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The Early Church · New Testament

Acts 28

Acts 28: Melita, the road to Rome, and two years in a hired house

General context

The survivors learn the island is Melita, and the barbarous people kindle a fire and receive them out of the rain and cold. A viper fastens on Paul's hand at the fire, and the islanders say he must be a murderer whom vengeance will not let live; he shakes it into the fire and feels no harm, and they change their minds and say he is a god. Publius, the chief man of the island, lodges them three days, and Paul prays, lays hands on his father, sick of a fever and a bloody flux, and heals him; others with diseases come and are healed, and the company is honoured. After three months they sail in a ship of Alexandria whose sign was Castor and Pollux, and come by Syracuse and Rhegium to Puteoli. Brethren from Rome meet them at Appii forum and The three taverns, and Paul thanks God and takes courage. At Rome he is allowed to dwell by himself with a soldier keeping him. After three days he calls the chief of the Jews and says he has committed nothing against the people or the customs of the fathers, that his examiners would have let him go, and that he is bound for the hope of Israel. They answer that no letters came out of Judea about him and ask what he thinks, since this sect is every where spoken against. On an appointed day he expounds the kingdom of God and argues about Jesus out of Moses and the prophets till evening. Some believe and some believe not, and he quotes what the Holy Ghost spoke by Esaias and says the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles. He dwells two whole years in his own hired house, preaching and teaching with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

Cited passages: Acts 28:1, Acts 28:2, Acts 28:3, Acts 28:4, Acts 28:5, Acts 28:6, Acts 28:7, Acts 28:8, Acts 28:9, Acts 28:10, Acts 28:11, Acts 28:12, Acts 28:13, Acts 28:14, Acts 28:15, Acts 28:16, Acts 28:17, Acts 28:18, Acts 28:19, Acts 28:20, Acts 28:21, Acts 28:22, Acts 28:23, Acts 28:24, Acts 28:25, Acts 28:26, Acts 28:27, Acts 28:28, Acts 28:29, Acts 28:30, Acts 28:31

Acts 28 (KJV)

1And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

2And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

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.

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 hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

5And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

6Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: 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.

7In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously.

8And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.

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

10Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.

11And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.

12And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.

13And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli:

14Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome.

15And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.

16And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.

17And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, 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.

18Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.

19But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Cæsar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.

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.

21And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judæa concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee.

22But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

23And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; 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.

24And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

25And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,

26Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

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.

28Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

29And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.

30And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,

31Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

Both verdicts passed on Paul by the islanders, murderer and god, are their own words, and the narrator reports the change of mind without endorsing either. Publius is identified only as the chief man of the island, and his father's illness is named as a fever and a bloody flux. The ship is identified by its port and by its sign, Castor and Pollux, with nothing further said about it. Paul's summary to the chief of the Jews at Rome is his own account of his case, including that his examiners would have let him go; the Roman hearing itself is never narrated. The Jews at Rome say they have received no letters out of Judea about him. The quotation is introduced as what the Holy Ghost spoke by Esaias the prophet unto the fathers. The book ends with two whole years counted and no trial, verdict, release or later event reported.

Cited passages: Acts 28:4, Acts 28:6, Acts 28:7, Acts 28:8, Acts 28:11, Acts 28:17, Acts 28:18, Acts 28:21, Acts 28:25, Acts 28:30, Acts 28:31

Literary context

The last chapter is a chain of receptions: strangers who kindle a fire, a chief man who lodges them, brethren who walk out to meet them on the road, and Jews of Rome who come to a lodging. The viper scene condenses a pattern the book has used repeatedly, a crowd passing a swift verdict and reversing it. The long Roman scene ends the way synagogue scenes have ended since the early journeys, with some believing and some not, and an old prophetic word set over the division. The final sentence reports no outcome for the appeal. What it reports instead is the preaching, and its last words describe the freedom of the speech rather than the state of the prisoner.

Cited passages: Acts 28:2, Acts 28:4, Acts 28:6, Acts 28:7, Acts 28:15, Acts 28:16, Acts 28:23, Acts 28:24, Acts 28:25, Acts 28:28, Acts 28:30, Acts 28:31

Key moments

  1. Kindness on Melita (Acts 28:2). The islanders kindle a fire and receive every one of them out of the rain and cold.
  2. The viper on his hand (Acts 28:3). A viper comes out of the heat and fastens on Paul's hand.
  3. The islanders change their minds (Acts 28:6). After no harm comes to him they stop calling him a murderer and say he is a god.
  4. The father of Publius healed (Acts 28:8). Paul prays, lays hands on the sick man and heals him.
  5. Brethren on the road (Acts 28:15). Believers come out as far as Appii forum and The three taverns, and Paul takes courage.
  6. A day of expounding (Acts 28:23). From morning till evening Paul argues about Jesus out of Moses and the prophets.
  7. Two years in a hired house (Acts 28:30). Paul lives two whole years at his own charge and receives all who come to him.

For reflection

The book stops with two whole years of preaching in a hired house and never reports what came of the appeal. What changes in your reading when an account ends without its outcome?

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