The Gospel and the Voyage to Rome

It has been said that “the tendency to over allegorize” the account should be resisted. Luke’s focus is on the rescue of the passengers from danger, including Paul. There is no proclamation of the Gospel message by Paul, and the pagans on board remain pagans after they arrive on the shore of Malta.”[1] Nevertheless, if this is so, why record anything that occurred in Acts 27? Why not simply begin with Acts 27:1 and let verse-2 begin at Acts 28:12? If what occurs between Acts 27:1 and 28:12 have no meaning for the Gospel, then what meaning would they have for Theophilus (Acts 1:1), to whom Luke wrote in order to offer him a more perfect understanding of the things he had been told (Luke 1:3-4)?

 

Shipwreck and Safety

For fourteen days the vessel carrying Paul and company was adrift on the open sea from the island of Cauda, about 26 miles south and west of Fair Havens on the island of Crete, to the island of Melita,[1] some 476 miles north and east of Cauda (Acts 27:27). Paul had promised safety for all the crew and passengers by telling them of a vision he received from God that although, they would be cast upon some island, their lives would be saved (Acts 27:24-26). Paul placed his trust in God’s word to him and encouraged those who had despaired of life to do the same (Acts 27:20, 25).

 

The Storm and Paul’s—I told you so…

Once the winds over the sea calmed down, the captain and crew supposed they could then reach their desired end and set sail away from Fair Havens, but it wasn’t long before a strong storm arose and came upon them without warning, driving them further out to sea and away from the safety of Crete (Acts 27:13-15). Luke tells us that the storm was what sailors called a Euroclydon (we would call it a Noreaster today), and the Greek seems to attest to it swirling nature, somewhat like a typhoon, but, unlike a typhoon which is soon over, this storm lasted many days.

 

Famines and Fair Havens

We are told that it was only with great difficulty that the vessel was able to get around the cape at the eastern extremity of Crete to gain shelter from the strong sea winds out of the northwest (Acts 27:7-8). Not long afterward they were able to sail into the port of Fair Havens. Considering the late time of the year and the fact that already the vessel had been struggling against the prevailing winds in this arduous journey, one might expect the captain to want to winter at this harbor that seemed to promise safety for both lives onboard and the ship’s cargo. In fact, this is exactly what is behind Paul’s argument (cp. Acts 27:9-10).

 

The Voyage to Rome Begins

Luke commences Paul’s journey to Rome by resuming the we passages that he left off using in Acts 21:18 at Jerusalem. It had been argued that the we passages simply refer to the people in the boat and immediately afterward on land, but this doesn’t seem to fit. For example, Luke continued to use the first and third person plural in passages on land from Acts 21:4 to 21:18, a time-span of over two weeks. Moreover, in Acts 27:1 Luke says: “When it was determined that we should sail to Italy…” At this point Paul and company weren’t on the vessel they hoped would bring them to Italy. Neither the captain of this vessel nor its crew would go to Italy. The ship Paul boarded was a coasting vessel that hugged the shore line, while making stops at several ports where it unladed its cargo and perhaps took on more. Eventually, the centurion with Paul was able to find a seaworthy vessel that could take them to Italy at Myra of Pamphylia (Acts 27:6).

 

Paul’s Life in the New Testament

This is a rough sketch of where Paul was and what he was doing during his Apostleship to the gentiles. Unlike a similar blog I posted, this one concerns three-year blocks of time, which seems to be Paul’s pattern for his intended labor. Whatever he decided to do, he planned out a three year period for that work.

 

Paul’s Post Council Journeys

Below is a chart of Paul’s journeys from the time of the Jerusalem Council and afterward until the close of Luke’s thesis. I have noted every year based upon what seems to be Paul’s overall plan of spending three years doing the work of God in any given area.