Privileged Persuasion
“Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul.” Acts 27:11 NKJV http://bible.com/114/act.27.11.nkjv Julius the centurion had granted Paul the liberty of free association with his friends. Apparently, he was persuaded that Paul had no intention of escaping by jumping into the sea. It was a limited level of confidence in Paul, based on the little exposure to his capabilities and convictions about life and the mission to Rome. However, when the issue of embarking on the voyage from the city of Lasea under a dangerous sea condition was tabled, the centurion trusted the opinion of the helmsman and the owner of the ship more than the advice from Paul. It was a classical illustration of empirical persuasion - based on experiences and observations of the trends of event. Obviously, the experience of the helmsman about the weather and the understanding of the owner of the ship about the design capabilities ...