Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 27:1

"And when it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band." — Acts 27:1 (ASV)

The account of Paul’s journey to Rome is the longest of Luke’s four “we” sections (27:1–28:16; cf. 16:10–17; 20:5–15; 21:1–18). The vividness and precision of the narrative confirm what the use of “we” implies—that it is an eyewitness report. The centurion Julius, assigned to take Paul to Rome, was a member of “the Imperial Regiment.” The soldiers who performed the police and escort services in Paul’s day were the speculatores, a special body of imperial guards who were particularly prominent in times of military intrigue. They did not belong to any division of a Roman army legion; instead, they formed a special unit of their own.