Acts 27:1 - Meaning and Application

It is not clear how long it was after Paul’s meeting with Agrippa before he was sent to Rome under his appeal to Caesar. It likely happened at the first chance they had. For the moment, Paul was among his friends at Caesarea, a comfort to them and they to him. Yet here we are told how he was sent off to Italy, and it was a long voyage with no other choice. He had appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar he had to go. Since Rome was reached by sea more easily than by land, they decided to sail there.

This was also part of God’s plan before it was ever part of Festus’s plan. God had work for Paul to do in Rome, whatever men intended. Paul was placed under the care of Julius, a centurion, a Roman army officer, of Augustus’s band, that is, one of the emperor’s troops, as Cornelius had been of the Italian band (Acts 10:1). Julius had soldiers under him who guarded Paul so he would not escape, but also protected him from harm.

They sailed on a ship from Adramyttium, a port city in Asia Minor, which was carrying goods on a coastal route toward Syria. Along with Paul were other prisoners, likely men also being sent to Caesar or brought to Rome for trial. Paul was tied to them as Christ was numbered with the thieves who were crucified with him. In this voyage, he almost lost his life for their sake, but they were later spared for his sake. It is nothing new for the innocent to be counted with wrongdoers.

Paul also had some friends with him. Luke, the writer of this book, includes himself by saying, “we sailed,” and “we launched.” Aristarchus, a Thessalonian, is also named as being with him. These companions were a comfort to Paul on a long and difficult trip, especially since he was surrounded by rough and ungodly company. Those who travel by sea often have to live, in a way, among people they would not choose, so they need wisdom to do good among them or at least not be harmed by them.

Their route is given in some detail to confirm the truth of the history for those who lived then and could check the places for themselves. They first stopped at Sidon, not far from where they had boarded, and Julius was very kind to Paul there. He probably knew Paul’s case and had heard him defend himself before Agrippa (Acts 25:23). He seems to have been convinced that Paul was innocent and had been treated unjustly.

Even though Paul was a prisoner, Julius treated him like a friend and allowed him to go to his friends in Sidon to receive refreshment while the ship stayed there. This was surely a great encouragement to Paul. Julius gives an example to people in authority to show respect to those who deserve it and to use power fairly. God also gives comfort to those who suffer for him, because he can move unexpected people to help them and even value them highly (Psalm 106:46). Paul, for his part, showed his faithfulness. He could easily have escaped, but he returned willingly to his custody. Since Julius trusted his word, Paul proved himself honest enough to keep it.

From there they sailed under Cyprus (Acts 27:4). If the wind had been favorable, they would have gone straight past it on the right, but the wind pushed them off course, so they sailed on the other side and left it on the left. Sailors must do what they can when they cannot do what they want, and so must we in the voyage of life. When the winds are against us, we still need to press forward as best we can.

At Myra they changed ships. Their first ship likely had no further business there, so they boarded a vessel from Alexandria headed for Italy (Acts 27:5-6). Alexandria was then the chief city of Egypt, and trade between it and Italy was great. Grain was shipped from Alexandria to Rome, and goods from the East were sent out from there to many places around the Mediterranean, especially Italy. Alexandrian ships were given a special favor in Italian ports, since they were not required to strike sail like other ships when entering harbor.

With much effort they reached Fair Havens, a port on the island of Crete (Acts 27:7-8). They moved slowly for many days, held back by calm weather or by contrary winds. It took a long time to reach Cnidus, a port in Caria, and then they had to sail under Crete, as they had earlier sailed under Cyprus. They also had trouble passing Salmone, a headland on the eastern side of Crete. The voyage was not stormy so far, but it was very slow and frustrating.

Many people are not driven backward by hard events, yet they still move slowly in their work. They do not advance much even when providence is favorable. Many sincere Christians feel the same way about their journey toward heaven. They do not seem to gain much ground, but instead have to fight to hold what they have. They move with many stops and pauses, as if they were wind-bound for a long time.

Notice that the place they reached was called Fair Havens. Travelers say it still goes by that name today, and it fits the place because of its pleasant setting and view. Yet it was not the harbor they were aiming for. It was a fair haven, but it was not their haven. Whatever comfortable place we may find ourselves in on this world, we should remember that we are not at home yet, and so we must keep going. Even if it is a fair haven, it is not the harbor we truly desire (Psalm 107:30).

It was also not a good place to spend the winter, as verse 12 says. It had a beautiful outlook, but it was exposed to the weather. A fair harbor is not always a safe one. In fact, the most pleasant places can sometimes be the most dangerous.

Paul then gave advice about the rest of their voyage: they should stay where they were and not try to move until the season was better. It was already a bad time to sail. They had lost a great deal of time fighting against strong winds, and sailing was now risky because the fast was already past. This was the Jewish Day of Atonement, the yearly day of fasting, on the tenth day of the seventh month, around late September. That fast was very carefully kept, though Scripture does not mention many such observances in detail.

Mariners still think of that season as a bad time for sailing. By then the harvest was over and summer had ended. They had lost not only time, but also their chance to travel safely. Paul warned them plainly, saying, “I see that this voyage will bring harm and heavy loss, not only to the cargo and the ship, but also to our lives” (Acts 27:10). There were both godly and ungodly men on board, but in dangers like this, all are affected alike. If they are in the same ship, they are in the same peril.

They would not take Paul’s advice in this matter (Acts 27:11). They likely thought he was out of place speaking about navigation, since he was not a sailor. The centurion, who had the final say, overruled him, even though he was only a passenger. He gave more weight to the ship’s master and owner than to Paul’s word. Usually, people should trust someone in his own field. But a man like Paul, who was so close to God, should have been listened to even in matters of sailing more than the most famous seamen.

We should note how dangerous it is when people are guided more by human judgment than by what God has revealed. The centurion had shown courtesy to Paul (Acts 27:3), yet he still would not follow his counsel. Many people respect faithful ministers, but refuse to take their advice (Ezekiel 33:31).