<p>27:43 <em>But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that they who could swim should throw themselves overboard first and get to land</em>- According to 2 Cor. 11:25, Paul was in the 'swimmers' category.</p><p>Paul's magnetism which represents that of the Lord, whom he represented in this parable of salvation is most clearly shown by the Centurion being willing to allow all the prisoners to make their own way to land, rather than allow Paul to be killed. Of course our mind goes back to how the jailor at Philippi was literally on the verge of suicide because he just <em>thought</em>&nbsp;that his prisoners had escaped (actually, none of them had). Yet among those 275 desperate men, there must have been some who secretly despised Paul. The Centurion &quot;kept them from <em>their purpose</em>&quot; of killing Paul. This may suggest that even in their personal desperation, some of the men on that ship were prepared to kill Paul, due to their own sense of inadequacy, and jealousy of his spirituality. &nbsp;</p>