Bible Commentaries

Acts 27:24-34

I. God judged that St. Paul was concerned with the lives of the crew of the ship he sailed in, and gave these men their lives as a precious gift. Here we have what may be called the head and the feet of the same truth: the head—God's estimate of the value of life; the feet—man's estimate of the contempt deserved by any one who, being strong, uses his strength to benefit himself at the expense of his neighbour. The value of life on the one hand, and on the other the meanness of selfish gain, that even life itself must be quietly thrown away when compared with the meanness of saving it by selfishness.

II. And round this great truth as a fence and encircling wall, determining where it is to be practised, runs the strong enclosure of the same place and the same common object, unity and communion, through living together, typified in the ship. And how true this is! Whether we like it or not, we share largely in the fortunes and reputation of the place we live in, even as we contribute largely to it by good and evil, however loose the tie of place may be. But when it takes the ship form, that close association, which comes from all on board at the time depending on one another, and on the well-doing of the place in which they are, then, indeed, from the highest to the lowest, however discordant the mixture of persons may be, the welfare of the place is their welfare, its reputation is their reputation, and it becomes more than ever true that the lives of all belong to each other, and it is unutterable meanness for the strong to take advantage of the weak, or for the weak to endeavour to overreach the strong or not give true service in their way. In many societies, the actual safety of all as much depends on each doing his duty as in a ship. The golden rule of life is, that weakness is at once a claim on every one who is stronger. The prisoner Paul, the weakest man there, saved the whole crew.

E. Thring, Uppingham Sermons, vol. ii., p. 140.

References: Acts 27:25.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxiii., No. 1335. Acts 27:27-29.—A. G. Brown, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxvii., p. 339. Acts 27:27-37.—T. Gasquoine, Christian World Pulpit, vol. iv., p. 35. Acts 27:29.—J. Thain Davidson, Sure to Succeed, p. 177; Christian World Pulpit, vol. iv., p. 364. Acts 27:30, Acts 27:31.—J. M. Neale, Occasional Sermons, p. 44; Homilist, vol. iv., p. 263. Acts 27:38-44.—T. Gasquoine, Christian World Pulpit, vol. iv., p. 52.

Acts 27:44

Safe to Land.

I. In reading the narrative of this voyage and shipwreck (1) the first impression on the mind is produced by the prisoner, the Apostle Paul. He is singularly unlike a prisoner. He is the true captain, the foremost man, evidently, on board the ship. (2) The narrative is a statement of the unconditioned freeness and the glorious fulness of Divine goodness. (3) See what an important thing in the scheme of means human responsibility is. "Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved." Even the boards and the broken pieces of the ship are all parts of the Divine purposes. (4) Here we have exemplified and illustrated the mystery of the salvation of sinners for the sake of the saints. This text most solemnly illustrates to us that God has somehow set together human earnestness and human conversion.

II. "Some on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship." All means are good means which save—none are insignificant which give security. In the storm of darkness and unbelief, in the tempestuous night, it seems as if all is shipwrecked in thee, broken in pieces; and yet, see what scattered glimpses, what broken, imperfect appearances, what scattered discoveries of Jesus Christ float up and down and do at any time appear in thy spirit! Thou wilt see some if thou wilt look and watch for them. Cast thyself upon them: these are the broken planks, the most imperfect, darkest, narrowest glimpses of Christ. Many a sacred text has been the board, the broken piece of ship, on which souls have escaped safe to land.

III. God is a good Captain. If the ship is lost, He saves the crew. There is land, and all who sail in the ship are safe. Gather up all the promises which, like so many planks, have floated over and sustained on death's waves, and you will build a ship to hold the Church.

E. Paxton Hood, Dark Sayings on a Harp, p. 313.

References: Acts 27:44.—H. J. Wilmot Buxton, Waterside Mission Sermons, p. 18; Talmage, Old Wells dug Out, p. 239. Acts 28:1-6.—T. Gasquoine, Christian World Pulpit, vol. iv., p. 57. Acts 28:7-10.—Ibid., p. 93. Acts 28:11-15.—Ibid., p. 108.