Ashore on Malta Healing Many, and Onward to Rome
Taking Care of Business as Only the Apostle Paul Could
(Acts chapter 28, verses 1-16)
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Last week as we concluded our study of Acts 27, we finished off part 3 with the shipwreck described in vivid detail by the apostle Luke. After being blown around by a major storm that lasted 2 full weeks – due to the sailing ship’s lack of mechanical propulsion – the pilot and his crew managed to beach what was left of the ship on the eastern shores of Malta. Malta is situated in the east-central part of the Mediterranean sea, with Sicily to the north, Algeria to the west, Libya to the south, and the island of Crete far off to the east by roughly 1,000 miles or so. So the island of Malta isn’t near much of anything. So much so that the culture there seemed a bit backward and superstitious to Paul, and the other men with him couldn’t help but notice it. With that in mind, let’s plunge right in to the refreshing waters of the apostle Luke’s written testimony, starting at verse 1.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“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.” (Acts 28, verses 1-6)
How God Can Change Us Through the Power of His Risen Spirit
Sometimes in life we are taught things that later turn out to be wrong. Denominational church dogma has a disconcerting habit of repeatedly doing just that (based on my own experiences). Things that we learn from first-hand experience, on the other hand, tend to stick with us for our entire lifetimes. Unless, that is, something or someone comes along and completely upsets our entire way of looking at things. Jesus Christ is such a person as that. Just as the Holy Spirit of the risen Lord is a consuming fire, so the large bonfire that evening consumed the cold night air was a metaphor for the mercy and goodness of the Lord Almighty. The great kindness of the Maltese people lifted the spirits of all 260 people who had been on that ship. Anytime anyone can raise the tired spirits of any group of strangers, and with the absence of organized religion, that’s when you know the Holy Spirit is truly at work.
You Can Live a Great Life by Being a Willing Teacher or Receptive Student
Next in verses 3 and 4, we have the little incident with the apostle Paul and the snake that found itself flung into the bonfire. The fact that Paul was unharmed by that venomous snake obviously startled the people of Malta, as it is written: “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.” There is a God who stands for Justice and Mercy, but his real name is Jesus Christ. OK, so if we tie this into what I said in the previous paragraph about “Sometimes in life we are taught things that later turn out to be wrong”, the suspicion directed at Paul by the Maltese people was one of those instances where this was the case. The apostle Paul demolished the superstitions of the island’s inhabitants once they saw he was unharmed.
Nothing Compares With the Spirit of the Risen Lord
“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.” See what I mean? The Maltese people based their initial judgment of Paul on what amounted to folklore by our standards. But folklore by our standards was all they knew, so the whole tribe thought that only an escaped murderer with special powers could have done what Paul did in the presence of everyone. They were witnessing and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit for the very first time, and there is nothing that compares with the Spirit of the risen Lord. Bearing that in mind, let’s move on to the second part of this week’s lesson, beginning at verse 7.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“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.” (Acts 28, verses 7-10)
The apostle Paul was very grateful for the shower of hospitality, as were the other 260 or so people who were on board the storm-stricken vessel that we covered in lasts week’s study. So when Paul saw an opportunity to heal someone, he did not hesitate to do so. Many were healed following the first one in the house of Publius, and many sick or handicapped persons were healed on Malta. And now, let’s close this week’s installment beginning at verse 11.
Part Three of This Week’s Study Verses
“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.” (Acts 28, verses 11-16)
A Little Bit of First Century Geography
The verses from the above passage comprises several consecutive weeks of sailing, with stops at 4 different ports along the way. The first was Syracuse, on the southern tip of Sicily, followed by Rhegium on the southern tip of the Italian boot. Afterwards there were 3 more ports closer together, going up the western coast of Italy towards Rome. The 1st of those three was Puteoli, where Paul and those with him met up with some “brothers” (notice the absence of titles, unlike today’s churches?), many of whom were accompanied by their fellowship of believers. Having spent an entire week there and being rejuvenated by the hospitality of Puteoli’s people, they completed the final leg of their northward journey to Rome days later. “And so we came to Rome. 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.”
The Good News of Christ’s Salvation Spreads Far and Wide Thanks to the Apostle Paul
As you can see, Christianity had developed quite a following by the time this was occurring, which was roughly 15 or maybe 20 years after the Resurrection of Christ the Lord. So much had the Christian faith grown by this time that Paul, who was nearly killed on 3 separate occasions, had nearly achieved ‘rock star’ status by the time he reached Rome. For the apostle Paul, it was more than enough validation for all the bad experiences he had endured, including the attempts on his life at the hands of his fellow Jews. He gave thanks out in public for his deliverance from a watery grave, and for the opportunities to heal all those whom he could heal. And now, Paul was on his way to Rome, the final stop on this particular journey. A trial awaited him, that much was certain, but the outcome of it all was anyone’s guess. To find out what happens, please be sure and stop back next week for the final installment of the Apostle Luke Gospel Study Series, part 2 if Acts 28.
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