Acts 27: Shipwreck—Journey to Rome

  • A few weeks voyage that took months to complete; a thrilling adventure filled with raging seas, a shipwreck, and a narrow escape.
    • Satan at work trying to prevent Paul from reaching Rome
      • See 1 Thess. 2.17, 18.
      • Troublemakers from Asia, puzzled soldiers, unscrupulous Jewish leaders, determined assassins, indecisive Roman governors, etc. could not prevent God’s plan.
      • Now foolish men, angry waves, treacherous sandbars, even a poisonous snake could not prevent God’s purposes.
  • August of A.D. 59, the trip to Rome is begun.
    • Can be determined by working backward from v.9 and secular history
    • Andramyttian ship: located not far from Troas; their goal was to reach Rome by late October. (Our plans are not necessarily according to God’s time table).
    • Sidon: about 70 miles north of Caesarea. Centurion allowed Paul to go ashore and visit with friends.
    • We sailed “under the shelter” (the side of Cyprus sheltered from the wind).
    • After about 2 weeks of traveling, they landed at Myra in Lycia. Myra was on the trade route for grain ships from Egypt to Rome.
    • At Myra, they boarded a grain ship sailing for Italy.
      • Grain ships were huge; probably 180 ft. x 45 ft. x 43 ft. This ship carried 276 people plus all the loaded grain.
    • They sailed west along the coast of Asia Minor as the weather deteriorated. They sailed very slowly and with difficulty.
    • From Myra to Cnidus was 170 miles. They made it to the island of Crete many miles to the south. Cretans had been present on the Day of Pentecost. See Acts 2.11.
    • Fair Havens was a harbor about half way along the island.
  • 27.9-12: Warned by Paul not to sail on
    • The dangerous season for sailing in the Mediterranean was upon them. (From mid-October until Spring navigation was very dangerous in the Med.).
    • Decision was to press on to Phoenix and winter there. Today Phoenix is called Phineka.
    • The next day they were violently tossed about and they started to jettison the cargo overboard. The 3rd day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard.
    • They did not see the sun nor stars for many days.
    • All hope for being saved was gradually abandoned!
    • The storm Euraquilo is the word in English for Typhoon.
    • There were no more harbors—only open seas.
  • They used supporting cables (chains or ropes) tightened with winches to hold the ship together.
    • The ship was eventually blown 500 miles to the south before wrecking and finding land.
    • Howling winds, creaking timbers, straining ropes, angry waves, black clouds, water washing across the deck, ship tossing from side to side, no one able to keep their footing. All hope for being saved…lost.
    • The storm battered them for about 2 weeks straight.
  • 27: 21-26.
    • Men, I urge you to take courage…an angel stood before me, saying be of good cheer Paul, you must stand before Caesar.”
      • “Therefore, I believe God!”
      • Even the strongest can be beaten to their knees when battered hard enough and long enough by a storm.
      • There will be no loss of life, only the ship.
      • Lesson: Society has no idea how much it owes, in the mercy of God, to the presence of righteous men and women.
  • They were to run aground on the island of Malta.
    • About 500 miles west of where the storm first struck.
    • God was the navigator; He does not abandon His own!