Acts 27:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.

NIV: We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

NASB: And we boarded an Adramyttian ship that was about to sail to the regions along the coast of Asia, and put out to sea accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica.

CSB: When we had boarded a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, intending to sail to ports along the coast of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.

NLT: 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.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: So, entering a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, meaning to sail along the coasts of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.

Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus are sailing from Caesarea Maritima to Rome. Paul is a prisoner in custody of a Roman centurion. Going over land would be safer but take much longer. On the Mediterranean, fog hides ships and clouds hide the stars. In the winter, fierce storms blow ships off course. Paul and his companions will have a very harrowing voyage.

The ship is from Adramyttium, a port city in the province of Asia. This district is in the southwest part of modern-day Turkey. Adramyttium is opposite the island of Lesbos. The ship sails north from Caesarea to Sidon where the centurion allows Paul's friends to care for him. When they re-embark, the ship sails around the northeast corner of the island of Cyprus and hugs the shores of Turkey until landing at Myra (Acts 27:3–5).

Aristarchus most likely has a much more colorful life than Luke records. He is a Jew and is apparently also a prisoner with Paul (Colossians 4:10–11), at least for a little while (Philemon 1:23). He is from Thessalonica where Paul and Silas experienced a dangerous encounter with Jews who refused Jesus as their Messiah (Acts 17:1–9). A couple of years after Thessalonica, idol makers feared for their livelihood because of Paul's growing church. They started a protest on behalf of their goddess Artemis. When the frenzied mob couldn't find Paul, they attacked Aristarchus (Acts 19:29). Aristarchus came to Jerusalem with Paul to deliver support from his home church to the church in Jerusalem (Acts 20:4). There's no account explaining why he would be a prisoner.

Acts 27:1–8 records the first leg of Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus's sea voyage to Rome. After two governors refused to give Paul justice, he appealed his case to Rome. The trio board at Caesarea Maritima under the custody of Julius, a centurion. After changing to a larger ship, the weather turns uncooperative in Myra and the winds blow the ship into a ferocious storm. Paul spends the voyage reassuring the passengers and encouraging the crew to make wise choices. They eventually crash on the island of Malta: the ship and cargo are destroyed, but everyone lives.

Acts 27 is an account of a famous sea voyage. Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus travel from Caesarea Maritima on their way to Rome. False charges and two years of imprisonment in Caesarea led Paul to appeal his case to a higher Roman court, and he is now on his way to that court. The chapter can be divided into seven paragraphs, alternating between descriptions of the sea voyage and Paul trying to keep everyone alive during a horrific storm. Eventually, they shipwreck on Malta. The ship and cargo are a complete loss, but no one dies.

Twice the Sanhedrin brought unfounded charges against Paul. In both cases, the ruling governor knew Paul was innocent but refused to let him go. Finally, Paul appealed his case to Caesar (Acts 24:22–27; 25:1–12). He, Luke, Aristarchus, and 273 others sail for Rome. But they shipwreck on a reef off the island of Malta. When they finally reach Rome, Paul will meet with Jewish leaders and tell them how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. Some will believe and some won't. This leads Paul to resolve, once again, to focus his efforts on the Gentiles (Acts 28).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.