Acts 27:9-44 - Corps Notes - January 18, 1977
Publication Date: 01-18-1977
Victor Paul Wierwille was a Bible scholar and teacher for over four decades.
By means of Dr. Wierwille's dynamic teaching of the accuracy and integrity of God's Word, foundational class and advanced class graduates of Power for Abundant Living have learned that the one great requirement for every student of the Bible is to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Thus, his presentation of the Word of God was designed for students who desire the in-depth-accuracy of God’s Word.
In his many years of research, Dr. Wierwille studied with such men as Karl Barth, E. Stanley Jones, Glenn Clark, Bishop K.C. Pillai, and George M. Lamsa. His formal training included Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology degrees from Mission House (Lakeland) College and Seminary. He studied at the University of Chicago and at Princeton Theological Seminary from which he received a Master of Theology degree in Practical Theology. Later he completed his work for the Doctor of Theology degree.
Dr. Wierwille taught the first class on Power for Abundant Living in 1953.
Books by Dr. Wierwille include: Are the Dead Alive Now? published in 1971; Receiving the Holy Spirit Today published in 1972; five volumes of Studies in Abundant Living— The Bible Tells Me So (1971), The New, Dynamic Church (1971), The Word's Way (1971), God's Magnified Word (1977), Order My Steps in Thy Word (1985); Jesus Christ Is Not God (1975); Jesus Christ Our Passover (1980); and Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed (1982).
Dr. Wierwille researched God's Word, taught, wrote, and traveled worldwide, holding forth the accuracy of God's "wonderful, matchless" Word.
Acts 27:9-44
January 18, 1977
There are over 50 nautical words or terms in the 27th chapter of Acts. I would just like to
sometime get all those nautical terms down and give you a piece of paper with all 52 or 53
terms on it. I think we closed with verse 8 the last time, so tonight we go with verse 9.
Acts 27:9
“now” - already
“the fast” - the fast was the atonement. It was the day of Atonement and the Day of Atonement
was always the 10th day of the 7th month. The reason this is recorded here is because they
registered their days by the fast - like we say January 1st.
According to history, the middle of September to November is a really dangerous period to
travel by ship in this area. This fast perhaps occurred, according to the best of my reckoning,
about October the 5th.
Acts 27:10
“sirs” – men
“perceive” - see
“voyage” – sailing
“damage” – loss
“lading” – cargo
“also of our lives” – of our lives also
Acts 27:11
“nevertheless” - but
“master” – captain
“by” - of
Acts 27:12
“commodious” - ideal
“depart” - launch
“south west and north west” - depends on where you are standing and how you’re looking;
whether you’re on shore looking out or whether you’re in a boat looking in.
Phenice was about 40 miles from Fair Heavens northwest. It was on the south shore of Crete
and really at best it only should have taken them a few hours to get there.
Acts 27:13
“loosing thence” - loosing anchors
“close by Crete” – nearby, or; as close into Crete as possible
Acts 27:14
“tempestuous”- tuphōnikos – it was a wind that had the force of a typhoon. That period when
the wind blew softly must have just been the quiet before the storm. Maybe they were right in
the eye of the typhoon; it was really quiet.
“Euroclydon” - it was a north by northeast wind of tremendous force
Acts 27:15
“could not bear up into” – could not face into
“we let her drive” – they just turned her loose; they couldn’t hold it
Acts 27:16
“under” - under the lee of - they ran right under the lee of it, the cover of it.
“Clauda” – sometimes it’s spelled “Cauda” – this Clauda was 23 miles south west of Crete. The
whole trip was only 40 miles, or it was supposed to be. But when they left they didn’t even get
23 miles and they got into some difficulty.
“much work” – difficulty
“come by” - master
“boat” - skiff
Acts 27:17
“when they had taken up” - when they were a little bit in control of it
“undergirding” - is the word “frapping” in the nautical term, which simply means they tied
everything they could around the hull of the ship, because it had only one center post, one mast
and when that thing would break it would just break the ship apart, so they would put this
frapping around the ship.
“strake sail” – means; they lowered the gear. They lowered the stuff on the masthead.
Acts 27:18
They just weren’t tossed, they were exceedingly tossed
“they lightened the ship” -they started throwing out some things
Acts 27:19
“we cast out with our own hands” – implying; everybody that was aboard ship had to go to
work, including the prisoners
“tackling” - the ship’s furnishings
Acts 27:20
“in” - for
“no small tempest” – an abundance of cold, wet, foul weather
“saved” – sozo; made whole – this is a very beautiful usage
“taken away” – they said, “just can’t do her”
Acts 27:21
“but” - and
“abstinence” - fasting
“sirs” - men
“gained” - gotten
“loss” - damage
This revelation, in here, to Paul is absolutely fantastic; how quiet it keeps him; how assured it
keeps him; how convinced and how bold it gets him. He said, “Fellows, you should have
listened to me. You wouldn’t have had all this stupid stuff.”
Acts 27:22
“exhort” – i.e. “Well, I’m telling you”
“any man’s life” – a life
Acts 27:23
“stood by me this night the angel of God” – he saw this angel of God standing by him
“Whose I am” – God’s, not the angel’s
Just watch the cheerfulness of Paul and the trustfulness Paul has because of revelation. All the
senses signs are just contrary to the revelation, totally contrary.
You see, Paul didn’t get up out of his sleep run over and say, “Hey fellows! I had a visitation.”
No! He just waited and waited till he knew it was right and then he just took a stand for God.
He told them first of all, “Now, before we left I told you. Now, since we’re in the soup, I’m still
telling you. But I’m telling you further, that God has said some things to me, this God whose I
am and whom I serve.”
Acts 27:24
“must be brought” - shalt stand
If God had given all of them to Paul that were sailing, then Paul could have drowned a half
dozen of them if he wanted to, because whatever Paul decided was whatever was going to
happen. He’s given all 276 souls to Paul. What he does is what happens.
Acts 27:25
“sirs” - men
“I believe God” - when all the signs are just the opposite, he says, “I believe God.”
I often wonder what went through Luke’s mind and Aristarchus’ mind. I wonder what went
through their little IBM’s.
Acts 27:26
“howbeit” – but
“must” - shall
Acts 27:27
“but” - and
“shipmen” - seamen
“the seamen deemed they drew near” – that I think was like a feeling; if you worked a ship long
enough, you sometimes just get a “feel” for that ship. Having been seamen, by trade, they just
sensed, “Boy, I think we're getting close to something.”
That Sea of Adria is the area which is referred to as “the wide sweep of the Mediterranean,”
lying between Greece, Italy, and Africa. They really were lost. That’s where they were
floundering around.
Acts 27:28
“sounded” - having sounded
“and” – they
“fathoms” – a fathom is 6 feet
“a little further” - another hour, or; one hour later – this is just the literal
Acts 27:29
“cast four anchors out of the stern” - you don’t cast anchors out of the stern, generally, you cast
anchors out of the bow of the ship. They threw them out of the back. They cast four of them
out. Ordinarily you’d only have two back there. They cast all four of them out. They must have
brought the other two up. I don’t know. I just know it’s God’s Word, so that’s what they did.
The only reason I can see for this, is because they were thinking that when the storm would
terminate then they could sail out much easier instead of tying it on the bow of the ship.
“wished” - prayed.
You and I know they’re going to land on Melita. This happens to be 476 miles from where they
started out. It’s 476 miles from Clauda to Melita and those boys, for except the first 23, were in
nothing but a typhoon; for fourteen days. That’s quite a ship ride. That’s quite a ride any which
way you go. No wonder some of those fellows were praying.
Acts 27:30
“shipmen” - seamen
Paul had told them, “there shall be no loss of a life among you but of the ship.” Yet, now these
seamen are getting ready to skip out and they let down that boat; that little boat that they always
trailed behind the ship. They always took it up when they sailed except here in this record in
Acts, where it was so rough. When they left this city and they only had 40 miles to go, they
never picked the boat up, because it was just a short distance they left it in there; a quiet sea.
Then when the storm came they tried to pick the little boat up and they had a fantastic time
getting the little boat up. Now they’re going to let the little boat in the water.
“under color” – pretence
The pretence was; they were going to take the little boat out into that water and carry those
anchors that have been dropped; pick them up and take them out further to tighten them. That’s
what they said they were going to do. They weren’t going to do it at all. They were going to run
off.
“foreship” – bow or prow
Acts 27:31
Look at the sharpness of Paul. He was a prisoner and yet made these statements. I call that
boldness on the revelation he had. He just simply said, “Look, those fellows are trying to pull
your leg. They want to get out of here. Unless they stay, they cannot be saved.” They would
have died, had they gone out on that little ship to take those anchors and play like they were
moving them and then high-tail it for shore. The reason they would have is because they would
have gotten caught in a whirlpool.
Acts 27:32
“let her fall off” - then those boys couldn’t take it and go to shore.
There were four categories of men aboard:
1) officials
2) sailors
3) soldiers
4) prisoners
I think I told you that Josephus mentions that he was on a ship like this and it carried 600
passengers in addition to all the grain. I think it was Josephus who was in one of these storms
and the boat was wrecked and of the 600 aboard only 80 were rescued, everybody else died. I
think it was he who tells that.
Acts 27:33
“besought” - is a take-off off of the word “paraclete” – comfort.
I believe the great translation would be:
“The day was coming, Paul comforting all, asked them to take food.”
“take meat” – eat food - I think this “eat food” means; “sit down, eat good, man.”
“haven taken nothing” – i.e. having taken nothing as a meal – only having little old snacks,
occasionally. I know of no better way to handle it, although if you want to be adamant about it,
you can say, “Well they didn’t eat anything or drink anything for 14 days.” It’s okay with me.
But understanding context here and what I’m after; “Paul comforting all to take food...ye have
tarried.”
“tarried” – means; not taking the time, or; not had the time – and therefore haven’t eaten
“fasting” - is a very tricky word. In one persons mind it means; they eat and drink nothing.
Somebody else eats a little, like maybe an apple a day. He’s fasting. He’s on an apple fast or
something. So, I just don’t really know.
“having taken nothing” – as I work this, the possibility is there; meaning that they have taken
nothing as comparable as a full meal, or taken time for it. So, I don’t know.
Acts 27:34
“pray” – ask
“meat” - food
“health” - strength
“fall” - perish
That means that storm couldn’t even blow a hair off their head, I guess, or something. No, it’s a
figure of speech. It’s an Orientalism of some kind.
I Samuel 14:45
See there, it’s usage - “not one hair of his head”
II Samuel 14:11
“to destroy” – is “to kill” – and the figure is that he’s going to live meaning; (not one hair is
going to fall) he’s not going to be hurt in any way, shape, or form. It doesn’t mean that you
wouldn’t lose one hair. That’s not the legalistic literalism of it. The truth is there, understand? I
could lose 15 hairs and still not lose my life.
I Kings 1:52
See, there again; “die” and “not a hair fall from his head”
Luke 21:17-18
“hated” - in the sense of destruction and God’s Word says, “not one hair”
When you compare that: not even one hair and total destruction; it’s quite a “heavy.” It’s a
dandy. Look at the difference between losing a hair and losing your life.
He says’ here in Acts 27:34, “for there shall not a hair perish from the head of any of you.”
That means; nobody’s going to get killed; nobody’s going to die.
Acts 27:35
“he took bread” - Paul was the first one who then took bread, but before he ate, he gave thanks
to God.
“them all” - the Romans, the antagonistic Jews, the God-rejecters It didn’t make any difference
to him. He prayed.
And I want to tell you something: those Jews, those God-rejecters, and everybody else, rode
along because of the true God and the believing of this man, Paul. That’s how they got safe.
They didn’t deserve it.
When you’re at the right place, at the right time, with the man of God, you go along. Whether
you like it or not, you go. Noah’s three sons were no great “dudes” I guarantee you; yet, Noah
and his wife got on board that ship and his three sons went along because they were his kids.
Then the three women got to go along because they were married to the right men. That’s how
they went afloat. Had it not been for that, they would have all died. You talk about protection. I
talk about people in a community: one believer in that community; that whole community is
blessed. It just never dawned on us yet. It’s here again.
It sits here like a diamond. One man; well he may have a little help from Luke and this other
fellow. But just that one man, having that revelation and taking that bold stand; confidence,
trust, cheerful and say, “Look, don’t you get off that boat. If you do, you die. You should have
listened when I told you, but since you didn’t; now here it is.” They’re all going to live because
of that revelation that, that one man had from God and he dared to believe God when all the
symptoms, all the signs were totally contrary to that revelation. You just think about that.
We have difficulty believing God’s Word and we don’t nearly have these opportunities.
“gave thanks to God in presence of them all” – this kind of thing blows my mind, because in
the “cemetery” [Seminary], I was told that if you go into a restaurant you don’t fold your hands
and pray. And if you do pray, you just sit, take your knife and fork and start eating, and say,
“Lord I thank...” so nobody can see. Somebody either taught me wrongly, or somebody taught
Paul wrongly. Paul wasn’t afraid to sit in a restaurant and pray. He wasn’t afraid to say, “Look,
you fellows keep your damn mouth off of that food till I pray.”
“took bread” - he took it. In the “took” is the word; “he passed it all out.” Then he gave thanks.
That’s why I know he said, “Keep your mouth off of it.”
He wasn’t concerned about what they thought. He was concerned about what God thought.
“he had broken” – he began to eat and then the rest ate.
Acts 27:36
“took some meat” – ate their food
Acts 27:37
“souls” – living, alive people. Had they left the ship, they wouldn’t have been living, alive
people. They would have died. They’d have been dead souls.
Acts 27:38
They began throwing stuff out again. They tossed out the wheat; all their profit gone down the
drain.
Acts 27:39
“they knew not the land” – they recognized not where they were and that’s a funny thing
because these men were sailors. Melita was a great Island. It had a fantastic harbor in it. But
apparently, because of the storm, and all the rig-a-ma-roll they went through for those fourteen
days, they were so lost; they couldn’t even see their hand in front of their face.
“shore” – beach
It’s a sand beach. I forget where that thing is, on that side of the island. I looked it up and
forgot.
Acts 27:40
“they had taken up the anchors” – literally it is; they let slip the anchors – that means; they cut
them off.
“committed themselves unto the sea” – i.e. let them all go down into the sea
“the rudder bands” - the lashings of the rudders - those lashings that they had tied those big
steering paddles with on the stern. I told you that these big ships were guided by, not a single
rudder, but two of them.
“hoised” – hoisted – I don’t know if h-o-i-s-e-d is Old English spelling or if they just missed a“t.”
“mainsail” - foresail. Someplace else they had dropped the mainsail. [verse 19] Now they just
lifted up the foresail.
Acts 27:41
“where two seas met” – what do you think that was? Whirlpool. That’s the big old baby.
“aground” – i.e. on the sand banks
“forepart stuck fast” – foreship indeed stuck fast – it didn’t just “stuck fast.” It “Indeed stuck
fast.”
It moved them into that sandbank and it just got them so solid, they didn’t know which way to
go.
“but” – and
“hinder part” – stern
“was broken with” – was breaking up by
Acts 27:42
Paul’s got nothing but trouble with this gang. He had told them, “Everybody’s going to be
safe.” Now these soldiers don’t believe that. You see how the unbelievers ride along on the
believer’s believing? Even these soldiers are going to make it. Even the prisoners are going to
make it.
“soldiers’ counsel” – they talked it over
“of them” - delete
Acts 27:43
“the centurion” – the one in charge of Paul
“willing” - purposing.
“kept” – hindered; stopped
Even at this moment when the soldiers were contemplating killing the prisoners which would
have meant they would have killed Paul, a Centurion intercedes, because God already told Paul
that he’s going to stand before Caesar. How’s he going to stand laying down; dead? You talk
about revelation, comfort, trustfulness; all of that. Paul had no idea how this was going to be
worked out; he just knew it would work because God had told him. He just stood, against all
odds.
“the centurion...hindered them” - how he hindered them, it doesn’t say. But I have a good idea;
he went up to them and said, “Now look, no sense in going this way because everything this
man has said, from the time we started, has come true. It’s going to come true. We’re all going
to be safe and the prisoners are not going to escape.” The reason the soldiers were so afraid, is
because the Roman law: that if you lost your prisoner, you had to give your life for that
prisoner; you got killed.
“commanded...” – the centurion commanded that these prisoners should swim first and go to
land so they couldn’t get away. So they put the prisoners out there first, then the soldiers could
come behind and see that nobody escaped.
Acts 27:44
“some” – some indeed
“boards” – planks - the planking of the ship
“broken pieces” – wreckage
276 and “not one hair,” meaning; not one person was killed. As I told you, when I began
this chapter, this is considered, in all history, to be the most detailed and outstanding
record, of ancient times in shipping, of anything recorded anyplace in history.