Acts 27:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship,

NIV: Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me

NASB: For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong, whom I also serve, came to me,

CSB: For last night an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood by me

NLT: For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me,

KJV: For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

NKJV: For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,

Paul is encouraging his 275 fellow crew members and passengers (Acts 27:37), all of whom are convinced they're going to die in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Their ship is enveloped by a storm so strong they haven't seen the sun in days. Nearby is the Syrtis: a large gulf riddled with hidden reefs. The crew has already tossed some of the cargo and ship's tackle into the water to try to raise the ship higher in the water and slow it down (Acts 27:17–20).

Paul had told the ship's captain and pilot that if they left the protection of Crete they would lose the ship, the cargo, and their lives (Acts 27:9–10). Paul has apparently spent the past few days praying that his prediction—presumably based on extensive first-hand experience (2 Corinthians 11:25)—would not come true. In response, God sends an angel to let him know: the ship and cargo will be lost, but not the lives of the people (Acts 27:24).

Jonah can be considered a foil for Paul (Jonah 1). Jonah was a passenger on a ship in a fierce storm in the Mediterranean (Jonah 1:4); Paul is, too. Jonah was running from God's call on his life to warn his nation's enemies to repent or face destruction (Jonah 1:1–3); Paul is running toward God's call to warn his nation's enemies to repent or face eternal destruction (Acts 23:11). Jonah saved lives by insisting the crew throw him overboard so the storm would stop (Jonah 1:12); Paul saves lives by warning the centurion that the crew is about to go overboard and abandon them (Acts 27:30–32). Jonah was safely spit up by a whale (Jonah 2:10); Paul is spit up by the storm, along with all the other survivors (Acts 27:43–44). Both faced many hardships on their way to fulfilling God's call on their lives. The main difference is that Paul did so willingly.

Acts 27:21–26 again shifts attention to Paul. He, Luke, and Aristarchus are on a grain ship in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. They're supposed to be on their way to Rome. Winter winds blew them off course and a fierce storm threatened to push them to a dangerous series of underwater reefs near Africa. At first, Paul thought they all might die. But he has prayed for the lives of the sailors, soldiers, and passengers onboard, and God has promised that although the ship and cargo will be lost, everyone will survive.

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.