Acts 28:1-31

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: Acts

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Rusty's Notes

• We left off with Paul crashing into a sandbank off the shore of Malta.
• The ship is destroyed but all 276 people on board survived, just as an angel told Paul.
• Show Maps

 
MALTA’S HOSPITALITY
ACTS 28
1 Once safely ashore, we then learned that the island was called Malta (means refuge).

• Malta is 18 miles long and 8 miles wide.
• Located 60 miles south of Sicily.

2 The local people showed us extraordinary kindness.

• If you didn’t speak Greek, then you were considered “barbarian”.

They lit a fire and took us all in, since it was raining and cold. 3 As Paul gathered a bundle of brushwood and put it on the fire,

• Paul was the reason they all survived.
• They should have placed him high on a pedestal.
• But he was a servant of Jesus Christ.

a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the local people saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “This man, no doubt, is a murderer. Even though he has escaped the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”

• Luke records chronologically.
• So they are saying this while the snake is still hanging on to Paul’s hand.

5 But he shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They expected that he would begin to swell up or suddenly drop dead. After they waited a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

• Similar to what happened in Lystra – Acts 14:6-18)
• Paul healed a man who hadn’t walked since birth and the locals thought he was some Greek god.

 
MINISTRY IN MALTA
7 Now in the area around that place was an estate belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius (pub-lee-ose), who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8 Publius’s father was in bed suffering from fever and dysentery (OK Google: bloody diarrhea). Paul went to him, and praying and laying his hands on him, he healed him. 9 After this, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. 10 So they heaped many honors on us, and when we sailed, they gave us what we needed.

• Wintered there for 3 months. 60-61 AD.
• Blessed with generous gifts because they had arrived with nothing.
• Matthew – Tax collector & disciple of Jesus

        Date: 58-62 AD
        Audience: Jews
        Location: Antioch
        Portrays Jesus as: King of Jews

• Mark – John Mark that traveled with Paul

        Date: 58-62 AD
        Audience: Romans
        Location: Rome
        Portrays Jesus as: The Servant of Jehovah

• Luke – Physician & traveler with Paul (wrote Acts)

        Written in chronological order.
        Date: 60-63 AD
        Audience: Greeks/Gentile/Theophilis
        Location: Rome
        Portrays Jesus as: The Son of Man

• John – written while exile in Patmos

        Date: 80-90 AD
        Audience: Jews
        Portrays Jesus as: Jesus, the Son of God
John wrote more about what Jesus said and who. He is, unlike the other Gospels who wrote about what Jesus did.
 
ROME AT LAST
11 After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island, with the Twin Gods as its figurehead. 12 Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed three days. 13 From there, after making a circuit along the coast, we reached Rhegium (ray-ee-om). After one day a south wind sprang up, and the second day we came to Puteoli (Puh-tee-o-lee).

• In Greek mythology, “Castor and Pollux” were the names of the twin sons of Zeus and were revered as the protectors of men on the sea.
• Many Roman ships bore their image as a plea for safety.
• Show map
• It was 80 miles to Syracuse, another 70 to Rhegium, and about 180 to Puteoli, the port of Naples.
• This time the “south wind” was exactly what they needed in order to make the voyage quickly and safely.[1]

14 There we found brothers and sisters and were invited to stay a week with them.

• Julius granted permission for this.

And so we came to Rome. 15 Now the brothers and sisters from there had heard the news about us and had come to meet us as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns.

• Julius and his party took the famous Appian Way and traveled 125 miles from Puteoli to Rome.
• The first group of Christians met Paul at the Forum of Appius, about 43 miles from Rome; and the second group met him at the Three Taverns, 10 miles nearer to the city.[2]

When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

• It was like walking into Pinheads on a Sunday AM.
• His letter to Rome was written 4 years ago and he finally arrived.
• The Christians in Rome were waiting for his arrival. They just didn’t know it would be as a prisoner.

16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

• Paul finally arrives in Rome and is placed under house arrest.
• He lives in his own private lodging on the third floor of a Roman insula (apartment) and is chained by his wrist to a Roman guard.
• The guard is relieved every four hours.
• Each guard belongs to the Praetorian guard, the emperor’s personal bodyguards. (Philippians 1:13)
• Paul will quickly become a talking point among them.
• Thankfully, Paul is allowed to receive visitors.

 
PAUL’S FIRST INTERVIEW WITH ROMAN JEWS
17 After three days he called together the leaders of the Jews.

• Everywhere Paul went in Acts, he went to the Jews first.
• He traveled to all the synagogues.
• Now he has called for the all the leaders of the synagogues in Romes.

When they had gathered he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18 After they examined me, they wanted to release me, since there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. 19 Because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar; even though I had no charge to bring against my people. 20 For this reason I’ve asked to see you and speak to you. In fact, it is for the hope of Israel that I’m wearing this chain.”

• The apostle made it clear that his appeal to Caesar must not be interpreted as an indictment against his nation.
• Actually, he was a prisoner on behalf of his nation and “the hope of Israel.”

21 Then they said to him, “We haven’t received any letters about you from Judea. None of the brothers has come and reported or spoken anything evil about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, since we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.”
 
THE RESPONSE TO PAUL’S MESSAGE
23 After arranging a day with him, many came to him at his lodging. From dawn to dusk he expounded and testified about the kingdom of God. He tried to persuade them about Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets.

• On the day appointed, Paul spent “from morning till evening” explaining the Scriptures and revealing Christ in the Law and the Prophets.
• He had “dialogued” this way with the Jews in one synagogue after another, and now he was sharing the Word with the leaders of many synagogues in Rome.[3]

24 Some were persuaded by what he said, but others did not believe.
25 Disagreeing among themselves, they began to leave after Paul made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah 26 when he said,
Go to these people and say:
You will always be listening,
but never understanding;
and you will always be looking,
but never perceiving.
27 For the hearts of these people
have grown callous,
their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
understand with their heart
and turn,
and I would heal them.  (Isaiah 6:9-10)​

• It is one thing to listen and quite something else to hear, and there is a great difference between seeing and perceiving.
• If anybody should have possessed spiritual understanding, it was these Jewish leaders, but their hearts were dull and hard.
• Too often those who enjoy the most spiritual privileges are not ready when they must make spiritual decisions.[4]

 
28 Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”

• Paul always spoke the Truth in what he believed no matter who is audience was.
• But at some point, you walk away and speak to the people who will listen to you.
• This is one of the major themes of Acts, how the Gospel moved from the Jews to the Gentiles and from Jerusalem to Rome.[5]
  
  

PAUL’S MINISTRY UNHINDERED
30 Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house.

• He was responsible for his own rent money!

And he welcomed all who visited him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. [6]

• During these two years in Rome, Paul wrote Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon.
• He expected to be released (Phil. 1:23–27; 2:24; Phile. 22) and most students agree that he was.
• During this time, he had Timothy with him (Phil. 1:1; 2:19; Col. 1:1), as well as John Mark, Luke, Aristarchus, Epaphras, Justus, and Demas (Col. 4:10–14; Phile. 24).
• He also met Philemon’s runaway slave Onesimus and led him to faith in Christ (Phile. 10–21).
• Epaphroditus brought a gift to him from the Philippian church and almost died ministering to Paul (Phil. 2:25–30; 4:18).
• Tychicus was Paul’s “mailman” who delivered Ephesians (Eph. 6:21), Colossians, and Philemon (Col. 4:7–9).
• Dr. Luke ended his book before Paul’s case had been heard, so he could not give us the results of the trial.
• We have every reason to believe that Paul was indeed released and that he resumed his ministry, probably traveling as far as Spain (Rom. 15:24, 28).
• During this period (a.d. 63–66/67), he wrote letters to Timothy and Titus.
• He left Titus in Crete (Titus 1:5), Trophimus sick in Miletus (2 Tim. 4:20), and Timothy in Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:3).
• He planned to meet some of his helpers at Nicopolis (Titus 3:12–13) after he had visited some of the churches he had established.
• Wherever he went, he sought to bring Jews and Gentiles to faith in Jesus Christ.
• He was arrested again, probably about the year 67, and this time his situation was changed drastically.
• He did not live in a house, but was chained in a prison and treated like a criminal (2 Tim. 1:16; 2:9).
• Winter was coming, and he asked Timothy to bring him his cloak (2 Tim. 4:13).
• But the saddest thing about this second imprisonment was his being forsaken by the believers in Rome (2 Tim. 4:16–17).
• The great apostle to the Gentiles was abandoned by the very people he came to assist.
• Even Demas forsook him, and only Luke was with him (2 Tim. 4:10–11).
• The family of Onesiphorus ministered to his needs (2 Tim. 1:16–18), but he longed for Timothy and Mark to come to be at his side (2 Tim. 1:4; 4:9, 21).
• Paul knew that the end was coming (2 Tim. 4:6–8).

Tradition tells us that he was beheaded at Rome in 67/68 AD.[7]

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 510). Victor Books.
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 511). Victor Books.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 511). Victor Books.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 511). Victor Books.
[5] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 511). Victor Books.
[6] Christian Standard Bible (Ac 28:1-31). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 511–512). Victor Books.