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ACTS - In the Triumphal Procession of Christ
Studies in the Acts of the Apostles
PART 2 - Reports About Preaching Among the Gentiles and the Foundation of Churches From Antioch to Rome - Through the Ministry of Paul the Apostle, Commissioned by the Holy Spirit (Acts 13 - 28)
F - The Sailing from Caesarea to Rome (Acts 27:1 - 28:31)

2. The storm at sea, and the shipwreck on Malta (Acts 27:14-44)


ACTS 27:27-37
27 But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land. 28 They took soundings, and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms. 29 Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight. 30 As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these stay in the ship, you can’t be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let it fall off. 33 While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, “This day is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.” 35 When he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it, and began to eat. 36 Then they all cheered up, and they also took food. 37 In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship.

Fourteen days in the danger of waves is a long time. Half a month on a rolling ship is like eternity. He who loses his direction and looks into the eyes of death dies many deaths. Yet Paul prayed, believed, and rested assured, for he did not lose his direction upwards. His compass indicator always pointed to God, and he was comforted and purified by the blood and righteousness of Christ.

Suddenly, about midnight, the sailors suspected that they were getting close to land. They quickly measured the depth and found that the water was becoming shallower as they drew nearer to shore. They were afraid that the ship would wreck on the rocks. So they lowered the anchors from the back of the ship to slow its progress, and lowered the small boat into the water to enable their escape. What treacherous design! The experienced Paul recognized the sailors’ trick and immediately told the officer, who gave the order to cut the ropes that held the boat, letting it fall into the water. The angel had told him that “all”, and not just some, would be saved. By deceiving the sailors the devil had tried to frustrate the plan of God. That deception was quickly aborted because of the apostle’s watchfulness.

Paul then recognized that they were in need of physical strength for what lay ahead. They had to eat, since their rescue was at hand. They did not need to go on fasting. Paul encouraged them all to eat well in that dark night, amidst that fearful tempest. This intimates that Paul was chaplain on board the ship. His power, deliberateness, faith, and boldness had impressed them all. They looked at him attentively as he declared the end of their fasting, broke the bread and prayed before everyone, offering thanks to God for his grace in the midst of the storm. They crowded together and, with great appetite following long hunger, began to eat, believing that God would save them. Paul assured them, in the name of his Lord, that not a hair of their heads would be lost, even while the ship was being torn-apart by waves engulfing her. The apostle’s faith was growing stronger, in spite of the growing difficulties. Christ’s promise to him meant more than all the great troubles he would face.

ACTS 27:38-44
38 When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. 39 When it was day, they didn’t recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it. 40 Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach. 41 But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves. 42 The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape. 43 But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land; 44 and the rest should follow, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. So it happened that they all escaped safely to the land.

When daylight came, they joyfully recognized that God had not directed them to a rocky place on the shore with breaking, powerful deadly waves, but toward a small quiet bay with a sandy, gentle shore. They took courage from the Almighty, who had brought their storm-swept ship through the midst of nature´s violent eruption to the island of Malta, without letting them shipwreck while at sea. The wind at last began to direct them to the shallow shore. Suddenly there was a great collision. The ship hit a sandbank and went aground; the prow of the ship became stuck badly in the sand, while the stern was being broken to pieces by the violence of the collision and the rough waves. Water rushed into the ship like a river, and the soldiers immediately pulled out their swords to kill the prisoners. Had they let them swim ashore and escape, they themselves would be thrown to the lions instead. As such, the devil wanted, even at the last moment, to frustrate Paul’ salvation, and prevent the Gospel from reaching Rome.

But Christ used Julius, the humane centurion, who had watched Paul throughout the course of his past hardships and terrible troubles. He trusted the apostle’s prophecy, that the land before them was an island, and, therefore, not one of the prisoners could escape from it. So he forbade the soldiers from killing the prisoners, and gave all the passengers strict orders to leave the vessel. Some swam to the shore, while the rest reached it holding onto planks and other parts of the ship. Not one drowned. They amounted to 276 people in all who got safely ashore. They stood wet on the rocks, trembling with cold, and magnified God for their salvation.

Christ fulfilled his promise to Paul, and gave, for his sake, life to the officer, the master, the owner of the ship, and to all the passengers and prisoners. With the rescue of Paul and his traveling companions, Luke and Aristarchus, the texts and manuscripts of Luke’s Gospel and Acts, which were sewn in a waterproof leather folder, were also saved. Christ willed, and carried out his will - that the apostle and the gospel should reach Rome. No one can ever prevent Him from carrying out his redemptive will.

PRAYER: O mighty Lord, we thank You, because you saved Paul and the whole ship from sinking in the sea. We believe that You also keep us from drowning in the last judgment, and in the present disorder. Help us to bear Your Gospel in our hearts and on our tongues in the midst of the wavy sea of nations, so that many may be saved.

QUESTION:

  1. What were three events in which Christ saved the apostle and his company?

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