Acts 28

Acts 28:1

28:1, 2 As soon as the crew and passengers reached shore, they learned that they were on the island of Malta. Some of the natives of the island saw the shipwreck and witnessed the victims struggling through the water to get to shore. They very graciously built a fire for the new arrivals, who were thoroughly drenched and cold, both from the sea and from the rain.28:3 While Paul was helping with the fire, he was bitten by a poisonous snake. Apparently the snake had lain dormant among some of the driftwood. When the wood was placed on the fire, the viper quickly revived and struck out against the apostle. It fastened on his hand, not just in the sense of coiling on it, but actually biting it. 28:4-6 At first the local citizens concluded the apostle must be a murderer. Although he had escaped from the shipwreck, yet justice was tracking him down and he would soon swell up or suddenly fall down dead. However, when Paul showed no ill effects from the snake bite, they changed their minds and decided he was a god! This is another vivid illustration of the fickleness and changeableness of the human heart and mind. 28:7 The leading citizen of the island of Malta at that time was Publius. He owned considerable land in the vicinity of the beach where the shipwrecked party landed. This wealthy Roman official received Paul and his friends courteously, and provided accommodations for them for three days, that is, until permanent quarters could be arranged in which they would spend the winter. 28:8 The kindness of this Gentile did not go unrewarded. At about that time, his father took sick with fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him.28:9, 10 News of this healing miracle spread quickly throughout the island. During the next three months the sick were brought to Paul and were all cured. The people of Malta showed their appreciation to the apostle and to Luke when they left by showering them with many honors, and bringing many gifts that would be helpful on the trip to Rome. 28:11 After the three months of winter had passed, and navigation was safe again, the centurion, with his prisoners, embarked on an Alexandrian ship … which had wintered at the island. The figurehead of this ship was the Twin Brothers, that is, Castor and Pollux. These were supposed, by heathen sailors, to be the patron gods of mariners. 28:12-14 From Malta they sailed about eighty miles to Syracuse, the capital of Sicily, located on its east coast. The ship stopped there for three days, then proceeded to Rhegium, on the southwest corner of Italy, at the toe. After one day a favorable south wind blew, enabling the crew to sail 180 miles northward along the west coast of Italy to Puteoli, on the northern shore of the Bay of Naples. Puteoli was about 150 miles southeast of Rome. There the apostle found Christian brethren, with whom he was permitted to enjoy fellowship for seven days.28:15 We are not told how news reached Rome of the arrival of Paul in Puteoli. However, two different groups of brethren set out to meet him.

One group traveled forty-three miles southeast of Rome to The Market of Appius. The other group traveled thirty-three miles southeast to the Three Inns. Paul was greatly cheered and encouraged by this touching demonstration of the love of the saints in Rome. 28:16 Upon arrival in Rome, he was permitted to dwell in a private home, with the soldier who guarded him.

Acts 28:17

J. Paul’s House-Arrest and Witness to the Jews in Rome (28:17-31) 28:17-19 In accordance with his policy of witnessing to the Jews first, Paul sent an invitation to their religious leaders. When they had come together in his rented house, he explained his case to them. He told them that although he had done nothing against the Jewish people, or their customs, yet the Jews of Jerusalem had delivered him into the hands of the Romans for trial. The Gentile authorities could find no fault in him, and wanted to free him, but when the Jews cried out against it, the apostle was compelled to appeal to Caesar. In making this appeal, it was not for the purpose of bringing any charge against the Jewish nation. Rather, it was that he might defend himself. 28:20 It was because he was innocent of any crime against the Jewish people that he had called the chief Roman Jews together. Actually it was because of the hope of Israel that he was bound with a chain. The hope of Israel, as explained previously, refers to the fulfillment of the promises made to the Jewish patriarchs, especially the promise of the Messiah. Inherent in the fulfillment of these promises was the resurrection of the dead. 28:21, 22 The Jewish leaders professed to know nothing about the Apostle Paul. They had not received any letters from Judea concerning him, and none of their fellow Jews had brought reports to them against him. However, they did want to hear more from Paul, because they knew that the Christian faith with which he was associated was spoken against everywhere.28:23 Some time later a great number of these Jews came to Paul’s lodging to hear more from him. He availed himself of the opportunity to testify to them concerning the kingdom of God, and to persuade them concerning Jesus. In so doing he quoted to them from the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.28:24 Some believed the message he brought, and some disbelieved. (Disbelieving is stronger than a simple failure to accept the message. It indicates a positive rejection.) 28:25-28 When Paul saw that once again the gospel was being, on the whole, rejected by the Jewish nation, he quoted Isa_6:9 and 10, where the prophet was commissioned to preach the word to a people whose hearts were dull, whose ears were deaf, and whose eyes were blinded. The apostle felt again the heartbreak of preaching good news to those who did not want to hear it. In view of this rejection by the Jews, Paul announced that he was taking the gospel to the Gentiles, and he expressed the assurance that they would hear it.28:29 The unbelieving Jews departed, arguing among themselves. As Calvin points out, Paul’s quoting a prophecy against them irritated the ungodly element who rejected the Messiah. It whipped them into a fury against those Jews who accepted Him. The reformer makes a helpful application: Finally, it will be in vain for anyone to object from this that the Gospel of Christ causes contentions, when it is obvious that these spring only from the stubbornness of men. And indeed, in order to enjoy peace with God, it is necessary for us to wage war with those who treat Him with contempt. 28:30 Then Paul remained in Rome for two whole years, living in his own rented house, and ministering to a continual line of visitors. It was probably during this time that he wrote the Epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. 28:31 He enjoyed a considerable measure of liberty, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him. Thus the Book of Acts closes. Some think it ends with a strange abruptness. However, the pattern outlined at the outset had now been fulfilled. The gospel had reached out to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and now the Gentile world. The events in the life of Paul after the close of Acts can only be inferred from his later writings. It is generally believed that after his two years in Rome, his case came before Nero and the verdict was acquittal. He then embarked on what has come to be known as his Fourth Missionary Journey. Places which he probably visited on this trip, though not necessarily in this order were:

1. COLOSSE and EPHESUS (Phm_1:22).
2. MACEDONIA (1Ti_1:3; Phi_1:25; Phi_2:24).
3. EPHESUS (1Ti_3:14).
4. SPAIN (Rom_15:24).
5. CRETE (Tit_1:5).
6. CORINTH (2Ti_4:20).
7. MILETUS (2Ti_4:20).
8. Winter spent in NICOPOLIS (Tit_3:12).
9. TROAS (2Ti_4:13). We have no information as to why, when, or where he was arrested, but we do know he was brought to Rome as a prisoner a second time. This imprisonment was much more harsh than the first (2Ti_2:9). He was deserted by most of his friends (2Ti_4:9-11), and knew that the time of his death was at hand (2Ti_4:6-8). Tradition says he was beheaded outside Rome in a.d. 67 or 68. For Paul’s eulogy, read his own words in 2Co_4:8-10, 2Co_6:4-10, and 2Co_11:23-28 along with our commentary on these inspiring summaries.

EXCURSUS ON THE MESSAGE OF ACTS After reading the Book of Acts, it is good to review the principles and practices of the early Christians. What characterized the individual believers and the local churches of which they were members?First, it is obvious that the first century Christians lived first and foremost for the interests of the Lord Jesus. Their whole outlook was Christ-centered. The primary reason for their existence was to witness for the Savior, and they gave themselves to this task with vigor. In a world which was engaged in a mad struggle for survival, there was a hard core of zealous Christian disciples who sought first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. To them, everything else was subordinated to this glorious calling. Jowett notes with admiration: The disciples had been baptized with . . .the holy, glowing enthusiasm caught from the altar of God. They had this central fire, from which every other purpose and faculty in life gets its strength. This fire in the apostles’ soul was like a furnace fire in a great liner, which drives her through the tempests and through the envious and engulfing deep. Nothing could stop these men! Nothing could hinder their going … A strong imperative rings throughout all their doings and all their speech. They have heat and they have light because they were baptized by the power of the Holy Ghost. The message they preached centered around the resurrection and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were witnesses to a risen Savior. Men had slain the Messiah, but God had raised Him from among the dead and given Him the place of highest honor in heaven. Every knee must bow to Himthe glorified Man at God’s right hand. There is no other way of salvation. In an environment of hate, bitterness, and greed, the disciples manifested love to all. They repaid persecution with kindness, and prayed for their assailants. Their love toward other Christians forced their enemies to exclaim, See how these Christians love one another!We get the distinct impression that they lived sacrificially for the spread of the gospel. They did not look upon material possessions as their own, but as a stewardship from God. Wherever there was genuine need, there was a prompt flow of funds to meet the need. The weapons of their warfare were not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. They realized that they were not fighting against religious or political leaders, but rather against evil powers in heavenly places. So they went forth armed with faith, prayer, and the word of God. Unlike Islam, Christianity did not grow through the use of force. These early Christians lived in separation from the world. They were in it but not of it. They maintained active contact with unbelievers as far as their witness was concerned, but never compromised their loyalty to Christ by engaging in the world’s sinful pleasures. As pilgrims and strangers, they traveled through a foreign land seeking to be a blessing to all without partaking of its defilement. Did they engage in politics or seek to remedy the social evils of the day? Their outlook was that all the ills and abuses in the world arise from man’s sinful nature. In order to remedy the evils, one must get at the cause. Political and social reforms treat the symptoms without affecting the disease itself. Only the gospel can get at the heart of the matter, changing man’s evil nature. And so they were not distracted by second-best remedies. They preached the gospel in season, out of season. Everywhere the gospel went, the festering sores were eliminated or reduced. They were not surprised when they ran into persecution. They had been taught to expect it. Instead of retaliating or even vindicating themselves, they committed their cause to God, who judges righteously. Instead of seeking escape from trials, they prayed for boldness to proclaim Christ to all with whom they came in contact. The goal before the disciples was world evangelization. To them there was no distinction between home and foreign missions. The field was the world. Their evangelistic activity was not an end in itself, that is, they were not content to lead souls to Christ and then let them flounder on by themselves. Rather, the converts were gathered into local Christian assemblies. Here they were taught the word, nurtured in prayer, and otherwise strengthened in the faith. Then they were challenged to go out with the message to others. It was the establishment of local churches that gave permanence to the work and provided for evangelical outreach in the surrounding areas. These congregations were indigenous, that is, they were self-governing, self-propagating, and self-financing. Each assembly was independent of other churches, yet there was the fellowship of the Spirit between them. Each assembly sought to reproduce other assemblies in adjacent territory. And each one was financed from within. There was no central treasury or parent organization. The assemblies were primarily spiritual havens for believers rather than centers for reaching the unsaved. Church activities included the breaking of bread, worship, prayer, Bible study, and fellowship. Gospel meetings were not held in the assemblies as such but rather wherever there was opportunity to address the unsavedin synagogues, in marketplaces, on the streets, in prisons, and from house to house. The churches did not meet in special buildings erected for the purpose but in the homes of believers. This gave great mobility to the church in times of persecution, permitting it to go underground quickly and easily. At the outset, there were certainly no denominations. All believers were recognized as members of the body of Christ and every local church as an expression of the church universal. Neither was there a distinction between clergy and laity. No one man had exclusive rights in an assembly with regard to teaching, preaching, baptizing, or administering the Lord’s Supper. There was a recognition of the fact that every believer had some gift, and there was liberty for the exercise of that gift. Those who were gifted as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers did not seek to establish themselves as indispensable officials in a church. Their function was to build up the saints in the faith so that they, too, might be able to serve the Lord daily. The gifted men of the NT period were equipped for their work by a special anointing of the Holy Spirit. This accounts for the way in which unlearned and homespun men exercised such an influence on their age. They were not professional in the sense we think of the term today, but lay preachers with unction from on high. The proclamation of the message in the Book of Acts was often accompanied by miraclessigns and wonders and various gifts of the Holy Spirit. While these miracles seem more prominent in the early chapters, they continue to the end of the book. After a local church was in operation, the apostles or their representatives appointed eldersmen who were spiritual overseers. These men shepherded the flock. There were several elders in each church. The noun, deacon, is not specifically applied to a church officer in the Book of Acts. However, the verb form of the word is used to describe service carried on for the Lord, whether spiritual or temporal. The early believers practiced baptism by immersion. The general impression is that believers were baptized soon after their conversion. On the first day of the week the disciples gathered together to remember the Lord in the breaking of bread. This service was probably not as formal as it is today. It seems to have been observed in connection with a common meal or a love feast. The early church was addicted to prayer. It was the lifeline with God. The prayers were earnest, believing, and fervent. The disciples also fasted in order that all their powers might be concentrated on spiritual matters without distraction or drowsiness. It was after prayer and fasting that the prophets and teachers at Antioch commended Barnabas and Saul to a special missionary program. Both of these men had been serving the Lord for some time prior to this. The commendation was not an official ordination, therefore, but an acknowledgment by the leaders at Antioch that the Holy Spirit had really called them. It was also an expression of the whole-hearted fellowship of the assembly in the work which Barnabas and Saul were undertaking. Those who went out in evangelistic service were not controlled by their home assembly in this service. They were apparently free to serve as the Holy Spirit guided them. But they did report back to their home church as to the blessing of God on their labors. In this connection, the church was not a highly organized complex, but a living organism which moved in constant obedience to the leading of the Lord. The Head of the church, Christ in heaven, directed the members, and they sought to keep themselves teachable, mobile, and responsive. Thus instead of finding an inflexible pattern of service in the Book of Acts, we find a fluidity, a refreshing absence of rigidity. For instance, there was no hard and fast rule as to how long an apostle spent in one place. In Thessalonica Paul may have stayed three months, but in Ephesus he remained three years. It all depended on how long it took to build up the saints so that they could carry on the Christian ministry by themselves. There are some who feel that the apostles concentrated their attention on the large cities, depending on the churches established there to fan out into the suburbs. But is this true? Did the apostles have any such fixed and finalized strategy? Or did they follow orders from the Lord from day to daywhether to important centers or to trivial hamlets? Certainly one of the outstanding impressions we get from the Book of Acts is that the early believers expected and depended on the guidance of the Lord. They had forsaken all for Christ’s sake. They had nothing and no one but the Lord Himself. So they looked to Him for daily directions and were not disappointed. It seems to have been the practice for itinerant Christian workers to travel in pairs. The partner would often be a younger worker who would thus serve his apprenticeship. The apostles were constantly looking for faithful younger men whom they could disciple. At times the Lord’s servants were self-supporting, e.g., Paul working as a tentmaker. At other times they were supported by love gifts from individuals or churches. Another notable impression is that those who were spiritual leaders were recognized as such by the saints who worked with them. It was the Holy Spirit who empowered them to speak with authority. And it was the same Holy Spirit who gave other believers the true spiritual instinct to submit to this authority. The disciples obeyed human governments up to a point. That point was reached when they were forbidden to preach the gospel. Then they obeyed God rather than man. When punished by civil authorities, they bore it un resistingly, without ever conspiring against the government. The gospel was preached first to the Jews, then after Israel’s national refusal of the message, the good news went out to the Gentiles. The command, to the Jew first, was fulfilled historically in the Book of Acts. Jews today are on the same basis as Gentiles before Godthere is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.There was tremendous power in connection with the ministry of the early church. Through fear of God’s displeasure, people did not lightly make professions of being Christians. Sin in the church came to light quickly and was severely punished by God in some cases, e.g., Ananias and Sapphira. A final and lasting conviction that flows from studying Acts is this: If we were to follow the example of the early church in faith, sacrifice, devotedness, and tireless service, the world could be evangelized in our generation.