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Paul sailed for Italy under the guard of a centurion named Julius. At the first stop Julius was kind enough to Paul to let him get off the ship and go visit his friends. They provided for his needs.
They sailed again and at the next port they changed ships. The wind was blowing so hard it was difficult for them to stay on course. Paul told them the trip was becoming dangerous, but the centurion decided to continue.
Hurricane force winds began to blow. They dropped anchor and the waves started battering the ship. In order to lighten the load, they began to throw the cargo overboard.
By the third day of the storm, they were throwing away the ship's sailing gear. The storm went on and on for days. Paul stood up and in effect said, "I told you this was going to happen". He encouraged them by telling them about an angel who had appeared to him in the night. The angel told him the lives of all the people on the ship would be saved.
They had endured the storm for two weeks and were now getting close to land. They measured the depth of the water again and again. It was obvious they were getting in shallow water closer to land. They dropped four anchors to prevent them from being dashed against the rocks at the shore.
Paul urged the men to eat to gain some strength. They hadn't eaten for fourteen days. He took some bread, gave thanks, and began to eat. The other men ate also. Then they threw the grain in the cargo overboard to further lighten the ship.
When dawn came, they saw land. They lifted the anchors and ran the ship to the shore. It stuck fast in a sandbar and the ship began to break into pieces.
The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to keep them from escaping, but Julius, the centurion in charge of Paul, convinced them to spare everyone. He ordered them to jump overboard. Those who could swim swam to shore. Those who couldn't swim grabbed pieces of wood and floated in. Everyone was saved, just as Paul had predicted.
They were told the island was called Malta. The people there were kind to them. It was cold and raining. They started to gather wood for a fire. Paul picked up some wood and put it on the fire.
A viper crawled out of the wood and fastened itself to his hand. The people, when they saw the snake, thought justice was being done. They figured Paul was a murderer and even though he had escaped the sea, he was going to die of a snakebite. (Or so they thought.) They kept watching him to see what would happen. Then when nothing happened, they decided he must be a god.
They were invited to stay at the home of Publius (pub LEEus) the official on the island. The father of Publius was sick and Paul healed him. When the islanders heard of the miracle, they too brought their sick folk and all were healed. The people provided for all their needs and after three months they set sail again.
If you visit Malta today you can see the ancient fortifications of the city.
Read the story in Spanish
Naufragio
Read the story in Amharic
What does this story
mean to me?
The centurion did not listen to Paul when he warned him about the dangers that lay ahead. If he had heeded Paul's advice their lives would not have been put in jeapordy.
Do your parents ever warn you about the dangers of a particular activity? Do you listen to them? Do they tell you that smoking is bad for you or that drugs can kill you? Be wise and heed their counsel. You can save yourself and your family a lot of heartache.
The Lord will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life. the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. NIV
Memory Verse
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. KJV
Psalm 121:7-8
You can read about Paul's Shipwreck in
Acts 27:1-chapter28:16
PRINTABLES
Lesson
Test
Multiple Choice Test
Alphabetical Order
Shipwreck - Word Search
Shipwreck - Crossword Puzzle
Shipwreck - Word Scramble
Psalm 121:7-8 Fill-in the Blanks
Shipwrecked Paul
By Claire Miller / Concordia Publishing House
For more than 35 years, the best-selling Arch® Books Bible story series has captivated children. Each book presents a complete Bible story in a fun-to-read way children can understand and remember. This book retells the story of Paul's journey to Rome, the shipwreck, the landing at Malta, his eventual arrival in Rome and preaching there (Acts 27:1-44). Softcover from Concordia. Recommended for ages 5-9.
Webmasters note:
Economical enough to buy class sets and use for reading lessons.
Paul Before the Governors
Paul a Prisoner in Rome
Page Comments
Most Recent Comments ( See more comments on this page ) 2010-08-03
This website was great to teach children in their understanding of Paul. The young/older children enjoyed the story and especially the picture of Paul ship wrecked...like a picture memory the next time they here/read about Paul. Thank you so much for helping me to succeed with bible school....have a bless day!
2009-03-25
It is such a blessing! I was in a midst of searching for teaching materials for Acts 27, and I found you! I will pratice teaching to kids in class tomorrow. Father, please bring people to them to support them financially. Praying in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Sally
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