The Shipwreck
A storm, a snake, and a promise kept
This story includes a violent storm at sea where everyone expects to die, and soldiers who plan to kill the prisoners. No one dies. It is told plainly, without graphic detail.
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Story
What happened?
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The whole story, in shortWhat happens, start to finish. Open it if you want the ending first.
Paul sailed for Rome as a prisoner, warned that the voyage would end in disaster, and was ignored. A storm drove the ship for fourteen days until everyone lost hope, but Paul said an angel had promised that all 276 people would live, and when the ship broke apart on Malta, everyone reached land. On Malta a viper bit Paul without harming him, Paul healed the sick, and at last he reached Rome.
Where it is in the Bible: Acts 27:1 to 28:16
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Paul: A follower of Jesus who once attacked the church. Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. Now he is a prisoner on his way to Rome.
- Julius: A centurion, a Roman officer in charge of about 100 soldiers. He is in charge of Paul and the other prisoners.
- The pilot and the ship's owner: The men who steered and owned the ship.
- The sailors, soldiers, and prisoners: 276 people in all (27:37).
- The writer: The writer of Acts says "we" all through this voyage. Church tradition says the writer was Luke.
- The people of Malta: The people of the island where the ship wrecked. Publius was their chief official.
Setting
- A cargo ship crossing the Mediterranean Sea, from Caesarea, on the coast of Judea, toward Italy. A storm at sea. Then the island of Malta, and at last the city of Rome.
When
- Around AD 59 or 60, late in the year, when sailing was dangerous.
Before the Story
Paul was arrested in Jerusalem. A crowd at the temple accused him of bringing Greeks into the holy place. They were trying to kill him when Roman soldiers took him away in chains (21:27-33).
Then he waited two years in prison in the port city of Caesarea (24:27).
Paul asked to be tried by the emperor. He said, "I appeal to Caesar!" (25:11). Caesar was the title of the Roman emperor. So Paul had to be taken to Rome.
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: Long before this, the Lord told Paul, "So also you must testify in Rome" (23:11). Paul is going to make it to Rome.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Setting Sail | 27:1-8 | Paul and other prisoners sail slowly west |
| 2. Paul's Warning | 27:9-12 | Paul warns them not to sail, and they sail anyway |
| 3. The Northeaster | 27:13-20 | A storm drives the ship for days, and hope is lost |
| 4. "Take Courage" | 27:21-26 | Paul tells them an angel promised everyone would live |
| 5. Land at Midnight | 27:27-32 | The sailors try to escape, and Paul stops them |
| 6. Bread at Daybreak | 27:33-38 | Paul gives thanks and gets everyone to eat |
| 7. Aground | 27:39-44 | The ship breaks apart, and everyone reaches land |
| 8. The Viper | 28:1-6 | A snake bites Paul, and he is not harmed |
| 9. From Malta to Rome | 28:7-16 | Paul heals the sick, and at last reaches Rome |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 9Setting Sail
It was decided that Paul would sail to Italy. Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius. A centurion was a Roman officer in charge of about 100 soldiers.
They boarded a ship and set out. A believer named Aristarchus, from Thessalonica, came along.
The next day they stopped at the city of Sidon. Julius was kind to Paul. He let Paul visit his friends there, and they took care of him.
The winds were against them. They sailed slowly along the coast. At a port called Myra, Julius found a ship from Alexandria, in Egypt, that was going to Italy. He put them on board.
For many days they crawled along against the wind. At last they reached a harbor on the island of Crete called Fair Havens.
Scene 2 of 9Paul's Warning
A lot of time had passed. It was now past "the Fast" (27:9), a Jewish holy day in the fall. After that, sailing on the open sea became dangerous.
So Paul warned them. "Men, I can see that our voyage will be filled with disaster and great loss, not only to ship and cargo, but to our own lives as well" (27:10).
But Julius listened to the pilot and the owner of the ship instead of Paul.
Fair Havens wasn't a good place to spend the winter. So most of them decided to sail on. They hoped to reach Phoenix, a better harbor farther along Crete.
Scene 3 of 9The Northeaster
A gentle wind began to blow from the south. They thought it was their chance. They pulled up the anchor and sailed close along the coast of Crete.
But soon a violent storm swept down from the island. It was called the Northeaster.
The ship couldn't turn into the wind. So they gave up and let the storm drive them along.
The crew barely managed to haul the small lifeboat aboard. They wrapped ropes around the ship to hold it together. They were afraid of being driven onto the sandbars off the coast of Africa. So they let down the sea anchor, to slow the ship, and let it drift.
The storm tossed them so hard that the next day they started throwing the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship's gear over with their own hands.
For many days, they saw no sun and no stars. The storm kept pounding them. "We abandoned all hope of being saved" (27:20).
Scene 4 of 9"Take Courage"
The men had gone a long time without food. Then Paul stood up in front of them.
First he said they should have listened to him and stayed in Crete.
Then he said, "But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because you will not experience any loss of life, but only of the ship" (27:22).
Paul told them why. The night before, an angel of God had stood beside him. This was the God Paul belonged to and served.
The angel said, "Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you" (27:24).
"So take courage, men, for I believe God that it will happen just as He told me" (27:25). But first, Paul said, they would have to run aground on some island.
Halfway thereThis is a good place for a break. Your spot is saved on this device.
Scene 5 of 9Land at Midnight
On the fourteenth night, they were still being driven across the sea. About midnight, the sailors sensed they were getting close to land.
They dropped a weighted line to measure the depth. The water was about 120 feet deep. A little farther on, it was about 90 feet.
They were afraid of hitting the rocks. So they dropped four anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight.
Then the sailors tried to escape. They lowered the lifeboat into the sea, pretending they were putting out more anchors from the front of the ship.
But Paul told Julius and the soldiers, "Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved" (27:31).
So the soldiers cut the ropes and let the lifeboat drift away.
Scene 6 of 9Bread at Daybreak
Just before dawn, Paul kept urging everyone to eat. For fourteen days they had been waiting in fear, and no one had eaten.
He told them to eat so they would live. "Not a single hair of your head will be lost" (27:34).
Then Paul took bread. He gave thanks to God in front of them all. He broke it and began to eat.
Everyone was encouraged, and they ate too. There were 276 people on board.
When they had eaten enough, they threw the grain into the sea to make the ship lighter.
Scene 7 of 9Aground
When day came, they didn't know what land it was. But they saw a bay with a sandy beach. They decided to run the ship onto the beach if they could.
They cut the anchors loose, freed the steering oars, raised a small sail, and headed for the beach.
But the ship hit a sandbar and stuck fast. The front wouldn't move, and the waves smashed the back to pieces.
The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners, so none of them could swim away and escape.
But Julius wanted to save Paul's life, so he stopped them. He ordered everyone who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to follow on planks and pieces of the ship.
"In this way everyone was brought safely to land" (27:44).
Remember what the angel said. God had given Paul the lives of all who sailed with him (27:24). Not one of the 276 was lost.
Scene 8 of 9The Viper
Once they were safely ashore, they learned that the island was called Malta.
The people of the island were very kind to them. It was raining and cold, so they built a fire and welcomed everyone.
Paul gathered a bundle of sticks. As he put them on the fire, the heat drove out a viper, a poisonous snake. It fastened itself onto Paul's hand.
The islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand. They said to each other, "Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live" (28:4).
But Paul shook the snake off into the fire. He wasn't harmed at all.
The people waited for him to swell up or drop dead. They waited a long time. Nothing happened. So they changed their minds and said he was a god.
Scene 9 of 9From Malta to Rome
Nearby lived Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed them and took care of them for three days.
Publius's father was sick in bed with a fever and a stomach illness. Paul went in to see him. He prayed, placed his hands on him, and healed him.
After that, the rest of the sick people on the island came, and they were healed too. The islanders honored them and gave them what they needed for the trip.
Three months later, they sailed on another ship from Alexandria. It had the Twin Brothers, two gods sailors trusted, carved on the front. They stopped at several ports along the way.
In Italy, they found believers who invited them to stay a week. "And so we came to Rome" (28:14).
Believers from Rome heard Paul was coming. They came out a long way to meet him. "When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and gave thanks to God" (28:15).
In Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
God had said Paul would testify in Rome (23:11). Through a storm, a shipwreck, and a snake, God was keeping his word.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "The Fast" (27:9) | The Day of Atonement, a Jewish holy day in the fall. After it, storms made sailing risky. |
| "We abandoned all hope of being saved" (27:20) | Even the writer, who was on board, thought they were going to die. |
| "An angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve" (27:23) | Paul belonged to God. That is one likely reason he could be calm in the storm. |
| "God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you" (27:24) | God would save everyone on the ship, not only Paul. |
| "Not a single hair of your head will be lost" (27:34) | A way of saying "you will be completely safe." Jesus used words like these too (Luke 21:18). |
| "Took bread and gave thanks to God" (27:35) | Paul did what Jewish people did before a meal. Many readers also hear an echo of the Lord's Supper. This was a meal to give them strength, not the Lord's Supper itself. |
| "Justice has not allowed him to live" (28:4) | The islanders believed in a goddess named Justice who punished wrongdoers. |
| "Said he was a god" (28:6) | The islanders jumped from one wrong idea to another. First a murderer, then a god. |
Back Then
Sailing season. Sailing on the open Mediterranean was dangerous from about the middle of September. From about November to March, ships mostly stayed in port. (Smith's Bible Dictionary, "Ship")
Grain ships. Big ships from Alexandria in Egypt carried grain to feed the city of Rome. The ship Paul sailed on had grain on board (27:38). (Easton's Bible Dictionary, "Alexandria")
Measuring depth. Sailors dropped a line with a weight on the end to see how deep the water was. They measured in fathoms. A fathom is about 6 feet.
Malta. Malta is a small island south of Sicily, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. (Easton's Bible Dictionary, "Melita")
The Twin Brothers. Castor and Pollux were twin gods in Greek and Roman stories. Sailors believed they protected ships. (Easton's Bible Dictionary, "Castor and Pollux")
Literal Reader Alert
Does this mean God will always keep us safe from harm? No. God kept a specific promise to these 276 people. Even before this voyage, Paul had been beaten and shipwrecked three times, and was in danger again and again (2 Corinthians 11:25-26). Christians still suffer and die. God's promise is that he is with us, and that nothing can separate us from his love (Romans 8:38-39).
Should Christians handle snakes to show their faith? No. Paul didn't pick up the snake on purpose, and he didn't do it to prove anything. It grabbed onto his hand by accident while he was helping build a fire. One likely reason God protected him: God had promised Paul would reach Rome (23:11). Jesus said not to put God to the test (Matthew 4:7). This story is not a test to copy.
Why did the soldiers want to kill the prisoners? A guard who lost a prisoner could be punished severely (12:19). Julius stopped them because he wanted to save Paul (27:43). Paul's warning about the lifeboat had helped keep everyone on board. Now the centurion saved Paul.
Did Paul say "I told you so"? He did remind them that he had warned them (27:21). But he didn't stop there. He went straight on to courage and hope.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone on board | Hopeless | "We abandoned all hope of being saved" (27:20) |
| Paul | Calm and brave | "I believe God that it will happen just as He told me" (27:25) |
| The sailors | Afraid | They tried to escape in the lifeboat (27:30) |
| Everyone on board | Encouraged | They ate after Paul gave thanks (27:36) |
| The people of Malta | Kind | They built a fire and welcomed everyone (28:2) |
| Paul | Encouraged and thankful | Believers from Rome came out to meet him (28:15) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What storm are you in today? Tap one.
I've lost hope
Everyone on that ship lost hope, even the writer (27:20). Then God spoke. Losing hope doesn't mean God has lost you.
Someone didn't listen to me
Paul was right, and nobody listened (27:11). He didn't give up on them. He still helped save them.
I'm too stressed to eat or rest
For two weeks, no one on the ship ate. Paul gave thanks and got them to eat. Taking care of your body is part of trusting God.
Things keep going wrong
A storm, a shipwreck, then a snake. God was still keeping his promise through all of it.
It's really bad right now
Please tell someone you trust today. In the U.S., call or text 988. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Outside the U.S., findahelpline.com lists free helplines.
You Might Have Heard
"If God is with you, you won't go through storms."
What's true: God was with Paul, and God kept every person on the ship alive.
What the story is mainly about: God didn't stop the storm. The ship still wrecked. Paul still got bitten by a snake. God kept his promise through the storm, not around it.
Where Jesus is: Jesus once slept in a boat during a storm, and then calmed it (Mark 4:38-39). He is with his people in every storm, and he went through death itself to bring us safely home.
Good News
Paul was a prisoner on that ship. He had no power at all. But God used that powerless prisoner to bring everyone through.
God said, "Do not be afraid, Paul" (27:24). And God kept every one of the 276 alive, the sailors who tried to run, the soldiers who wanted to kill the prisoners, and the prisoners too.
God keeps his word. He promised Paul would reach Rome, and he did. God has promised that nothing in all creation can separate you from his love in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). He will keep that promise too.
God doesn't always stop the storm, but he keeps his promises all the way through it.
Big Idea
God kept his promise to Paul through the storm and the shipwreck, and brought every person on board safely to land.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
In the Small Catechism (1529), Luther explains what we mean when we say we believe in God the Father, who made heaven and earth. God gives us everything we need, Luther says. He protects us from all danger, and guards and keeps us from all evil. He does all this out of his fatherly goodness and mercy, not because we deserve it. That doesn't mean there will be no storms. It means God cares for us in them, as he did for everyone on Paul's ship.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
So take courage, men, for I believe God that it will happen just as He told me.
How did that feel?