Acts 27:1-20 Lesson 281

Acts 27:1-20
Lesson 281

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

The dangerous voyage to Rome.

It is the winter of AD 60-61.

Paul's trip to Rome runs through Acts 28:16 (lesson 284).

Paul's route to Rome.

Where was -

Adramyttium -
Adramyttium was a Greek maritime city near Troas on the northern coast of Mysia (Asia Minor), not far from the Island of Lesbos. Paul started his voyage in Caesarea (see map above), but the ship he sailed in belonged to the city of Adramyttium, now called Adramyti.

Sidon -
Sometimes called Zidon. Sidon was a seaport city (Ezekiel 27:8) on the Mediterranean Sea twenty-five miles north of Tyre (south of modern-day Beirut, Lebanon) and thirty-five miles from Galilee. It was a one-day sail (sixty-seven miles) from Caesarea (Paul's starting point).  Mentioned in Joshua 11:8 and 19:28 as a great city, Sidon was inhabited by Gentiles who had a history of oppressing Jews (Judges 10:12). In the Old Testament, God destroyed Sidon because of its pagan worship. But by Jesus' day, Sidon had recovered and was a thriving fishing town and trading center with prosperous glass and weaving shops and famous for its art, commerce, and cedar trees (1 Kings 5:6 and 1 Chronicles 22:4). Today, Sidon is home to about 10,000 citizens and boasts many ancient ruins.

Myra -
One of the major cities in the province of Lycia in Asia Minor (Turkey).  Paul's ship made a stop here on its way to Rome (27:5).

Cnidus -
A port city on the southwest peninsula of Doris in Asia Minor. It lay between the Islands of Co'os and Rhodes and was one hundred and thirty miles (a two-day sail) from Paul's last layover in Myra. The people of Cnidus worshipped Venus, the Roman Goddess of love.

Cape Salmone -
Cape Salmone is a peninsula on the eastern tip of Crete, a Mediterranean island 250 miles long and 50 miles wide. Paul described the people of Crete as "liars, evil beasts, slow bellies" (Titus 1:12). Today, it is called Cape Sidero.

Lasea -
A city on the island of Crete, near Fair Havens.

Fair Havens -
Fair Havens is a harbor in the south of Crete, five miles from the city of Lasea. Exposed to the open sea, the harbor offered sailors little protection in bad weather (27:12).  Prisoner Paul made a brief layover here on his way to Rome.

Phenice -
Also called Phoenix. A seaport on the southwest coast of Crete, about forty miles from Fair Havens. Our travelers made a layover here, hoping to winter, on their way to Rome.

Clauda -
A tiny island twenty-five miles off the southwest coast of Crete. Today, the island is called Gozzo. It is seven miles long and three miles wide.

Study Tip:

Think up your own chapter titles to describe the main topic in each passage.

The Acts of the Apostles

The King James Bible

Acts 27:1-20
Paul's trip to Rome

1 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.

2 And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

3 And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.

4 And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

5 And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.

7 And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;

8 And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.

9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,

10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.

11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

12 And 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.

13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.

14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.

16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:

17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.

18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;

19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.

20 And 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.

Margin notes:

"We should sail into Italy." (27:1) - Luke writes "we" because he has rejoined Paul. There were also other prisoners on the ship.

"Julius." (27:1) - A Roman officer (centurion) of the Augustan cohort (regiment), part of the emperor's bodyguard.  Julius was ordered to bring Paul to Rome to stand trial, but their ship sank in a storm.   In lesson 282, Julius will save Paul's life (27:41-43).

"Entering into a ship of Adramyttium." (27:2) - "We boarded a ship from the city Adamyttium."

"Sail by the coast of Asia." (27:2) - "Sail off the coast of Turkey." Because ships were clumsy, difficult to steer, and the weather hard to predict, sailors in Paul's day cruised close to shore so they could duck into a harbor if a storm came up. Also, without refrigeration, sailors liked to stay close to land so they could dock every day or two and take on fresh food and water.

"Aristarchus." (27:2) -  Aristarchus was a Macedonian (Acts 19:29) from Thessalonica (Acts 20:4) who befriended Paul and worked with him (Philemon 1:24). A Jewish convert, Aristarchus traveled with Paul on the third missionary journey and was caught by the mob and almost killed during the silversmith riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:29). He survived and traveled with Paul to Greece and Asia (20:4). In this passage, he sailed to Rome with Paul, and they were imprisoned there together (Colossians 4:10). It is uncertain how Aristarchus died, but some historians believe he was killed for his faith during the reign of Nero.

"Gave him liberty." (27:3) - While docked in Sidon, Julius let Paul go ashore to visit friends. This is similar to the courtesy Felix extended Paul in verse 24:23. Julius showed amazing trust in Paul.  According to Roman law, Julius would have received Paul's punishment if he had run off while ashore.

"The centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy." (27:6) - Travelers were always on the lookout for another vessel that might get them to their destination quicker.   Julius found an Egyptian ship out of Alexandria carrying wheat (27:38) and heading to Italy, so the group switched ships.

"The wind not suffering us." (27:7) - "The wind not allowing us."

"We sailed under Crete, over against Salmone." (27:7) - They sailed past Cape Salmone on the eastern tip of Crete.

"Nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea." (27:8) - "Near the city of Lasea."

"The fast was now already past." (27:9) - The Day of Atonement, when Jews fasted, had already passed. This particular year, the Day of Atonement was on October 5th. Sailing this late in the fall was dangerous due to sudden weather changes. See "Today's Question" below.

"Paul admonished them." (27:9) - "Paul warned them."

"I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt."(27:10) - "I think this voyage will be dangerous."

"The lading and ship." (27:10) - "The cargo and the ship."

"The more part advised to depart." (27:12) - "The majority wanted to go on."

"Loosing thence." (27:13) - "Weighed anchor."

"Euroclydon." (27:14) - The name for dangerous winds that blew in the Adriatic Gulf. Paul and his shipmates are now off the coast of Malta.

"Could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive." (27:15) - The ship was blown off course.

"We had much work to come by the boat." (27:16) - "We had to work hard to secure the lifeboat." In good weather, the lifeboat was towed behind the ship. Here, the crew struggled against the storm to get it on the ship in case they needed it.

"Undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands." (27:17) - Undergirding is to tie ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it.  The crew were afraid of the sandbars and submerged rocks (called the sandbanks of Syrtis) off the coast of Libya.

"Being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship." (27:18) - This means, they threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship in the stormy sea.

"The tackling of the ship." (27:19) - The ship's gear and rigging were thrown into the sea.

"Neither sun nor stars in many days appeared." (27:20) - "We didn't see the sun or stars for many days."

"And no small tempest lay on us." (27:20) - "A raging storm beat on us."

New Living Translation

Acts 27:1-20
Paul Sails for Rome

1 When the time came, we set sail for Italy. Paul and several other prisoners were placed in the custody of a Roman officer named Julius, a captain of the Imperial Regiment.

2 Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was also with us. We left on a ship whose home port was Adramyttium on the northwest coast of the province of Asia; it was scheduled to make several stops at ports along the coast of the province.

3 The next day when we docked at Sidon, Julius was very kind to Paul and let him go ashore to visit with friends so they could provide for his needs.

4 Putting out to sea from there, we encountered strong headwinds that made it difficult to keep the ship on course, so we sailed north of Cyprus between the island and the mainland.

5 Keeping to the open sea, we passed along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, landing at Myra, in the province of Lycia.

6 There the commanding officer found an Egyptian ship from Alexandria that was bound for Italy, and he put us on board.

7 We had several days of slow sailing, and after great difficulty we finally neared Cnidus. But the wind was against us, so we sailed across to Crete and along the sheltered coast of the island, past the cape of Salmone.

8 We struggled along the coast with great difficulty and finally arrived at Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

9 We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship's officers about it.

10 "Men," he said, "I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on-shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well."

11 But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship's captain and the owner than to Paul.

12 And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor-a poor place to spend the winter-most of the crew wanted to go on to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure.

The Storm at Sea

13 When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete.

14 But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a "northeaster") burst across the island and blew us out to sea.

15 The sailors couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale.

16 We sailed along the sheltered side of a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us.

17 Then the sailors bound ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to slow the ship and were driven before the wind.

18 The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard.

19 The following day they even took some of the ship's gear and threw it overboard.

20 The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's Question:

1. Why did Paul's ship take the long way to Rome instead of sailing straight across the Mediterranean Sea?

What fresh insight in this passage can you apply to your life?

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. Because winter, and the strong winds it brings, was coming. To avoid the harsh weather, the ship sailed north along the coastline toward Asia Minor (Turkey) and then west past the Aegean Islands (see map above).

Application thought for the day:

After years of ministering, Paul's next job was to reach out to the Romans.
Festus may have put Paul on a ship to Rome, but it was God who was sending him.
Are you willing to go where God sends you?

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Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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