, superior, and his fellows feel it and know it. Position, then, is, in its last analysis, not a creature of accident, not a streak of luck. It is a scientific demonstration of personality and power.Superiority is inherent in the soul of a man. It is not a matter of birth. Moses was the child of a slave woman.

In spite of that fact he became the founder of a nation, the human author of the most dominating faith the world has ever seen, the supreme literary genius of all centuries, and last, but not least, the law-giver of all millenniums.Superiority is not a creature of circumstances. Esau preceded Jacob into the world.

By that seniority of a few minutes, great and desirable privileges belonged to him. Furthermore, Esau was his father’s favorite and, reckoned from the standpoint of physical strength, Esau was the promising twin. But, somehow, centuries came to speak of Esau with compassion, and of Jacob with pride. The explanation is in personality. Jacob swayed an unseen scepter—there were few situations into which he ever came, without controlling them; and when the twelve tribes spread themselves put in the world and became its mental and moral mentors, they are but the evolution of Jacob.Joseph fell upon hard lines. Jealousy sold him into Egypt and unrequited love flung him into jail.

Potentates, as a rule, don’t consult prison cells on the subject of God or government, but Pharaoh found need for the opinion of Joseph and employment for his matchless talents in hours of difficult administration.But when did any man ever command more respect from political dignitaries than Paul excited? And now that to the political dignitary is added the master of the ship, how marvelous that both of them should respect the speech of this ostensible criminal!There is but one explanation.

You can’t put character where it will not command an audience; you can’t place it where it will not compel attention; you can’t so situate it that it will not challenge respect.The chief spokesman here was the Apostle. When the hour darkens there is always some man who has light; when dangers arise, a counsellor commonly comes with it.The Scotch John Robertson used to have a marvelous sermon preached under the theme, “Peter, The Skipper”. In that discourse he elaborated upon the fact that Peter should take orders from Christ when he was running his own boat and Christ was simply aboard as a passenger, or guest. He counted it the most remarkable proof of the dominating personality of Jesus that when He said, “Launch out into the deep”, Peter should obey; when He commanded to “Cast the net on the right side”, Peter should immediately act upon His word. But the marvel there is not so great as here. Peter was the one man who came early to a clear conviction of the Deity of Jesus.

It was he who answered Christ’s question, “Whom say ye that I am”? “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). There is little occasion of surprise, therefore, that Peter should surrender his proud rights in the presence of the Creator Himself.

But, that the master and owner of this ship should even listen while Paul, the manacled culprit, talked, demands explanation. And when one further considers the fact that Paul is a landsman, and this ship-master is a sailor of long experience, the surprise increases.But, the sea has ever been a storm center, and when men are caught in adverse winds and their craft is in the grip of a Euroclydon, they soon lose self-confidence and see how puny is the strength and wit of man when pitted against the power and wiles of nature, and they feel the need of the supernatural help.Such “are the times for the Christian”. His word is worth most when the word of all others has failed; his counsel gets audience when the counsel of others has come to naught.Joseph was a prisoner, but when the famine struck Egypt, they had to consult him. Daniel was a captive, but when the king’s dreams disturbed him and all his soothsayers failed him, he had no other than God’s Prophet to whom he could turn.I have heard on good authority that when the Titanic was crushed by an iceberg, a Christian minister on board, coming from England to accept the pastorate of the Moody Church, Chicago, was the one man to whom passengers and officers alike listened.I am inclined to agree with Joseph Parker, who said, “All true wisdom is with the theologian. He knows more about sailing than captains who do not pray can ever know. He may not always have the faith that would make him master, but he has the spirit which makes him wise.

These are questions not to be settled within little limits. Things may look large because they are near; may seem to be different because of their closeness; but when looked at from lofty heights they sink into insignificance, and their dissimilarities are blurred in the common cloud.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him; and he will give thee thine heart’s desire. Even the prisoner shall have his sovereignty; even a man in outwardly trying and discouraging circumstances may have the confidence of those who are appointed to watch over him; and even the man who is supposed to know nothing but religion may turn out to be in the long run the comforter of men who live in mere technicalities.”But, in spite of this historically illustrated truth, we find that men of the world are seldom willing to yield wholly to counsels that come from above.In fact, they do not believe they are from above. Many of them do not believe there is any “above”. They doubt God and heaven; they question infinite wisdom; they dispute infinite power. It was that that affected the second subject of our study here, namely,PAUL’S ADVICE The text reveals a series of facts.First, The ship-master’s opinion prevailed against Paul. Hence, the statement, “Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul” (Acts 27:11).

Who can blame him? There is well-nigh a universal disposition to disregard what the preacher says.

There is a popular philosophy to the effect that every preacher is “visionary”. It is the common speech of laymen, “Preachers are poor business men.”I had an extended letter from a New York business man, in which he laid all the financial troubles of the Northern and Southern Baptist Conventions —their shortage in missionary funds, their failure in deceptious appeals in behalf of education—to the fact that too many ministers had had to do with administration, and he passionately pled that these ministers retire, turn the whole administration over to business men, and prophesied that they would straighten out the difficulties and convert the present defeat into a forthcoming success. Such is the world’s opinion!Just a bit ago I fell in with an acquaintance—a member of a certain church, the history of which is well-known to me; and in discussing the pastors of that church, past and present, the name of one man was called and I remarked, “He was a good man and faithful to the Gospel, and I felt sorry to see him leave the city.”. She said, “Yes, he was a good man and faithful to the Gospel; but he could not get on in our church because he had a notion that he should have something to do with the administration of the business affairs of the church, and our laymen did not take to it.” I said to her what every individual familiar with the work of that peculiar church knows, “It has been evident for some time that somebody should have to do with the business affairs of the church, and if the man who is held responsible for the success or the failure of his institution is not to be consulted on its business affairs, then, pray, who”?It does not follow because a profession has been treated niggardly for a long period of time in the matter of salary, that the men who, animated by the spirit of service to God, enter that profession, are incapacitated in a business way. It is our judgment that there is no class of men to be found who, their opportunities considered, conduct their business affairs so uniformly well as do the preachers or prophets of the Gospel. And it is also our opinion that their judgment is worth consideration on general matters of moment.History, in this instance, records that Paul was right and the experienced sailors were wrong. It is not an unusual instance.Here, reason triumphed against revelation.“Because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west. “And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete” (Acts 27:12-13). Was not the reasoning sound? Who can gainsay it? Reason is man’s most-to-be-trusted talent. It, he must consult under most circumstances; and it he may consult under, all circumstances. No man should be asked to dispense with his reason; no man should be asked to fly in the face of reason. The average man should not be expected to disregard reason. If the haven is not good, why try to winter it?Atheism boasts itself rational. It is forever intimating that revelation is not according to reason.

What nonsense! God is the author of reason and He is equally the advocate of reason. God’s appeal to man is, “Come, now, and let us reason together”. The trouble with man is that he does not want to reason with God, but with himself only. He is not willing to believe that there is any wisdom above his own; that there is any knowledge beyond what he has.Revelation cannot be harmonized with all kinds of reasoning, nor can it be harmonized with the reasoning of every man, but it is always in perfect harmony with the highest reason. In fact, it is reason in perfection. So far as these men could see, so far as they could then understand, they were justified in disregarding Paul. Rut time will prove that they did not see far enough; experience will show that they did not understand sufficiently.

The storm yet to break over them will demonstrate that they need one of greater knowledge and one of greater prescience as counsellor, and before this journey is finished Paul’s reasoning will be triumphant. That is why it is sometimes true that the most intelligent and the most learned make the most egregious blunders. They have believed too well in their own information; they have been too confident in their own conclusions.When San Pierre was destroyed, it was the reasoning of a scientific commission that accomplished the instant death of thirty-two thousand people. They had investigated the mountain and decided that there was no danger, and they had made their report accordingly, and their scientific knowledge was made the basis of Governor Moutette’s decision to compel the people to stay in the city. And yet, what was all that reasoning worth as against the spiritual intuition of many who pled and begged to be privileged to depart, but begged in vain? Some of them believed that a judgment was about to fall on the city, and that the city was doomed on account of its sins; but such reasoning was laughed to scorn until the hour struck that took them all away—the scientific commission and the governor included.

Are Christians foolish, then, in believing that revelation is the highest reason? Are they lacking in intellect because they prefer God’s opinion to man’s opinion?

Hardly! History is with them!The result of reason, here, was the loss of all hope. “When neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away” (Acts 27:20). The most hopeless men that live in the world are men who have followed their own ways and refused the ways of God. Such men lose hope easily.Having trusted in favorable circumstances, when those circumstances change, hope is gone; having trusted in the powers of self, the moment they are proven impotent, hope dies.Perhaps the great difference between the faith that is in Christ and infidelity is at this point. The true and intelligent Christian is seldom, or never, hopeless. It makes no difference how dark the night, there are stars that shine for Him; how cloudy the day, he believes that back of the clouds the sun still shines. It makes no difference how severe the storm, he forgets not that his Saviour is Master of storms, also, and can speak the word, “Peace be still”! and compel winds and waves to obey. E’en death itself does not discourage his heart, for he sings, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me” (Psalms 23:4).

When bereavement smites, which is deeper and more difficult than death, he “sorrows not, even as others which have no hope”, for he believes “that Jesus Christ died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).Christianity is a religion of hope and its earthly consummation involves “that Blessed Hope”—the personal Return of the Lord Jesus Christ and His universal reign in righteousness.The one view that never experiences pessimism is the Christian view; the one soul that never surrenders and cries, “All is lost!” is the believing soul —the man who has put his trust in God. It is a strange situation to see men whose hands and feet are free giving up hope because there is a storm on, and the ship is likely to go down; and the man who is a prisoner and not, therefore, in control of his own action—confident and unafraid.

Such is Christianity! It is a religion of hope!PAUL’S VISIT FROM AN ANGELFollowing the text further, we find that this disregarded Paul is in fresh demand. They rejected him before the storm came. Now their spirits are chastened, their pride is broken and they are willing to hear. It is perfectly evident that Paul did not appear until they had sent for him. The phrase, “after long abstinence”, indicates that he came only after much persuasion, and his speech is a strange one to the ears of sailors, but one none the less needful or welcome on that account.“Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.“And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.“For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,“Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.“Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.“Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island” (Acts 27:21-26).The angel of God knows the end from the beginning.

His speech is better than a shining sun, more assuring than a dying wind. The earth is not independent of heaven.

Creation is not independent of the Creator. Men have not reached the point where they have no need of the counsel or help of angels. We may go on with our materialistic philosophy as much as we like; we may join the Sadducees and say, “There is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit”; we may even become propagandists for the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism, but any moment all of that boastful reasoning may be brought low; yea, even in a second its supreme representatives may be flung into hopeless consternation.The wisdom of this earth is only good for cloudless days, for balmy weather, for quiet sails. The very moment a storm strikes and the waves roll mountain high, help must be had from a heavenly visitor, and the most experienced sailors would be sending an S. O. S. call to Jesus, the angel of the Lord, who lies quietly asleep in another part of the ship, and the anguished question, “Master, carest Thou not that we perish”? will indicate that men, down in their deepest souls, know that wind and wave, and air and earth, itself, are within the circle of Divine power.So far has materialism triumphed in this age, so popular has atheism become, so successful have been the propagandists of evolution, that it takes courage for a man to stand up in a calm day and advocate anything spiritual; advocate inspiration of Scriptures, advocate Deity of Jesus, advocate angels, advocate even God.

But there is coming a time when such advocates will be in demand; a day in which infidelity will be on its face and atheism will be crying to rocks and mountains to fall on it and hide it “from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb” (Revelation 6:16).Faith is the one and only triumphant faculty. When fourteen stormy nights have passed, reason weakens.

When you pass from twenty fathoms to fifteen, the heart grows chill, for it knows that the grinding, binding rocks are only a bit ahead. When the anchors drag, sailors will make ready to quit the ship. So it was when Paul said to the centurion and to the soldier, “There shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you”.This was not the speech of a braggart. That he did not profess a courage which he did not experience is proven by Paul’s example. He himself “took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat”. His appetite was not gone; his spirit was not whelmed; his faith had not failed; and faith is forever a contagious thing. Faith, then, is not effective in the life of the man who has it only, it influences others; it saves multitudes; it is the hope of the world.Final results are always and everywhere with the Lord.“And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. “And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoisted up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. “And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. “And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. “But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: “And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land” (Acts 27:39-44). He can have the mouth of a creek near at hand as a harbor. He can determine the very place where two seas meet, and send a ship there and stick the forepart fast. And, tho “the hinder part be broken with the violence of the waves”, he can bring all safely to land. He can make his own man a saviour for others, for when the soldiers counselled, killing the prisoners, the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose and “commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land. And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land” (Acts 27:43-44).Certainly, what God commences He completes.

When He started His angels from heaven to this beleaguered boat, He began the redemption of the entire company. His work is always and everywhere a perfect work. He leaves nothing half done. Herein is our hope of a final and full salvation. It was this same Paul who wrote, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).