Day #348

Sermon - Audio
Acts 27-28 - Reading
Acts 27-28 - Audio

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Acts 27-28

Chapter 27

v. 2 – The ship is a grain ship. It is one of the fleet of ships that were the largest to sail the Mediterranean Sea until the 18^th century.

v. 4 – the lee of Cyprus i.e. the safety or security of the eastern part of Cyprus where they would be protected from dangerous winds.

v. 9 – The “Fast” refers to the Day of Atonement in the fall, when Mediterranean voyages became too dangerous for sailing vessels.

v. 10 – Paul gives his take on sailing. We don’t know if it is based on his knowledge of sailing and being shipwrecked before or if this is a word from God.

v. 16 – The ship’s boat was towed behind. It had become a hazard to navigation and potential danger of crashing into the ship.

v. 32 – The centurion has learned to listen to Paul and follow his orders.

v. 37 – 276 was not a huge number of people to have on board a ship.

v. 41 – This place today is known as St. Paul’s Bay.

Chapter 28

v. 1 – Malta is a small island off the southern tip of Sicily.

v. 4 – Justice is a goddess who carried out the commands of Fortune. For a prisoner to escape the sea alive showed him to be pious, but if Justice did him in later, it was by a worse death.

v. 11 – Castor and Pollux were sons of Zeus and the guardians of sailors. You prayed to them when your ship got in trouble.

v. 15 – Appius was about 43 miles away, Three Taverns about 33 miles away.

v. 17 – The leaders of the Jews are those men who oversaw the different synagogues in Rome. Emperor Claudius’ edict that expelled the Jews had lapsed and they had returned to Rome (about 10,000 Jews lived in Rome at this time).

v. 22 – The attitude in Rome is distinctly different than in other cities where Paul has gone. There is a willingness to listen to Paul and his words about the Messiah and the Kingdom of God. This willingness to be peaceable may stem from a fear of being tossed out of Rome again.

v. 25-27 – These words are directed at those who do not believe the message, not the entire Jewish community. They are words of warning for those who are not convinced by the message to think through the words of Paul and come to the right conclusion.