Acts 27:1 - 27:44
a three hour tour
intro:
gilligans island
though i can't say i've ever seen a complete episode of gilligans island, i am aware of it's place in american tv lore.
this is paul's version of gilligans island - there are various personalities (the sailors! the soldiers! paul!) stuck together on a boating expedition that goes on far too long.

another motif: the odyssey
paul as odysseus, overcoming supreme obstacles through courage and divine assistance.

or maybe titanic is more apt. whatever.
this is a naval story; man vs nature in an epic struggle of survival.

text/plot: paul heads to rome
acts 27:1 - 27:8: part 1, to crete
1. When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, they proceeded to deliver Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort named Julius.
2. And embarking in an Adramyttian ship, which was about to sail to the regions along the coast of Asia, we put out to sea accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica.
3. The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul with consideration and allowed him to go to his friends and receive care.
4. From there we put out to sea and sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the winds were contrary.
5. When we had sailed through the sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia.
6. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it.
7. When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, since the wind did not permit us to go farther, we sailed under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone;
8. and with difficulty sailing past it we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

background:
a riot (jews mad at paul)
an arrest (romans arrest him, think he might be the cause of the riot
a delay of justice (though he hasn't done anything wrong, none of the romans wants to be the one to let paul go)
an appeal (paul appeals to ceasar in an attempt to find justice)

paul's appeal to ceasar means he has to go to ceasar; that means a trip to rome.
so...he's sent along with a bunch of other prisoners to rome under the "loving care" of some soldiers.
 
ship 1: the voyage begins
a) adramyttian ship? the first leg of their journey is on a ship from north-western turkey (a region called adramyttia).
b) sidon. the boat heads north, and they stop in sidon. paul gets a bit of shore leave thanks to the kindness of the centurion.
c) near cyprus. the boat heads across to cyprus for safety, then cuts up to turkey.
d) myra. they hop off the asian ship which is going to continue going north (they want to start heading west) in myra, on the sw corner of turkey.
so - they stay close to land and make it to sw turkey safely.
ship 2: heading to rome
a) they board an alexandrian ship. julius finds a ship sailing from alexandria to rome and manages to put everyone on it. we'll later learn that the ship had 276 people aboard, as well as it's cargo. so these boats weren't exactly a carnival cruise, but they were pretty big.
b) cnidus. cnidus is further west but also a bit north. it's slow going getting there, but they finally make it.
c) to crete. from cnidus they head across to crete and make it to fair havens (on the south side of crete).

acts 27:9 - 27:12: part 2, the decision to continue
9. When considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even the fast was already over, Paul began to admonish them,
10. and said to them, "Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives."
11. But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul.
12. Because the harbor was not suitable for wintering, the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
you might not know it from the story yet, but sailing was dangerous then.
sailing routes stayed close to land whever possible (you've seen that by now hopefully).
the weather channel wasn't particularly helpful back then, which meant that the only warning you had of storms was when you saw them coming.
boats didn't use much carbon fiber or metal yet, so they were less 'strong' and 'waterproof'.
 
winter was much worse. it was so dangerous that people didn't sail from november until march (basically).
paul thinks they shouldn't continue and says so.
paul knows that it's dangerous to sail in the winter and thinks it's too late in the year (it's late october probably).
he voices this negative opinion, proving that you are biblically allowed to say negative things.
is this prophecy or personal opinion?
probably personal opinion. he never says "God says" or indicates it's anything other than his idea.
roughly restated, he's arguing that it's better to lose some time/money than your life.
the majority say, "don't be a weenie." so they go for it.
granted, they aren't trying to go that far. but the die is cast and they set out.

we have some foreshadowing for tension, since luke bothers to tell us about the debate on whether to continue or not.

acts 27:13 - 27:20: part 3, an ill wind blows
13. When a moderate south wind came up, supposing that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began sailing along Crete, close inshore.
14. But before very long there rushed down from the land a violent wind, called Euraquilo;
15. and when the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and let ourselves be driven along.
16. Running under the shelter of a small island called Clauda, we were scarcely able to get the ship's boat under control.
17. After they had hoisted it up, they used supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor and in this way let themselves be driven along.
18. The next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, they began to jettison the cargo;
19. and on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands.
20. Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned.
day one:
a) the wind shifts! they get a southern wind (what they need) and head out. hooray!
b) oh noes! the 'euraquilo' (greek 'erus' for east, latin 'aquilo' for north; it's a nor'easter!) gets them.
when you're in a sailboat and it's too strong (waves will capsize you, water washes over the sides, the wind can tear your sails/tackle, etc), you face your boat into the storm so the waves don't wash over the sides.
that's what they do...they face in and try to wait it out.
c) clauda. the wind drives them south-west, past a little island called clauda.
d) not syrtis! the sailors worry about being driven into the north-african coast, the next landmark from clauda. syrtis was a notorious ship graveyard of shoals, sandbars, and the like. they let down a sea anchor to slow their drift south.
day two:
a) they start chucking things overboard. this will help the ship to ride higher in the water and hopefully help as many waves from washing over the sides.
this means it's severe enough that the financial profit is less a concern than death.

day three:
they chuck the ships tackle (sailing equipment; probably all but the barest necessities).
no sun, no stars, and a giant storm.
hope is lost.

acts 27:21 - 27:12: part 4, paul delivers some goodish news
21. When they had gone a long time without food, then Paul stood up in their midst and said, "Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss.
22. "Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.
23. "For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me,
24. saying, `Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.'
25. "Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.
26. "But we must run aground on a certain island."
at some point on their journey...paul tells the crew a few things:
a) i said we shouldn't have left fair havens ("i told you so").
does he say this for credibility, to acknowledge the obvious, or some other reason? who knows.
b) but don't worry. an angel said that we'll all live through this because i need to get myself in front of ceasar.
c) so buck up. we'll run aground on an island at some point here.

acts 27:21 - 27:12: part 5, dastardly sailors! don't leave me high and dry!
27. But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to surmise that they were approaching some land.
28. They took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and a little farther on they took another sounding and found it to be fifteen fathoms.
29. Fearing that we might run aground somewhere on the rocks, they cast four anchors from the stern and wished for daybreak.
30. But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down the ship's boat into the sea, on the pretense of intending to lay out anchors from the bow,
31. Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved."
32. Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it fall away.
2 weeks after the storm came about them they're still floating.
the storm may or may not have left, but they probably have no idea where they are.
land maybe?
but around midnight they think they're getting near land (probably hearing waves crash - this part of malta does that apparently).
they find the water to be about 120 ft deep at first, then 90 feet (1 fathom == 6 feet).
they send down more anchors from the back and hope to slow their approach so they don't wreck in the night.
the sailors try to escape on the dinghy...but paul catches on.
paul, on top of things as usual, figures out their clever plan to ditch the boat and calls them out.
the centurion says 'no way' and cut the boat adrift.
jerk sailors.

acts 27:21 - 27:12: part 6, malta-meal!
33. Until the day was about to dawn, Paul was encouraging them all to take some food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day that you have been constantly watching and going without eating, having taken nothing.
34. "Therefore I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your preservation, for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish."
35. Having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat.
36. All of them were encouraged and they themselves also took food.
37. All of us in the ship were two hundred and seventy-six persons.
38. When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea.
39. When day came, they could not recognize the land; but they did observe a bay with a beach, and they resolved to drive the ship onto it if they could.
40. And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea while at the same time they were loosening the ropes of the rudders; and hoisting the foresail to the wind, they were heading for the beach.
41. But striking a reef where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern began to be broken up by the force of the waves.
42. The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim away and escape;
43. but the centurion, wanting to bring Paul safely through, kept them from their intention, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land,
44. and the rest should follow, some on planks, and others on various things from the ship. And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land.
paul encourages everyone to eat.
"we'll make it! don't give up! eat some food so you have strength to continue."
the boat runs around
in the morning they see a bay with a beach (probably st paul's harbor in malta). they try to make land on the beach...
but they hit a reef and the boat starts to break up.
this is kind of like the first part of the swiss family robinson.

the soldiers want to kill everyone...
the soldiers were liable for their prisoners (thus the philipian jailers response of suicide after the earthquake)
they figure it's safer just to off the lot of them than to risk one of them escaping.
 
the centurion, wanting to save paul, saves the lot and commands that everyone get to shore as safely as they can.
and everyone, all 276 of them, make it.


 
regarding wisdom...
1. 'feel' the crappyness of this situation.
stuck on a boat, in a storm, with no hope.
not sure if you've ever truly been in danger before, but you might not have been as kind and levelheaded as you'd expect.
it's easy to be angry at whoever you can pin your circomstances on ("you didn't listen to me")
it's easy to justify your reactions when you're in emotional circumstances.

2. only two people are shown to have levelheads in this story (paul and the centurion).
the soldiers want to kill everyone to save their own hides.
the sailors want to ditch everyone to save their own hides.
 
the centurion allows paul to see his friends (at personal risk) at sidon
the centurion risks the escape of prisoners to save their lives.
paul impresses the centurion as trustworty early on (enough to be trusted off in sidon)
paul gives sage advice about the risks of the voyage.
paul notices the sailors trying to ditch the boat and warns the dudes.
paul gives encouragement and practical advice (eat!) when they're almost through.

3. do you want this kind of wisdom?
ask for it; god gives it.
james 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

what purpose does this suffering bring? or...worry about the right thing in crappy situations.
why was it necessary for this shipwreck to occur?
why did god, who controls the winds and waves, to allow the ordeal of the shipwreck to occur?
luke never gives a purpose...
 
this is also quite a bit more 'suffering' than the average american experiences, but we all agonize over why.


 
the question is a bit invalid; it presumes an earthly answer.
where's god's wonderful plan for my life now?

 
how to deal with it:
1. let go of the efficiency deal
(this is hard for me)
this chapter is a great example of 'random crap in life' occuring even to paul the apostle.
things in his life went badly - and took time/energy.

2. seek ye first the kingdom of god and his righteousness
your job as a human is to seek the kingdom and righteousness of god, regardless of your situation.
when i forget this because i'm sick, tired, sad, bored, mistreated, or whatever, remind me.
 
in other words...
when your spouse sucks, you focus on godliness.
when your friends let you down, you focus on godliness.
when you don't feel like caring for someone else, you focus on godliness.
when you deserve a break, focus on godliness.


what purpose does paul's righteousness bring?
i see this as highly related to the previous point.
 
paul's good behavior doesn't seem very significant here to me.
paul has spent his last years preaching the gospel and planting churches.
this boat thing is not related to those tasks.
how does his good behavior matter here?

our good behavior matters to god.
1. we are focused on human esteem more than we admit.

2. even with good motives we want to see human payoff.
i want to see people come to christ or glorify god!
if they don't, maybe it was useless.

baloney - god rewards righteousness.
first and foremost, we should be righteous because god wants it.
- do not let yourself believe that god doesn't see.
- do not let yourself believe that god doesn't care.
 

god is pleased with righteousness. that is the most valuable thing you will ever have and should be more important than anything else.
don't forget...