Acts 27:24Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He foretells two things: and second, that he had to stand before Caesar. 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.

"God has granted you all" was said to Paul. This expresses something like the following: they deserve death because they disobeyed, but this happens only by your mercy.

Then, after such a storm, he does not approach them with a discourse, but wants them to believe him in the future. He takes what had already happened to them as testimony to the truth of what will be said.

He adds two things: that they must end up on an island, and that the ship will perish, while the passengers will be saved. This was not a conjecture, but a prophecy, because he had to stand before Caesar.

"Behold, God has granted you all who sail with you." See, if not for Paul, all who were in the ship would have had to perish. Therefore what Homer said is false: "For I think no earth-born man has escaped fate, neither brave nor cowardly, once he is born."

By this Homer means that it is impossible to escape the mortal doom which, together with birth, determines the hour of a man's death. But see: if it had been appointed for all to perish, then by ordinary judgment Paul also should have perished, after spending forty days at sea without food.

Yes, a false mind said, "neither the brave," that is, the valiant, "nor the cowardly man escapes fate." Scripture said the complete opposite: "The righteous man was saved from obvious danger."

You cannot deny that there is a difference between the one bound and those who bound him. How, then, is the shipwreck of the Apostle the same as that of the soldiers?

The Apostle Paul afterwards reports the revelation and says that those who were on the ship were granted to him by the Lord. Are the one to whom the gift is given and those who are given the same?

Ten holy men can save a sinful city. Lot and his daughters were delivered from destruction. His sons-in-law also would have been saved, had they wished to depart. Indeed, there is a great difference between Lot and his sons-in-law.

God granted you all, so that what Homer said proves untrue: "For I think no earth-born man has escaped fate, neither brave nor cowardly, once he is born." This means that it is impossible to escape the death which fate assigns to a man at the moment of his birth.

And see: if not for Paul, all who were on the ship would have perished. But God granted this to them out of regard for the righteous man.

Then, if it had been predestined by fate that they all should die, he probably would have died after remaining at sea without food for fourteen days on the ship, and afterwards being shipwrecked. For the lying word said, "neither brave nor cowardly."

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.

"You must stand before Caesar," for the decision of your case (Acts 25:11-12). Therefore you will be preserved, and for your sake all who sail with you also. God has granted you all of them. That is, because of His good pleasure toward the Apostle, God delivers from the danger of perishing all who sail with him. This too is an act of God's mercy. By it, for the sake of a few righteous men, He preserves whole cities from destruction (Gen 18:22-32).

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.