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Scripture Reading: Acts 28:1-31
In this message we shall cover chapter twenty-eight, the last chapter of Acts. In 28:1-10 Paul comes to the island of Malta and there does many miracles. Then in 28:11-31 he arrives in Rome, ending the fourth journey. First he passes through Syracuse, Rhegium, Puteoli, the Market of Appius, and Three Inns (vv. 11-16). He contacts the Jewish leaders (vv. 17-22) and ministers in Rome (vv. 23-31).
Acts 28:1-2 say, “And having been brought safely through, we recognized then that the island was called Malta. And the natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for, having kindled a fire, they took us all in because of the rain coming on and because of the cold.” The Greek word translated “natives” in verses 2 and 4 also means barbarians, referring to those who spoke neither Greek nor Latin but who are not necessarily uncivilized.
Verses 3 through 5 continue, “But when Paul had collected a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. And when the natives saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to one another, Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, whom, though he has been brought safely out of the sea, Justice has not allowed to live. However he shook off the snake into the fire and suffered no harm.” Literally, the Greek word for “snake” in verses 4 and 5 is “beast.” But medical writers used this term to denote poisonous snakes. At first, the natives thought that Paul was a murderer because he was bitten by a viper. However, as verse 6 indicates, they eventually changed their minds concerning him: “But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But while they were expecting for a long time and beheld nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.” The apostle was not a god in the superstition of the curious natives, but he expressed, in his living and ministry, the true God, who in Jesus Christ has gone through the processes of the incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection and who was then living in Paul and through him as the all-inclusive Spirit.
In his teaching as recorded in his Epistles Paul emphasized the matter of walking in the Spirit. Throughout the voyage and now on the island of Malta Paul certainly was walking in the Spirit. He surely lived a life that was the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ. Paul’s living was actually the expression of the life-giving Spirit. In every situation of his daily living, Paul was the expression of the very Christ he preached. He preached the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ as the life-giving Spirit, and on the island of Malta he lived such a Christ as the all-inclusive Spirit. This is indicated by Paul’s word, written later, in Philippians 1:20 and 21a: “According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, even now Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death; for to me to live is Christ....” Paul cared only to live Christ and to magnify Him. On the island of Malta Paul lived Christ and magnified Him as the life-giving Spirit. As we read Luke’s account of Paul’s living, we see that his living was the all-inclusive Spirit as the consummation of the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, and God-exalted Christ.
Verses 7 and 8 say, “Now in the vicinity of that place were the lands of the leading man of the island named Publius, who welcomed us and gave us hospitality three days in a friendly way. And it came about that the father of Publius was lying down sick with fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to him, and having prayed and laid his hands on him, cured him.” Dysentery was a common disease, but it was difficult to cure. However, Paul, who had been living like a king ruling over his kingdom, now became a physician to heal the father of Publius.
Verse 9 goes on to say, “And when this happened, the rest also in the island who had sicknesses came to him and were healed.” Here we see that Paul became the physician, and even a savior, to the whole island. All the sick who were brought to Paul were healed.
On the sea in the storm, the Lord had already made the apostle not only the owner of his fellow voyagers (27:24), but also their life-guarantee and comforter (27:22-25). Now on the land in peace, the Lord made him further not only a magical attraction in the eyes of the superstitious people (vv. 3-6), but also a healer and joy to the native people (vv. 8-9). All during his long and unfortunate imprisonment-voyage, the Lord kept the apostle in His ascendancy and enabled him to live a life far beyond the realm of anxiety, but fully dignified with the highest standard of human virtues expressing the most excellent divine attributes, a life that resembled the one that He Himself had lived on earth years before. This was Jesus living again on the earth in His divinely enriched humanity! This was the wonderful, excellent, and mysterious God-man, who lived in the Gospels, continuing to live in Acts through one of His many members! This was a living witness of the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, and God-exalted Christ. Paul in his voyage lived and magnified Christ. No wonder the people honored him and his companions with many honors (v. 10), that is, with the best respect and highest regard!
Acts 28:10 says, “And they honored us with many honors; and when we put out to sea, they put on board the things for our needs.” This verse indicates that the natives on the island of Malta treated Paul and his companions as if they were members of a royal family. Paul was the king, and Luke was one of the family.
According to verse 10, the natives put on board everything that was needed for the voyage. The Lord sovereignly provided food for two hundred and seventy-six people. Any king must provide food for his people. As a king, Paul received the supplies from the natives. However, he did not owe them anything for this, because he had healed so many of the sick among them. In a sense, the people paid Paul by putting on board the food supply needed for the voyage.
Acts 28:11 says, “And after three months, we put out to sea in an Alexandrian ship which had wintered in the island, with the twin sons of Zeus for its figurehead.” The Greek word rendered “twin sons” is Dioscuri, the twin sons of Zeus, Castor and Pollux. This was the figure of the guardian deity of the sailors affixed to the stern.
After staying three days in Syracuse, they arrived at Rhegium, and then they came to Puteoli, where they found brothers (vv. 12-14). In verse 14b Luke says, “And thus we came to Rome.” In verses 15 and 16 he continues, “And from there the brothers, having heard the things concerning us, came to meet us as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. And when we entered into Rome, Paul was permitted to remain by himself with a soldier guarding him.” In Latin “Market of Appius” is Appii Forum,a place over forty miles from Rome. In Latin “Three Inns” is Tres Tabernae, a place over thirty miles from Rome.
The warm welcome of the brothers from Rome and the loving care of those in Puteoli (vv. 13-14) show the beautiful Body life in the early days among the churches and the apostles. This life was a part of the heavenly kingdom life on the Satan-darkened and man-inhabited earth. Apparently the apostle, as a prisoner in bonds, had entered the area of the dark capital of the Satan-usurped empire. Actually, as the ambassador of Christ with His authority (Eph. 6:20; Matt. 28:18-19), he had come into another part of the participation in His church’s Body life in the kingdom of God on earth. While he was suffering the persecution of religion in the empire of Satan, he was enjoying the church life in the kingdom of God, which was a comfort and an encouragement to him.
According to verse 15, when Paul saw the brothers, he thanked God and took courage. This indicates that the apostle was quite human. Although he was encouraged by the Lord directly (23:11) and he was very courageous all the way in his voyage (27:22-25, 33-36), he still took courage at the brothers’ warm welcome. It was in Paul’s uplifted humanity with its human virtues that Christ with His divine attributes was expressed in his voyage. He magnified Christ all the way in his adverse situation (Phil. 1:20).
Before Paul arrived in Rome, the brothers there heard news concerning him and his companions and came to meet them as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns. How did they receive the news about Paul? This is very difficult to decide. Perhaps some brothers from Puteoli, where Paul was urged to remain seven days, brought the news to the brothers in Rome, who then came to meet him. The important matter is that here we see a picture of the church life in ancient times, a church life that was very enjoyable. We need to have such an enjoyable church life today and follow the pattern presented in these verses.
In chapter twenty-eight Paul’s desire to see Rome was fulfilled. The Judaizers had tried to frustrate him from going to the Gentiles, but the Lord sovereignly brought Paul to Rome. It was a great matter in the ancient times to make a journey from Jerusalem to Rome. But the Lord brought Paul far into the Gentile world, even into the capital of the Roman empire. Paul must have been full of joy when he arrived in Rome. Outwardly he was in bonds, but inwardly he was full of glory and unspeakable joy.
Immediately after arriving in Rome, Paul contacted the Jewish leaders (vv. 17-22). Paul was wise in doing this. Then Paul began to minister to them. Of course, his ministry was accepted by some and rejected by others.
Paul’s being in Rome was a strengthening to the church in Rome, in particular because a good number of Jews had been saved. Paul came to Rome not too long after writing his Epistle to the Romans. A few years after writing this Epistle, he, the writer, came to Rome.
Acts 28:23-24 say, “Now when they had appointed a day for him, many came to him in his lodging, to whom he expounded and solemnly testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning until evening. And some were persuaded by the things which were said, but others did not believe.” Here Paul testified concerning the kingdom of God. As we have pointed out, the kingdom of God was the main subject of the apostles’ preaching. This is not a material kingdom visible to human sight, but a kingdom of the divine life. It is the spreading of Christ as life to His believers to form a realm in which God rules in His life.
Verses 25 through 27 say, “And when they disagreed with one another, they began to leave, Paul having said one word, The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying, Go to this people and say, Hearing you will hear and by no means understand, and seeing you will see and by no means perceive; for the heart of this people has grown fat, and they hear heavily with their ears, and they have closed their eyes, lest at any time they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn, and I will cure them.” God the Father spoke this word to the stubborn children of Israel in Isaiah 6:9-10. God the Son quoted this word to the rejecting Jews in Matthew 13:14-15. And now God the Spirit through the apostle repeated this word again to the hard-hearted people. This indicates that in all the moves of the divine Trinity the children of Israel were disobedient to the God of grace. Then He turned to the Gentiles for the carrying out of His New Testament economy in the spreading of His kingdom for the building up of the churches through the propagation of the resurrected and ascended Christ (v. 28).
Acts 28:30 says, “And he remained two whole years in his own rented dwelling, and welcomed all those coming in to him.” During this time the apostle wrote the Epistles to the Colossians (cf. Col. 4:3, 10, 18), Ephesians (cf. 3:1; 4:1; 6:20), Philippians (cf. Phil. 1:7, 14, 17), and Philemon (cf. Philem. 1:1, 9). In Phil. 1:25 and Phil. 2:24 and Philem. 1:22 Paul was expecting to be released from his imprisonment. Probably after two years he was released and visited Ephesus and Macedonia (1 Tim. 1:3), from where it is likely that he wrote the first Epistle to Timothy. Then he visited Crete (Titus 1:5), Nicopolis (Titus 3:12), from where he wrote the Epistle to Titus, Troas, and Miletus (2 Tim. 4:13, 20), from where he probably wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews.
Acts 28:31 says that during the two years Paul was in his rented dwelling in Rome, he was “proclaiming the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, unhindered.” The kingdom of God is one of the emphases of this book. Luke’s writing both begins (1:3) and ends with the kingdom of God.
Paul’s proclaiming the kingdom of God was the propagation of the resurrected Christ. How do we know this? The fact that the proclaiming of the kingdom is the propagation of the resurrected Christ is proved by the words “teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ” in verse 31. This indicates that the kingdom of God goes together with the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. To teach people the things concerning Christ is to spread the kingdom of God. Therefore, the kingdom of God is actually the propagation of the resurrected Christ.
