Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall so be, as it hath been told me.
διο ευθυμειτε ανδρες πιστευω γαρ τω θεω οτι ουτως εσται καθ ον τροπον λελαληται μοι
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.
To give his hearers still greater assurance, the Apostle declares before them his own confidence: "I believe" that all this will be exactly as the angel told him.
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