Bullet Point Bible

Setting Sail for Italy

¹ When it was decided we would sail to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius.² We went on board a ship from Adramyttium that was about to sail to various ports along the coast of the province of Asia and put out to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.³ The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius, treating Paul kindly, allowed him to go to his friends so they could provide him with what he needed.⁴ From there we put out to sea and sailed under the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.⁵ After we had sailed across the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we put in at Myra in Lycia.⁶ There the centurion found a ship from Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it.⁷ We sailed slowly for many days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus. Because the wind prevented us from going any farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone.⁸ With difficulty we sailed along the coast of Crete and came to a place called Fair Havens that was near the town of Lasea.

The journey to Rome begins, fulfilling Jesus' promise that Paul would testify there (Acts 23:11).
Paul, though a prisoner, travels with companions Luke ("we") and Aristarchus, indicating some leniency or special arrangement (Acts 27:2).
Julius, the Roman centurion, shows notable kindness and respect towards Paul, allowing him fellowship and support in Sidon (Acts 27:3). This highlights how Paul often gained favor even with Roman officials.
The "Augustan Cohort" (Acts 27:1) was likely an auxiliary unit, possibly involved in imperial communications or transport.
Early travel difficulties due to contrary winds foreshadow the greater dangers ahead (Acts 27:4, 7). Sailing "under the lee" means using islands as windbreaks.
Changing ships in Myra (Acts 27:6) was common; large Alexandrian grain ships often sailed directly to Italy and were a primary means of transport. Alexandria was a major source of grain for Rome.
The slow progress highlights the challenges of ancient sailing, heavily dependent on favorable winds, especially late in the sailing season.
Fair Havens (Acts 27:8) was a temporary anchorage on the southern coast of Crete, not ideal for wintering.

Paul's Warning Ignored

⁹ Since considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because the fast was already over, Paul advised them,¹⁰ "Men, I can see the voyage is going to end in disaster and great loss not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives."¹¹ But the centurion was more convinced by the captain and the ship's owner than by what Paul said.¹² Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there. They hoped that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

The "fast" (Acts 27:9) refers to the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), which occurred in late September or early October. Sailing became perilous after mid-September and usually ceased by mid-November.
Paul, likely drawing on previous travel experience and possibly divine insight, warns of disaster (Acts 27:10). His warning is specific about loss of ship, cargo, and lives.
The centurion Julius, despite his kindness to Paul, deferred to the maritime experts – the pilot and the ship owner – demonstrating a reliance on professional opinion over Paul's counsel (Acts 27:11).
The decision-making process involved the "majority" (Acts 27:12), suggesting a council including the centurion, ship owner, pilot, and possibly others. Practical considerations (unsuitable harbor) outweighed Paul's warning.
Phoenix was considered a better harbor for wintering, but reaching it required a short but potentially dangerous trip along the Cretan coast (Acts 27:12).
This incident highlights the conflict between worldly wisdom/expertise and spiritual guidance or prophetic warning.
Paul's specific prediction of danger sets the stage for God's intervention and Paul's vindication later in the narrative.

The Northeaster Strikes

¹³ When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought they could carry out their purpose, so they weighed anchor and sailed close along the coast of Crete.¹⁴ Not long after this, a hurricane-force wind called the northeaster blew down from the island.¹⁵ When the ship was caught in it and could not head into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.¹⁶ As we ran under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were able with difficulty to get the ship's boat under control.¹⁷ After the crew had hoisted it aboard, they used supports to undergird the ship. Fearing they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor, thus letting themselves be driven along.¹⁸ The next day, because we were violently battered by the storm, they began throwing the cargo overboard,¹⁹ and on the third day they threw the ship's gear overboard with their own hands.²⁰ When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and a violent storm continued to batter us, we finally abandoned all hope of being saved.

A deceptive gentle south wind (Acts 27:13) encouraged the ill-fated decision to leave Fair Havens.
The "northeaster" (Greek: *eurakylōn*, Latin: *euroaquilo*) was a violent wind notorious in the Mediterranean (Acts 27:14). Its suddenness and ferocity overwhelmed the ship.
The ship lost control, unable to sail against the wind, highlighting the power of the storm (Acts 27:15).
Securing the ship's dinghy (Acts 27:16) was crucial but difficult, indicating the severity of the conditions. The dinghy was needed for potential escape or shore landings.
"Undergirding" (Acts 27:17) involved passing cables around the hull to prevent the ship from breaking apart under stress – an emergency measure.
Fear of the Syrtis sandbanks off North Africa (modern Libya) prompted them to lower a sea anchor (or possibly reduce sail) to slow the ship's drift (Acts 27:17).
Jettisoning cargo (likely grain) and then ship's tackle shows increasing desperation to lighten the ship and improve stability (Acts 27:18-19).
The prolonged storm and lack of sun or stars (used for navigation) led to complete despair among the crew and passengers (Acts 27:20). This sets the scene for Paul's message of hope.

Paul's Encouragement and Prophecy

²¹ Since many of them had no desire to eat, Paul stood up among them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me and not put out to sea from Crete, thus avoiding this damage and loss.²² And now I advise you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only the ship will be lost.²³ For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve came to me²⁴ and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul! You must stand before Caesar, and God has graciously granted you the safety of all who are sailing with you.'²⁵ Therefore keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be just as I have been told.²⁶ But we must run aground on some island."

Paul's reminder of his earlier warning ("You should have listened to me," Acts 27:21) was not merely an "I told you so," but established his credibility for the message to follow.
Amidst universal despair, Paul offers a message of hope: no loss of life, only the ship (Acts 27:22). This directly contrasts the hopelessness described in Acts 27:20.
Paul grounds his assurance in a divine revelation via an angel (Acts 27:23). He clearly identifies himself as belonging to and serving God.
The angel's message reaffirmed God's plan for Paul to reach Rome ("{{You must stand before Caesar}}") and extended grace ("{{graciously given}}") to save everyone on board for Paul's sake (Acts 27:24). This demonstrates God's sovereignty and protective care linked to His servant.
Paul expresses unwavering faith in God's promise ("{{I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told}}", Acts 27:25), modeling trust in God's word even in dire circumstances.
The prophecy includes the specific detail that they *will* run aground on an island (Acts 27:26), preparing them for the eventual shipwreck but assuring them of survival.
This episode showcases Paul's leadership, faith, and prophetic role even as a prisoner. God uses Paul to bring hope and ultimately salvation to everyone on board.

Approaching Land and Preventing Escape

²⁷ When the fourteenth night had come, while we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected they were approaching some land.²⁸ They took soundings and found the water was twenty fathoms deep; when they had sailed a little farther they took soundings again and found it was fifteen fathoms deep.²⁹ Because they were afraid that we would run aground on the rocky coast, they threw out four anchors from the stern and wished for day to appear.³⁰ Then when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and were lowering the ship's boat into the sea, pretending that they were going to put out anchors from the bow,³¹ Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved."³² Then the soldiers cut the ropes of the ship's boat and let it drift away.

Fourteen days of drifting highlights the duration and severity of the storm (Acts 27:27). The "Adriatic Sea" in ancient usage referred to the central Mediterranean, not just the modern Adriatic.
Sailors detected land by soundings (measuring depth) or possibly hearing breakers (Acts 27:27-28). Decreasing depth confirmed their proximity to shore. A fathom is about six feet.
Anchoring from the stern (Acts 27:29) was unusual but done here to keep the ship's bow facing the potential shore, preparing for a controlled beaching at dawn.
The sailors' attempt to escape secretly in the dinghy reveals their self-interest and lack of faith in survival with the ship (Acts 27:30).
Paul's intervention ("Unless these men stay... you cannot be saved," Acts 27:31) shows that God's promise of salvation (Acts 27:24) required human cooperation and action. The sailors' expertise was needed to beach the ship.
The soldiers decisively cut the boat's ropes (Acts 27:32), acting on Paul's warning and ensuring everyone shared the same fate, thereby forcing the sailors to work for the survival of all. This again shows the centurion's trust in Paul.
This incident illustrates the interplay between divine sovereignty (God's promise) and human responsibility (staying with the ship, working towards safety).

Encouragement to Eat

³³ As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense and have gone without food; you have eaten nothing.³⁴ Therefore I urge you to take some food, for this is important for your survival. For not one of you will lose a hair from his head."³⁵ After he said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all, broke it, and began to eat.³⁶ So all of them were encouraged and took food themselves.³⁷ (We were in all 276 persons on the ship.)³⁸ When they had eaten enough to be satisfied, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.

Paul addresses the physical needs of the ship's company, recognizing their exhaustion and lack of food during the long storm (Acts 27:33). Practical care accompanies spiritual encouragement.
He reiterates the promise of complete safety ("{{not a hair will perish}}", Acts 27:34), linking physical nourishment to their impending need for strength to survive the shipwreck. This echoes Jesus' words about God's care (Luke 12:7, Matthew 10:30).
Paul's act of taking bread, giving thanks publicly to God, and eating (Acts 27:35) is reminiscent of the Lord's Supper or a fellowship meal, demonstrating faith and providing a powerful example. His thanksgiving in such dire straits was a potent witness.
His calm demeanor and confident action encouraged everyone else (Acts 27:36). Leadership involves not just words but also demonstrative action.
Luke includes the specific number of people on board (276, Acts 27:37), emphasizing the scale of the deliverance God provided. Alexandrian grain ships were large.
Throwing the remaining wheat cargo overboard (Acts 27:38) was a final measure to lighten the ship as much as possible, aiming to run it aground in the shallowest water possible to maximize chances of survival.

Shipwreck and Survival

³⁹ When day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.⁴⁰ So they slipped the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the linkage that bound the steering oars together. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and steered toward the beach.⁴¹ But they encountered a patch of crosscurrents and ran the ship aground; the bow stuck fast and could not be moved, but the stern was being broken up by the force of the waves.⁴² Now the soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners so that none of them would escape by swimming away.⁴³ But the centurion, wanting to save Paul's life, prevented them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land,⁴⁴ and the rest were to follow, some on planks and some on pieces of the ship. And in this way all were brought safely to land.

At dawn, they spotted a potential beaching site, though the land (Malta) was unfamiliar (Acts 27:39).
The crew executed a controlled maneuver: cutting anchors, freeing the steering oars (rudders), hoisting a small sail (foresail), and aiming for the beach (Acts 27:40).
The ship hit a submerged sandbar or reef ("a place where two seas met"), causing the bow to lodge firmly while the stern was battered and destroyed by the waves (Acts 27:41). This detail adds realism to Luke's account.
Roman military protocol required soldiers to prevent prisoners from escaping at all costs; failure could mean death for the guards. Their plan to kill the prisoners was standard procedure in such a situation (Acts 27:42).
The centurion Julius intervened specifically to save Paul (Acts 27:43), demonstrating the high regard he had developed for him and fulfilling God's promise indirectly. His authority overrode the soldiers' plan.
The escape plan utilized swimming and floating debris, ensuring everyone had a means to reach shore (Acts 27:43-44).
Luke concludes with the emphatic statement: "In this way everyone reached land safely" (Acts 27:44), confirming the fulfillment of God's promise through Paul (Acts 27:22, 24). God's word proved true despite the terrifying circumstances.

The Bullet Point Bible

Acts 27