But after Paul, in consequence of his appeal to Caesar, had been sent to Rome by Festus, the Jews, being frustrated in their hope of entrapping him by the snares that they had laid for him, turned against James, the brother of the Lord, to whom the episcopal seat at Jerusalem had been entrusted by the apostles. The following daring measures were undertaken by them against him. Leading him into their midst they demanded of him that he should renounce faith in Christ in the presence of all the people. But, contrary to the opinion of all, with a clear voice and with greater boldness than they had anticipated, [James] spoke out before the whole multitude and confessed that our Savior and Lord Jesus is the Son of God. But they were unable to bear longer the testimony of the man who, on account of the excellence of ascetic virtue and of piety that he exhibited in his life, was esteemed by all as the most just of people, and consequently they killed him. Opportunity for this deed of violence was furnished by the prevailing anarchy, which was caused by the fact that Festus had died just at this time in Judea and that the province was thus without a governor and head. The manner of James’ death has been already indicated by the above-quoted words of Clement, who records that he was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple and was beaten to death with a club.

Aristarchus accompanies Paul for a while. He is fittingly and usefully present with the intention of reporting everything concerning him in Macedonia.

See how God does not alter or change the order of nature but allows him to sail into unfavorable winds. But even so the miracle happens. To ensure that they sail safely, he did not allow them to go out to the open sea; they always sailed along the coast.

Again trials, again contrary winds. See how the life of the saints is so composed of all these things: he escaped the court, and they fall into a shipwreck and a storm.

See [Paul’s] modesty: in order that he may not appear to prophesy but to speak as if from supposition, he says I see. They would have not received his words if he had pronounced them at once. In the first place he prophesies and says, God, whom I worship, thus leading them. How would have it happened without a loss of lives? There surely would be such a loss if God did not save them.

Since Paul was a prophet, he announced the danger, which would have threatened them on the ship. But he was not able to convince them to spend the winter in Crete, so that it was not fate that dragged them into danger but their will.

Another version puts this more clearly,^[1] And the ship was caught when they could not oppose the wind; with the ship at the mercy of the gale, they began to furl the sails. Then we sailed past an island which is called Cauda, which they could not reach; but having lowered the skiff, they began to strengthen the ship, girding her [with ropes]. Also they dragged anchors, being afraid to encounter the Syrtis banks. From this it is shown that they lowered ropes from the middle of both sides of the ship and around its foremost parts, and to these they attached anchors which were dragged along, just as in our, that is, the British sea, they customarily tie millstone-sized stones behind the stern, so as to hold a ship back. They did these things to restrain the vessel, lest by a misdirected rush of waves she might run aground on the Syrtis banks, which are terrifying even when they are only heard of, because they seize all things to themselves.^[2] Hence Sallust says that their name was derived from the word for a dragging away.^[3]

Fierce was the storm then, and thick the darkness. Even the ship breaks up, so that they should not forget. The grain is thrown overboard along with everything else to prevent them from being able to behave shamelessly after this.^[1] For this is why the ship breaks up and their lives are in danger: in no small way did the storm and the darkness contribute to [Paul] getting the hearing that he did.