COURAGE IN THE STORM, Sarah Barry
PAUL SAILS FOR ROME
Passage: Acts 27:1~12  
Key verse: 10
Paul Sails for Rome
27 When it was decided that we(A) would sail for Italy,(B) Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.(C) 2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia,(D) and we put out to sea. Aristarchus,(E) a Macedonian(F) from Thessalonica,(G) was with us.
3 The next day we landed at Sidon;(H) and Julius, in kindness to Paul,(I) allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.(J) 4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.(K) 5 When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia(L) and Pamphylia,(M) we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship(N) sailing for Italy(O) and put us on board. 7 We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course,(P) we sailed to the lee of Crete,(Q) opposite Salmone. 8 We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement.[a](R) So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”(S) 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete,(T) facing both southwest and northwest.
Footnotes
- Acts 27:9 That is, Yom Kippur
Cross references
- Acts 27:1 : S Ac 16:10
- Acts 27:1 : Ac 18:2; 25:12, 25
- Acts 27:1 : Ac 10:1
- Acts 27:2 : S Ac 2:9
- Acts 27:2 : S Ac 19:29
- Acts 27:2 : S Ac 16:9
- Acts 27:2 : S Ac 17:1
- Acts 27:3 : Mt 11:21
- Acts 27:3 : ver 43
- Acts 27:3 : Ac 24:23; 28:16
- Acts 27:4 : ver 7
- Acts 27:5 : S Ac 6:9
- Acts 27:5 : S Ac 2:10
- Acts 27:6 : Ac 28:11
- Acts 27:6 : ver 1; Ac 18:2; 25:12, 25
- Acts 27:7 : ver 4
- Acts 27:7 : ver 12, 13, 21; Tit 1:5
- Acts 27:9 : Lev 16:29-31; 23:27-29; Nu 29:7
- Acts 27:10 : ver 21
- Acts 27:12 : S ver 7
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. The Lord aids Paul (1-8)
Paul had appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar he was headed. He set sail with some other prisoners and some soldiers to guard them. When they arrived the next day at Sidon, and the centurion allowed Paul to visit his friends in order to provide for his needs on the trip. God showed great kindness to Paul by opening the heart of the centurion and his friends to help him. We are not alone in our journey of faith. God sends others to help us.
2. Paul warns of bad weather (10-12)
It was the time of year when weather on the seas could become dangerous. Paul was a seasoned traveler, and he warned the captain that disaster was looming which would bring great loss to ship, cargo and lives. Paul knew what he was talking about, but the ship's pilot and centurion thought they knew better and sailed on, right towards disaster.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for sending friends and aid along our lives of faith. Always help me to see your guiding hand.
One Word: See God's guiding hand