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28
The Maltese thought that Paul was a god because a snake did not harm him.
Acts 28:1-6
1 After we (exc) had arrived safely on the shore, we learned that it was an island called Malta. 2 The people who lived there received us kindly. They lit a fire and invited us to come and warm ourselves, because it was raining and it was cold. 3 Paul gathered some sticks and put them on the fire. But among those sticks was a snake that had come out from the fire to escape from the heat, and it fastened itself on Paul’s hand. 4 The islanders knew that the snake was poisonous, so when they saw it hanging from Paul’s hand, they said to each other, “Probably this man has murdered someone. Although he has escaped from being drowned, the god ◄who pays people back/who punishes people► for their [MTY] sins will cause him to die.” 5 But Paul simply shook the snake off into the fire, and nothing happened to him. 6 The people were expecting that Paul’s body would soon swell up or that he would suddenly fall down and die. But after they had waited a long time, they saw that the snake had not harmed him at all. So then the people changed their minds and said to one another, “This man is not a murderer! Probably he is a god!”
Paul healed many Maltese, so they supplied what he and the others needed.
Acts 28:7-10
7 Near where the people had made the fire, there were some fields that belonged to a man whose name was Publius. He was the chief official on the island. He invited us to come and stay in his home. He took care of us for three days. 8 At that time Publius’ father had a fever and dysentery, and he was lying in bed. So Paul visited him and prayed for him. Then Paul placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 After Paul had done that, the other people on the island who were sick came to him and he healed them, too. 10 They brought us gifts and showed in other ways that they greatly respected us. When we were ready to leave three months later, they brought us food and other things that we would need for the trip.
Paul and the others sailed to Puteoli, then went by land towards Rome.
Acts 28:11-14
11 After we had stayed there three months, we got on a ship that was going to Italy and sailed away. The ship had been in a harbor on the island during the months when there are many storms. It had come from Alexandria city. On the front of the ship there were carved images of the twin gods whose names were Castor and Pollux. 12 We sailed from the island and arrived at Syracuse city on Sicily island and stayed there three days. 13 Then we traveled on by ship and arrived at Rhegium port in Italy. The next day, the wind was blowing from behind us, so we sailed along fast. The day after that, we reached Puteoli town, where we left the ship. 14 In Puteoli we met some believers who invited us to stay with them for a week. After visiting them, we left there and started to travel by land to Rome.
Christians came out from Rome and escorted Paul into that city.
Acts 28:15-16
15 A group of believers who lived in Rome had heard that we (exc) were coming. So they came out from Rome to meet us. Some of them met us at the town called ‘The Market on Appian Road’, and others met us at the town called ‘The Three Inns’. When Paul saw those believers, he thanked God and was encouraged. 16 After we (exc) arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted {a Roman official who was responsible for guarding Paul permitted Paul} to live in a house by himself. But there was always a soldier there to guard him.
The Jewish leaders asked Paul to tell them about Christianity.
Acts 28:17-22
17 After Paul had been there three days, he sent a message to the Jewish leaders to come and talk with him. So they came, and Paul said to them, “My fellow Jews, although I have not opposed our people nor spoken against the customs of our ancestors, our leaders in Jerusalem seized [MTY] me. But before they could kill me, a Roman commander rescued me and later sent me to Caesarea for Roman authorities/officials to put me on trial. 18 The Roman authorities/officials questioned me and wanted to release me, because I had not done any bad thing for which I should be executed {they should kill me}. 19 But when the Jewish leaders [SYN] there opposed what the Roman authorities wanted to do, I had to formally request that the Emperor judge me here in Rome. But my reason for doing that was not that I wanted to accuse our leaders about anything. 20 So I have requested you to come here so that I can tell you why I am a prisoner. It is because I believe in [MTY] our Messiah, the one God long ago promised to send to us (inc) Jews.” 21 Then the Jewish leaders said, “We (exc) have not received any letters from our fellow Jews in Judea about you. Also, none of our fellow Jews who have arrived here from Judea has said anything bad about you. 22 But we (exc) want to hear what you (sg) think about this Christian sect/group, because we know that in many places [HYP] bad things are being said {people are saying bad things} about it.”
Paul told the Jews that non-Jews would believe the gospel.
Acts 28:23-31
23 So they talked with Paul and decided that they would come back on another day to hear him. When that day arrived, those Jews came back to the place where Paul was staying, and they brought more Jews with them. Paul talked to them from morning until evening. He talked to them about how God wants to rule people’s lives [MET]. He tried to convince them that Jesus is the Messiah by reminding them what Moses and the other prophets had written [MTY]. 24 Some of those Jews believed that what was said by Paul {what Paul said} about Jesus was true, but others did not believe that it was true. 25 So they began to argue with one another. Paul realized that some of them did not want to listen to him, so when they were about to leave, he said, “The Holy Spirit said something to your/our(incl) ancestors. He spoke these words to Isaiah the prophet, and what he said is also true about you:
26 Go to your fellow Israelites and tell them,
‘You repeatedly listen to the message of God, but you never understand what God is saying.
You repeatedly look at and see the things that God is doing,
but you never understand what they mean.
27 God also said to the prophet,
These people do not understand, because they have become stubborn.
They have ears, but they do not understand what they hear,
and they have closed their eyes because they do not want to see.
If they wanted to obey what I say to them, they might understand what they see me doing and what they hear me saying.
Then they might turn from their sinful behavior and I would save them.’
28-29 That is what God said to the prophet Isaiah about our ancestors. But you Jews today do not want to believe God’s message. Therefore, I am telling you that God has sent to the non-Jews this message about how he saves people, and they will listen and accept it!”
30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in a house that he rented. Many people came to see him, and he received them all gladly and talked with them. 31 He preached and taught people about how God could rule their lives [MET] and taught them about the Lord Jesus Christ. He did that without being afraid, and no one tried to stop him.

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© 2008-2017 Ellis W. Deibler, Jr.