22
338 The Voyage to Rome. Chap. XIV.
buted to 21-26 as placing Paul on a higher plane is done
in 33-35-
Further, the excision of 21-26 would cut away a vital part of the narrative. (1) These verses contain the addi- tional fact, natural in itself and assumed in v. 34 as already known, that the crew and passengers were starv- ing and weak. (2) They fit well into the context, for they follow naturally after the spiritlessness described in v. 20, and Paul begins by claiming attention on the ground of his former advice (advice that is accepted by the critics as genuine because it is different in tone from the supposed interpolation). " In former circumstances," says he, " I gave you different, but salutary advice, which to your cost you disregarded ; listen to me now when I tell you that you shall escape." The method of escape, the only method that a sailor could believe to be probable, is added as a concluding encouragement
But let us cut out every verse that puts Paul on a higher plane, and observe the narrative that would result : Paul twice comes forward with advice that is cautiously prudent, and shows keen regard to the chance of safety. If that is all the character he displayed throughout die voyage, why do we study the man and his fate? All experience shows that in such a situation there is often found some one to encourage the rest ; and, if Paul had not been the man to comfort and cheer his despairing shipmates, he would never have impressed himself on history or made himself an interest to all succeeding time. The world's history stamps the interpolation-theory here as false.
Moreover, the letters of Paul put before us a totally different character from this prudent calculator of
Sec. 7. Paul's Action on the Ship. 339
chances. The Paul of Acts XXVII is the Paul of the Epistles : the Paul who remains on the interpolation- theory could never have written the Epistles.
Finally, the reason why the historian dwells at such length on the voyage lies mainly in vv. 21-26 and 33-38. In the voyage he pictures Paul on a higher plane than common men, advising more skilfully than the skilled mariners, maintaining hope and courage when all were in despair, and breathing his hope and courage into others, playing the part of a true Roman in a Roman ship, looked up to even by the centurion, and in his single self the saviour of the lives of all. But the interpolation-theory would cut out the centre of the picture.
There remains no reason to reject w. 21-26 which I can discover, except that it introduces the superhuman element. That is an argument to which I have no reply. It is quite a tenable position in the present stage of science and knowledge to maintain that every narrative which contains elements of the marvellous must be an unhistorical and untrustworthy narrative. But let us have the plain and honest reasons ; those who defend that perfectly fair position should not try to throw in front of it as outworks flimsy and uncritical reasons, which cannot satisfy for a moment any one that has not his mind made up beforehand on that fundamental premise. But the superhuman element is inextricably involved in this book : you cannot cut it out by any critical process that will bear scrutiny. You must accept all or leave all.
8. ON SHORE. (XXVII 39) AND WHEN IT WAS DAY THEY DID NOT RLCOGNISE THE LAND ; BUT THEY WERE
34° The Voyage to Rome. Chap. XIV.
AWARE OF A SORT OF BAY OR CREEK WITH A SANDY BEACH, AND THEY TOOK COUNSEL, IF POSSIBLE, TO DRIVE THE SHIP UP ON IT. (40) AND CASTING OFF THE ANCHORS, THEY LEFT THEM IN THE SEA, WHILST LOOSING THE FASTENINGS OF THE RUDDERS, AND SETTING THE FORESAIL TO THE BREEZE, THEY HELD FOR THE OPEN BEACH. (41) AND CHANCING ON A BANK BETWEEN TWO SEAS, THEY DROVE THE SHIP ON IT ; AND THE PROW STRUCK AND REMAINED IMMOVABLE, BUT THE AFTER PART BEGAN TO BREAK UP FROM THE VIOLENCE. (42) AND THE SOLDIERS' COUNSEL WAS TO KILL THE PRISONERS, LEST ANY SHOULD SWIM AWAY AND ESCAPE; (43) BUT THE CEN- TURION, WISHING TO SAVE PAUL, STAYED THEM FROM THEIR PURPOSE, AND BADE THEM THAT COULD SWIM TO LEAP OVERBOARD AND GET FIRST TO LAND, (44) AND THE REST, SOME ON PLANKS, AND SOME ON PIECES FROM THE SHIP. AND SO IT CAME TO PASS THAT ALL ESCAPED SAFE TO THE LAND.