Acts 27:1
Outline:
I. \\#Acts 1:1-8:4\\ God’s Work in Jerusalem
A. \\#1:1-3\\ The Introduction
B. \\#1:4-26\\ Jesus’ Departure
C. \\#2:1-8:4\\ The Holy Ghost’s Coming
II. \\#Acts 8:5-12:24\\ God’s Work in Judea and Samaria
III. \\#Acts 13:1-28:31\\ God’s Work in Uttermost Parts of the World
A. \\#13:1-14:28\\ The First Missionary Journey
B. \\#15:1-35\\ Judaism or Grace
C. \\#15:36-18:22\\ Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
D. \\#Acts 18:23-21:17\\ Paul’s Third Missionary Journey
1. \\#18:23\\ Galatia and Phrygia
2. \\#18:24-28\\ Apollos in Ephesus
3. \\#19:1-23\\ Paul Returned to Ephesus
4. \\#20-1-6\\ Paul in Greece
5. \\#20:7-12\\ Paul in Troas
6. \\#20:13-16\\ Paul in the Coastal Cities
7. \\#20:17-38\\ Paul Bids the Elders of Ephesus Farewell
8. \\#21:1-3\\ Paul in more Costal Cities
9. \\#21:3-7\\ Paul in Tyre
10. \\#21:8-14\\ Paul in Caesarea
11. \\#21:15-17\\ Paul arrived in Jerusalem
E. \\#Acts 21:18-28:30\\ Paul’s Arrest and Journey to Rome
1. \\#Acts 21:18-23:32\\ Paul in Jerusalem
a. \\#Acts 21:18-25\\ Paul before the Church
b. \\#Acts 21:26-30\\ Paul in the temple
c. \\#Acts 21:31-22:23\\ Paul on the steps
d. \\#Acts 22:24-30\\ Paul to be examined
(1) \\#Acts 22:24-29\\ By the Whip
(2) \\#Acts 22:30-23:10\\ By the Council
e. \\#Acts 23:11-32\\ An Attempt to Kill Paul
(1) \\#Acts 23:11\\ Paul Vision
(2) \\#Acts 23:12-15\\ The Plot
(3) \\#Acts 23:16-22\\ The Revealing
(4) \\#Acts 23:23-33\\The Relocation
(5) \\#Acts 23:31-33\\ The Transport
2. \\#Acts 23:33-27:2\\ Paul in Caesarea
a. \\#Acts 23:34-24:27\\ Before Felix
b. \\#Acts 25:1-25:12\\ Before Festus
c. \\#Acts 25:13-26:32\\ Before Agrippa and Festus
3. \\#Acts 27:1-28:16\\ Paul’s Journey to Rome
4. \\#Acts 28:17-31\\ Paul in Rome
I. \\#Acts 27:1-28:16\\ Paul’s Journey to Rome
A. \\#Acts 27:1-13\\ The Planned Route Map
1. \\#1\\ "they delivered Paul" - Paul, and some other
prisoners, were turned over to "Julius, a centurion of
Augustus’ band" for transport.
a. Paul was a prisoner but he will not be treated as a
common prisoner but will be allowed courtesies that
others were not \\#Acts 26:3\\.
b. "Augustus band" - The name of one of the legions of
solders, probably so named after Caesar.
2. \\#2\\
a. "Adramyttium" - There were several cities with this
name.
b. "meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia" - The desired
route was to sail along the coast line of Asia and
probably then close to Achaia. Due to the low
winds, they will turn more out to sea and pass by
Crete.
c. "Aristarchus …of Thessalonica" - A traveling
companion of Paul \\#Acts 19:29, 20:4\\ who will stay
with Paul, becoming as it were a "fellow prisoner"
with him \\#Phm 1:24, Col 4:10\\.
3. \\#3\\ "we touched at Sidon" - Paul had many friends in
Sidon and Julius graciously allowed Paul to visit with
them.
4. \\#4\\ "we sailed under Cyprus" - The thought is that the
winds forced the ship to sail on the wrong side of
Cyprus, adding some distance to their journey. Map
5. \\#5\\
a. "we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and
Pamphylia" - These seas are to the north of Cyprus.
b. \\#5\\ "we came to Myra" - This was the destination
of the first ship and so they would have to find
another.
6. \\#6\\ "a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy" -
Alexandria was in Egypt, almost 350 miles due south of
Myra. The ship was heading for Italy, the nation of
Rome.
7. \\#7\\
a. "sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over
against Cnidus" - It is apparent from Luke’s wording
that the journey was not progressing as quickly as
had been expected.
b. "the wind not suffering us" - The problem was the
wind, probably not blowing in the direction they
needed for their sails.
c. "we sailed under Crete" - It would appear that they
are adjusting their course to sail further out to
sea here.
8. \\#8\\
a. "and hardly passing it" - That is, they stayed close
to the shoreline.
b. The shipped apparently docked at "The Fair Havens,"
near "Lasea."
9. \\#9\\
a. "Now when much time was spent" - Perhaps the ship
tarried in this port, waiting for the winds to shift;
or else, the contrary winds had simply delayed them
too long in their journey so far.
b. "sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was not
already past" - The fast is probably Yom Kippur, or
the Day of Atonement. It is the most holy feast of
the Jews. It is celebrated in the fall, indicating
that the typhoon season was upon the sailors.
http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefeastsandholidays/p/dayofato
nement.htm
c. "Paul admonished them" - Paul had been on the sea
much the last 15 or so years, experiencing at least
three shipwrecks \\#2Cor 11:25\\. There is no
indication that the Lord had told Paul that the
journey was to be perilous but He might have.
10. \\#10\\ "I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and
much damage" - Paul certainly felt that something was
going wrong.
11. \\#11\\ "the centurion believed the master and the owner
of the ship" - Yet, the men who supposedly knew the sea
said they would be safe so Julius believed them.
12. \\#12\\
a. "because the haven was not commodious to winter in"
The Fair Havens was not suitable for staying the
entire winter.
b. "if my any means they might attained to Phenice"
Phenice was Crete as well, only 45 miles further
west.
c. "south west and north west" - They would have to sail
a short distance south west before turning north
again due to the curvature of the land.
13. \\#13\\ "when the south wind blew softly …they sailed
close to Crete" - Once they had a wind, they set sail,
staying close to the shoreline.
B. \\#Acts 27:14-28:10\\ Lost at Sea
1. \\#27:14-20\\ Caught In A Storm
a. \\#14\\ "Euroclydon" - The word means a "typhoon
wind" or to us, a hurricane. Typhoon comes form the
Greek name Typhon, a god who drowned.
b. \\#15\\ "we let her drive" - The wind must have come
quickly and with much force, driving the ship away
from the coast and their destination.
c. \\#16\\ "Clauda" - A small island due south of Phenice
and about the same distance from The Fair Heavens.
d. \\#17\\
(1) "undergirding the ship" - There was work to be
done on the ship.
(2) "fearing …the quicksands" - And there were
dangers on the island.
(3) "strake sail" - So as soon as they could, they
set sail into the typhoon once again. (Remember,
the flooding and lack of food were a threat
even on the island.)
(4) "and so were driven" - Even as they did so, they
could not control the ship.
d. \\#18-20\\ Things got progressively worse
(1) \\#18\\ "they lightened the ship" - Tossing out
cargo.
(2) \\#19\\ "the third day we cast out …the
tackling" - Needing to lighten it more, they
cast out some of the tools needed to operate the
ship.
(3) After "many days …all hope …was taken away"
It looked hopeless.
2. \\#27:21-26\\ God Intervenes
a. \\#21\\
(1) "after long abstinence" - Paul had probably been
praying.
(2) "ye should have harkened unto me" - A little bit
of "I told you so."
b. \\#22\\ "no loss of any man’s life …but of the ship"
Paul revealed that God would be merciful to these
men.
c. \\#23\\ "an angel of God, whose I am" - Paul told the
me plainly where he had gotten his information. Some
say that are no atheists in fox holes. Apparently
there are none on sinking ships either.
d. \\#24\\
(1) "thou must be brought before Caesar" - This
aspect of God’s plan had been revealed earlier
\\#Acts 23:11\\.
(2) "God hath given thee all them that sail with
thee" - The other men’s lives were a gift from
God to Paul, probably because he had asked.
e. \\#25\\ "be of good cheer" - Paul attempted to
encourage those on the ship.
f. \\#26\\ "cast upon a certain island" - The downside
was that they would be shipwrecked.
3. \\#Acts 27:27-44\\ The Shipwreck - This would be Paul’s
fourth shipwreck \\#2Cor 11:25\\.
a. \\#27\\
(1) "the fourteenth night" - It had been two full
weeks since they loosed from Clauda.
(2) "driven up and down in Adria" - In the Adriatic
Sea.
(3) "they drew near to some country"
(a) "they" may imply that Luke had stayed on
the island of Clauda and was not aboard the
ship or perhaps he was speaking of the
crew.
(b) The sailors had no idea what land they were
near.
b. \\#28\\
(1) "sounded, and found it twenty fathoms"
(a) The means of finding the depth was to drop
a peace of lead, which when it hit would
make a sound or vibrate the rope.
(b) A fathom was 6 feet so they were 120 feet
hitting land.
(2) "fifteen fathoms" - On the second measurement,
they were 90 feet above land.
c. \\#29\\
(1) "fearing" - It being dark and the waters unknown,
they did not want to crash upon rocks.
(2) "they cast four anchors out the stern" - The
anchors were cast out the back of the ship.
(3) "and wished for the day" - They were not just
waiting for day, they were longing for it.
d. \\#30-31\\ Some were about to flee the ship in the
life boats, but Paul revealed more of what the angel
had said; namely, all must remain together to be
saved.
e. \\#32\\ "the soldiers cut off the ropes" - Perhaps
this action was ordered by Julius but the text
suggests the soldiers may have done the action on
their own. Paul had earned the respect of most on
the ship, both by caring for their souls and by
being thus far proved as a true man of God.
f. \\#33-36\\ As the day was breaking, Paul encouraged
the men to eat for some had not eaten in the fourteen
days they since they had left Clauda.
g. \\#37\\ 276 people were on board the ship.
h. \\#38\\ After eating, they cast the last of the cargo
overboard.
i. \\#39-41\\ They decided to drive the ship closer into
shore, aiming for a creek. As they did so, the ship
became stuck on the rocks where two strong currents
came together. The waves beating on the ship began
to beat it apart.
j. \\#42\\ "the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the
prisoners" - Roman law placed the responsibility for
the prisoners on those who guarded them. If a
prisoners escaped, all could lose their lives. To
some, the prudent thing to do was to be certain none
escaped!
k. \\#43\\
(1) "But the centurion, willing to save Paul" - As
the angel said, the lives of the others were a
gift given for Paul’s sake.
(2) "they which could swim" - Swim if you can!
l. \\#44\\
(1) "on boards …pieces of the ship" - The rest were
to grab whatever would float.
(2) "they all escaped safe to land." - Yet, as the
angel had promised, all made shore.
<Outline
Index> <Close Window>
