Acts 27:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.

NIV: When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia.

NASB: When we had sailed through the sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia.

CSB: After sailing through the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia.

NLT: Keeping to the open sea, we passed along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, landing at Myra, in the province of Lycia.

KJV: And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

NKJV: And when we had sailed over the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

Luke seems to loves geography, especially from the deck of a ship. The ship on which he, Paul, and Aristarchus are sailing has left Sidon on the coast of Phoenicia. They are now swinging around the land which juts out from the northeast coast of Cyprus (Acts 27:1–4).

Cilicia is the district on the southeast coast of modern-day Asia Minor. Paul's hometown of Tarsus is a major city in Cilicia, known for its philosophers and intellectuals. It's hard to say what Paul is thinking as he passes by it, a prisoner on his way to house-arrest in Rome.

Pamphylia is the district west of Cilicia. On Paul and Barnabas's first missionary journey, they sailed from Syrian Antioch to Cyprus, made their way west across the island, then sailed to Perga. In Perga, John Mark, Barnabas's cousin, abandoned them (Acts 13:4–13). Paul and Barnabas eventually split up because of Paul's resentment toward Mark (Acts 15:36–41), but by the end of Paul's incarceration in Rome they will have reconciled (Colossians 4:10).

Lycia is west of Pamphylia. The last time Paul sailed past it he was with a group of men from the churches around the Aegean Sea—including Aristarchus—who were bringing financial support from their churches to the church in Jerusalem (Acts 20:4). If Paul hadn't gone with them, he wouldn't be in custody now (Acts 21:17–36).

Myra is an important port for the Roman Empire because it sits due north of Alexandria, the port that provides most of the grain for the 1.2 million residents of Rome. Myra's port is Andriakj and sits 3.5 miles southwest of Myra proper. Centuries later, it will be the home of a Bishop, Nicholas, who will become the "Saint Nicholas" who inspired modern legends such as Sinterklaas, Father Christmas, and Santa Claus.

The centurion who is guarding the prisoners on the ship, including Paul and Aristarchus, will find a ship from Alexandria in Myra setting sail for Rome (Acts 27:6). The ship will meet with a violent storm and break up on a reef at Malta, but everyone on board will survive.

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.