Acts 27: 27-44, Storm Conclusion

Paul, as prisoner, and Luke, a member of Paul's missionary team, are in a dangerous storm in the Mediterranean, south of Italy.

Acts 27:27-37

On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved."

So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away. Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. "For the last  fourteen days," he said, "you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food--you haven't eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head."

After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves.

Paul's words are encouraging and his suggestion sensible.  

From the NIV footnotes: in verse 28 the distances are twenty orguias (about 37 meters) and fifteen orguias (about 27 meters.)  Luke gives precise details.

Acts 27: 38-44
Altogether there were 276 of us on board. When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea. When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at  the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck  fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.

The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of  them from swimming away and escaping. But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them  from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.

Luke, an eyewitness to this frightening scene, records considerable detail.  This includes the fact that someone has taken time to number the passengers before the impending disaster.

The centurion's respect for Paul is evident.  Paul has said that they will all get to shore alive and the centurion now intends to go with Paul's ideas and trust him. These years of imprisonment have given Paul many opportunities to live a consistent message, as a confident follower of the Jewish Messiah and so the centurion recognizes Paul's character.