Acts 28
Paul on Malta
1 After we had safely reached shore, we learned that the island was called Malta.
Malta was an island sixty miles south of Italy. It was originally a Phoenician island, meaning escape or refuge, because Phoenicians sailors took refuge there from storms and bad weather.
2 The local inhabitants showed us extraordinary kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain and was cold.
The Greek word for "local inhabitants" is βάρβαροι (barbaroi), meaning barbarians. Barbarians did not mean uncivilized, but it was those who did not speak the Greek language. The Greek word for "kindness" is φιλανθρωπία (philanthropia), meaning love of mankind or those who show benevolence to those created in God's image. It was late winter and raining, so the Maltans welcomed all 276 of them, even though many of these men were criminals. They rescued them from the cold rain, and started a fire for them.
3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.
Notice that Paul was not a lazy preacher. He worked along with his new congregation. A night fire causes snakes to vacate the area. A poisonous snake bit Paul, but why did Paul not die?
First, in Mark 16:17-18, Jesus said, “And these signs shall follow those that believe; In my name they shall cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover”. Jesus was not speaking to modern day charismatics. He was speaking to the apostles who were standing in front of him before he ascended into heaven. These apostles would be able to take cast out demons, speak in tongues, take up snakes, drink poison, and heal the sick. The Book of Acts recorded the apostles and their legates doing all of these things. This prophecy was not given to the modern church, but to the apostles who were standing in front of Jesus before his ascension. He was encouraging them to complete the mission in which he had trained them to do while he was with them on earth.
Second, Paul was immortal until he witnessed to Caesar Nero in Rome. Therefore, poisonous snakes could not kill him.
4 When the local people saw the creature hanging from Paul’s hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself has not allowed him to live!”
This is karma philosophy, an ancient Hindu teaching that originated in India. Justice herself was either a pagan goddess or Justice personified. The Maltans believed that Paul was so evil, that he escaped the shipwreck, only to be slain by the goddess Justice, because of some terrible sin that he committed. The "comforter's of Job" also accused Job of some terrible sin.
5 However, Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.
Paul was immortal until he witnessed to Emperor Nero.
6 But they were expecting that he was going to swell up or suddenly drop dead. So after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
This was the second time in Scripture that Paul was taken as a god. It was simply not yet Paul's time to die, because God had plans for him.
7 Now in the region around that place were fields belonging to the chief official of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably as guests for three days.
Archaeology has shown that this chief official was a royal title of government. Publius as the Roman governor of Malta. Malta was a province of Sicily, which was sixty miles away.
8 The father of Publius lay sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and after praying, placed his hands on him and healed him.
The Greek word for dysentery is δυσεντερία (dusenteria), meaning a stomach ailment. This is a Greek medical term used only by Luke, showing that he was a physician. This dysentery was known as Maltese Fever. Again, the only healers in the New Testament were the apostles and their legates. Faith healers use this passage to falsely show that these same healing powers are available today. Luke is recording history, not doctrine. Paul lost his apostolic healing powers at the end of his ministry before his death. As the New Testament was nearing completion and as the apostles died out, the healing powers disappeared as well. Faith-healers today are either frauds or demonically controlled. It is possible for a demon to make one sick and then take away the sickness.
9 After this had happened, many of the people on the island who were sick also came and were healed.
Paul healed everyone that came to him for a three month period. These miracles authenticated that Paul's message was from God. If faith healers were for real, then they could duplicate this miracle. They could clear out every hospital in town. They could end high heath insurance costs. They could end Obamacare. They could eliminate the medical and pharmacy businesses. New Testament believers are to look to the Great Physician, not to faith healers.
10 They also bestowed many honors, and when we were preparing to sail, they gave us all the supplies we needed.
The Greek word for "honors" is τιμή (timay), meaning the monetary value. The Maltans donated everything that Paul needed to make his trip to Rome so that he could witness to Emperor Nero. They did not give these gifts to Paul in advance, as many modern faith healers requires. The ship was wrecked without supplies. They gave to Paul out of gratitude and to further the teaching of the gospel. The Holy Spirit shipwrecked Paul on this island, because some of his elect were on that island. Also, some of these elect were gifted with the resources to help Paul get to Rome to witness to kings. Before Nero started his persecution on Christians, God was going to give Paul a chance to witness to Nero. Nero will reject the message and began killing Christians in the Roman Arena. The fictional historical book "Quo Vadis" gives a good historical feel of these times.
Paul Finally Reaches Rome
11 After three months we put out to sea in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island and had the “Heavenly Twins” as its figurehead.
The Holy Spirit left Paul on Malta for three months to teach the gospel. Since he had survived a severe shipwreck and the poison of their most dangerous snake, and since he could speak in tongues so that they could understand him, Paul had their ear.
The three months were the winter months between November and February. After the winter, the Mediterranean Sea was safe to travel. Paul and Luke boarded their third ship, a large grain ship from Alexandria, Egypt.
The twins on the front bow of the ships were Castor and Pollux, the twin sons of Zeus and Jupiter and Leda. These were the twin gods who supposedly guided sea mariners safely to their destiny. If the constellation Gemini was seen during a storm, then it was an omen of good luck. Luke may have included this detail to contrast the superstition of the people of Malta, Rome, Greece, and Egypt against that of Christianity.
12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days.
Syracuse was a beautiful Greek city on the coast, about eighty miles from Malta. Tradition holds that Paul established a church during his 3-day stopover.
13 From there we cast off and arrived at Rhegium, and after one day a south wind sprang up and on the second day we came to Puteoli.
Rheglum was a city on the "toe" of Italy. Puteoli was a port on the bay of Naples. The harbors were not yet deep enough to receive the Alexandrian grain ships.
14 There we found some brothers and were invited to stay with them seven days. And in this way we came to Rome.
Paul and Luke stayed seven days at the Church of Puteoli. This church was not established directly by Paul. Some of the Jews may have heard Peter's speech at Pentecost of Paul's speech at The Feast of Tabernacles and established this church. Paul's letter to the Romans had also been delivered to this church. They must have been excited to have the Apostle Paul visit their church for seven days.
Rome stretched over 3000 miles with a population of over 4,500,000 with half of them slaves. Paul walked or sailed over most of this distance. He had finally made it to the Roman capital to meet Emperor Nero.
15 The brothers from there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. When he saw them, Paul thanked God and took courage.
By this time, the Church of Rome had already received the epistle to the Romans. They sent out a group to meet Paul at the entrance of the Appian Way, a famous road that led to Rome. These Romans traveled over thirty miles to meet and escort Paul. The Forum of Applus was on the Appian Way, about thirty miles from Rome. Church tradition recorded Peter later being martyred by Nero upside down on the Appian Way.
16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.
The Roman commander who survived the shipwreck and delivered Paul must have pulled some political strings for Paul. Paul was placed under house arrest, He had a Roman guard chained to his right hand.
Paul had many curious visitors every day. The Roman guards had to listen to him daily preach the gospel to his visitors. The Roman guards were chained and they could not escape their preacher! Many of the Roman guards believed on Jesus during this time period. Some of the guards and servants in Nero's own household became believers from Paul's influence as a prisoner of Rome. An emperor is only as strong as the support of his military. These Christian conversions inside of the Roman guard would later bring Rome down. It was the teachings of this blind apostle from a Roman prison which brought down the mighty Roman Empire.
Paul Addresses the Jewish Community in Rome
17 After three days Paul called the local Jewish leaders together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, from Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans.
As was his custom, Paul took the gospel to the Jews first. However, since he was a prisoner, the Jews had to come visit Paul. Paul gave a quick summary of his arrest. Paul called them brothers, because they were from the same race. Paul was not an opponent of the Jewish culture or customs.
18 When they had heard my case, they wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me.
The Commander, Felix, Festus, and Agrippa had all admitted that Paul was innocent, but they did not release him because of political reasons. Paul should have been freed by Roman Law.
19 But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar – not that I had some charge to bring against my own people.
When Festus refused to release Paul for political reasons, but instead discussed turning Paul over to Jewish authorities in Jerusalem, Paul had no choice but to appeal to Caesar. Notice that Paul still considered himself as part of the Jewish nation.
20 So for this reason I have asked to see you and speak with you, for I am bound with this chain because of the hope of Israel.”
The hope of Israel was not Judaism, but Jesus the Messiah.
21 They replied, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there and reported or said anything bad about you.
The Jewish synagogue in Rome had certainly heard about Paul, but they had received no official letters from the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem.
22 But we would like to hear from you what you think, for regarding this sect we know that people everywhere speak against it.”
The Jews in the Roman synagogues were curious to hear of this new sect of Judaism. Everything that they had heard so far was bias and negative.
23 They set a day to meet with him, and they came to him where he was staying in even greater numbers. From morning until evening he explained things to them, testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the prophets.
The Greek word for "explained" is ἐκτίθημι (ektithami), meaning that Paul expounded everything to them in great detail, just as you would to a child. He showed in detail how the Law and the prophets predicted the suffering and atonement of the Messiah. He also showed why the kingdom program was postponed delayed.
24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others refused to believe.
This is the same today. The elect believe, but the non-elect make their own choice and choose not to believe.
25 So they began to leave, unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah,
There was disagreement in the synagogue about Paul's message. Paul left the synagogue with a final message from Isaiah 6:9-10. Paul first mentioned the dual authorship of Isaiah and the Holy Spirit. The message was divine, but from a human agent.
26 when he said, ‘Go to this people and say, “You will keep on hearing, but will never understand, and you will keep on looking, but will never perceive.
Isaiah's message was literally for the two tribes of Judah that refused to listen to God's prophets. Because they heard without understanding and saw without perception, they would be judged by God via the Babylonian Captivity.
27 For the heart of this people has become dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.”’
The second half of the Isaiah quotation predicted that the last two tribes of Judah had dull ears, because they could not understand the word of God. They also were blind and they could not see what was about to happen. Their hearts would not turn to God, so he could not heal them. Their judgment was coming though the Babylonian Captivity.
Paul did not tickle the ears of the Jews who rejected the message of Jesus. He flat out told them that just as their ancestors had dull ears, blind eyes, and an unrepentant heart, the Jews of Jerusalem were exactly the same. Just as their ancestors had rejected God and were heading into judgment, so the same thing would happen to the Jews in Rome.
28 “Therefore, be advised that this salvation from God has been sent to the Gentiles, they will listen!”
Since many, but not all of the Jews, had rejected the gospel, Paul now will turn to the Gentiles in Rome.
29 When he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.
This verse is not in the Westcott-Hort manuscripts, but it is in the Textus Receptus.
30 Paul lived there two whole years in his own rented quarters and welcomed all who came to him,
By Roman law, the accusing Jews had two years to come to Rome and state their case. If they refused to make the trip in two years, then the case was dropped and the prisoner was released. The Jews knew that they had no case against Paul, so they allowed him to stay the entire two years, hoping to keep him quiet. However, Paul wrote four prison epistles during this time, and they have been read by millions of believers in every continent and in every language.
31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete boldness and without restriction.
The Book of Acts ended abruptly, because the Holy Spirit is still continuing this ministry today. He will continue this ministry until the Rapture of the Church.
What happened to Paul after the Book of Acts? Some of the possibilities are as follows.
First, Paul's two year prison stint ministry was so powerful in Rome, that it even touched members of the Roman guard. Second, during this two-year period, Paul wrote his “Prison Epistles" (Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians). Third, Paul probably returned to the provinces of Macedonia, Achaia, Asia, and then turned west to Spain. Fourth, he taught in the Aegean, where he was taken prisoner. Fifth, Paul continued his teaching in Rome until his martyrdom. Church tradition recorded that Paul was martyred by beheading, which was the execution of a Roman citizen. Non-roman citizens, such as Jesus, were executed by crucifixion.
In conclusion, God used this one small, little, Jewish, blind man to bring down the mighty, satanic, Roman Empire. What can God do with you?
