Lesson Fifty: Voyage to Rome Begins

Acts 27:1-20

Key Verse

"And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away."

— Acts 27:20 Setting Sail for Rome: Acts 27

Lesson Questions

Read Acts 27:1-20 carefully before answering these questions.

1. What was decided? Who had charge of Paul? 27:1

2. How was Paul treated? 27:3

3. Name the first two cities where they stopped. 27:2-5

4. After changing boats, where did they stop next? Why? 27:6-9

5. What did Paul say to them? How was it received? 27:9-11

6. What did most of them want to do? 27:11-12

7. What happened when they set sail again? 27:13-14

8. Under what island did they sail? 27:15-16

9. What security measures did they take? 27:16-19

10. Describe their condition. 27:20

Thought Questions

A. Paul was a passenger on two ships, where were they from?

B. Who had charge of each ship? 27:11

C. What may we learn about the voice of the majority?

Supplementary Materials

The Voyage Route: Caesarea to Fair Havens (27:1-8) Stop Location Details 1. Departure Caesarea Boarded ship of Adramyttium (port in Asia Minor); Julius the centurion in charge; Luke and Aristarchus accompany Paul 2. First stop Sidon ~70 miles north; Julius "courteously" allowed Paul to visit friends and "refresh himself" 3. Sailing Under Cyprus Sailed on the lee (protected) side of Cyprus because winds were contrary 4. Myra Lycia (S. Turkey) Changed ships; boarded Alexandrian grain ship bound for Italy; major port for Egyptian grain trade 5. Cnidus SW Turkey "Sailed slowly many days"; wind did not allow direct route 6. Crete Under Salmone Sailed under the lee of Crete for protection from northwest winds 7. Fair Havens S. Crete "Scarce" (with difficulty) arrived; near city of Lasea; the fateful decision point

The Two Ships (27:2, 6) Aspect First Ship Second Ship Home port Adramyttium (NW Asia Alexandria (Egypt) Minor) Type Coastal vessel Large grain freighter Route Coasting along Asia Minor Egypt to Italy (grain trade) Passengers Smaller group 276 souls (27:37) Fate Continued to Adramyttium Shipwrecked at Malta

Julius the Centurion (27:1, 3, 11) Julius plays a significant role in the voyage narrative: Aspect Details His unit "Augustus' band" (Cohors Augusta) — an auxiliary cohort, possibly imperial couriers His responsibility Transport of prisoners to Rome; Paul and "certain other prisoners" in his charge Treatment of Paul "Courteously" (philanthropos = humanely, kindly); allowed Paul to visit friends at Sidon

Aspect Details His mistake "Believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul" (27:11) Later actions Saved Paul's life when soldiers wanted to kill prisoners (27:43); showed continued respect

"The Fast Was Now Already Past" — The Dangerous Season (27:9) "Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them." Element Explanation "The fast" The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) — 10th day of Tishri; falls in late September or early October "Now already past" Likely mid-October; sailing season was closing; winter storms imminent Ancient sailing seasons Mare clausum ("sea closed"): Romans considered Nov 11 - Mar 10 too dangerous; Sept 14 - Nov 11 was risky Paul's warning (v. 10) "I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives" Response to Paul Ignored! The centurion trusted the professionals (captain and owner) over Paul

The Fateful Decision (27:11-13) The majority decided to sail on, against Paul's advice:

Fair Havens was "not commodious to winter in" (v. 12) — not a good harbor for a long stay
"The more part advised" (v. 12) — the majority wanted to try for Phoenix, a better harbor
"The south wind blew softly" (v. 13) — conditions seemed favorable; they "supposing that they had obtained their purpose"
The lesson — the majority is not always right; favorable conditions can be deceiving; experts can be wrong

Euroclydon: The Tempestuous Wind (27:14) "But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon." Aspect Details Name meaning Greek: Euros (east wind) + klydon (wave) = "east wind that raises waves"; or possibly Euroaquilo (NE wind) Type A northeaster — violent Mediterranean storm; came down from the mountains of Crete Modern name Similar to the modern "Gregale" or "Levanter" — dreaded by Mediterranean sailors Effect Ship "caught" and "could not bear up into the wind" — driven helplessly Duration Fourteen days (27:27) — an exceptionally long and violent storm

Emergency Measures (27:16-19)

Verse	Action Taken
27:16	Under island of Clauda; "had much work to come by the boat" — barely secured the ship's dinghy
27:17a	"Used helps, undergirding the ship" — passed ropes under the hull to hold it together (frapping)
27:17b	"Fearing... the quicksands" (Syrtis) — dangerous shoals off North Africa; lowered sail to slow drift
27:18	"Exceedingly tossed"; next day "lightened the ship" — threw cargo overboard
27:19	Third day: "cast out... the tackling of the ship" — even the ship's gear thrown overboard; desperate measures

Note on "boat" vs. "ship" (v. 16, 17): The "boat" (Greek: skaphe) was the small dinghy towed behind or carried aboard for emergencies. The "ship" (Greek: ploion) was the main vessel. They are not the same thing.

"All Hope... Was Then Taken Away" (27:20) "And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away."

"Neither sun nor stars" — ancient navigation depended on celestial observation; they had no idea where they were
"In many days" — the storm continued unrelenting; physical and psychological exhaustion
"No small tempest" — Luke's litotes (understatement); it was a massive, violent storm
"All hope... taken away" — human hope was exhausted; the perfect setup for God's intervention
"Saved" (sozo) — physical salvation from drowning; the same word used for spiritual salvation, but context determines meaning

Key Cross-References

Reference	Acts 27 Verse	Connection
Acts 23:11	27:24	Promise that Paul must testify in Rome
2 Cor. 11:25	27:20	"Thrice I suffered shipwreck" — before this!
Lev. 16:29-31	27:9	The Day of Atonement — "the fast"
Ps. 107:23-30	27:14-20	Those who go to sea in ships — God controls storms
Col. 4:10	27:2	Aristarchus — Paul's companion from Thessalonica

Lessons from Acts 27:1-20 1. God's servants may receive kind treatment from unbelievers — Julius treated Paul courteously. 2. The majority is not always right — popular opinion led to disaster. 3. Experts can be wrong — the captain and owner misjudged the conditions. 4. Favorable conditions can be deceiving — the soft south wind led to the storm.

5. When human hope is exhausted, God's help is near. 6. Paul had previous experience with shipwreck (2 Cor. 11:25) — this should have given him hope.