Acts Outline:
Peter and the Beginnings of the Church in the Holy Land (chs. 1-12)"Throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria" (1:1 -- 9:31; see 9:31 and note)Introduction (1:1-2)Christ's resurrection ministry (1:3-11)The period of waiting for the Holy Spirit (1:12-26)The filling with the Spirit (ch. 2)The healing of the lame man and the resultant arrest of Peter and John (3:1;4:31)The community of goods (4:32;5:11)The arrest of the 12 apostles (5:12-42)The choice of the Seven (6:1-7)Stephen's arrest and martyrdom (6:8;7:60)The scattering of the Jerusalem believers (8:1-4)Philip's ministry (8:5-40)Saul's conversion (9:1-31)
"As far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch" (9:32;12:25;11:19;)
Paul and the Expansion of the Church from Antioch to Rome (chs. 13-28)"Throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia" (13:1 -- 15:35; see 16:6 and note)"Over to Macedonia" (15:36;21:16;16:9;)"To Rome" (21:17;28:31;28:14;)
From the NIV Study Bible, Introductions to the Books of the Bible, Acts
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Acts 28
16 We sailed along the sheltered side of a
small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the
lifeboat being towed behind us.
17 Then the sailors bound ropes around the
hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to
the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to
slow the ship and were driven before the wind.
18 The next day, as gale-force winds
continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo
overboard.
19 The following day they even took some of
the ship’s gear and threw it overboard.
20 The terrible storm raged for many days,
blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.
21 No one had eaten for a long time.
Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened
to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this
damage and loss.
22 But take courage! None of you will lose
your lives, even though the ship will go down.
23 For last night an angel of the God to
whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me,
24 and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for
you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has
granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’
25 So take courage! For I believe God. It
will be just as he said.
26 But we will be shipwrecked on an
island.”
27 About midnight on the fourteenth night
of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria, the sailors
sensed land was near.
28 They dropped a weighted line and found
that the water was 120 feet deep. But a little later they measured again
and found it was only 90 feet deep.
29 At this rate they were afraid we would
soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four
anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight.
30 Then the sailors tried to abandon the
ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors
from the front of the ship.
31 But Paul said to the commanding officer
and the soldiers, “You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard.”
32 So the soldiers cut the ropes to the
lifeboat and let it drift away.
33 Just as day was dawning, Paul urged
everyone to eat. “You have been so worried that you haven’t touched food for
two weeks,” he said.
34“Please eat something now for your own good.
For not a hair of your heads will perish.”
35 Then he took some bread, gave thanks to
God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it.
36 Then everyone was encouraged and began
to eat—
37 all 276 of us who were on
board.
38 After eating, the crew lightened the
ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard.
39When morning dawned, they didn’t recognize the
coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get to
shore by running the ship aground.
40 So they cut off the anchors and left
them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed
toward shore.
41 But they hit a shoal and ran the ship
aground too soon. The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was
repeatedly smashed by the force of the waves and began to break apart.
42 The soldiers wanted to kill the
prisoners to make sure they didn’t swim ashore and escape.
43 But the commanding officer wanted to
spare Paul, so he didn’t let them carry out their plan. Then he ordered all who
could swim to jump overboard first and make for land.
44The others held on to planks or debris from
the broken ship. So everyone escaped safely to shore.