Acts 27:1-8
1 Now when it was decided that we would sail for Italy, they proceeded to turn Paul and some other prisoners over to a centurion of the Augustan cohort, named Julius.
2 And we boarded an Adramyttian ship that was about to sail to the regions along the coast of Asia, and put out to sea accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica.
3 The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul with consideration and allowed him to go to his friends and receive care.
4 From there we put out to sea and sailed under the shelter of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
5 When we had sailed through the sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia.
6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it.
7 When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, since the wind did not permit us to go farther, we sailed under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone;
8 and with difficulty sailing past it, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.
From Caesarea to Crete (3)
From Sidon to Myra
“The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul with consideration and allowed him to go to his friends and receive care.” The next day, they put in at Sidon. Sidon is about 68 miles (110 km) north of Caesarea. This was a one-day voyage. Sidon was a port city in Phoenicia. “Julius treated Paul with consideration and allowed him to go to his friends and receive care.” (1) As we learned previously, Julius was a noble-hearted centurion. He treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to receive care. Paul was likely transported while chained to the soldiers. (2) The “friends” mentioned here refer to the believers in the church at Sidon. There, Paul enjoyed fellowship with the believers. Furthermore, he likely taught them the word of God. Making the most of every moment to teach Scripture was Paul’s way of life. “From there we put out to sea and sailed under the shelter of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. When we had sailed through the sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia.” (1) It says that they “sailed under the shelter of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.” The winds in the Mediterranean Sea during spring and autumn typically blew from west to east or often from the northwest. Sailing westward meant navigating against these headwinds. (2) The ship carrying Paul did not sail west but headed north, navigating along the eastern side of Cyprus. It then continued northward to Cilicia. From there, the ship turned westward, sailing past the coast of Pamphylia before arriving at Myra in Lycia. Myra was the southernmost port of the province of Asia. By this point, the journey had covered approximately 500 miles (800 km). It is estimated that this distance was traveled in about 14 days.
Comparing Jonah and Paul
Let us compare Jonah and Paul. (1) The content of the Book of Jonah is as follows: (a) Jonah miraculously survived the stormy sea. (b) As a result, he was able to preach in a great Gentile city (Nineveh). (c) Through Jonah’s preaching, many Gentiles were saved. (2) The content of Paul’s journey is as follows: (a) Paul miraculously survived a shipwreck. (b) As a result, he arrived in Rome, where he was able to preach the gospel. (c) Many Gentiles heard the gospel (Acts 28:30-31). The difference between Jonah and Paul is that the former was disobedient, while the latter was obedient. In both cases, however, God’s will was accomplished. The name of God alone is to be praised.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, in all circumstances, only Your will is accomplished. Therefore, I will continue to praise Your name today. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.