30 But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down the ship's boat into the sea , on the pretense of intending to lay out anchors from the bow , 31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers , "Unless e these men remain in the ship , you yourselves cannot e be saved ." 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it fall away . 33 Until the day was about to dawn , Paul was encouraging them all to take some food , saying , "Today is the fourteenth day that you have been constantly watching and going without eating , having taken nothing . 34 "Therefore I encourage you to take some food , for this is for your preservation , for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish ." 35 Having said this , he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all , and he broke it and began to eat . 36 All of them were encouraged and they themselves also took food . 37 All of us in the ship were two hundred and seventy-six e persons . 38 When they had eaten enough e , they began to lighten the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 27:30-38
Commentary on Acts 27:30-38
(Read Acts 27:30-38)
God, who appointed the end, that they should be saved, appointed the means, that they should be saved by the help of these shipmen. Duty is ours, events are God's; we do not trust God, but tempt him, when we say we put ourselves under his protection, if we do not use proper means, such as are within our power, for our safety. But how selfish are men in general, often even ready to seek their own safety by the destruction of others! Happy those who have such a one as Paul in their company, who not only had intercourse with Heaven, but was of an enlivening spirit to those about him. The sorrow of the world works death, while joy in God is life and peace in the greatest distresses and dangers. The comfort of God's promises can only be ours by believing dependence on him, to fulfil his word to us; and the salvation he reveals must be waited for in use of the means he appoints. If God has chosen us to salvation, he has also appointed that we shall obtain it by repentance, faith, prayer, and persevering obedience; it is fatal presumption to expect it in any other way. It is an encouragement to people to commit themselves to Christ as their Saviour, when those who invite them, clearly show that they do so themselves.