ACTS 27 : Experiencing the Holy Spirit’S Peace in the Storm
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ACTS 27 : Experiencing the Holy Spirit’s Peace in the Storm At times you see the storm coming and sometimes you do not. In this chapter of Acts we find Paul serene in the midst of not only a brutal storm but a disastrous shipwreck, as he rises from a prisoner on board to the acting, de-facto captain of the ship when others look to him for leadership. God enables His ambassadors1 to rise to any occasion, confident and filled with His peace2-- a fruit of the Holy Spirit which God knows His beloved need in turbulent times. “People should be able to see by the way we behave and think that God is real.”3 Let’s climb aboard and enter into this next stormy adventure with Paul, where he perseveres in sharing the faith in spite of the most dire of circumstances. Luke, a physician and most assuredly not a seasoned sailor, records each detail to chronicle Paul’s reaction and challenge each of us to stay afloat by means of our steadfast faith as well. In Acts 19:21, Paul confidently declared: “I must also see Rome.” Little did he know that he would travel 2,000 miles as a prisoner and survive surging ocean waves several stories high, a harrowing shipwreck, and poisonous snakes. Through it all, he held tightly to God’s promise in Acts 23:11, where the “Lord stood by him and said: __________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________.” 27:2 What portrait of friendship is found in Paul’s relationship with Luke and Aristarchus in Colossians 4:10, 14 and Philemon 23-24? ____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Life Application: Ponder Aristarchus, who “undertook a dangerous journey at the worst time of the year for sea voyages, simply to serve Paul—an example of friendship made stronger and deeper by faith in Christ. He is mentioned in Acts 19:29; again in 20:4; and in Colossians where Paul referred to him as ‘my fellow prisoner,’ and finally in Philemon, as Paul’s ‘fellow worker.’ We do not know in what capacity he served, but his place in history was secured through his serving. Paul could not have accomplished all he did without the help of people like Aristarchus. Not everyone can be a Paul, but almost anyone can be an Aristarchus. Perhaps you feel unequipped to serve God in an important position, but you can quietly, humbly do essential kingdom work. Devote your time to doing what you can. Although no one notes your efforts or praises your accomplishments, God keeps careful records. ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have 1 2 Corinthians 5:20 2 1 Peter 5:14 3 Barron, Bishop Robert. Centered: The Spirituality of Word on Fire. ©2020 by Fire Catholic Ministries, Park Ridge, IL, pp 101. opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong the family of believers’ (Galatians 6:9-10).”4 27:3 Geographical Note: Sidon was located 70 miles north of Caesarea and hosted a vibrant Christian church which was probably established following Stephen’s martyrdom/ Diaspora. Paul’s Christian friends there likely outfitted him with supplies for the remaining journey. 27:10 What detailed word of prophecy does Paul offer the centurion Julius? What three things are in imminent danger? 1- _________________________________________ 2-_________________________________________ 3-_________________________________________ How many passengers were on this particular grain ship? (Acts 27:37) _____________________ 27:9-12 Historical note: By noting when the Fast (27:9) occurred in AD 60, which references the Day of Atonement, it can be determined that Paul’s ship set sail towards the end of October. “Prisoners were not sent on a special ship; instead, places were negotiated for them on merchant ships. The centurion finds places for these prisoners on a ship which has to call into various ports on the coast of Asia Minor, in the hope of eventually finding a ship bound for Italy.”5 It was notoriously difficult to sail from east to west on the Mediterranean, even in the best of seasons, as the prevailing winds typically blow from west to east. Sailors absolutely avoided traveling from November 11 to March 10 because of the unpredictable and rough weather. With an uneasy eye on the calendar, as it was now the beginning of November, their route starts by skirting Cyprus, heading westward to Italy, docking at Myra on the southern coast of Turkey, changing ships to board a large grain boat from Alexandria that is bringing its cargo to Italy. Alexandria at the time was “the largest port city in northern Africa. Cargo ships like this one often passed from Egypt to Italy, supplying the Roman capital with most of its wheat and grains.”6 This earned Egypt the title of the bread basket of the Roman Empire, thanks to the rich soil along the Nile. Grain transport ships accounted for a large percentage of marine traffic in the Mediterranean, and Myra was a hub of the imperial grain trade. Forty days have now passed from the time Paul left in late October, inching them closer to the No-Sail season. Once they pass the island of Rhodes, they come to the island of Crete, docking in Fair Havens, and there make the risky decision (against Paul’s advice) to proceed, as exposed Fair Havens was not a good sheltering place during the winter for ships. In an attempt to reach the northern side of Crete for wintering, they are blown off course by the much- feared, infamous northeastern wind. 4 Seabolt, Camilla. The Acts of the Apostles: Volume 2: Lessons 16-30. ©2009 by Community Bible Study, Colorado Springs, CO, pp 152. 5 The Navarre Bible: Acts of the Apostles. © 2000 by Four Courts Press, Dublin, Ireland, pp 258. 6 Hahn, Scott. Ignatius Study Bible: The Acts of the Apostles: Commentary, Notes, & Study Questions. © 2002 by Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, pp 61. Desperate measures are taken. The cargo is tossed overboard. The anchor is thrown overboard to act as a brake and action taken to brace the ship (with ropes wrapped around from the boat deck around the bottom of the boat) to withstand the pounding waves as much as possible. The eyewitness Luke gives a stunning portrayal of nautical practice of the day and captures the tension and terror experienced by its passengers, prisoner and crew alike. Only Paul remains calm in the midst of the chaos. 27:10 Word study: The Greek word ‘perceive’ means ‘to perceive from past experience.’ This is not the first time Paul has been tossed by and survived life-threatening high seas. How many times can Paul put this experience on his resume? 2 Corinthians 11:25 _________________________ 27:13 Why was the decision made to press onward and leave Fair Havens? ________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 27:16 By the time they reached the small island of Cauda, they were already over 23 miles south of their desired trajectory, but eventually they will find themselves over 500 miles off course and adrift in the Adrian Sea after two weeks at sea (Acts 27:27-32). 27:17 The Syrtis sandbanks off the northern coast of Africa, near Libya, were known as the graveyard of ships for good reason. To avoid running aground and not certain of their proximity to the Syrtis, the sailors take what two actions? _______________________________________ In the next verse, they lower the anchor to brake their being driven so quickly southward by the wind and then discard cargo to lighten the ship---both measures in order to not run aground on the sandbars. 27:19 Note that once the tackle was thrown overboard, the boat was impossible to control. 27:20 How desperate was the situation, according to Paul’s assessment here?______________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Note: Ships of this era navigated by means of the stars, and the storm had blocked all sight of the sun and stars for two weeks. Now they were hopelessly lost, tossed about in violent waves of terrifying height—and all hope was evaporating. Recall a “desperate time” in your life. How can you now see God’s protective and guiding hand in it? _________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Spend some time now simply thanking and praising God for how He has been at work in so many of your life events, particularly the more ‘difficult’ ones. “Remember that you are never alone. Christ is with you in your journey every day of your lives! He has called you and chosen you to live in the freedom of the children of God. Turn to Him in prayer and in love”- St Pope John Paul II. 27:22 What “word of encouragement” or “word of knowledge” does Paul give his fellow passengers? How can you as a Christian encourage members of the secular culture around you to “take heart”? What action might this require on your part? ___________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ “There is no place for selfishness and fear! Do not be afraid, then, when love makes demands. Do not be afraid when love requires sacrifice”- St Pope John Paul II. The gift of “exhortation-sometimes called the gift of counseling- is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to minister words of comfort, consolation, encouragement, and counsel to other members of the Body in such a way that they feel helped and healed. See Acts 14:22; Romans 12:8; 1 Timothy 4:13; and Hebrews 10:25.”7 Who do you know who could use your encouragement today? Will you do so? ______ 27:22-24 What promise did “the angel of God” give Paul? How did this fortify Paul for the uncertain and difficult days ahead? _________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Paul’s mere presence and leadership blessed those on board with him.