Chapter Twenty-Eight
Acts 28:1–5. And having been saved, those who were with Paul learned that the island was called Melita. The foreigners showed us no small kindness, for they, on account of the rain that had set in and the cold, kindled a fire and received us all. When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. When the foreigners saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to one another: surely this man is a murderer, whom, though he has been saved from the sea, divine justice does not allow to live. But he shook off the snake into the fire and suffered no harm.
When Paul was gathering brushwood, a viper bit his hand and caused him no harm, because the holy man was a practitioner of faith. Having sunk its fangs into the apostle's hand and finding no sinful wound in it, the viper immediately recoiled and threw itself into the fire, as if seeking punishment for itself. We, however, fear wild beasts, since we do not possess the full armor of virtue.
"They said to one another." Look: natural judgment is full of truthfulness, and among the barbarians they do not simply condemn, but having conferred among themselves with a feeling of compassion.
Acts 28:6. They were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing that no harm came to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a God.
They thought that Paul's body would be torn apart.
"Having waited a long time." The miracle was not revealed suddenly, but the people waited for it for some time. Thus, this occurrence was not a deception or mere trickery.
"They said that he was a God." Since they had the custom of calling anyone who did something extraordinary a god, just as the ancients called gods those who, whether by physical strength, like Heracles, performed greater feats than their contemporaries, or drove spectators out of their minds by the art of magic, like Simon in Samaria.
Acts 28:7–10. Near that place were the estates of the chief man of the island, named Publius; he received us and for three days hospitably entertained us. The father of Publius lay sick, suffering from fever and dysentery; Paul went in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him. After this event, the rest on the island who had diseases also came and were healed; and they showed us much honor, and at our departure supplied us with what we needed.
Publius was a hospitable man, because he received them knowing nothing about them, but only out of compassion for their plight, and gave rest to two hundred and eighty people, seeing in this a benefit for himself.
"The father of Publius lay sick with a fever and dysentery." Dysentery, a disease difficult to cure, having been healed by Paul, converted many to faith in Christ.
Acts 28:11–14. After three months we set sail on an Alexandrian ship called the Dioscuri, which had wintered on that island, and putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there three days. From there we sailed around and arrived at Rhegium; and after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli, where we found brethren, and were invited to stay with them seven days, and then we went to Rome.
Almost always, especially on Alexandrian ships, it was customary to make such images near the bow of the ship on the right and left sides.
And since, given the prevailing idol-worship of that time, the "Dioscuri" were probably depicted on this ship, we may conclude from this that the shipmaster on it was a foreigner and an idolater.
Acts 28:15–16. The brethren there, having heard about us, came out to meet us as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.
When he says "to the Appian Forum and the Three Taverns," he indicates certain localities before Rome. The first, the Appian Forum, is a locality where a statue of Appius stood; from this, probably, the locality was also named the forum before the statue.
"Seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage." Although Paul had performed so many miracles, he nevertheless gained greater boldness from seeing the brethren. From this we learn that he received both consolation and adverse treatment toward him in a human manner.
Acts 28:16–18. When we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with a soldier who guarded him. After three days Paul called together the chief men of the Jews, and when they had come together, he said to them: "Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. They, after examining me, wished to release me, because there was no cause of death in me."
Paul was so respected that he was permitted to stay by himself; for if the centurion had been favorable to him until now, he became even more favorable.
"With a soldier who guarded him," in order to prevent the possibility of new plots against Paul, so that the soldier was not watching over him, but rather watching out so that no harm would come to him.
Acts 28:19–20. But since the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, though not with the intention of bringing any accusation against my nation. For this reason I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, for it is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with these chains.
Since Paul knew that it was entirely inappropriate to be on trial, especially before an unbelieving man, he defends himself from both sides, namely: that he acted not against the law, but on the contrary, was himself knowingly unjustly condemned by the Jews, and that he did not appeal to Caesar of his own will, but because the Jews themselves gave him reason to do so, since they saw fit neither to judge him according to the law of the Church nor to submit to the lawful opinion of the authorities. The authorities wanted to release him; but they did not release him because the Jews opposed this. So then what? Did you do what you did—appeal to Caesar—in order to accuse the Jews? No, he says, in order to escape danger.
"For the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain." That is, by the Scriptures one hope has been granted to the Jews—Christ, and it was by preaching Him that Paul found himself in this condition of a prisoner.
Acts 28:21–22. And they said unto him: we have neither received letters concerning thee from Judea, nor have any of the brethren that came reported or spoken anything evil concerning thee. But we desire to hear from thee what thy thoughts are.
Even before Paul's arrival in Rome, the Jews had been persuaded not to accept the preaching about Christ — not only the Jews in Rome, but all Jews throughout the entire world. But how is this known? In the writings of ancient authors we find that the priests, scribes, and elders dwelling in Jerusalem wrote epistles and sent them to all countries, to the Jews living in them; in these epistles they reviled the teaching of Christ as a teaching alien to God, and urged them not to accept it. The same thing, it seems, is indicated by the following prophecy of Isaiah: "Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, that sends ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of papyrus upon the waters!" (Isa. 18:1–2). By this is signified that the impious voice of the people inhabiting Judea was carried on swift-sailing ships beyond the land of Ethiopia and to the uttermost ends of the earth, and that their "ambassadors," sailing upon the waters and crossing the sea, penetrated into all countries, carrying epistles and reviling the teaching about our Savior. Among the Jews it is still customary to this day to call ambassadors, or messengers, those persons who carry circular letters from their leaders.