Paul Sets Sail for Rome

“And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius.  And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica…Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, saying, ‘Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.’  But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.  And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.”  -Acts 27:1-2, 9-11 (ESV. Read Acts 27:1-11).

Paul is finally on his way to Rome, Italy, with his appeal to be heard before the Emperor becoming a reality.  The “we” in the text indicates that Luke, who wrote Acts, is with Paul, and another companion to the missionary is Aristarchus from Macedonia who had accompanied Paul from Greece to Jerusalem as he returned from his third missionary journey, and now he is sailing to Rome with Paul.  We may assume that Luke was allowed to go as Paul’s personal physician and Aristarchus as Paul’s personal attendant. We can only imagine how grateful Paul was to have these two accompany him. The Roman centurion in charge of Paul the prisoner is named Julius, who evidently treated Paul with kindness as indicated by several references to him during the journey.  At their stop at the port of Sidon, Julius allowed Paul to go ashore and visit with friends (fellow believers) there. “The winds were against us,” (v. 4) fearsome report on sea-faring, then or now.  The centurion was also responsible for arranging transportation.  At Myra the centurion transferred his chief prisoner to another ship.  Sailing lee-ward on the south side of the island of Crete, they came to the port of Fair Havens near the city of Lasea.  Luke gives us the time of this voyage, after “the Fast” which was the Jewish Day of Atonement in the fall of the year.  Since the weather was bad for sailing, Paul advised they stay in at Lasea.  But the centurion heeded the ship’s pilot instead of Paul who had made a prediction of impending dangers.

The voyage to Rome which probably began in the autumn of 59 A. D. is detailed and in keeping with sea travel of the time.  In a merchant ship, the passengers would not have had A-1 accommodations. The weather, too, was often inclement to travel.  The ship Julius had them board at Myra was a corn or grain ship from Egypt.  In addition to the heavy cargo, we are told in secular history of the time that such a ship could also have as many as 276 passengers.  Acts 27:10 sounds like a prophecy, and we can believe that God placed upon Paul’s mind to advise them not to sail.  However, Julius listened to the pilot and the owner of the ship, who would naturally like to get his cargo on to Rome.  When a favorable south wind seemed to invite sailing, this provided the impetus needed.  And off they sailed, pressing on toward Rome.  Paul’s warning seemed to go unheeded.  They did not know the dangers that lay ahead.

Often in our haste—or even in our greed—we make wrong choices that affect adversely ourselves and others.  If the ship had wintered at the port of Fair Havens, with such an inviting name, even though the town itself had much to be desired, the pilot would have saved his crew, passengers and cargo from disaster.  But with the first fair wind, he set sail.  Little could he realize the dangers ahead, despite Paul’s warning.  One element to look for is God’s providence.  He had promised Paul he would get to Rome.  We can but anticipate how God will work out His promise.  God’s way prevails.