Acts chapter 27

vs 1

'We' again indicating that Luke has appeared on the scene once more. I wonder who the other prisoners were - other Christians? Just others who had appealed to Caesar? I just prisoners Festus wanted to get out of the way? And is the Imperial Regiment a regiment from Rome? Or personal to Caesar? Did he come to Caesarea specifically to pick up prisoners? Who knows.

vs 2

And oh look, more sea journeys that are going to stop in lots of ports. Luke would have been the world's most boring travel writer. Aristarchus' name rings a bell - is he important yet? Or is Luke just name dropping?

vs 3

That's a nice gesture. Remember, prisoners weren't fed or kept by their guards at all. If you didn't find someone to bring you food and look after your other needs, prison was basically a death sentence. And so when you think like that, an actual death sentence for offenses seems more humane.

vs 4

Now we are actually getting some sailing jargon. I'm not sure if it says exactly what this sailing jargon means, or if they're replaced modern jargon for the ancient stuff. I'd say it's fairly literal. Who knew that Luke was a sailor?

vs 5

Huzzah.

vs 6

No reason not to swap ships if there's one going in their direction. Just all these little, boring, pointless details, like that it was an Alexandrian ship, makes you know that Luke was there, and that eyewitness accounts are valuable. They speak volumes for the veracity of the claims of the book, if not for its enjoyability to read.

vs 7

Is Luke saying something spiritual about their mission here - that God was slowing their passage, or that the devil was getting in the way with bad winds? Or is he just saying that they were sailing and this stuff happens? I'd say the latter. Surely if Luke wanted to, he could have written spiritually stuff. Paul could have helped.

vs 8

Sounds lovely. Like a retirement village.

vs 9

So, was sailing dangerous because weather changes after that day, or because of some superstition about sailing after the Day of Atonement?

vs 10

Either Paul is speaking spiritually (that it's dangerous to travel because the Day of Atonement has passed), or he's just picked a few things up from being itinerant and he knows it's going to be bad.

vs 11

And, really, when are you going to start listening to a prisoner about your travel arrangements?