Acts 27:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

NIV: and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’

NASB: saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has graciously granted you all those who are sailing with you.’

CSB: and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. It is necessary for you to appear before Caesar. And indeed, God has graciously given you all those who are sailing with you.’

NLT: and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’

KJV: Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

NKJV: saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

The ship's captain and pilot were warned, by Paul, that if they left Fair Havens in Crete they would lose their ship, cargo, and lives (Acts 27:10). The text doesn't say how Paul knew this. He is well-traveled, having crossed the Aegean Sea multiple times. And he's had at least three shipwrecks and spent a night and day adrift in the sea (2 Corinthians 11:25). It's likely he spoke from experience. Even so, he knew he would not die: God had promised him two years before he would get to Rome (Acts 23:11).

Now, several days in the belly of a storm that hides sun and stars, Paul reassures the other 275 crew members and passengers they will live (Acts 27:21, 37). Apparently, he's been praying for their lives, and an angel has appeared to give him God's answer (Acts 27:22–23).

Even though God promises no one will die, people still need to act. First, when the crew tries to sneak off in the lifeboat, Paul warns the centurion, and the soldiers cut the ropes (Acts 27:30–32). Then Paul gets everyone to eat so they have the strength to throw the grain overboard and swim to shore (Acts 27:33). When the ship crashes on the reef on the shores of Malta and the soldiers want to kill the prisoners, the centurion stops them. Eventually, as the boat breaks up around them, they all reach safety, whether by swimming or grabbing planks (Acts 27:42–44).

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.