Acts 28:1-31
The Gospel Unhindered
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1Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.
2The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold.
3Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he laid them on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to his hand.
4When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”
5But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
6The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
7Nearby stood an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days.
8The father of Publius was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after praying and placing his hands on him, he healed the man.
9After this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured as well.
10The islanders honored us in many ways and supplied our needs when we were ready to sail.
11After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered in the island. It had the Twin Brothers as a figurehead.
12Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there three days.
13From there we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium. After one day, a south wind came up, and on the second day we arrived at Puteoli.
14There we found some brothers who invited us to spend the week with them. And so we came to Rome.
15The brothers there had heard about us and traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and gave thanks to God.
16When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to stay by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
17After three days, he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, I was taken prisoner in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.
18They examined me and wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me.
19But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, even though I have no charge to bring against my nation.
20So for this reason I have called to see you and speak with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
21The leaders replied, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers from there reported or even mentioned anything bad about you.
22But we consider your views worth hearing, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.”
23So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.
24Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others refused to believe.
25They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit was right when He spoke to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
26‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
27For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’
28Be advised, therefore, that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
30Paul stayed there two full years in his own rented house, welcoming all who came to visit him.
31Boldly and freely he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Berean Standard Bible
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The shipwreck has left Paul and the other passengers on an unfamiliar island in the rain and cold. The islanders do not know them, yet they build a fire and welcome everyone. Paul joins the work by gathering sticks. That ordinary act of helping with the fire becomes the setting for something frightening: a viper is driven out by the heat and fastens itself to Paul's hand.
The islanders interpret the snake through what they already believe. First they decide Paul must be a murderer receiving delayed justice. When he does not swell up or die, they swing to the opposite conclusion and call him a god. Luke records no reply from Paul to either judgment. What the islanders see is real, but it does not establish either conclusion they draw.
Nearby, Publius, the island's chief official, receives the survivors for three days. His father is sick with fever and dysentery. Paul visits him, prays, lays hands on him, and sees him healed. After that, the other sick people on the island come and are cured as well. The islanders respond by honoring the group and supplying what they need when it is time to sail.
This is not a detour that makes Paul's mission irrelevant. Hospitality, prayer, and healing are part of the mission while the travelers wait for the next ship. The people who helped strangers in the cold become people to whom God's mercy is shown.
After three months, the journey continues through Syracuse, Rhegium, and Puteoli. In Puteoli, Paul finds brothers who invite the travelers to stay for a week. When Paul finally approaches Rome, believers travel out to meet him at the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns. Seeing them gives him courage, and he thanks God.
Paul is allowed to live by himself with a soldier guarding him. After three days, he calls the Jewish leaders together. He explains that he has done nothing against his people or the customs of his fathers, yet he is a prisoner because of the hope of Israel. They have heard nothing official about him, but they are willing to listen because the Way is spoken against everywhere.
Many people come to hear Paul. From morning to evening, he explains God's kingdom and persuades them about Jesus from Moses and the Prophets. Some are convinced; others refuse to believe. Paul quotes Isaiah's warning about hearing without understanding and eyes deliberately closed. Listening to a long explanation does not itself mean receiving the truth. He then announces that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen.
Boldly and freely he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke leaves Paul in Rome for two full years, welcoming everyone who comes. Paul is restricted, but the message is not. Acts ends without recording a courtroom victory or Paul's release. It ends with the kingdom being announced, Jesus being taught, and the gospel remaining unhindered.
Questions
1 How did the islanders welcome the survivors?
AnswerThey built a fire and welcomed everyone because it was raining and cold. Later they supplied what the travelers needed to sail.
2 How did their opinion of Paul change after the snakebite?
AnswerThey first assumed he was a murderer receiving judgment. When he suffered no harm, they called him a god. Neither conclusion followed reliably from what they had seen.
3 How did Paul's conversations with the Jewish leaders develop?
AnswerHe first explained why he was a prisoner. They then arranged another day, when many came and he taught from morning to evening about God's kingdom and Jesus. Some believed and others refused.
4 How did Paul spend the two years described at the end?
AnswerHe welcomed visitors to his rented house, proclaimed God's kingdom, and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ boldly and freely.
What This Means for Us
We may be waiting for circumstances to change before imagining how we can serve. Paul's time under guard included a welcome for visitors and patient teaching about Jesus. Consider one person you can encourage or invite into a conversation now, within the limits you actually have. Receiving help matters too: Paul gave thanks when believers came to meet him. We do not have to be the person supplying strength every time.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, make us attentive to people who need welcome, prayer, and truth. Help us serve faithfully when plans are interrupted and circumstances are restricted. Give us courage to teach about you clearly, patience with those who listen, and confidence that your gospel cannot be chained. Amen.