For an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood by me this night,
παρεστη γαρ μοι ταυτη τη νυκτι αγγελος του θεου ου ειμι ω και λατρευω
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
In this hopeless situation, Paul alone remains firm in spirit and calmly faces the danger they are undergoing. After gently reproaching them for not following his advice to remain at Crete, he encourages everyone. He urges them to be calm and to strengthen themselves with food. He assures them that not one soul on the ship will perish. Only the ship will be lost, while the people will be cast upon some island, for this had been revealed to him by an angel of God.
"The angel of the God to whom I belong," as His own possession, "and whom I serve" (cf. Rom 1:9). By these expressions the Apostle inspires his hearers with trust in his words, as one near to God through God's choosing of him and through his service to God.
"Appeared to me this night": from the text it is not clear whether this was in a dream or in a vision (cf. note on Acts 23:11). For the certainty of the assurance given by the one who appeared, this is of course the same.
Certainly, the Gentiles who heard him could not understand what an angel of God was. Yet according to their own notions they could at least understand that the one who appeared was a messenger of God, or perhaps one of the gods, conveying the will of the supreme God.
The encouragement given by the Apostle Paul to all his companions had to affect them especially now. He revealed that during the night there had appeared to him a messenger of the God whom he served.
It had been said that he, Paul, must appear before the emperor. For his sake God was sparing the others sailing with him, as though granting their lives to him. Paul fully believed this and urged everyone to take courage. He added that they all had to be cast upon an island.
After such a clear, firm, and definite assurance, it seems they should have believed the Apostle. This was especially so in view of his earlier exhortation, which they had not fulfilled, and for which all had suffered so much.
According to St. John Chrysostom, "he said the words, 'God has granted you all,' not from vainglory, but because he wished to convert those sailing with him. He said this not so that they would thank him, but so that they would believe his words. The meaning is as follows: they deserve death because they disobeyed, but for your sake alone they are delivered from death" (cf. Gen 18:22-32).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 15 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS