Bede : For an angel of God stood by me this night. He was not boasting of himself by saying this but was provoking them to faith. For the sea was allowed to be stormy so that by what was heard and by what was not heard, the spiritual grace in Paul might be revealed. — Commentary on Acts John Chrysostom : "For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo God hath given thee all them that sail with thee." So that righteous men, though they may be in a tempest, or on the sea, or in the deep, suffer nothing dreadful, but even save others together with themselves. If here was a ship in danger and suffering wreck, and prisoners were saved for Paul's sake, consider what a thing it is to have a holy man in a house: for many are the tempests which assail us also, tempests far more grievous than these natural ones, but He can also give us to be delivered, if only we obey holy men as those in the ship did, if we do what they enjoin. For they are not simply saved, but themselves also contributed to other men's believing. Though the holy man be in bonds, he does greater works than those who are free. — Homily on Acts 53 Origen of Alexandria : That both good angels are present to men and adverse ones; that it was surely not by chance and without judgment that that angel was allotted to be the guardian of that soul, for example of Peter, and another of Paul, or another of one infant of the Church, concerning whose angels the Lord says that they "always behold the face of their Father who is in heaven." Concerning whom there is surely no room to doubt that, by the judgment of God—who clearly perceives both their worthiness and the quality of our soul—they are allotted the guardianship of each one of us by a certain mystical lot directed by the dispensation of Christ. — HOMILIES ON Joshua 23.3