9 When considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even the fast was already over, Paul began to admonish them, 10 and said to them, “Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul. Acts 27:9–11
The boat trip to Italy appeared doomed from the start. They were victimized by either too much wind or the lack of it. Looming large was the onset of winter. The centurion in charge was listening to the pilot and owner of the ship, which was the logical thing to do, when Paul felt led to chime in. He “perceived” that the voyage would not end well if they put themselves yet again at the mercy of the wind. He lobbied for staying put at Crete. The Greek word for “perceived” is theoreo, or “a spectator,” which is used of one who looks at a thing with interest and for a purpose, usually indicating the careful observation of details. (Vines)
All along, the wind was being intensely studied, and decisions were being made on perceptions of what it was doing at the time. If it was at their backs it was assumed it would continue to be. And so forth. The pilot lacked the clairvoyance to know what we do now with advanced atmospheric equipment and forecasting. The only one on that ship who was outfitted with such capabilities was Paul, who not only knew he’d survive because the Lord said he’d testify before Caesar, but was gifted by the Spirit to carefully analyze and assess the challenges before them. When things went “south,” Paul reminded them, “Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss.” (Acts 27:21)
There is a simple principle here. We can go out on a long bike ride when the weather appears to “clear up,” and not know that another fierce band of thunderstorms is advancing quickly towards us. We get excited about the calm (before the storm) and make an ill-advised decision to move forward. A simple check of the radar would have saved us from danger. Deliberation in prayer with open Bible in hand is what is required to navigate through the vicissitudes of life, adding in a dose of past God-bequeathed experience. As to expert advice, it can lead us astray without being anchored in biblical wisdom. We should all heed the subtle teaching in this passage before we venture out from the protective confines of the small open bay of “Fair Havens.”
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