On the island of Malta
28
📚And when they had escaped, they then learned that the island was called Melita 📖. 2 📚And those non-Grecian people 📖 showed us no little kindness. For they kindled a fire, and gave a welcome to all of us, because of the rain that was falling and the cold. 3 📚And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper, escaping from the heat, fastened on his hand. 4 📚And when those people 📖 saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said among themselves, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Even though he has escaped the sea, justice does not permit him to live”. 28:4 Compare Rom 2:14-15. God has placed the idea of justice in the hearts of people everywhere. These islanders believed in exact divine retribution.⚜
5 📚And he shook the creature off into the fire, and experienced no harm.
28:5 Mark 16:18. This is the only case of this kind recorded in the New Testament.⚜
6 📚And they expected that he would swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after they had watched for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
28:6 To them Paul seemed to have some supernatural power and in their ignorance and superstition they thought only the “gods” could exercise such powers. Compare Acts 14:11-18.⚜
7 📚In the same area there were fields belonging to the leading man of the island, whose name was Publius. He received us and kindly welcomed us as guests for three days. 8 📚And it so happened that the father of Publius lay sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, laid his hands on him, and healed him. 9 📚So when this happened, others in the island also who had diseases came and were healed. 10 📚And they showed us much respect, and when we left they loaded us down with things that were needed.
11 📚And after three months we sailed in a ship of Alexandria which had spent the winter at the island. Its emblem was Castor and Pollux. 12 And landing at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days.
28:12 Syracuse was the chief port of the island of Sicily.⚜
13 📚And from there we circled around and came to Rhegium, and a day later the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli.
28:13 Rhegium was on the southernmost coast of Italy. Puteoli was the chief port of southern Italy. It was near present-day Naples.⚜
14 📚There we found some brethren 📖 and were asked to stay with them for seven days. And so we proceeded toward Rome. 15 📚And when the brethren heard about us, from there they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum, and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.
Paul in Rome
16 📚And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the commander of the guard, but Paul was allowed to live by himself with a soldier who kept him under guard.
28:16 Paul was given considerable liberty (v 30) because there were no charges against him (Acts 25:25-27; 26:31-32) and he was a Roman citizen.⚜
17 📚And three days later it came about that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. And when they had assembled, he said to them, “Men and brethren, even though I have done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, from Jerusalem I was given over as a prisoner into the hands of the Romans.
28:17 Paul wasted no time but right away tried to reach the Jewish community in Rome with the gospel. See Rom 9:1-3.⚜
18 📚When they examined me, they would have let me go, because there was no reason found in me for the death penalty. 19 📚But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar; not that I had any accusation to bring against my nation. 20 📚Therefore, for this reason I have sent for you to see you and to speak with you, because for the hope 📖 of Israel I am bound with this chain”.
21 📚And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea concerning you, and none of the brethren who have come reported or said anything bad about you. 22 📚But we want to hear from you what you think, for as for this sect 📖 we know that everywhere it is spoken against”.
23 📚And when they had fixed a day for him, many came to him in his lodging. He explained, and testified about, the kingdom of God 📖, speaking convincingly to them about Jesus, both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning to evening. 24 📚And some assented to the things that were said, and some would not believe. 25 📚And when they disagreed among themselves, they left, after Paul had spoken one word: “Well spoke the Holy Spirit by Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, 26 📚saying,
Go to this people, and say,
Hearing you will hear,
and will not understand,
and seeing you will see,
and not perceive.
27 📚For the heart of this people has
become fat,
and their ears are dull of hearing,
and they have closed their eyes so
that they might not see
with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart,
and be converted,
and be healed by me.
28:25-27 Isa 6:9-10; Matt 13:13-15; Rom 11:8. Notice the words “spoke the Holy Spirit”. Paul believed in the full divine inspiration of the Old Testament (2 Tim 3:16). In this also he was a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt 5:17-18; John 10:35). The Jews’ rejection of the gospel was in accordance with a prophecy in their own Scriptures.⚜
28 📚“So be it known to you that the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles, and that they will hear it”.
29 And when he had spoken these words, the Jews left and had a great argument among themselves.
30 And Paul lived two full years in his own rented house, receiving all who came to him, 31 📚and preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with complete confidence, no one hindering him.
28:31 Verse 23. Again we see that with the apostles the preaching of God’s kingdom and the teaching about Christ were intimately connected. Note on God’s kingdom at Matt 4:17. Luke closed this brief history of the early Church with Paul in Rome. One of his aims was to show how the words of Christ in Acts 1:8 were fulfilled. He had done what he set out to do, and his work was completed. He wrote, no doubt, before Paul stood before the Emperor to be judged.
We do not know with certainty what happened to Paul at the end of this time in Rome. We do not need to know. Tradition says that eventually he was beheaded there. However that may be, before long Paul and all the apostles passed away and went to be with Christ. But the work of Christ, not being dependent on any one man, or group of men, goes on to this day. What Christ “began” (Acts 1:1) He still continues to do and He will complete it in due time. Happy are those who have a part in it all.⚜