Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
ACTS 28
Paul Ashore on Malta
1 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
7 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. 8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10 They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.
Paul’s Arrival at Rome
11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14 There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard
17 Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. 19 The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
21 They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”
23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said 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.”
27 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
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.’
28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!
Application Notes
28:1-2 The island of Malta is 60 miles south of Sicily. It had excellent harbours and was ideally located--for trade. The islanders on Malta were of Phoenician ancestry.
28:3 God had promised safe passage to Paul (27:23-25), and he would let nothing stop his servant. The poisonous viper that bit Paul was unable to harm him. Our lives are in God's hands, to continue on or to come to an end in his good timing. God still had work for Paul to do.
28:6 These people were very superstitious and believed in many gods. When they saw that Paul was unhurt by the poisonous viper, they thought he was a god. A similar assessment is reported in 14:11-18.
28:7-8 Paul continued to minister to others, even as a shipwrecked prisoner. Paul was earnest in his message and compassionate to everyone he met. Luke consistently mentions the Gentiles impacted by Paul's ministry. On this trip alone, the centurion, the chief official of Malta, and many others were affected. As Paul and his companions travelled to all of these islands and cities on their way to Rome, the impact of their ministry made the gospel spread like wildfire.
28:15 Where did the Roman believers come from? The gospel message had spread to Rome in various ways. Many Jews who lived in Rome would visit Jerusalem for religious festivals, and some had been present at Pentecost (2:10), had believed in Jesus, and had brought the message back to Rome. By the time Paul arrived in Rome, his letter to the Romans had already been written and received by the believers there.
28:15 The Forum of Appius was a town about 43 miles south of Rome; the Three Taverns was located about 35 miles south of Rome. A tavern was a shop or a place that provided food and lodging for travellers. The Christians openly went to meet Paul and encourage him. What an amazing greeting! Brothers and sisters in Christ whom Paul had never met welcomed him with open arms.
28:17-20 Paul wanted to preach the gospel in Rome, and he eventually got there--in chains, through shipwreck, and after many trials. Although he may have wished for an easier passage, he knew that God had blessed him greatly in allowing him to meet the believers in Rome and preach the message to both Jews and Gentiles in that great city. God caused everything to work together for good in Paul's life (Romans 8:28). You can trust God to do the same for you. God may not make you comfortable or secure, but he will provide the opportunities you need to do his work.
28:17 The decree of Claudius expelling Jews from Rome (18:2) must have been temporary, because Jewish leaders were back in Rome.
28:22 Christians were denounced everywhere by the Romans because they were seen as a threat to the Roman establishment. They believed in one God, whereas the Romans had many gods, including Caesar. The Christians were committed to an authority higher than Caesar.
28:23 Paul used the Old Testament to teach the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah, the fulfilment of God's promises. The book of Romans, written a number of years earlier, reveals Paul's ongoing dialogue with the Jews in Rome. You can read the Old Testament and see for yourself that everything points to God's plan to save the world through Jesus. Hear God's message of repentance, forgiveness, grace, and love as you read your Bible.
28:30 Paul remained in Rome under guard (28:16) in a rented house for two years. There sat the great apostle and spokesman for Christianity, unable to move freely and minister as he desired. However, Paul didn't complain or despair. He simply did what he could. Able to receive visitors, he taught, preached, and counselled even while he was confined to quarters. He wrote letters, commonly called his Prison Letters, to the Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians-letters that have impacted millions of believers down through the centuries. He also wrote personal letters, such as the one to Philemon. Luke was with Paul in Rome (2 Timothy 4:11). Timothy visited him (Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; Philemon 1:1), as did Tychicus (Ephesians 6:21), Epaphroditus (Philippians 4:18), and Mark (Colossians 4:10). In addition, Paul witnessed to the whole Roman guard (Philippians 1:13) and was involved with the Roman believers. If you find yourself in what appears to be a negative or unpleasant situation, look for ways to redeem the circumstances. You can glorify and serve God wherever you are.
28:30 Tradition says that Paul was released after two years of house arrest in Rome and that he then left on a fourth missionary journey. Some reasons for this tradition are as follows: (1) Luke does not give us an account of Paul's trial before Caesar, and Luke was a detailed chronicler; (2) the prosecution had two years to bring the case to trial, and time may have run out; (3) in his letter to the Philippians, written during his imprisonment in Rome, Paul implied that he would soon be released and would do further traveling; (4) Paul mentions several places where he intended to take the gospel, but he never visited those places in his first three journeys; and (5) early Christian literature talks plainly about other travels by Paul.
During his time of freedom, Paul may have continued to travel extensively, even going to Spain (see Romans 15:24, 28) and back to the churches in Greece. The books of 1 Timothy and Titus were written during this time. Later, Paul was imprisoned again, probably in Rome, where he wrote his last letter (2 Timothy).
28:31 Why does the book of Acts end here, and so abruptly? The book is not about the life of Paul but about the spread of the gospel, and that has been clearly presented. We have been shown how Christianity spread from a small group of disciples in Jerusalem to cities throughout the Roman Empire, and finally to Rome itself. God apparently did not think it was necessary for someone to write an additional book describing the continuing history of Paul's ministry or the early church. Now that the gospel had been preached and established at the centre of trade and government, it would spread across the world.
28:31 Paul's missionary journeys were fraught with peril, difficulty, pain, and disappointment. But God constantly sent encouragement through angels, other believers, and visions of Jesus himself at just the right times. In all things, God worked through Paul to reach millions of people not just in his century but, through his writings, in all the centuries since Jesus ascended into heaven. Because of Paul's writings in the New Testament, we have the opportunity to join with these countless witnesses to reach the world.
28:31 The book of Acts deals with the history of the early Christian church and its expansion in ever-widening circles touching Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, and Rome--the most influential cities in the Western world at the time. Acts also shows the mighty miracles and testimonies of the heroes and martyrs of the early church--Peter, Stephen, James, and Paul. The Holy Spirit worked in the lives of ordinary people-merchants, travellers, slaves, jailers, church leaders, men, women, Gentiles, Jews, rich, poor. Many unsung heroes of the faith continued the work, through the Holy Spirit, in succeeding generations, changing the world with a changeless message: Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour of all who call on him. Today, we can be the unsung heroes in the continuing story of the spread of the gospel. It is that same message that we are to take to our world so that many more may hear and believe. Luke ends Acts with the victorious declaration that the proclamation of the kingdom of God continued unhindered. Just as God demonstrated through Paul, his message of salvation through Jesus is unstoppable. Jesus has overcome the world and will one day return as King of kings! And by the power of the Holy Spirit, nothing can stop God from working in and through us.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)