Acts 27:3 Study Bible: The next day, we landed at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself.

◄ Acts 27:3 ►

The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul with consideration, allowing him to visit his friends and receive their care.

Study Bible

The next day
This phrase indicates the passage of time and the progression of the journey. In the context of Acts 27, Paul is on his way to Rome as a prisoner. The mention of "the next day" suggests a continuous narrative and highlights the urgency and divine timing in Paul's mission. The journey is not just a physical voyage but a spiritual one, orchestrated by God for the spread of the Gospel.

we put in at Sidon
Sidon was an ancient Phoenician city, known for its wealth and trade. Its mention here is significant as it shows the route taken by the ship. Historically, Sidon was a place of commerce and interaction between different cultures, which aligns with the theme of the Gospel reaching diverse peoples. The stop at Sidon also reflects the providence of God in providing opportunities for Paul to connect with fellow believers.

and Julius
Julius is identified as a centurion of the Augustan Cohort. His role is crucial as he is responsible for Paul and the other prisoners. The mention of Julius by name indicates his importance in the narrative and suggests a level of respect and authority. His actions throughout the journey demonstrate the influence of God's favor upon Paul, even through those who do not share his faith.

treated Paul with consideration
The Greek word for "consideration" here implies kindness and humanity. Julius's treatment of Paul is noteworthy because it reflects the respect Paul commanded, even as a prisoner. This consideration can be seen as a manifestation of God's grace, working through others to provide for His servant. It also highlights the impact of Paul's character and testimony on those around him.

and allowed him to visit his friends
This phrase underscores the importance of Christian fellowship and support. Paul's ability to visit his friends in Sidon would have been a source of encouragement and strength. The early Christian community was known for its close-knit relationships and mutual support, which were vital for sustaining faith under persecution. This visit would have provided Paul with spiritual and emotional refreshment.

and be refreshed
The concept of being "refreshed" suggests a renewal of strength and spirit. In the Greek, it conveys the idea of rest and recuperation. For Paul, this was not just physical rest but also spiritual rejuvenation. The support of fellow believers and the opportunity to share in fellowship would have been a significant source of encouragement, preparing him for the challenges ahead. This highlights the importance of community and the sustaining power of Christian fellowship in the life of a believer.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Paul
The apostle and central figure in this passage, who is being transported as a prisoner to Rome.

2. Julius
A centurion of the Augustan Cohort, responsible for overseeing Paul and other prisoners during their journey.

3. Sidon
An ancient Phoenician city located on the Mediterranean coast, where the ship made a stop.

4. Paul's Friends
Believers in Sidon who provided care and hospitality to Paul during his brief stay.

5. The Journey to Rome
This event is part of Paul's larger journey to Rome, where he is to stand trial.

Teaching Points

The Importance of Christian Fellowship
Christian fellowship provides support and encouragement, especially during times of trial. Paul's friends in Sidon exemplify this by caring for him.

The Role of Kindness in Leadership
Julius's kindness towards Paul demonstrates that even those in authority can show compassion and humanity, reflecting God's love.

Hospitality as a Christian Duty
The believers in Sidon remind us of the biblical call to hospitality, showing love and care to fellow believers and strangers alike.

God's Provision in Difficult Times
Even in challenging circumstances, God provides for His people through the kindness and support of others, as seen in Paul's experience in Sidon.

Trusting God's Plan
Despite being a prisoner, Paul experiences God's provision and care, encouraging us to trust in God's plan and timing in our own lives.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the kindness shown by Julius to Paul reflect the biblical principle of loving one's neighbor?

2. In what ways can we, like Paul's friends in Sidon, provide support and care to those in our Christian community?

3. How does the hospitality shown to Paul in Sidon connect with the broader biblical teaching on hospitality?

4. What can we learn from Paul's experience in Sidon about trusting God's provision during difficult times?

5. How can we apply the example of Julius's kindness in our own roles of leadership or authority?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Acts 9:26-30
This passage describes Paul's early interactions with believers, highlighting the importance of Christian fellowship and support.

Philippians 4:14-19
Paul speaks about the support he received from the Philippians, emphasizing the mutual care within the body of Christ.

Hebrews 13:2
Encourages believers to show hospitality, which is exemplified by Paul's friends in Sidon.

Romans 12:13
Calls Christians to practice hospitality, reflecting the actions of Paul's friends in Sidon.

Sermons

Spiritual Refreshment	W. Clarkson	Acts 27:3
The Good Man's Power to Win Confidence	R. Tuck	Acts 27:3
Christ's Bark on the Stormy Ocean of This World	K. Gerok.	Acts 27:1-20
Effect of Courteous Treatment		Acts 27:1-20
Julius	Dean Howson.	Acts 27:1-20
Man's Counsellors	D. Thomas, D. D.	Acts 27:1-20
Paul's Shipwreck	The Evangelist	Acts 27:1-20
Paul's Voyage	S. S. Times	Acts 27:1-20
Paul's Voyage	H. M. Grant, D. D.	Acts 27:1-20
Paul's Voyage	J. Parker, D. D.	Acts 27:1-20
Paul's Voyage	J. Ossian Davies.	Acts 27:1-20
Practical Lessons from Paul's Voyage	D. Curry, D. D.	Acts 27:1-20
St. Paul's Voyage	E. T. Prust.	Acts 27:1-20
The Stormy Voyage of Life	K. Gerok.	Acts 27:1-20
The Voices of God's Providence		Acts 27:1-20
The Voyage and Shipwreck	Dean Vaughan.	Acts 27:1-20
The Voyage of Life	A. F. Shauffler.	Acts 27:1-20
The Voyage of Life	D. Thomas, D. D.	Acts 27:1-20
The Voyage of Life	Lisco.	Acts 27:1-20
The Voyage of Life	W. Clarkson	Acts 27:1-44
The Voyage to Italy: an Allegory of the Christian's Course	E. Johnson	Acts 27:1-44

People

Aristarchus, Augustus, Julius, Paul

Places

Adramyttium, Adriatic Sea, Alexandria, Asia, Cauda, Cilicia, Cnidus, Crete, Cyprus, Fair Havens, Italy, Lasea, Lycia, Malta, Myra, Pamphylia, Phoenix, Salmone, Sidon, Syrtis, Thessalonica

Topics

Allowed, Arrived, Care, Cared, Consideration, Courteously, Entreated, Friends, Generous, Julius, Kind, Kindly, Kindness, Leave, Liberty, Needs, Paul, Permission, Permit, Profit, Provide, Receive, Refresh, Rest, Sidon, Suffered, Thoughtful, Touched, Treated, Treating, Visit

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Acts 27:3

5250 centurion
8291 kindness

Acts 27:1-44

5517 seafaring

Library

A Short Confession of Faith
'...There stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.'--ACTS xxvii. 23. I turn especially to those last words, 'Whose I am and whom I serve.' A great calamity, borne by a crowd of men in common, has a wonderful power of dethroning officials and bringing the strong man to the front. So it is extremely natural, though it has been thought to be very unhistorical, that in this story of Paul's shipwreck he should become guide, counsellor, inspirer, and a tower of strength; and …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

A Total Wreck, all Hands Saved
'And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, 31. Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 32. Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. 33. And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Tempest and Trust
And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. 14. But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. 15. And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 16. And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: 17. Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Seasons of Covenanting.
The duty is never unsuitable. Men have frequently, improperly esteemed the exercise as one that should be had recourse to, only on some great emergency. But as it is sinful to defer religious exercises till affliction, presenting the prospect of death, constrain to attempt them, so it is wrong to imagine, that the pressure of calamity principally should constrain to make solemn vows. The exercise of personal Covenanting should be practised habitually. The patriot is a patriot still; and the covenanter …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Wyclif of the East --Bible Translation
1801-1832 The Bible Carey's missionary weapon--Other vernacular translators--Carey's modest but just description of his labours--His philological key--Type-cutting and type-casting by a Hindoo blacksmith--The first manufacture of paper and steam-engines in the East--Carey takes stock of the translation work at the opening of 1808--In his workshop--A seminary of Bible translators--William Yates, shoemaker, the Coverdale of the Bengali Bible--Wenger--A Bengali Luther wanted--Carey's Bengali Bible--How …
George Smith—The Life of William Carey

Of the Practice of Piety in Fasting.
There are divers kinds of fasting--First, A constrained fast, as when men either have not food to eat, as in the famine of Samaria (2 Kings vi. 25;) or, having food, cannot eat it for heaviness or sickness, as it befel them who were in the ship with St. Paul (Acts xxvii. 33.) This is rather famine than fasting. Secondly, A natural fast, which we undertake physically, for the health of our body. Thirdly, A civil fast, which the magistrate enjoins for the better maintenance of the commonwealth. Fourthly, …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Spiritual Culture.
"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." 1 John 5:11. There is eternal life in Jesus, but for man to come into possession of this life he must comply with the requirements made by the Bible. After getting into possession of this life there are certain duties which man must faithfully perform to retain and develop it. After entering the wide fields of grace development is necessary. "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior …
Charles Ebert Orr—The Gospel Day

Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
Discourse 7 "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: And thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." Matthew 6:16-18. 1. It has been the endeavour of Satan, from the beginning of the world, …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

Appendix xv. The Location of Sychar, and the Date of Our Lord's visit to Samaria.
1. The Location of Sychar. Although modern writers are now mostly agreed on this subject, it may be well briefly to put before our readers the facts of the case. Till comparitively lately, the Sychar of St. John iv. was generally as representing the ancient Shechem. The first difficulty here was the name, since Shechem, or even Sichem, could scarcely be identified with Sychar, which is undoubtedly the correct reading. Accordingly, the latter term was represented as one of oppobrium, and derived from …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Conversion.
THE DIFFICULTY OF CONVERSION. CONVERSION to God is not so easy and so smooth a thing, as some would have men believe it is. Why is man's heart compared to fallow ground, God's word to a plough, and his ministers to ploughmen, if the heart indeed has no need of breaking in order to the receiving of the seed of God unto eternal life? Why is the conversion of the the soul compared to the grafting of a tree, if that be done without cutting? CONVERSION THE POWER OF GOD. A broken heart is the handy-work …
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan

Perseverance
'Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.' I Pet 1:1. The fifth and last fruit of sanctification, is perseverance in grace. The heavenly inheritance is kept for the saints, and they are kept to the inheritance. I Pet 1:1. The apostle asserts a saint's stability and permanence in grace. The saint's perseverance is much opposed by Papists and Arminians; but it is not the less true because it is opposed. A Christian's main comfort depends upon this doctrine of perseverance. Take …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

First Missionary Journey Scripture
STUDY III FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY Scripture, Acts 13:1-14:26 INTRODUCTION TO THE THREE MISSIONARY JOURNEYS Before taking up the study of the first missionary journey, attention is called to certain points which should be considered in regard to all three of them (Acts 13:1-21:17). We have now arrived at what we might call the watershed of the Acts of the Apostles. Hitherto we have had various scenes, characters, personages to consider. Henceforth Paul, his labors, his disputes, his speeches, occupy …
Henry T. Sell—Bible Studies in the Life of Paul

Pastoral and Personal
FOURTH GROUP OF EPISTLES FIRST TIMOTHY. TITUS. SECOND TIMOTHY. THE PLACE OF THE EPISTLES +When Written.+--It is generally agreed among scholars that no place can be found for the writing of First Timothy, Titus, and Second Timothy in the period covered by Luke in his narrative in Acts. Agreeing with the tradition of the church, however, the opinion of many eminent scholars is that Paul was released from the first Roman imprisonment (Acts 28:16, 30), that he again took up his missionary work, and …
Henry T. Sell—Bible Studies in the Life of Paul

Second Sunday Before Lent
Text: Second Corinthians 11, 19-33; 12, 1-9. 19 For ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves. 20 For ye bear with a man, if he bringeth you into bondage, if he devoureth you, if he taketh you captive, if he exalteth himself, if he smiteth you on the face. 21 I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet whereinsoever any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also. 22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

Scriptural Christianity
"Whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head." Ezek. 33:4. "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." Acts 4:31. 1. The same expression occurs in the second chapter, where we read, "When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all" (the Apostles, with the women, and the mother of Jesus, and his brethren) "with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

That the Christian Miracles are not Recited, or Appealed To, by Early Christian Writers Themselves So Fully or Frequently as Might have Been Expected.
I shall consider this objection, first, as it applies to the letters of the apostles preserved in the New Testament; and secondly, as it applies to the remaining writings of other early Christians. The epistles of the apostles are either hortatory or argumentative. So far as they were occupied in delivering lessons of duty, rules of public order, admonitions against certain prevailing corruptions, against vice, or any particular species of it, or in fortifying and encouraging the constancy of the …
William Paley—Evidences of Christianity

Meditations Before Dinner and Supper.
Meditate that hunger is like the sickness called a wolf; which, if thou dost not feed, will devour thee, and eat thee up; and that meat and drink are but as physic, or means which God hath ordained, to relieve and cure this natural infirmity and necessity of man. Use, therefore, to eat and to drink, rather to sustain and refresh the weakness of nature, than to satisfy the sensuality and delights of the flesh. Eat, therefore, to live, but live not to eat. There is no service so base, as for a man …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Wisdom of God
The next attribute is God's wisdom, which is one of the brightest beams of the Godhead. He is wise in heart.' Job 9:9. The heart is the seat of wisdom. Cor in Hebraeo sumitur pro judicio. Pineda. Among the Hebrews, the heart is put for wisdom.' Let men of understanding tell me:' Job 34:44: in the Hebrew, Let men of heart tell me.' God is wise in heart, that is, he is most wise. God only is wise; he solely and wholly possesses all wisdom; therefore he is called, the only wise God.' I Tim 1:17. All …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Doctrine of Angels.
I. THEIR EXISTENCE. 1. THE TEACHING OF JESUS. 2. THE TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES. II. THEIR NATURE. 1. CREATED BEINGS. 2. SPIRITUAL BEINGS. 3. GREAT POWER AND MIGHT. 4. VARIOUS GRADES. 5. THE NUMBER OF ANGELS. III. THE FALL OF ANGELS. 1. TIME AND CAUSE. 2. THE WORK OF FALLEN ANGELS. 3. THE JUDGMENT OF FALLEN ANGELS. IV. THE WORK OF ANGELS. 1. THEIR HEAVENLY MINISTRY. 2. THEIR EARTHLY MINISTRY. a) In Relation to the Believer. b) In Relation to Christ's Second Coming. THE DOCTRINE OF ANGELS. We are not …
Rev. William Evans—The Great Doctrines of the Bible

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