Year of the Bible
Acts of the Apostles 27
Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 27:
Because Paul had used his privilege as a Roman citizen to make an appeal to Caesar’s court, he must proceed to follow through with this, even though King Agrippa and the others believe him to be innocent (26:31-32). Chapter 27 begins as Paul sets out by sea, with many port stops along the way, from Caesarea (in modern-day Israel) to Rome (vs. 1-8). Paul has a prophetic sense (vs. 10) of impending hardship brought by a storm (vs. 13-20). When things become desperate (vs. 21), Paul encourages them (vs. 22-24) and over the course of two weeks of rough seas, some of the sailors are praying (vs. 29). Paul has a heart for those who do not know God, and is concerned for not just their spiritual needs but their physical needs as well. He urges these non-believers to share a meal, with an allusion to the words of the Eucharist (vs. 34-35). Finally, after the weeks of distress, they safely make landfall in Malta (28:1).
The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 27:
Paul Sails for Rome
1 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 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 sea which is off 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 on, 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 As much time had been lost, and the voyage was already dangerous because the fast had already gone by, 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 captain and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to put to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, looking northeast and southeast, and winter there.
The Storm at Sea
13 And when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close inshore. 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. 16 And running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the boat; 17 after hoisting it up, they took measures to undergird the ship; then, fearing that they should run on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and so were driven. 18 As we were violently storm tossed, they began next day to throw the cargo overboard; 19 and the third day they cast out with their own hands the tackle of the ship. 20 And when neither sun nor stars appeared for many a day, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
21 As they had been long without food, Paul then came forward among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and should not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 I now bid you take heart; for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood by 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 shall have to run on some island.”
27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were drifting across the sea of Adria, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they sounded and found twenty fathoms; a little farther on they sounded again and found fifteen fathoms. 29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let out four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come. 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let it go.
33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food; it will give you strength, since not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said this, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 (We were in all two hundred and seventy-six persons in the ship.) 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
The Shipwreck
39 Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to bring the ship ashore. 40 So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders; then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. 41 But striking a shoal they ran the vessel aground; the bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was broken up by the surf. 42 The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape; 43 but the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their purpose. He ordered those who could swim to throw themselves overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all escaped to land.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Tradition tells us that St. Paul established Christianity on the Island of Malta while he was shipwrecked there. Today, Malta is 98% Catholic. How has God brought great good out of difficult situations in my own life?
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further.
1 Cuando se decidió que emprendiésemos
la navegación rumbo
a Italia, Pablo y algunos otros presos
fueron confiados a un centurión
de la cohorte Augusta, que se llamaba
Julio. 2 Embarcamos en una nave de
Adramicio que iba a zarpar hacia puertos
de Asia y nos hicimos a la mar, llevando
con nosotros a Aristarco, macedonio
de Tesalónica. 3 Al día siguiente
llegamos a Sidón, y Julio, tratando a Pablo
con humanidad, le permitió visitar
a sus amigos y proveerse de lo necesario.
4 Partimos de allí y, a causa de vientos contrarios, navegamos a lo largo de
Chipre, 5 y a través de los mares de Cilicia
y Panfilia, arribamos a Mira de Licia.
6 Allí encontró el centurión una nave
alejandrina que se dirigía a Italia y nos
trasladó a ella. 7 Durante varios días navegamos
con lentitud y llegamos con
dificultad frente a Gnido. Dado que el
viento nos era contrario, navegamos al
abrigo de Creta cerca de Salmone. 8 A
duras penas costeamos la isla hasta llegar
a un lugar llamado Puertos Buenos,
junto al que está la ciudad de Lasea.
9 Transcurrido bastante tiempo, como
la navegación se hacía peligrosa, pues
había pasado ya el Ayuno, Pablo les advirtió:
10 –Veo, amigos, que la navegación
va a traer peligros y serios daños no
sólo para la carga y la nave, sino también
para nuestras vidas.
11 Pero el centurión hizo más caso
al piloto y al patrón que a las palabras
de Pablo. 12 Como el puerto no resultaba
apropiado para pasar el invierno,
la mayoría decidió hacerse a la mar
desde allí, por si lograban llegar a Fénica,
un puerto de Creta que mira al
sudoeste y al noroeste, para pasar el
invierno.
Comenzó a soplar el viento del
sur y pensaron que podían realizar
su propósito, de modo que levaron anclas
y fueron costeando de cerca la isla de Creta.
14 Pero no mucho tiempo después
se desató contra ella un viento huracanado
llamado Euroaquilón. 15 Arrastrada
la nave e incapaz de resistir el viento,
quedó al capricho de las olas, y comenzamos
a ir a la deriva. 16 Navegamos a
sotavento de una pequeña isla que se
llamaba Cauda y a duras penas conseguimos
hacernos con el esquife. 17 Después
de izarlo, usaron los cables de refuerzo
para ceñir el casco de la nave por
debajo. Y por miedo a chocar contra la
Sirte plegaron las velas y se dejaron ir a
la deriva. 18 Como el temporal nos sacudía
violentamente, al día siguiente aligeraron
la nave, 19 y al tercer día, con suspropias manos, arrojaron los aparejos al
mar. 20 Durante varios días no aparecieron
el sol ni las estrellas, y dado que nos
venía encima una tempestad no pequeña,
habíamos perdido ya toda esperanza
de salvarnos.
21 Llevábamos largo tiempo sin comer,
y entonces Pablo se alzó en medio
de ellos y dijo:
–Mejor hubiera sido, amigos, escucharme
y no habernos hecho a la mar
desde Creta, porque habríamos evitado
estos peligros y estos daños. 22 Pero
ahora os invito a tener buen ánimo, porque
ninguno de vosotros morirá; sólo
se perderá la nave. 23 Esta noche se me
ha aparecido un ángel del Dios a quien
pertenezco y a quien sirvo, 24 y me ha dicho:
«No temas, Pablo; tienes que comparecer
ante el César, y Dios te ha concedido
la vida de todos los que navegan
contigo». 25 Por lo tanto, amigos, tened
ánimo. Confío en Dios que ocurrirá tal
como se me ha dicho. 26 Vamos a dar con
alguna isla.
27 La decimocuarta noche que íbamos
a la deriva por el Adriático, los marineros,
a eso de la medianoche, empezaron
a presentir que se acercaban a
tierra firme. 28 Echaron la sonda y descubrieron
que había veinte brazas, y
después de avanzar un poco sondearon
de nuevo y descubrieron quince brazas.
29 Temerosos de que chocásemos contra
algunos escollos, echaron cuatro anclas
desde popa y esperaron a que amaneciera.
30 Como los marineros querían abandonar
la nave –y habían arriado ya el esquife
al mar con el pretexto de echar las
anclas de proa–, 31 Pablo les dijo al centurión
y a los soldados:
–Si éstos no permanecen en la nave,
vosotros no podréis salvaros.
32 Entonces los soldados cortaron las
amarras del esquife y lo dejaron caer.
33 Mientras amanecía, Pablo invitó a
todos a tomar alimento:
–Lleváis hoy catorce días llenos de
tensión y en ayunas sin haber comido
nada; 34 por eso, os animo a que toméis
alimento, pues es necesario para que
os salvéis; porque ninguno de vosotros
perderá ni un solo cabello de la cabeza.
35 Dicho esto, tomó pan, dio gracias
a Dios delante de todos, lo partió y empezó
a comer. 36 Todos los demás se animaron
y tomaron también alimento.
37 Estábamos en la nave un total de doscientas
setenta y seis personas. 38 Después
de haber comido hasta quedar satisfechos,
aligeraron la nave arrojando
el trigo al mar.
39 Cuando se hizo de día no reconocían
la tierra; sólo divisaban una ensenada
con su playa, hacia la que pensaban
empujar la nave, si fuera posible.
40 Soltaron las anclas para dejarlas caer
al mar y aflojaron simultáneamente las
amarras de los timones. Izaron después
la vela de proa y empujados por la brisa
se dirigieron hacia la playa. 41 Pero al
tropezar contra un banco de arena, bañado
a ambos lados por el mar, encalló
la nave, de modo que la proa, clavada,
quedó inmóvil, mientras que la popa
se deshacía por la violencia de las olas.
42 Los soldados decidieron entonces matar
a los presos, por si alguno escapaba
a nado; 43 pero el centurión, que deseaba
salvar a Pablo, les prohibió tal resolución,
y mandó que los que sabían nadar
fueran los primeros en echarse al agua
para ganar la orilla, 44 y que los demás lo
hicieran unos sobre tablas y otros con
restos de la nave. De este modo todos
llegaron a salvo a tierra.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
La tradición cuenta que San Pablo estableció el cristianismo en la isla de Malta cuando estuvo naufragando allí. Hoy, Malta es 98% católica. ¿Cómo ha sacado Dios enorme provecho de situaciones difíciles en mi propia vida?
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).