WWUTT 1143 Paul Sets Sail for Rome?

Paul’s Journey to Rome and the Opening of Acts 27

The Apostle Paul was put on a ship and set sail for Rome, but that ship was not going to meet its destination. It was gonna be shipwrecked, but the Lord God would protect Paul all the while when we understand the text.

This is when we understand the text, studying God's word to reach all the riches of full assurance in Christ. Thank you for subscribing, and if this has ministered to you, please let others know about our program.

Here once again is Pastor Gabe Hughes.

Thank you, Becky. Well, we're creeping up toward the end of our study of the book of Acts. Just two chapters left, though today's chapter is a pretty sizable read. We're in Acts chapter 27, and I'll begin reading here in verse one.

And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort named Julius, and embarking in a ship of Adramidium, which was about to sail for the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.

The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. And putting out to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus.

And as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmon. Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lycia.

Since much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because even the fast was already over, Paul advised them saying, "'Sirs, I perceive that the voyage "'will be with injury and much loss, "'not only of the cargo and the ship, "'but also of our lives.'.

But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest and spend the winter there.

Now, when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete close to the shore. But soon a tempestuous wind called the Northeaster struck down from the land.

And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. Running under the lee of a small island called Ceuta, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat.

After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then fearing that they would run aground on the Sirtis, they lowered the gear and thus they were driven along. Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo.

And on the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.

Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, "'Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

For this very night, there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship. And he said, "'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.

So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told, but we must run aground on some island.'". And that's where we're gonna stop. That's 26 verses. That was the length of the last couple of chapters that we have read here.

So we're only gonna get about that far, and then we'll finish up chapter 27 next week. So once again, chapter 27, verse one, it was decided that we should set sail for Italy. Remember that neither Festus, who was the governor of the Romans, nor Agrippa, who was king of the Jewish people, neither one of them could find anything wrong with Paul.

And they would have let him go. He had nothing for which he was to be imprisoned or even put to death. So they were just gonna let him free. But Paul had already appealed to Caesar. His rights as a Roman citizen allowed him to appeal to Caesar and plead his case before Caesar.

So that's where he's being sent. He is being shipped off to Rome that he might plead his case there. And of course, Paul is doing this by the providence, by the will of God, so that he has an opportunity to share the gospel there in the capital city of the world, in Rome.

So chapter 27, when it was decided that we should set sail for Italy, which of course is where Rome is, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort named Julius.

So we have another Roman official here who is overseeing Paul's care. And there are some other prisoners that are gonna be with them as well. Embarking in a ship of Adramidium, that's simply where the ship was made.

It was a port city that was north of Ephesus. So it's there on the Western side of Asia Minor. You might have a Bible map in which you could look at this. Asia Minor, of course, is the Western side of what is modern day Turkey.

So on the bottom side of that coast, you've got Canidas, which we read about here. A little bit farther north from there is Ephesus and straight north of there is Adramidium. That's where the ship was built, even though that's not one of their stops on their route.

So they're leading Caesarea. They're gonna go to Sidon and they're gonna sail around the Northern side of Cyprus. The ship that they're on is probably not a large ship. It's probably about a mid-sized ship, but it was not large enough to handle some of the tough weather that they're gonna be facing as they sail to Italy.

So the ship is gonna be stopping at the ports along the coast of Asia. And they are accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. Now that's a name we've seen before. Aristarchus' name was mentioned back in chapter 19 when the whole riot in Ephesus was going on.

Aristarchus was one of the guys that went before Paul into the theater trying to calm the crowd down and it didn't work. Aristarchus is also mentioned in a couple of Paul's letters. I believe Colossians and Philemon being the two.

It was two of the prison letters that Paul had sent out. He talks about Aristarchus as one of his fellow missionaries. So he joins them on this trip. And verse three, the next day we put in at Sidon and Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for.

So Sidon is right there to the north of Caesarea, really not very far at all. So they didn't cover much ground, maybe a day's worth of sailing, an afternoon, something like that. They get to Sidon and Paul's got friends there.

So Julius even lets him get off the ship and go visit with his friends as long as he gets back in time, because we're going to set sail. So putting out to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

So what does that mean to sail under the lee? Well, it means to sail under the cover of or sail under protection of. And so they sailed around Cyprus so that the strong winds would not be as difficult on their ship.

The winds in this case would have been coming from the south or like the southwest. And so sailing around Cyprus on the north side would have protected them from those tough winds. The winds were kind of cut back a little bit by the landmass that was right there in front of the wind.

So the winds weren't as bad sailing around the north side of Cyprus, but once they got around Cyprus, they would have hit those strong winds again. So these occasions in which we read about under the lee, it's almost like they had to take the long way around the landmass in order to avoid some of the more difficult winds pressing against them.

So in verse five, and when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board.

We sailed slowly for a number of days because they're sailing against the winds. It's about as best as they could do. Just really putting along here and not getting very far. And then sailed or rather arrived with difficulty off Conitus.

And as the wind did not allow us to go any farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmon or Salmoni. So this would have been like Conitus was the far southern end of, well, the southwest side of Asia minor.

We would have had Patmos was right around there too. As a matter of fact, Patmos was the island that John was exiled to before or at the time that he wrote the book of Revelation. So then Crete, instead of sailing around the north side of Crete, which would have been ideal, that way they could go between Achaia and Crete.

Instead, they had to go around the south side of Crete under the lee of Crete off Salmon or Salmoni. Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lacea, near which.

So this kind of demonstrates that this was not really a port city. You have Fair Havens, which was the harbor and the city was off of the harbor. So it was not an ideal harbor for a ship to remain in, especially when they were kind of facing now at this point, having to spend the winter somewhere, not being able to get all the way to Italy.

And this place, Fair Havens was not the ideal spot to set your ship for the winter. Since much time had passed, verse nine, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the fast was already over. So the fast is in reference to the day of atonement.

This gives us the idea of the time of year in which this was taking place. So we're talking late fall, early winter is setting in and that was a terrible time to travel. Jews generally did not travel after the fast because it was just a terrible time of year.

So Paul advised them saying, verse 10, sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also our lives. God had given Paul understanding. He had given him a prophetic vision that if they were to set out from here, they would not survive.

It would be life-risking. But the centurion, though he paid a lot of attention to Paul, he paid more attention in this case to the pilot or who would have been the captain and to the owner of the ship rather than to what Paul said.

And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing both Southwest and Northwest and spend the winter there.

Now, Phoenix would have been a more ideal city for a ship to remain in. And it wasn't very far away. Like if you're looking at it on a map, you can kind of understand why the centurion and the captain and the owner of the ship thought it would be a good idea to try to get over to Phoenix.

When you're looking at a map, that's a journey of less than a hundred miles. So you're like, yeah, surely we can do that. And we'll just kind of skip over on the Island of Crete a little bit, get over to Phoenix and that's where we'll stay.

Even though the wind has never been in their favor up to this point, but look at what happens. Verse 13. Now, when the South wind began to blow gently, ah, see the wind is in our favor. We can go here from La Silla over to Phoenix and we're going to be just fine.

Paul was wrong. He doesn't know anything about sailing. We're the sailors here. So check this out. We've got this South wind, supposing that they had obtained their purpose. They weighed anchor and sailed along Crete close to the shore but soon, verse 14, like this is a big adventure going on here in chapter 27 of Acts.

And Paul is even writing, having been a part of all of this. You see the pronouns we that he's using here. He was there. He was part of this crew on this ship and had experienced all of this. So you get a lot more detail going on here in this particular story.

Verse 14, but soon a tempestuous wind called the Northeaster struck down from the land. So this was coming off of the island here at this point. It's coming off of Crete. You're supposed to sail around the land under the lee to protect yourself from the wind but the Northeaster is coming off the land and it's hitting the ship.

So as they had to go from Lacea and I'm looking at a map as I'm describing this to you and I'm pointing at it with my fingers even though you can't see me do this. But anyway, so where they are at Lacea and trying to get over to Phoenix, it's a jaunt of just a little bit to the Northwest, kind of like West Northwest, more West than North.

It should be an easy destination but because of this Northeaster and it's again by the providence of God, they were not going to have the power in their ship to fight against this wind and get up to Phoenix.

Instead, they're gonna be pushed further South. There's this little island down there called Cotta. They're gonna get around there and kind of be out in the open sea in the middle of the Mediterranean.

This was like the worst case scenario that could possibly happen to them. And as we know, as happens to this ship, it's eventually gonna be shipwrecked. We're not gonna read about that until we get to next week, but that's what's gonna happen.

So when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. Running under the lee of a small island called Cotta, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat.

After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then fearing that they would run aground on the Cirtus, they lowered the gear and thus they were driven along. Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo.

And on the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, it was very stormy, very cloudy, and no small tempest lay on us. It's still very windy.

All hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. Now this wind, the northeaster, it's a swirling wind, and it comes from north winds and east winds meeting one another. And so because those winds meet and right there at that spot, then it causes them to start swirling.

And it's very, very difficult to navigate because at one point the wind is coming from this direction, then it's coming from this direction. There was no way to fight against it, especially to get to Phoenix.

So they just had to give in to the wind and just kind of let it carry them along. They were not going to be able to get to where they wanted to go. And then Luke mentions that when they ran under the lee of a small island called Kata, the winds calmed down just enough for them to secure the ship's boat.

This would have been the boat that was used to journey from the ship to the land. If they got to a port place where there wasn't, you know, a place where a ship could come in right at the dock, but they could travel from the ship to the land, that was likely the sort of a scenario they were in at La Silla, which was why it was a really bad place for them to set in for the winter.

They wanted to get to a place where there was more of a harbor for the boat to sit in. That's why they were trying to get to Phoenix. But they got to Kata and there were able to get the winds to calm down enough to get the boat back in.

And the likely, the reason that that boat was so difficult to get in is because it had filled with water at that point. They managed with much difficulty to secure the boat. But all of this ultimately didn't give them any hope of being saved.

They figured we're gonna be tossed out to the open sea and this Northeaster is just gonna destroy us. Our hope of being saved was at last abandoned. And they were without food for a long time out in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea until finally Acts 21, Paul, sorry, this is Acts 27 verse 21.

Paul stood up among them and said, men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. This is not Paul saying, I told you so. It's Paul telling them, I talk with God and God is telling me what is gonna happen to us.

I told you what was gonna happen. And even though it was a short little jaunt over there to Phoenix, you were sure that you could make it. Even when you had the wind in your favor, it didn't work out just as I told you, it would not.

So Paul is telling them, if I tell you something, you need to listen to me. And what he's about to say to them now is that we're not gonna be killed. Not one of our lives is gonna be lost. So it's necessary for Paul to remind them, I told you once you didn't listen to me.

So now I'm gonna tell you something so that they may have hope in the words that Paul shares with them. Verse 22, I urge you to take heart. For there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship, the ship is gonna be destroyed.

For this very night, there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship. And he said, do not be afraid, Paul, you must stand before Caesar. So Paul is even saying here, we're even gonna get all the way to Rome, okay?

Fear not, we will make it. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you. So take heart, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told, but we must run aground on some island.

The Storm, the Warning, and God’s Promise to Paul

And that's where we're gonna leave the story for now. But just as Paul had come back to his own words to give these men hope, so we come back to the words of scripture that we may have hope. And we need these reminders every day, which is why the Lord tells Joshua, meditate on my word day and night.

Why David says in Psalm 119, I meditate on your words day and night, that we continually think about and are reminded of the promises of God that are given to us in his word. For this is our hope and our peace.

The promises of God guaranteed us in Christ Jesus, our Lord, though we might be storm tossed in the middle of this life, the destination is promised us in Christ. And that is a kingdom that will be given to us at the end, where there will be no more tempests, no more Northeasters beating against us, no more wandering around at night, looking up for stars and moon and any sign of clear skies above.

There is the promise of deliverance that we have in Christ. We will live forever with him in glory. Take heart, you have not been abandoned. All will not be lost. You are safe and secure in Christ, who is our sure and steady anchor for the soul, as he's described in the book of Hebrews.

Let's pray. Our heavenly father, we thank you for saving us and rescuing us and giving us an inheritance in your kingdom above. Though we will face really difficult times here in this life, and some of those difficulties we come into may never really be resolved until we die and go be with the Lord in glory.

We do not lose heart because you are from everlasting to everlasting. And the promises that you have given to us are eternal. And so we rest assured in the promises of Christ who died for our sins and rose from the dead so that whoever believes in him will be saved.

We thank you for this good news of the gospel that was proclaimed to us in Jesus' name, amen.

You've been listening to When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabe Hughes. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Gabe will be going through a New Testament study. Then on Thursday, we look at an Old Testament book.

On Friday, we take questions from the listeners and viewers. Tomorrow, we'll pick up on an Old Testament study When We Understand the Text.