Carried Along
Paul’s voyage to Rome shows how Jesus Christ upholds the universe with His powerful Word. Storms are an apt metaphor for life. They can arise suddenly and can take us to the point of losing all hope, but they can do something else. Coming to the end of ourselves delivers us to the foot of the cross, where we can truly begin to trust in the Lord with all our hearts. This is a great gift and powerful liberation. The bumpier the road, the more obvious it becomes that Jesus is actually carrying us, not being a crutch.
Scripture
Acts 27:1-26 ESV 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. [2] 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. [3] The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. [4] And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. [5] And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. [6] There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. [7] We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. [8] Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. [9] Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, [10] 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.” [11] But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. [12] 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. [13] Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. [14] But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. [15] And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. [16] Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. [17] After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. [18] Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. [19] And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. [20] When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. [21] Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. [22] Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. [23] For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, [24] and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ [25] So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. [26] But we must run aground on some island.”
Through the Scripture
It was decided
The words it was decided clearly refer to the process of determining how Paul would be sent to stand before Caesar as he requested. The decision may have been left to Festus or one of his people, but was it really? We know that the Lord Jesus had already decided to send Paul to Rome to testify to the Gospel to the emperor of the whole Roman empire, but this may not have been the way anyone expected Him to do it. This way though, Paul’s trip was paid for. Luke and Aristarchus were able to go with him, and they were all protected from the murderous religious leaders. God’s way is always the best way.
Acts 27:1-3 ESV 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. [2] 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. [3] The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for.
Acts 23:11 ESV The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
God’s way isn’t necessarily the easy way
Knowing that God had decided how and when Paul would travel to Rome would have been a deep encouragement to Paul, but he would no doubt have known that it would necessarily be easy. This voyage was tough and could easily have taken the lives of all 276 people who took it, especially since they ignored Paul’s warning. Paul may have looked like an old academic, but he was more than a seasoned traveller, he survived three shipwrecks already. It was common knowledge that you didn’t sail this voyage in winter. It was going to be tough, even if God was in control.
Acts 27:4-10 ESV And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. [5] And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. [6] There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. [7] We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. [8] Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. [9] Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, [10] 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.”
2 Corinthians 11:25 ESV Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;
The experts way isn’t necessarily the right way
God gives us rational and intelligent minds to use, He gives us learning and experience to share with each other, and it’s wise to take advice from those more experienced than we are. Sometimes though, we must be wary of what the experts say, especially when they seem to favour the easy way, or the quick way. The right thing would have been to wait out the winter and sail when conditions were safer, but they were all tempted towards the quick solution.
Acts 27:11-13 ESV But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. [12] 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. [13] Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore.
Driven by the storm or carried by the Lord
The idyllic circumstances of the gentle south wind didn’t last long, what seemed like a good idea at the time quickly became a nightmare. This cyclone was commonly expected at this time of year and threatened to destroy the ship. They had no choice but to hold tight and let the wind take them wherever it blew. They had made the wrong calls and gotten themselves into this mess, yet they were still not out of God’s hand. Even the wind and the waves obey the Lord Jesus, and in the midst of this terrifying storm, they were being carried along by the Lord Jesus Christ. How do we know this for sure?
Acts 27:14-17 ESV But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. [15] And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. [16] Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. [17] After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along.
Hebrews 1:3 ESV He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
2 Peter 1:20-21 ESV knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. [21] For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
All hope abandoned, except…
It’s a terrifying thing to come to the place where all hope is abandoned, and instead, accept the fact of our being utterly lost. But it’s exactly here where we need to be to stop relying on the experts, on our own reasoning and following our own desires. When we give up on everything else we can rely completely on God who raises the dead.
Acts 27:18-20 ESV Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. [19] And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. [20] When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
2 Corinthians 1:8-11 ESV For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. [9] Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. [10] He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. [11] You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
God’s grace and His inevitable Word
Paul took his time to speak after they had ignored his advice at the start of the ordeal, but what he said reveals to precious treasures. Firstly, he knew that he would still stand before Caesar - because Jesus said so, and just when everything was at it’s darkest and most hopeless, Jesus in His love and grace reminded Paul of this. Secondly, Paul’s apparent prayers for every one of the passengers and crew 276 people, was graciously granted by God, even though the didn’t all believe and even though they took stupid decisions.
Acts 27:21-24 ESV Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. [22] Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. [23] For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, [24] and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’
It will be exactly as God says
As the prophets, who were carried along by the Holy Spirit as they spoke knew, what God says - is what is true. Always, even when it’s not what we wanted. Trusting and believing exactly what we’ve been told is what makes us right with God, what strengthens our faith and what glorifies God.
Acts 27:25-26 ESV So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. [26] But we must run aground on some island.”
Romans 4:20-25 ESV No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, [21] fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. [22] That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” [23] But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, [24] but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, [25] who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.