Paul's Prophetic Assurance of Survival During Shipwreck

While being transported to Rome as a prisoner, the Apostle Paul was on a ship that encountered a fierce storm, described as a typhoon or tornado, which lasted for fourteen days. Paul prayed and fasted, and received an assurance from God that all on board would be saved, which he then shared with the crew and passengers. Despite the ship being wrecked, all 276 people on board were saved as Paul had prophesied.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea. About midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. They took soundings and found that the water was twenty fathoms deep. But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.” So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and set it adrift. Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. Altogether there were 276 of us on board. Attempting to run aground, the ship strikes a sandbar and begins to break apart. Soldiers plan to kill the prisoners, but Julius spares Paul. All jump or cling to debris and, exactly as promised, every person reaches land alive.