Acts 27:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And again there are trials, again contrary winds. See how the life of all the saints is ordered: he escaped prison, and now they fall into shipwreck in winter.

At last Festus found a suitable occasion to send Paul to Italy. For this he used a merchant ship whose owner was from Adramyttium, a coastal city in the Asia Minor province of Mysia, not far from Troas. This ship was to sail along the coasts of Syria and Asia Minor. Paul and the other prisoners assigned for transport to Rome were placed on it with this calculation. Later, in some Asia Minor harbor, it would be easy to find a ship departing for Italy. Thus Paul was put on the Adramyttian ship, together with his companions, Luke the writer of Acts and Aristarchus of Thessalonica. The escort accompanying the prisoners consisted of soldiers from the so-called Augustan cohort. It was under the command of a centurion named Julius. This centurion treated Paul humanely.

From the northern extremity of Cyprus, they crossed the sea opposite the Asia Minor provinces of Cilicia and Pamphylia. Thus they did not enter their coastal cities. They arrived at Myra in Lycia, then a flourishing city in the Asia Minor province of Lycia. It lay twenty stadia, about four versts, from the sea, but on a river navigable all the way to the city.

The journey to Sidon, about one hundred versts, was fairly swift. But afterward, according to the course of the wind, they went by Cyprus and farther on to Myra in Lycia. The difficult journey was brightened for the Apostle by the kindly attitude of the centurion Julius. At Sidon he allowed him to visit the Christians, to be comforted by fellowship with them, and to receive such help as they could give. He acted well in permitting Paul to go to his friends and receive assistance. Paul probably needed this after many sufferings from bonds, from fear, and from constant changes of place. See, says Saint John Chrysostom, how the writer does not conceal even that he wished to receive assistance. Then came trials again, and contrary winds again. So it always happens in the lives of the saints.