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Wednesday, 8 May 2024
But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. Acts 27:21
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More literally, “And being much abstinence then, Paul having stood in their midst, said, ‘Indeed, O men, you ought to have hearkened to me not to go up from Crete, and to gain this disaster and loss’” (CG).
In the previous verse, Luke noted that it had been many days without sun or stars while the tempest beat upon them. This led to the point where they had given up all hope. With that noted, he now records Paul’s words, beginning with, “And being much abstinence then.”
The abstinence from food that is mentioned here is probably as much because of having thrown over the equipment as for any other reason. This may have included much of the cooking equipment, and so the people on the ship would have been put on reduced rations of things that didn’t need to be cooked.
The Pulpit Commentary argues that the word translated as “abstinence,” asitia, “is only found here in the Bible; but it was the common medical term for loss of the appetite, and such is the most natural rendering here. There is nothing about ‘long abstinence’ in the text.”
Their comment, however, does not square with the words of Paul in verse 33. There was, in fact, a long abstinence and the people were certainly weak from the lack of food. Despite this, Paul was both strengthened in the Lord and an encouragement to them. But before he encourages, Luke says, “Paul having stood in their midst, said, ‘Indeed, O men, you ought to have hearkened to me.’”
This isn’t Paul rubbing their bad decision in their faces. Rather, it is an obvious truth that he did his best to get them to avoid disaster. They didn’t listen and his words were vindicated. As such, his coming words should be listened to and accepted. To remind them of what occurred before he gives his encouragement, he says he told them “not to go up from Crete.”
As has been seen several times in Acts, to depart from land is thought of as going up. That is akin to our terminology of heading out to the high seas. They were safely in a harbor, and they were warned not to go up from it. The reason Paul recommended staying was, as he says, “and to gain this disaster and loss.”
He uses the same two words that were introduced into the Bible in Acts 27:10, hubris and zémia, translated as disaster and loss. It may sound odd to say, “gain this disaster and loss,” but this is exactly what has happened. They have lost their cargo and ship, and have, in place of them, gained disaster and loss – at least experientially.
Again, Paul is not holding this tragedy over them. Instead, he is demonstrating to them that he isn’t just a lunatic, incapable of making a reasonable deduction about the events which were certainly to come upon them.
This is readying them for his next words where he will prophesy to all on the ship. Being sane enough to make a reasonable recommendation concerning what would occur by leaving Crete, his words of prophecy would be taken, not as from a nut job, but from a person of sound mind.
Life application: When our words are found to be reliable, we will tend to be more likely to get the ears of others. If what we say is inconsistent, not based in reality, or false, the chances of people listening to us will normally be greatly diminished or non-existent.
Having said that, this doesn’t seem to apply to politicians or sensationalist teachers, regardless of what they say. Such people can lie through their teeth or claim things that never happened, and their words are simply ignored by those who follow them. Instead, they want to hear certain things and will shut out any falsity that comes their way as if it isn’t important.
Therefore, we need to really stand back and evaluate ourselves to determine if we are allowing lies to fill our minds simply because we agree with an overall agenda or approach to life. If so, we need to forcibly restrict ourselves from allowing this to happen.
What we should hear and accept is nothing but the truth. If we allow falsity of whatever kind to rule our thoughts, we are opening ourselves up to real trouble and even disaster. History has proven this true time and again. Be on guard concerning what you will accept and who you will listen to.
Lord God, You expect us to be truthful. You also surely want us to only accept what is truthful. And so, Lord, give us wisdom to identify those times when we are willing to accept falsity, in order to weed that out of our lives. May our lives be dedicated to right thinking and words that are based upon reality and truth. Amen.