CHAPTER 28

(A.D. 62)

MELITA

¹And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita (it is now called Malta, and is about fifty miles south of Sicily in the Mediterranean).

²And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness (is not meant by Luke to be an insult; it just referred to people who were not influenced by Greek culture): for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

THE MIRACLE

³And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand (presents Satan, having been unsuccessful in killing Paul with a storm, now trying another tactic).

⁴And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffers not to live (they knew that the poison of this particular type of viper would kill any man).

⁵And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm (doesnt mean that he did not feel the pain of the bite, but rather did not begin to swell, as instantly was the case normally!).

⁶Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly (they had personally seen the snake bite Paul, even hanging on his hand; so, they knew the reptile had bitten full force): but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god (probably referred to Hercules; he was one of the gods of the Phoenicians and was worshiped on Malta under the title of dispeller of evil).

⁷In the same quarters were possessions of the Chief man of the island, whose name was Publius (this man had a Roman name, so it probably means he was the Roman official on this Island); who received us, and lodged us three days courteously.

HEALING

⁸And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux (presents a medical term which Luke would have used, being a Physician; the man had a reoccurring fever and dysentery): to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him (the Lord is still the Healer).

⁹So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:

¹⁰Who also honoured us with many honours (evidently indicates material things such as clothing, food, and even gifts of money, etc.); and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary (no doubt, refers to the entirety of the 276 people who had been shipwrecked).

¹¹And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux (evidently portrayed another grain ship from the same city where the wrecked ship had been based [Acts 27:6]; the two signs mentioned here were the favorite divinities of Mediterranean seamen at that time; it was the custom to have their images, whatever they were, on the head and stern of their ships).

¹²And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days (Syracuse was the capitol of Sicily, about eighty miles north of Malta).

¹³And from thence we fetched a compass (took a heading), and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli (Puteoli was the chief port on the Bay of Naples):

¹⁴Where we found Brethren (those who were followers of Christ), and were desired to tarry with them seven days (the Centurion allowed Paul to remain with these Brethren and, no doubt, preach the Gospel to them for this length of time): and so we went toward Rome (finds them finishing this perilous journey on foot).

¹⁵And from thence, when the Brethren (from Rome) heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The Three Taverns (a runner evidently went to the Capitol informing the Brethren that Paul was coming; consequently, it seems a group went to meet Paul): whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage (refers to the fellowship the Apostle and those with him greatly enjoyed).

ROME

¹⁶And when we came to Rome, the Centurion delivered the prisoners to the Captain of the Guard (pertained to the Commander of Neros Praetorian Guard): but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier who kept him (obviously means Paul was treated differently from the other prisoners; he was evidently granted special favors).

¹⁷And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the Chief of the Jews together (not only refers to the main Jewish Leader in Rome, but the other leaders as well): and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and Brethren (the following account seems to indicate that the Brethren of Verse 15 had no connection with these Jewish Leaders), though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our Fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans (proclaims the Apostle relating the situation exactly as it had happened).

¹⁸Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me (pertained to the Romans, not the Jews, as the next Verse explains).

¹⁹But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar (proclaims the Apostle having done this in order to save his life); not that I had ought to accuse my nation of (he was in no way in Rome to bring charges against the Jews or to cause them problems in any manner).

²⁰For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain (in effect, he is saying that all of this is because of his proclamation of Christ as the Messiah of Israel, and the Saviour of the world).

PAUL

²¹And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning you, neither any of the Brethren who came showed or spoke any harm of you (probably pertained to the fact that Roman Law punished unsuccessful prosecutors of Roman citizens; it is difficult to comprehend that these Jewish Leaders in Rome had never heard of Paul, but it seems somewhat that this was the case, or else their knowledge of him was scant).

²²But we desire to hear of you what you think (proclaims a great opportunity now presented to Paul): for as concerning this sect (Christianity), we know that everywhere it is spoken against (true Bible Christianity continues to be everywhere spoken against).

²³And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging (it is believed that he was allowed to rent a house, and there abide during his stay in Rome); to whom he expounded and testified the Kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the Law of Moses, and out of the Prophets, from morning till evening (they heard the Word as they had never heard the Word before; above all, they heard about Jesus, to Whom the Word pointed).

²⁴And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not (some embraced Christ as Lord, Messiah, and Saviour, and some did not).

THE JEWS

²⁵And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spoke the Holy Spirit by Isaiah the Prophet unto our Fathers (proclaims the instrument as Isaiah, but the Speaker as the Holy Spirit),

²⁶Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and not perceive (Isa. 6:9-10; presents the sixth of seven times this is recorded by the Holy Spirit [Isa. 6:9; Mat. 13:14; Mk. 4:12; Lk. 8:10; Jn. 12:40; Acts 28:26; Rom. 11:8]):

²⁷For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them (this is a willful rejection of Truth, which brings about a willful judgment of the hardening of the heart).

²⁸Be it known therefore unto you, that the Salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it (presents Pauls last statement to the Jewish leadership of Rome that day; in effect, he says that the Salvation of God is found only in Jesus).

²⁹And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves (discussing greatly what he had said).

ROME

³⁰And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house (rented house), and received all who came in unto him (no doubt, strengthened the Church mightily in Rome),

³¹Preaching the Kingdom of God (refers to the Rule of God in the human heart and life), and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him (it is said that even some from Caesars household were converted [Phil. 4:22]).