Paul and the other prisoners were now threatened by a fate more terrible than shipwreck. The soldiers saw that in this crisis it would be impossible for them to keep charge of their prisoners. Every man would have all that he could do to save himself. Yet if any of the prisoners were missing, the lives of those who had them in charge would be forfeited. Hence the soldiers desired to put all the prisoners to death. The Roman law sanctioned this cruel policy, and the proposal would have been executed at once, but for him to whom soldiers and prisoners alike owed their preservation. Julius the centurion knew that Paul had been instrumental in saving the lives of all on board, and he felt that it would be the basest ingratitude to allow him to be put to death; and more, he felt convinced that the Lord was with Paul, and he feared to do him harm. He therefore gave orders to spare the lives of the prisoners, and directed that all who could swim should cast themselves into the sea and get to land. The rest seized hold of planks and other fragments of the wreck, and were carried landward by the waves. {LP 269.2}

Paulus og andre fanger blev nu behandlet med en frygteligere skæbne end skibbruddet. Soldaterne så at det i denne krise ville være umuligt for dem at tage vare på deres fanger. Enhver ville have alt hvad han kunne gøre for at redde sig selv. Hvis der dog gik nogle af fangernes liv tabt, ville deres liv, som havde dem i varetægt blive foretrukket. Derfor ønskede soldaterne at dræbe fangerne. Den romerske lov billigede denne grusomme politik, og forslaget var at eksekvere dette med det sammen, men ham hvor soldater og fanger stod lige for, skyldte de at de blev bevaret. Høvedsmanden Julius vidste at Paulus var redskab til at frelse alle liv ombord, og han følte at det ville være den mest fornedrende utaknemmelighed, at lade ham dø; og mere, han følte sig overbevist om at Herren var med Paulus, og han var bange for at skade ham. Han gav derfor ordre til at spare fangernes liv, og anviste at alle som kunne svømme skulle kaste sig selv i havet og komme ind til land. Resten greb fat i planker og andre stykker af vraget, og blev båret i land af bølgerne.