NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 76
A cts 2 8 : 1
2032
Paul on the Island of Malta
Once we were safe on shore, we
learned that we were on the island of
Malta. 2 The people of the island were very
kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built
a fire on the shore to welcome us.
3 As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and
was laying them on the fire, a poisonous
snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the
hand. 4 The people of the island saw it hang
ing from his hand and said to each other, “A
murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the
sea, justice will not permit him to live.” 5 But
Paul shook off the snake into the fire and
was unharmed. 6 The people waited for him
to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when
they had waited a long time and saw that he
wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds
and decided he was a god.
7 Near the shore where we landed was an
estate belonging to Publius, the chief official
of the island. He welcomed us and treated us
kindly for three days. 8 As it happened, Pub
lius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery.
Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying
his hands on him, he healed him. 9 Then all
the other sick people on the island came and
were healed. 10 As a result we were showered
with honors, and when the time came to
sail, people supplied us with everything we
would need for the trip.
28
first stop was Syracuse,* where we stayed
three days. 13 From there we sailed across to
Rhegium.* A day later a south wind began
blowing, so the following day we sailed up
the coast to Puteol i. 14 There we found some
believers,* who invited us to spend a week
with them. And so we came to Rome.
15 The brothers and sisters* in Rome had
heard we were coming, and they came to
meet us at the Forum* on the Appian Way.
Others joined us at The Three Taverns.*
When Paul saw them, he was encouraged
and thanked God.
16 When we arrived in Rome, Paul was
permitted to have his own private lodging,
though he was guarded by a soldier.
Paul’s Ministry in Rome (28:1731)
Paul’s Meeting with the Jewish
Community
17 Three days after Paul’s arrival, he called
together the local Jewish leaders. He said to
them, “Brothers, I was arrested in Jerusalem
and handed over to the Roman government,
even though I had done nothing against our
people or the customs of our ancestors.
18 The Romans tried me and wanted to re
lease me, because they found no cause for
the death sentence. 19 But when the Jewish
leaders protested the decision, I felt it neces
sary to appeal to Caesar, even though I had
no desire to press charges against my own
The Trip from Malta to Rome
people. 20 I asked you to come here today so
11 It was three months after the shipwreck
we could get acquainted and so I could ex
that we set sail on another ship that had plain to you that I am bound with this chain
wintered at the island—an Alexandrian ship because I believe that the hope of Israel—the
with the twin gods* as its figurehead. 12 Our Messiah—has already come.”
28:1
Acts 27:26, 39
28:4
Luke 13:2, 4
28:5
Mark 16:18
Luke 10:19
28:6
Acts 14:11
28:8
Jas 5:1415
28:11
Acts 27:6
28:16
Acts 24:23; 27:3
28:17
Acts 24:1213; 25:8
28:18
Acts 23:29
28:19
Acts 25:11
28:20
Acts 26:6
8:11 The twin gods were the Roman gods Castor and Pollux. 28:12 Syracuse was on the island of Sicily. 28:13 Rhegium was on
2
the southern tip of Italy. 28:14 Greek brothers. 28:15a Greek brothers. 28:15b The Forum was about 43 miles (70 kilometers)
from Rome. 28:15c The Three Taverns was about 35 miles (57 kilometers) from Rome.
28:1 Malta was a major island under
Roman control, about sixty miles
(100 km) south of Sicily.
28:36 The locals of Malta understood
justice as a personified power or deity
carrying out judgment on a criminal.
When nothing bad happened to Paul,
the natives understood him as having
power over snakes and concluded that
he himself was a god (cp. 14:1112). In
fact, Paul’s survival demonstrated God’s
protection (cp. Mark 16:1718).
28:89 Cp. Luke 4:3840.
28:10 Showing their gratefulness, the
people supplied the ship’s company with
what they needed.
28:1116 Luke, himself present on
this journey (see note on 27:1–28:16),
recorded Paul’s itinerary from Malta to
Rome with great geographical detail.
T H E P E N TAT E U C H
28:11 Another Egyptian ship from Alex
andria took Paul and his companions on
board after an interval of three months
and the worst of the winter had passed.
28:12 Syracuse was the capital of the
eastern half of Sicily.
28:1314 They sailed across the Straits
of Messina to Rhegium on the southern
tip of Italy. This port was a stopping
place for ships traveling from the west
coast of Italy to the eastern Mediterra
nean. • Puteoli (modern Pozzuoli) was
a major port of entry for large grain
ships bringing supplies from the east
to Rome. Paul spent a week here with
some local believers before moving on
to Rome.
28:15 Paul was greeted by brothers and
sisters who met his party on the way up
to Rome.
28:16 Paul was allowed to have his
own . . . lodging, apparently in private
ISRAEL’S HISTORY
facilities, though he was guarded by
a soldier. Though Paul was traveling
in chains, “the word of God cannot be
chained” (2 Tim 2:9). Paul was possibly
treated so well because of his social
status or Roman citizenship (cp. Acts
16:3738; 22:2528).
28:1720 Conscious that the Good News
was to be presented to the Jews first
(13:46; Rom 1:16) and concerned that
the false charges against him might
already have reached Rome, Paul sum
moned the local Jewish leaders and
gave an account of his life and work. He
insisted that he was guilty of no criminal
offense, but strong Jewish opposi
tion had made it necessary for him to
appeal to the emperor. Paul had noth
ing against his own people; rather, he
wanted to explain his great conviction
that the Messiah they had been expect
ing had already come in the person of
Jesus of Nazareth.
POETRY & WISDOM
