Acts 27:32Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And see how obedient the centurion becomes: he cuts away the boat and lets it fall. Here the writer shows that the sailors wished to flee because they did not believe what had been said. But the centurion and the soldiers believed. Therefore Paul says to him, "Unless they flee, you cannot be saved." He says this to restrain them, so that the prophecy would not be made void. See how Paul teaches them philosophy, as though in the Church, and saves them amid the dangers themselves. By God's dispensation, they did not believe Paul at first, so that events themselves might teach them to believe. And this is what happened.

God arranged that Paul should not be believed at first, so that they would believe him after testing his words by experience. And this is what happened. See: the centurion believes Paul so fully that he allows the boat to be destroyed. The sailors, however, still did not believe, but believed afterward, for these men were of little understanding.

When they saw that their recklessness had cast them into danger, they began to obey Paul. Timely counsel from a holy man can save from danger, not nameless fate.

For if they, being Gentiles, had obeyed fate and despised the counsel of a pious man, they would have allowed the sailors to depart. They would have said that the sailors would not depart, and that this had no bearing on whether they died.

Yet they neither spoke nor acted so recklessly, nor were they led astray by ignorance. On this basis many ought to change their view concerning fate and chance.

Yet Paul's words inspired trust in him and encouragement in only a few on the ship, and least of all in the sailors. Therefore, after fourteen days of stormy sailing, signs appeared that the ship was approaching some shore.

They then wanted to escape from the ship by means of the boat. They hoped that if the ship were broken against the shore, they would not perish with the others.

Pretending that they wanted to cast anchors from the bow, they began to lower the boat into the sea. But Paul perceived their intention and told the centurion that, if the ship were left without sailors, salvation would be impossible.

Then the soldiers cut the ropes of the boat. After this it fell away and was driven by the waves from the ship.

Despair gave the sailors new strength. Yet now they were concerned chiefly for their own safety. After checking the ship with anchors, they tried deceitfully to board the lifeboat and get to shore, leaving the ship to its own unhappy fate. That fate would soon have overtaken it, had the soldiers, on the advice of the Apostle Paul, not hindered the execution of their inhuman plan.

To destroy the only means of escape, the soldiers cut the ropes by which the boat was fastened to the ship. It fell away and, of course, was then carried from the ship by the waves.

The sailors' attempt to flee failed, but this too may be regarded as an act of God accomplished through the Apostle. He disclosed their secret intention and their hidden attempt, under the guise of lowering bow anchors into the sea, to descend into the boat and go secretly to shore.

They intended to abandon the ship to the mercy of fate. When Paul revealed this evil intention of the sailors, the centurion ordered the soldiers to cut the rope by which the boat was tied to the ship. The plot of the wicked men was destroyed.

"See," says St. John Chrysostom, "how obedient the centurion becomes. He cuts away the boat and casts it off. Here the writer shows that the sailors wanted to flee because they did not believe what had been said.