Act 27-28 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Acts 27:1-28:16: 27:1–28:16 The vivid nautical language used throughout the account of Paul’s journey to Rome yields one of the best available accounts of an ancient sea voyage. • This is the last “we” section in Acts (see also 16:10-17 ; 20:5-15 ; 21:1-18 ). During the two years of Paul’s imprisonment, Luke had probably done much of the research for his Gospel throughout Judea and Galilee. Here, as a member of Paul’s sailing party, he was an eyewitness participant in the danger at sea. 27:1 Julius is otherwise unknown. • The Imperial Regiment (see study note on 10:1-8) served in Syria during this time.

Summary for Acts 27:1-28:16: 27:1–28:16 ^a The vivid nautical language used throughout the account of Paul’s journey to Rome yields one of the best available accounts of an ancient sea voyage.

• This is the last “we” section in Acts (see also 16:10-17 ^b; 20:5-15 ^c; 21:1-18 ^d). During the two years of Paul’s imprisonment, Luke had probably done much of the research for his Gospel throughout Judea and Galilee. Here, as a member of Paul’s sailing party, he was an eyewitness participant in the danger at sea. 27:1 ^e Julius is otherwise unknown.

• The Imperial Regiment (see study note on 10:1-8) served in Syria during this time.
27:2 ^f Aristarchus was a native of Thessalonica and a co-worker with Paul in Asia (see 19:29 ^g; 20:4 ^h, 6 ⁱ; Phlm 1:24 ^j).

• Adramyttium was a port on the west coast of Asia Minor southeast of Troas.
27:3 ^k Sidon, on the coast about 70 miles (110 km) north of Caesarea, was the first port of call. Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed his local Christian friends to care for him.
Summary for Acts 27:4-6: 27:4-6 ^l Luke describes in detail the sea voyage north and then west along the southern coast of Asia Minor.

• Myra was a regular stop for Egyptian grain ships bound for Italy.
27:7 ^m The great difficulty was due in part to the lateness of the season (27:9 ⁿ).

• Cnidus was a seaport on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor near the island of Cos.

• The cape of Salmone was located at the northeastern tip of Crete, the largest of the Greek islands.
27:8 ^o Fair Havens was a small bay on the southern side of the island of Crete.
27:9 ^p because it was so late in the fall: This was a dangerous time for a voyage on the Mediterranean.
Summary for Acts 27:10-11: 27:10-11 ^q Paul realized what would happen if they went on. He warned the ship’s officers, but they and the Roman officer were unlikely to listen to an imprisoned Jewish rabbi with no experience as a seaman. Later, however, they would respect him more (27:30-36 ^r, 42-43 ^s).
27:12 ^t The prevailing southeasterly winds made Fair Havens an unsafe place for ships to harbor in the winter, but Phoenix, a town farther up the coast of Crete, offered a better harbor.
Summary for Acts 27:14-16: 27:14-16 ^u The storm, called a “northeaster,” was of typhoon strength, very threatening to both the cargo and the crew. Forced to let the ship run before the gale, they sailed past a small island called Cauda (known today as Gaudos), south of Crete.
27:17 ^v Binding ropes around the ship’s hull (called frapping in nautical terms) was intended to strengthen it against the tremendous pressure of the storm.

• Syrtis refers to the shallow bays filled with sandbars off the coast of North Africa west of Cyrene.
Summary for Acts 27:18-20: 27:18-20 ^w The violence and persistence of the storm led to throwing the cargo overboard (cp. Jon 1:5 ^x) and the crew’s abandoning hope.
Summary for Acts 27:21-26: 27:21-26 ^y Paul addressed the crew, first scolding them for not listening to him (27:10-12 ^z) and then encouraging them with the angel’s assurance of survival for all of them.
27:27 ^aa The Sea of Adria, south of Italy and Greece and between Malta and Crete, is now known as the Ionian Sea.
Summary for Acts 27:30-32: 27:30-32 ^ab This time the soldiers listened to Paul (cp. 27:10-11 ^ac).
Summary for Acts 27:33-35: 27:33-35 ^ad Paul’s words and actions are those of a true leader who personally assesses a perilous situation, decides on action, and leads others in solving the problem (cp. Neh 1–3 ^ae; contrast Jon 1 ^af). Paul’s positive example and strong faith in God (Acts 27:22-25 ^ag) encouraged the others to eat and take heart.
Summary for Acts 27:36-37: 27:36-37 ^ah The food brought renewed strength and encouragement to the frightened and exhausted crew and prisoners.

• all 276 of us: The exact number of persons onboard fits well with what is known of grain ships of the period.
Summary for Acts 27:39-41: 27:39-41 ^ai They ran the ship aground on a shoal or reef.
Summary for Acts 27:42-44: 27:42-44 ^aj Even in a crisis, the prisoners remained the responsibility of the soldiers (see 12:19 ^ak; 16:27 ^al; 27:32 ^am; see study note on 16:27). Fortunately, the commanding officer intervened on their behalf. It was a clear indication of God’s protection and favor that all 276 people made it safely to shore, precisely fulfilling the angel’s promise (see 27:24 ^an).

‏ Acts 28

28:1 ^ao Malta was a major island under Roman control, about sixty miles (100 km) south of Sicily.
Summary for Acts 28:3-6: 28:3-6 ^ap The locals of Malta understood justice as a personified power or deity carrying out judgment on a criminal. When nothing bad happened to Paul, the natives understood him as having power over snakes and concluded that he himself was a god (cp. 14:11-12 ^aq). In fact, Paul’s survival demonstrated God’s protection (cp. Mark 16:17-18 ^ar).
Summary for Acts 28:8-9: 28:8-9 ^as Cp. Luke 4:38-40 ^at.
28:10 ^au Showing their gratefulness, the people supplied the ship’s company with what they needed.
Summary for Acts 28:11-16: 28:11-16 ^av Luke, himself present on this journey (see study note on 27:1–28:16), recorded Paul’s itinerary from Malta to Rome with great geographical detail. 28:11 ^aw Another Egyptian ship from Alexandria took Paul and his companions on board after an interval of three months and the worst of the winter had passed.
28:12 ^ax Syracuse was the capital of the eastern half of Sicily.
Summary for Acts 28:13-14: 28:13-14 ^ay They sailed across the Straits of Messina to Rhegium on the southern tip of Italy. This port was a stopping place for ships traveling from the west coast of Italy to the eastern Mediterranean.

• Puteoli (modern Pozzuoli) was a major port of entry for large grain ships bringing supplies from the east to Rome. Paul spent a week here with some local believers before moving on to Rome.
28:15 ^az Paul was greeted by brothers and sisters who met his party on the way up to Rome.
28:16 ^ba Paul was allowed to have his own ... lodging, apparently in private facilities, though he was guarded by a soldier. Though Paul was traveling in chains, “the word of God cannot be chained” (2 Tim 2:9 ^bb). Paul was possibly treated so well because of his social status or Roman citizenship (cp. Acts 16:37-38 ^bc; 22:25-28 ^bd).
Summary for Acts 28:17-20: 28:17-20 ^be Conscious that the Good News was to be presented to the Jews first (13:46 ^bf; Rom 1:16 ^bg) and concerned that the false charges against him might already have reached Rome, Paul summoned the local Jewish leaders and gave an account of his life and work. He insisted that he was guilty of no criminal offense, but strong Jewish opposition had made it necessary for him to appeal to the emperor. Paul had nothing against his own people; rather, he wanted to explain his great conviction that the Messiah they had been expecting had already come in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
Summary for Acts 28:21-22: 28:21-22 ^bh The Jewish leaders assured Paul that they had received no reports against him, and they wanted to hear his explanation of this movement.
28:23 ^bi Paul explained how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament hopes for the Kingdom of God, the master theme of Jesus’ own preaching (Mark 1:14-15 ^bj; see Matt 4:12-17 ^bk; Luke 4:14-21 ^bl, 43 ^bm). Referring to the Scriptures, Paul presented the case for Jesus as the promised Messiah.
28:24 ^bn Paul’s all-day message met a mixed response, as it had in other quarters (e.g., 13:40-51 ^bo; 17:11-14 ^bp).
Summary for Acts 28:25-28: 28:25-28 ^bq Paul parted with scriptural words of warning that are often used in the New Testament to explain the Jewish rejection of the gospel (cp. Matt 13:14-15 ^br; Mark 4:12 ^bs; Luke 8:10 ^bt; John 12:38-40 ^bu; see Rom 11:1-12 ^bv, 25-32 ^bw).
28:28 ^bx Since Jews everywhere had been given an opportunity to accept the faith (13:46 ^by; see Rom 1:16 ^bz), it was now time for the Gentiles to be offered this salvation.
28:31 ^ca Despite being under house arrest (28:16 ^cb), Paul boldly proclaimed the Kingdom message.

• And no one tried to stop him (Greek akōlutōs, “without hindrance”): This single word in Greek is the last word of the book of Acts and one of the keys to its meaning: God’s word cannot be chained, even when its messengers are (2 Tim 2:9 ^cc; see Phil 1:12-14 ^cd). Acts is the story of an unhindered message of Good News, available to all people throughout the world, whether Jew, Gentile, proselyte, rich, or poor. The mission of proclaiming this message is accomplished in the power of the Spirit (Acts 1:8 ^ce); it embraces Jews (3:1–5:42 ^cf), Samaritans (8:1-25 ^cg), converts to Judaism (2:11 ^ch; 13:43 ^ci), “God-fearers” (8:26-40 ^cj; 9:32–11:18 ^ck), and Gentiles (13:1–28:28 ^cl).

• Luke ends his account with Paul still under house arrest in Rome (about AD 60–62). Paul was later released and traveled freely. According to tradition, Paul was imprisoned again in Rome about AD 64 and was martyred there during Nero’s persecution of believers.