Bible Commentaries
Acts 28

Verses 1-10

Act 28:1-10

THREE MONTHS IN MELITA

Acts 28:1-10

1 And when we were escaped,—When the crew and all the passengers were safely on shore, they learned that the island was “called Melita.” No doubt the sailors would have recognized the island had they approached it in the usual way. This island is now known as “Malta”; it is located about sixty-five or seventy miles south of Cilicia or Sicily; it is nine miles wide and seventeen miles long; it now belongs to Great Britain. At one time it was thought that the shipwreck was near the island of Meleda, but that view is no longer held. The island of Malta fits the description in every way, and was on the direct route to Syracuse and Rhegium.

2 And the barbarians showed us no common kindness:— “Barbarians” is from the Greek “barbaroi,” and is a word used by the Greeks who called all men “Barbarians” who did not speak Greek (Romans 1:14), not “barbarians” as meaning rude or uncivilized ; it simply meant “foreign folk.” The term originally meant “uncouth repetition,” Greek, “barbar,” not understood by others. (1 Corinthians 14:11.) Paul used the term with “Scythian” in Colossians 3:11, and here it meant that they were not Christians. The inhabitants of the island showed “no common kindness” to the stranded crew and passengers. They were very kind to the strangers; “they kindled a fire,” “received us all,” made no distinction between the different classes represented in the company. It was cold, and the natives showed due consideration for the unfortunate ones who had been shipwrecked. The shipwrecked were wet from swimming to land, so the natives made a fire to warm and dry them.

3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks—We see Paul here making himself useful by helping as he had done along the journey before the shipwreck. It appears that he and other prisoners helped to throw overboard some of the cargo to lighten the ship. A poisonous serpent had hidden itself in the driftwood that Paul gathered, and when the wood was placed on the fire, this “viper,” which was in a state of torpor because of the winter season, came out and “fastened” on Paul’s hand. The serpent was warmed into activity by the heat and bit Paul. It is claimed by some that Luke’s record is not true, since there are no poisonous reptiles there now. However, the fact that there are no poisonous vipers on Malta now does not prove that Luke’s statements are false. The island now has a larger population than it had at that time. Such animals are driven away and destroyed by civilized man. Many sections of our own country were infested with dangerous animals and poisonous serpents at one time, but now the present-day civilization has driven them away, and many species have even become extinct.

4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous creature—The natives on the island were superstitious; they could see that Paul was a prisoner, and they naturally suspected that his crime was no small one; they concluded that he was a murderer, and though he had escaped death in the sea, “yet Justice hath not suffered to live.” They personified “Justice,” and expected Paul, as a condemned man, to fall down dead. They reasoned that Paul had fortunately escaped drowning in the sea, but now justice had overtaken him. They knew the bite of a viper would produce death.

5 Howbeit he shook off the creature—There is nothing in the Greek to represent “venomous” as used in verse 4, and the translators did not repeat it in verse 5. “Creature” is from the Greek “therion,” and the ancient medical writers applied the word to “venomous serpent,” and especially to vipers. The Greek “therion” has an interesting history. “Treacle” means “molasses,” and comes from “theriake,” and means an antidote made from the flesh of vipers. Paul shook off this viper into the fire and felt no harm from its bite. Paul was not excited, but had perfect composure, because he recalled the two promises: (1) that of Christ to his disciples concerning serpents (Mark 16:18; Luke 10:19); and (2) the promise that he should preach the gospel in Rome; therefore, he would not die before he reached that city.

6 But they expected that he would have swollen,—In their superstitious minds and the conclusion which they had erroneously reached, they expected Paul to fall down dead. As seen above, they had concluded that he was some notorious criminal. However, when Paul suffered no harm from the venomous viper, they went to the other extreme in their reasoning, and “said that he was a god.” They waited long enough for the poison to take effect, and when it did not, they easily jumped to the extreme position that he was “a god.” They expected Paul’s hand or body to “have swollen”; this was the usual effect of the bite of a viper, making itself apparent in a very short time. “Swollen” is from the Greek verb “pimpremi,” which means “to blow, to burn, to inflame, to cause to swell.” They also expected Paul to fall down dead. The two common results of the viper’s bite were a swollen body and death. Paul did not suffer either one, so “they changed their minds.”

7 Now in the neighborhood of that place—Near the place where the shipwrecked crew and passengers landed was “the chief man of the island”; he was called “Publius.” Publius is called Protos,” which was the official title of the ruler of the island. He received Paul and his companions, Luke and Aristarchus, and showed great favor to them by entertaining them. It is not known whether Julius, the centurion, or the other officials were invited. They were entertained for “three days courteously.” Some think that the entire company was entertained by Publius; it is very likely that he would invite Julius, as Paul was in his charge as a prisoner.

8 And it was so, that the father of Publius lay sick—Publius’ father lay sick of a fever. “Sick” is from the Greek “sunechomenon,” which means “held together”; “fever” is from the Greek “puretois,” and means intermittent attacks. “Dysentery” is from the Greek “dusenterioi,” and is another medical term which Luke uses; these two diseases are commonly found together. Paul went into Publius’ father and prayed, and laid his hands on him and healed him. Paul followed the same course as Peter in the case of Tabitha. (Acts 9:36-43.) Paul was given miraculous power on this occasion to heal Publius’ father. Luke, who was a physician, was with Paul, but nothing is said of his prescribing anything for the sick man. This is another fulfillment of the promise made by Jesus in Mark 16:18.

9-10 And when this was done,—The fact that Paul had cured Publius’ father was speedily made known throughout the island. Nothing is said about Paul’s preaching the gospel; that is taken for granted, and the miracles which he performed confirmed his words. His preaching and working miracles went together. As the people learned that there was one who could heal all these diseases, they brought the afflicted and diseased to Paul and he cured them. Naturally the ruler of the island and the people would bestow great honors on one who had such power as to heal instantly the disease. They showed their honors in a very substantial way, for when Paul and the others sailed from the island, “they put on board such things as we needed.” It should be remembered that the shipwreck had lost everything in the sea; not only Paul and other Christians received help from the natives, but all who needed help received clothing and provisions. These tokens of respect showed the kindness and appreciation of the natives. The good things which came to the soldiers and sailors came because of Paul. Naturally, the gospel would be commended to all, as Paul took no honor or credit to himself; he always gave his Lord honor and credit for what he taught and did.

Verses 1-31

Act 28:1-31

THE PROMISE IS FOR ALL:

LESSONS FROM THE BOOK OF ACTS

Notes For Lesson Twenty-Six: Journey’s End

(Acts 28:1-31)

Having survived the shipwreck, Paul and his shipmates are temporarily stranded on Malta, but eventually resume their journey. Then, as we have long anticipated, Paul’s lengthy journey finally ends in his arrival at Rome.

Winter on Malta (Acts 28:1-10)

After the shipwreck, Paul and the others find themselves on Malta, where they must spend the winter months. The stay on this island proves interesting in several respects, and as always, Paul has no trouble finding ways to demonstrate the power and grace of God. Although Malta was just one very unexpected stop on the way to his real destination, Paul gives everything he has to the islanders while he is with them.

The residents of Malta give a warm welcome to their unexpected guests (Acts 28:1-6). This small island was known to sailors, but was only occasionally visited at the time. The islanders probably had gained only a minimal acquaintance with Greek or Roman society, but they show themselves to be hospitable and caring hosts. There is just one curious incident, which occurs as they are settling in around a fire that the islanders built to warm their guests. A snake*, driven out of the fire, bites Paul on the hand, and the native residents conclude that it is an act of justice for a man they suppose to be a notorious criminal. Their attitude soon changes when time passes without any ill effect from the snake’s bite.

*Luke describes the snake as a "viper", and skeptics have often claimed that this is an error, because there are no vipers or any other kind of poisonous snakes on Malta today. It is of course possible that there were species there 1900+ years ago that no longer inhabit the island. And it is also possible that Luke was simply recording a misconception of the superstitious islanders, and that the snake was no actually poisonous, but only thought to be. Since the islanders anticipated some kind of swelling or other reaction, it is most likely that in their time there was some kind of native snake whose bite at least caused such obvious ill effects.

From this time on, Paul missed no opportunity for sharing God’s grace (Acts 28:7-10). He performed many healings during his time on the island, beginning with the father of the island’s chief official. Surprisingly, there is no mention of any conversions taking place, which makes this a rare exception amongst the many places Paul visited in Acts. But, while it is not explicitly mentioned either, we can be pretty certain that Paul made use of the opportunity to proclaim the gospel to a new audience. When the time comes for the group to move on, they leave behind a thankful populace who spare no effort in helping to supply them for the rest of their trip.

For Discussion or Study: What practical points can we learn from Paul’s somewhat unusual stay on the island of Malta? If in fact, as seems likely from the account, Paul did not help anyone on Malta become a Christian, what would have been the reason for this?

Final Stages of the Journey (Acts 28:11-16)

Since they were now not far from Rome, the last stages of the journey go quickly. Luke describes the final itinerary in some detail. No doubt this is partly in the interests of accuracy and realism, but it also helps to create a certain sense of anticipation as Paul slowly nears his destination. Step by step they near the famous city, until finally Paul has arrived at his destination. His arrival climaxes not only the extended narrative of the previous several chapters, but also provides the closing chapter of the book of Acts

At last, after a few more stops, comes the long awaited arrival in Rome (Acts 28:11-16). When winter was over and the centurion could find a suitable ship, the party went back to sea. The storm in the previous autumn had actually driven them much closer to their destination, and so only a few more stages are needed before they reach Rome. They first sail to Syracuse on the island of Sicily, and then to Rhegium, a port on the tip of Italy’s ’boot’, and finally stop in Puteoli*, barely over 100 miles from Rome. At Puteoli, Paul enjoys hospitality from the Christians of the town, another indication of the special treatment he has received from the centurion. With the sea part of the trip now ended, the rest of the journey took place overland. As Paul was spending a week in the port after arrival, word reached the Christians in Rome** about his arrival in Italy, and as a result two different groups of Christians came out to meet Paul and to join him on the rest of his trip. The two meeting places mentioned by Luke (Three Taverns and the Forum of Appius) were both more than 30 miles outside of the city of Rome.

*This port, today called Pozzuoli, is no longer of any importance, but at this time it was an important trading center. It was later overshadowed by the newer port of Ostia, which took away much of the trade from Puteoli because Ostia was much closer to Rome.

**The church in Rome, to which Paul had written earlier when he planned to come of his own accord, had arisen without any planned mission, as a natural consequence of the many persons whose trade or business carried them to and from Rome. As far back as Acts 2, residents of Rome are listed among those present at Pentecost, and these persons may well have been the first to take the gospel to the city of Rome.

For Discussion or Study: Pick some or all of the details of these final stages of the trip to Rome, and consider (a) how they help us to recreate in our mind the circumstances of Paul’s trip to Rome, and/or (b) what they can tell us about God’s hand or his plans for Paul.

Paul’s Ministry in Rome (Acts 28:17-31)

At last he is in Rome, and although he is a prisoner, Paul finds ample opportunity for teaching about Jesus and the gospel. Luke records in some detail his discussions with the leaders of the Jewish community in Rome, and then concludes with a general description of Paul’s further ministry in the city as he awaited the final verdict in his case.

The last part of Luke’s narrative describes two meetings between Paul and the Jewish leaders. In the first one (Acts 28:17-22), Paul begins by stating his personal position and situation, wondering first of all whether he is going to encounter the same kind of fanatical resistance from the Jews of Rome that he had encountered in Jerusalem. As always, Paul stresses that, whatever different perspectives he may have with them, he is motivated by the same hope and the same God. The Roman Jews are quite willing to listen to him, and have no preconceived position against Paul, nor do they have any instructions or plans to accuse or attack the apostle. They do tell him openly that there has been a great deal of talk against the church, which they refer to as a ’sect’. But even in saying this, they demonstrate curiosity, rather than hostility.

In Paul’s second meeting with the Jewish leaders (Acts 28:23-29), they give a full hearing to his presentation of the gospel of Jesus. After listening to him for several hours, they are divided amongst themselves as to the value of what they have heard. Some of them come away fully convinced that Jesus was indeed the fulfillment of God’s promises to them, but others among them would not accept this. Paul sees this and quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10, where God discusses the hardness amongst many of his people, and Paul indicates that in view of this he will henceforth concentrate his ministry in Rome on the Gentiles.

Luke’s conclusion (Acts 28:30-31) notes that Paul remained as he was for two years, preaching the gospel in Rome without any hindrance. Indeed, it is almost as if he were not a prisoner at all, because he is doing what he wishes to do, and has all the resources he needs for his ministry. We also know from elsewhere in the Bible that at some point during his long imprisonment Paul wrote several of his inspired epistles. No definite historical details are known of what actually happened with Paul’s appeal or his legal case. It is generally believed to be certain that Paul was eventually released - this time. He arrived in Rome about AD 60 or 61, and was probably released or acquitted in about AD 62 or 63. This result could either have been decided on the legal evidence, which favored Paul’s case, or it could simply have resulted from the failure of the Jews to press the charges against him any further. It has also been accepted as fairly definite that Paul was later executed in the short but brutal general persecution against Christians that the emperor Nero instituted in AD 64. Based on the history of the church written by Eusebius in the 4th century, and on details of Paul’s later ministry that are given in his letters to Timothy*, the most likely scenario is that Paul was either released or acquitted in the present case, and was able to resume his ministry for a year or two. After this, Paul was then arrested or captured in the persecution of AD 64**, and executed at that time.

*The details of Paul’s activities in 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus cannot all be connected with events in Acts, and thus most researchers conclude that Paul was released to resume his ministry, with his eventual execution coming solely as a result of Nero’s fanatical plots against the Christians, not as a result of the case we have been studying. There are some liberal "scholars" who like to claim that the letters to Timothy and Titus were not really written by Paul, and as a result some of them think that Paul really was executed at the end of Acts, but that Luke just did not want to include it. This is, frankly, a silly and pretentious theory, and should not be taken seriously.

**This is a well-known sequence of events from ancient history. Nero was involved in a bitter dispute with the Roman Senate regarding funds for new building projects in Rome. To get his way, Nero arranged for a large portion of Rome to be burned down, which made rebuilding projects unavoidable. In an attempt to cover his tracks, he blamed the fire on the Christians, who were becoming unpopular anyway, and then instituted a brief but bloody persecution of them as their ’punishment’. In his later years as emperor, Nero perpetrated many such acts of outrageous injustice, not only against Christians but against many groups and individuals.

The ending of the book of Acts sometimes strikes readers as an anti-climax. Yet the story of Acts was never meant to be about what happened to one person, but rather about the gospel itself. And in this regard, the ending of Luke’s account is appropriate and encouraging. The good news about Jesus cannot be hindered or silenced, and in Luke’s account we have seen the gospel of truth overcome every possible obstacle, from opposition and persecution to social and geographical obstacles. The events in Acts remind us that in any era there is nothing in this world that can hold back the truth of the gospel of Jesus. Throughout his long ordeal, Paul has exemplified this attitude and has served as a memorable example of living with a focus on God and on the gospel, instead of on self.

For Discussion or Study: (a) Consider the way that Acts ends. Why is it an appropriate and encouraging ending, despite the fact that it never says what happened to Paul? (b) In looking back at Acts as a whole, what general lessons most stand out?

- Mark W. Garner, August 2002

Acts Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ralph Starling

Although people on the island were barbarous,

They welcomed us and were kind to us.

Being cold they built a fire of stakes.

Paul, while helping was bit by a snake.

The people concluded he was guilty of murder.

He had escaped but God made him suffer.

When Paul felt no harm it was so odd,

The people said he must be a god.

The chief of the island treated them with favor.

His father was sick with bloody flux and fever.

When Paul prayed the man was healed,

And others were healed for diseases revealed.

After some three months they traveled on,

And in due time they were in Rome,

Paul was guarded but lived alone,

And Paul told the Jews why he was in Rome.

They said, they would like to know more.

They met together to hear what was in store.

When Paul explained from morning to evening,

Some believed him, others left unbelieving.

Paul had quoted to them the Prophet Isaiah,

That had predicted what he was saying.

He continued there for 2 whole years,

That Jesus and His kingdom could be theirs.

Verses 11-16

Act 28:11-16

PAUL AT ROME

Acts 28:11-31

ARRIVAL AT ROME

Acts 28:11-16

11 And after three months we set sail—It was now about February; the Day of Atonement or Fast occurred on the tenth of Tisri (September-October). (Leviticus 16:29 Leviticus 23:27; Numbers 29:7.) This day occurred in A.D. 59 on October 5, and in A.D. 60 it occurred on September 23. We do not know how long after the Day of Atonement before the ship left Fair Havens (Acts 27:8); then there came the fourteen days of Acts 27:27, bringing us near the end of October or the beginning of November. Three months from this would be the beginning of February. This was a little early for general navigation on the Mediterranean Sea at that time. The crew, of course, was anxious to sail at the earliest opportunity ; they were anxious to reach their destination. There was another ship in the harbor from Alexandria; it had wintered “in the island,” and since it probably belonged to the same company to which the stranded crew belonged, they prepared to sail on this vessel. Its sign was “The Twin Brothers,” or Castor and Pollux. Castor and Pollux were deities of sailors whose figures were painted on one side of the ship; this sign was the name of the ship. Hence, Paul and his company board another grain ship of Alexandria bound for Rome.

12 And touching at Syracuse,—The ship left the island of Melita or Malta and sailed nearly due north to Syracuse; this was a direct course. The distance from Malta to Syracuse was about eighty miles; Syracuse was the principal place on the island of Sicily. They remained three days here, and Paul may have found some Christians with whom he could visit during this time. Ships from Alexandria to Italy usually stopped here; the stay there of three days was probably waiting for a favorable wind.

13 And from thence we made a circuit,—“Circuit” is from the Greek “perielthontes,” and means “to go around,” but here it appears to mean “casting loose”; the ship was not able to make a straight course to Rhegium; this was a town on the Italian side of the Straits of Messina. We are told that the ancient coins of Rhegium exhibit Castor and Pollux as twin brothers. After one day a south wind began, and on the second day they arrived at Puteoli. The distance from Rhegium to Puteoli was about one hundred eighty miles, and if the ship sailed seven knots, or seven nautical miles an hour, it would require about twenty-six hours to make the voyage. Puteoli was the customary port for the Alexandrian grain ships. “Puteoli” is derived from the springs “Putei,” which abound there, or from the bad odor of the waters. It was the principal port south of Rome. Paul could look upon the well-known beauty of the Bay of Naples, and upon Vesuvius.

14 where we found brethren,—We know from the list of names recorded in Romans 16 that the Christian brethren were at this time numerous in Rome. It appears that there were also Christians at Puteoli. This is the only mention of a congregation in Italy outside of Rome. Paul and his company tarried here seven days. Many have thought that he tarried there to spend the Lord’s day with them as in Acts 20:6-7 at Troas and in Acts 21:4 at Tyre. It appears that the centurion granted Paul much liberty. This is to be expected since Paul had proved himself to be an extraordinary prisoner, and had saved the lives of the centurion and others. After remaining there the seven days they came to Rome. This bare statement of the fact of their arrival is made by Luke to show the end of their journey. Luke, the historian, now turns aside in the next sentence to mention circumstances connected with their route from Puteoli. This is the climax of the book of Acts (Acts 19:21 Acts 23:11), but it is not the close of Paul’s career. Many scholars have contended that a new paragraph should begin with verse 15. Paul had now reached Rome, but not as he had at one time expected. (Romans 15:22-29.)

15 And from thence the brethren,—The news that Paul was on his way to Rome reached Rome or the church there before Paul arrived. It appears that the brethren from Puteoli forwarded the news to Rome, and the brethren from Rome came to meet Paul. Paul’s meeting with the brethren refreshed him. (Acts 18:5; Romans 1:11-12 Romans 15:32; 2 Corinthians 13 2 Corinthians 7:6.) Some of them came as far as “The Market of Appius,” which was about forty-three miles from Rome. Others met him at “The Three Taverns,” which was about thirty-three miles from Rome. It appears that there were two separate groups of brethren from Rome, one in advance of the other. Among these were possibly Aquila and Priscilla and others named in Romans 16. We see here two very distinct charactersitics of Paul—the appreciation of help derived from the presence of friends and the gratitude which such services inspired in him. Paul saw that Christ was already at Rome; he was encouraged at the thought that Rome was receptive of the gospel.

16 And when we entered into Rome,—Luke is still with Paul; this is seen by the use of the pronoun “we.” Paul was now in Rome, but a prisoner. Julius, the centurion, into whose hands Paul had been committed, now turned him over to the proper authorities. Some very ancient authorities insert in the text “the centurion delivered the prisoners to the Chief of the camp”; however, Paul was permitted “to abide by himself with the soldier that guarded him.” It is not certain who was the chief officer to whom Paul was committed; some think that he was Burrus who was prefect of the Praetorian Guard from A.D. 51 to 62; others think that he was turned over to the captain of the peregrini. We may be sure that the centurion, Julius, recommended Paul very highly to the officer who took charge of him. The kind terms in which Festus reported the case, and Paul’s noble conduct and helpfulness on the voyage, would combine to influence the officer to grant to Paul every privilege and comfort within his power. Paul first retired to a friend’s house (Acts 28:23), and then rented an apartment for himself (Acts 28:30). Wherever he was he was fastened by a chain to a soldier. Prisoners with light offenses charged against them were granted many favors. Paul tells us that he gradually became known to the greater number of the imperial bodyguard. (Philippians 1:12-13.) Different soldiers relieved each other of this duty from time to time; this gave Paul an opportunity to preach the gospel to many of them.

Verses 17-29

Act 28:17-29

INTERVIEW WITH THE JEWS

Acts 28:17-29

17 And it came to pass, that after three days—Probably the “three days” were spent in arranging a lodging for Paul and conferring with Christians who had long waited for him to visit them. Paul called together “those that were the chief of the Jews”; this by some is translated “those that were of the Jews first,” and the prominent Gentiles later. However, it seems clear that it is better to regard the chiefs of the Jews, such as rulers and elders of the synagogue and heads of the principal Jewish families that had settled in Rome; it may have included also the scribes and some of the wealthier traders among the Jews. There were many Jews in Rome at this time. There were seven synagogues in Rome at this time. There was not room for Paul to receive all at the same time, and he would naturally invite those who were best informed and most influential. Paul being a prisoner and chained to a soldier could not go to any of their synagogues; hence, he must invite them to come to him. When they came together Paul made it clear that he had “nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers.” He had not come to Rome to prefer any charges against the Jews; he had appealed to Caesar in order to save his own life. He had been delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem and had been forced to make an appeal to Caesar.

18 who, when they had examined me,—Although Paul was a prisoner and under appeal to Caesar, he had done nothing to his people; the Romans, after examining him, had declared him innocent of any violation of Roman law or Jewish law; he had appealed to Caesar, not to accuse his own race, but to save his own life; he was a prisoner because he had accepted Jesus as the Messiah of his nation, and regarded his resurrection from the dead as evidence of the resurrection and of the Messiahship of Christ. How could Paul say that he had been delivered by the Jews into the Roman authorities? Lysias, the captain, had rescued Paul from a mob of Jews; he had been tried before Felix, then before Festus, and last before Agrippa. These Roman officials would have released Paul had it not been for the clamor of the Jews.

19 But when the Jews spake against it,—The verdict of the Roman authorities in each case was that Paul was not worthy of death or guilty of any crime. They wished to release Paul, but the Jews “spake against it,” and Paul was forced to make his appeal to Caesar in order to save his own life. Paul speaks with kindness and courtesy about the opposition of the Jews to him. He uses conciliatory words and phrases such as “brethren,” “the people,” “our fathers,” “the hope of Israel,” and “not that I had aught whereof to accuse my nation.” Paul did not wish to be an instrument in the hands of Roman tyranny; he knew the hardships his people had suffered in Rome, and that at different times they had been banished from Rome.

20 For this cause therefore did I entreat you—Here Paul gives his reason for sending for them or inviting them to come to him. He desired to speak to them and clear himself of whatever false reports may have been sent to Rome, or that Jews visiting Jerusalem from Rome may have heard in Jerusalem about him. Paul is a prisoner in chains; he must explain why he is a prisoner. He is forced to make his defense. He is a prisoner “because of the hope of Israel.” The hope for which he suffered was twofold: (1) the expectation of the Messiah as bringing in the kingdom of heaven, which was cherished by every Israelite; (2) the hope of the resurrection from the dead, which he proclaimed as attested to by the resurrection, which proved that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God.

21 And they said unto him,—After hearing Paul’s explanation, some among them spoke and assured Paul that they had “neither received letters from Judaea” concerning Paul, nor “did any of the brethren” from Jerusalem make any report or “speak any harm” of him. “Letters” is from the Greek “grammata,” which means an official document from the Sanhedrin containing charges against Paul. They do not mean to say that they had never heard of Paul, but that no official charges had been preferred against him in any way, either written or oral. The Jews in Judea had no definite reason to communicate with the Jews in Rome respecting Paul; they did not expect Paul to ever go to Rome; and since Paul’s appeal to Caesar, it would have been almost impossible for them to have sent messengers who would arrive before Paul. Paul had sailed toward the very close of navigation for that season on the Mediterranean, and others could not have left Caesarea till the following spring. Again, it may be possible that after Paul’s imprisonment of two years at Caesarea the enmity of the Jews had cooled off.

22 But we desire to hear of thee—They had heard something about this new “sect” which had risen among the Jews; it was everywhere spoken against. They had received no favorable report concerning it. They are to be commended in their fairness to hear Paul’s side. “Sect” is from the Greek “haireseos,” and is the same from which our word “heresy” comes. This would indicate that the number of Christians in Rome was small. If the edict of Claudius or the expulsion of the Jews from Rome (Acts 18:2) was due to disturbance over Christ, then even in Rome the Jews had special reason for hostility toward Christians. Their language here indicates that there was a sharply drawn line of cleavage between Jews and Christians. Paul did not admit that Christianity was a “sect”; this is the way the Jews regarded it. Paul did not .egard Christianity as a new religion, nor as a substitute for the Jewish religion, but rather as a lawful and rightful successor of the Jewish religion; the old foretold the new; its hopes centered in the Messiah. Paul declared that the Messiah had come, and he would proclaim this flower and fruit of the old faith.

23 And when they had appointed him a day,—“Appointed” is from the Greek “taxamenoi,” and means a formal arrangement, as in Matthew 28:16, when Jesus appointed the mountain as the meeting place in Galilee; the Jews fixed a day, but Paul likely made suggestions. They came into Paul’s lodging place, not his own hired house (verse 30), but to a house where he stayed as a guest. A larger number of Jews came at this time than had come at first. Paul had told them that for the sake of the Messianic hope of Israel he was bound with the chain that held him; he now expounded that this hope was from the Old Testament, and showed how at each stage it was fulfilled in the kingdom of Jesus the Christ. He spoke what Festus and Agrippa had refused to hear (Acts 26:22-28); and his audience at this time, or at least part of it, was sympathetic, for they remained a long time with him. “Expounded” is from the Greek “exetitheto,” and means “to set forth,” as in Acts 11:4 Acts 18:26. Paul set forth the whole matter, testifying about the things of “the kingdom of God,” and “persuading them concerning Jesus.” How far his “persuading” was effective must be determined by the context, though the word itself sometimes means to convince. “Persuading” is from the Greek “peithon,” and means “to persuade, to reason with, to convince.” This was a golden opportunity for Paul, and he drew his arguments from “the law of Moses” and “from the prophets.” All believed the law and the prophets; there was common ground here; so Paul placed the prophecies of the kingdom of God, and of the Messiah to come, side by side with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus; he showed the Jews how perfectly Jesus had fulfilled the law and the prophets.

24 And some believed the things which were spoken,—Here we have the results of Paul’s preaching to this goodly company of Jews. They divide themselves into two companies: (1) those who believed his preaching; (2) those who disbelieved. We have no way of telling which was the larger company. “Believed,” here, is from the Greek “epeithonto”; this is not the usual Greek word employed for “believed”; it leads to the same state of mind through a crisis of being convinced or persuaded. “Disbelieved” is from the Greek “epistoun,” and means “to disbelieve, continue to disbelieve.” Hearers usually divide themselves into the two classes—believers and disbelievers.

25 And when they agreed not among themselves,—“Agreed not” is from the Greek “asumphonoi ontes,” which means “without symphony, out of harmony, dissonant, discordant.” The figure is that they were like the various parts of a tune set to different keys; they were discordant, inharmonious. Who agreed not? It is difficult to determine whether those who disbelieved were in such discordant attitudes, or whether those who believed and those who disbelieved were so discordant. The context that follows leads us to infer that the disbelievers were inharmonious. Before the gathering was dismissed, Paul spoke and quoted the prophet Isaiah, and applied the prophecy to the disbelievers. The prophecy here quoted is from Isaiah 6:9-10; no passage is quoted so often in the New Testament as this. It occurs five times in Matthew 13:14; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40 and here. Jesus had used this quotation from Isaiah and applied it to the Jews; Paul now makes the same application of it.

26 saying, Go thou unto this people,—The quotation used by Paul here from Isaiah had been used by Christ as describing the spiritual state of the Jews of Palestine (Matthew 13:13; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10), while John (John 12:40) reproduces them as giving the solution of the apparent failure of Christ’s personal ministry. It appears that Paul was following Christ in the use of this quotation. They should hear words with the outward organ of hearing, but they would not understand the real meaning; their failure was due to a stubborn disposition of mind, and not a lack of mental ability. However, a stubborn heart led to deeper dullness of hearing, greater blindness, and obstinacy of mind; these were so great that they would not turn to God. Their willfull rejection of the Messiah brought to them a hardness of heart.

27 For this people’s heart is waxed gross,—Literally, this means that their hearts had “become fat” as applied to the body; hence, they were dull, stupid, so that it was difficult to make an impression on them. They did not wish to see; they had closed their eyes. If they had seen, they would have had to give up their sinful pleasures, their selfish living, and their wicked ways. They would have had to separate themselves from friends and be persecuted, suffer, and perhaps die for the sake of Christ. If they should hear and see and understand, they would turn around and go back to God. If they should do this, God would heal them, cleanse them of their sin. Within about ten years from this time Jerusalem was completely destroyed, the temple broken down and obliterated, and the Jews were no longer a nation. They did not see the certain doom that awaited them for their rejection of the Messiah.

28 Be it known therefore unto you,—Here Paul sadly sounds a note of warning to these disbelieving Jews. Since they rejected the Messiah and the salvation that came through him, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, turned from them to the Gentiles. He had the assurance that the Gentiles would hear. Paul’s words here are similar to the ones that he had spoken under like circumstances at Antioch in Pisidia. (Acts 13:46.) Paul must preach the gospel; “woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:16.) If the Jews will not hear him, he must turn to those who would hear him. The Jews could destroy themselves, but they could not destroy the kingdom of God or prevent the Messiah from reigning over his kingdom. The Gentiles would hear. “They will also hear.” These are the last words of Paul recorded in Acts; they are the last words of the historian Luke of his life. In these words there is a note of triumph blending with a note of sadness; he regretted that his people would not hear the gospel and accept the Messiah and be saved; this brings sadness to him. He rejoiced that the Gentiles would hear and be saved. His preaching would not be in vain to them.

29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, having much disputing among themselves—Some of the best ancient manuscripts do not have this verse; hence, it is left out in the American Standard Revision. However, some ancient authorities insert it as follows: “And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, having much disputing among themselves.” It describes accurately, doubtless, what actually took place. Some think that this verse was written on the margin to relieve the apparent abruptness of the narrative between verses 28 and 30, and has been inserted in the text of some manuscript by some transcriber who thought it had been accidentally omitted from the text of his copy.)

Verses 30-31

Act 28:30-31

PAUL A PRISONER AT ROME TWO YEARS

Acts 28:30-31

30 And he abode two whole years—Paul has now changed his abiding place from some temporary abode to a more permanent one. Luke gives no account of these years. He had brought Paul to Rome; the gospel had now reached the center of the known world. This is what concerned Luke most. All this time Paul was a prisoner of state; the expenses incurred were probably defrayed by friends at Rome and in the provinces. Paul was, during the day, chained to a soldier, and probably in the night two soldiers watched him, according to the sentence of the Roman law. The New Testament contains four of Paul’s epistles which were written while in prison at Rome—the epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians, and a short letter to Philemon. From these let/ters we learn that Luke, Timothy, Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus, and Tychicus were among the friends who, during the whole or part of this time, were with Paul. During “two whole years” Paul dwelt in “his own hired dwelling”; the Greek “misthomati,” from which we get “hired,” means “hired for a price.” We do not know anything further about Paul’s hired “dwelling.” We may be sure that Paul lived as economically as possible since he was dependent upon the gifts of Christians. (Philippians 4:14-15.) As a prisoner, he could not sustain himself as he did at Corinth and Ephesus. (Acts 18:3 Acts 20:34; 2 Corinthians 11:9.) Paul was a prisoner two years at Caesarea before he came to Rome, and now he has been a prisoner two years in Rome. We do not know why his trial was delayed; his appeal would have to wait its turn. When his case came up for trial the records of it from Festus may have been lost in the shipwreck; hence, an order for an official copy would have to be sent for from Caesarea, and the hearing postponed until the copy of the record arrived. Hence, Paul’s case would lose its place in the court calendar and there would be a longer delay in reaching it again. Paul’s frequent references in his prison epistles as a prisoner confirms this view. (Ephesians 6:19-20; Philippians 1:1 Philippians 1:13; Colossians 1:1 Colossians 4:3 Colossians 4:18;Philemon 1:1.)

31 preaching the kingdom of God,—Paul had great privileges as a prisoner; his friends could visit him and receive instruction from him; he had opportunity to write a number of letters to the churches. He preached “the kingdom of God” to all who came to him. “Preaching” is from the Greek “kerusson,” and “teaching” comes from the Greek “didaskon.” “Preaching” means “heralding,” while “teaching” means “instructing.” He was not hindered in this work. He was allowed complete freedom of speech, and he used his liberty to speak out boldly to all who came to him to hear the gospel. He tells us himself that other Christians who saw a bound prisoner speak so freely were encouraged by his example and the gospel was spread. (Philippians 1:12-14.)

none forbidding him.—Paul had now been a prisoner four years—two years were spent in Caesarea and two more years have been spent in the Roman prison. Perhaps he spent a longer time than the two years mentioned here. Paul continued faithfully, diligently, and boldly to proclaim salvation through Christ Jesus. Luke has now completed his first purpose; he wrote to assure Theophilus of the certainty of the facts concerning “all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which he was received up, after that he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen.” (Acts 1:1-2; see Luke 1:4.) He now closes his book. With Paul at Rome the gospel has spread and reached a climax; from Jerusalem it has won its way from city to city, province to province, over Jewish hatred and prejudice and Gentile idolatry to the metropolis of the world. Luke’s record is a triumphal spread of Christianity until it has covered the civilized world; his closing words are a suitable conclusion for the book of Acts.

Although Paul was a prisoner in Rome for “two whole years,” he was not idle. A portion of the New Testament scriptures were written while he was a prisoner. It is interesting to recount the many blessings and rich productions that have come from prison walls and chains. Savonarola wrote his Commentaries on Psalms 31, 51 during his month of imprisonment before his execution; this shows that, though he had much spiritual conflict, neither his faith nor his comfort yielded to his persecution. Francis Baker composed the hymn, “Jerusalem, My Happy Home,” while a prisoner in the tower; Walter Raleigh wrote his “History of the World” and some poems while a prisoner in the same tower. John Bunyan wrote his “Pilgrim’s Progress” while he languished in Bedford jail.

Paul, while imprisoned in Rome, wrote four epistles—Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Paul crowned his labors by the composition of these books of the New Testament as a prisoner for Christ Jesus; thus in prison Paul did some of the most important work of his life—work that has rendered him immortal in its usefulness. He did not spend his time in murmuring and complaining, but wrote from this prison to the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4.) Furthermore, it is interesting to note Paul’s companions and visitors during his imprisonment. Romans 16:3-15 contains a list of salutations of Paul to Christians in Rome; this was written probably thirteen years before Paul reached Rome. In this list he mentions twenty-three men and eight women, of whom three are spoken of as his kinsmen and four in connection with their households. In addition to these, Paul mentions in his epistles as his special companions and friends the following: Timothy (Colossians 1:1); Epaphras, a fellow prisoner (Philemon 1:23) ; Onesi mus, a slave (Philemon 1:10); Tychicus, a minister who delivered the epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians (Ephesians 6:21-22; Colossians 4:7-8) ; Aristarchus (Colossians 4:10) ; Mark, the writer of the gospel which bears his name (Colossians 4:10) ; Justus, who is also called “Jesus” (Colossians 4:11); Luke, the author of Luke and the Acts (Colossians 4:14); Demas (Philemon 1:24); Epaphroditus, who brought a gift to Paul from the Philippians and carried back Paul’s letter to them (Philippians 2:25 Philippians 4:18); and some member of Caesar’s household (Philippians 4:22).

PAUL’S RELEASE,

SECOND IMPRISONMENT,

AND DEATH

Paul had made an appeal to Caesar; this brought him to Rome. He was retained a prisoner in Rome for at least two years, waiting for his trial. What was the outcome or final decision of this trial? The Acts closes before he had his trial. Some think that he continued in prison for a long time and finally died a martyr. Some good scholars doubt his release at this trial. They claim that since the New Testament is silent on the question, and that early profane history is uncertain as to the results, it cannot be determined with any degree of accuracy as to the final result. However, others are sure that Paul was released and preached the gospel for some years, and was finally imprisoned the second time in Rome and suffered martyrdom. Those who have so concluded base their conclusions on several important facts and inferences. In Paul’s prison letters we learn that he expected to be released. (Philippians 1:25 Philippians 2:23-24; Philemon 1:22.) We do not know whether Paul entertained this hope as a matter of judgment or whether he had special revelation by the Holy Spirit. It does not matter, since a fair conclusion from these scriptures warrants us in believing that he hoped to regain his liberty. Moreover, Clement, a disciple and companion of Paul, affirms that Paul, before his martyrdom, traveled “to the boundary of the West,” which is an expression applied to the trans-Alpine country; some think that he even visited Spain. Eusebius, the father of church history, states the common belief of the early churches that Paul went forth to proclaim the gospel and afterwards came to Rome a second time and suffered martyrdom under Nero. It is thought that during his second imprisonment he wrote Second Timothy. The close of Paul’s life is veiled from our eyes, but no cloud dims, or ever can dim, the splendor of the services of that life for God and for humanity. Coleridge has described that life as being “cultivated, refined, heroic, versatile, magnetic; a born interpreter of truth, a leader of men, a creator of life, and an epoch-making genius.”

Questions on Acts

By E.M. Zerr

Acts Chapter 28

• · On what island was Paul and party stranded?

• · How were they treated by the natives?

• · While building a fire what came to Paul?

• · State the first impression of the barbarians.

• · What changed their minds?

• · And then what was their conclusion?

• · State the name of their chief citizen.

• · How did he treat the newcomers?

• · In what way was Paul able to repay him?

• · What effect did this have on other islanders?

• · And how did they show their gratitude?

• · Were the people in verses 2, 7 and 10 Christians?

• · Did they contribute temporal support to Paul?

• · Is it right to receive money from worldlings?

• · How long did they remain on this island?

• · Where did they land next?

• · What did they find at Puteoli?

• · How long did they tarry with them?

• · What day of the week would this include?

• · Is this what was their next objective?

• · Who met them at Appii?

• · How did this affect Paul?

• · Where did they next land?

• · What disposition was made of the prisoners?

• · State the exception that was made.

• · What legal security was taken over Paul?

• · Tell what he did after three days.

• · What twofold plea of not guilty did he make?

• · In what state was be delivered from Jerusalem?

• · To whom was he delivered?

• · Why to these people instead of the Jews?

• · How would the Romans have dealt with his case?

• · Why did they not do so?

• · Who took the case to Caesar?

• · Was Paul prejudiced against the Jewish nation?

• · Did his appeal call for a new trial?

• · Explain the reason for the chain in the 20th verse.

• · What was the "hope of Israel" in same verse?

• · What had these brethren not received as yet?

• · To what did they refer by "sect" in the 22nd verse?

• · Tell what they said about it.

• · What appointment was made for him?

• · State something of the response to it.

• · What was the central theme of his preaching?

• · From where did he draw his testimony?

• · Describe the effect on the hearers.

• · From what prophet did Paul finally quote?

• · What was the general subject of this prophecy?

• · Who was fulfilling it now?

• · State the reason given for their prejudice.

• · What information did Paul insist upon then?

• · After departing what did the Jews have?

• · On what subject could they have been thinking?

• · Did Paul have to go to jail?

• · Is it right for Christians to rent a house?

• · Would this also make it right to own one?

• · For how long did Paul’s lease continue?

• · Did he dwell in solitude?

• · How did he use his time?

• · What can be said of his opportunity for teaching?