Acts — Chapter 28
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1Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.
2The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold.
3Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he laid them on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to his hand.
4When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”
5But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
6The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
7Nearby stood an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days.
8The father of Publius was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after praying and placing his hands on him, he healed the man.
9After this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured as well.
10The islanders honored us in many ways and supplied our needs when we were ready to sail.
11After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered in the island. It had the Twin Brothers as a figurehead.
12Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there three days.
13From there we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium. After one day, a south wind came up, and on the second day we arrived at Puteoli.
14There we found some brothers who invited us to spend the week with them. And so we came to Rome.
15The brothers there had heard about us and traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and gave thanks to God.
16When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to stay by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
17After three days, he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, I was taken prisoner in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.
18They examined me and wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me.
19But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, even though I have no charge to bring against my nation.
20So for this reason I have called to see you and speak with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
21The leaders replied, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers from there reported or even mentioned anything bad about you.
22But we consider your views worth hearing, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.”
23So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.
24Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others refused to believe.
25They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit was right when He spoke to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
26‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
27For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’
28Be advised, therefore, that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
29
30Paul stayed there two full years in his own rented house, welcoming all who came to visit him.
31Boldly and freely he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
1And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.
2And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.
3And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
4And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.
5And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
6Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
7In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously.
8And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.
9So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:
10Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.
11And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.
12And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.
13And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli:
14Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome.
15And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.
16And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.
17And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
18Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.
19But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.
20For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.
21And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee.
22But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.
23And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
24And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.
25And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,
26Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
27For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
28Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
29And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.
30And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
31Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
1And when we were escaped, then we knew that the island was called Melita.
2And the barbarians showed us no common kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.
3But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out by reason of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
4And when the barbarians saw the [venomous] creature hanging from his hand, they said one to another, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped from the sea, yet Justice hath not suffered to live.
5Howbeit he shook off the creature into the fire, and took no harm.
6But they expected that he would have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but when they were long in expectation and beheld nothing amiss came to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
7Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and entertained us three days courteously.
8And it was so, that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery: unto whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laying his hands on him healed him.
9And when this was done, the rest also that had diseases in the island came, and were cured:
10who also honored us with many honors; and when we sailed, they put on board such things as we needed.
11And after three months we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose sign was The Twin Brothers.
12And touching at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.
13And from thence we made a circuit, and arrived at Rhegium: and after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli;
14where we found brethren, and were entreated to tarry with them seven days: and so we came to Rome.
15And from thence the brethren, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns; whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.
16And when we entered into Rome, Paul was suffered to abide by himself with the soldier that guarded him.
17And it came to pass, that after three days he called together those that were the chief of the Jews: and when they were come together, he said unto them, I, brethren, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, yet was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans:
18who, when they had examined me, desired to set me at liberty, because there was no cause of death in me.
19But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had aught whereof to accuse my nation.
20For this cause therefore did I entreat you to see and to speak with [me]: for because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.
21And they said unto him, We neither received letters from Judaea concerning thee, nor did any of the brethren come hither and report or speak any harm of thee.
22But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.
23And when they had appointed him a day, they came to him into his lodging in great number; to whom he expounded [the matter,] testifying the kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning till evening.
24And some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.
25And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Spirit through Isaiah the prophet unto your fathers,
26saying, Go thou unto this people, and say, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive:
27For this people`s heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest, haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them.
28Be it known therefore unto you, that this salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles: they will also hear.
29[And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, having much disputing among themselves.]
30And he abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto him,
31preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, none forbidding him.
1After we had safely reached shore, we learned that the island was called Malta.
2The local inhabitants showed us extraordinary kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain and was cold.
3When Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.
4When the local people saw the creature hanging from Paul’s hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself has not allowed him to live!”
5However, Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.
6But they were expecting that he was going to swell up or suddenly drop dead. So after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
7Now in the region around that place were fields belonging to the chief official of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably as guests for three days.
8The father of Publius lay sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and after praying, placed his hands on him and healed him.
9After this had happened, many of the people on the island who were sick also came and were healed.
10They also bestowed many honors, and when we were preparing to sail, they gave us all the supplies we needed.
11After three months we put out to sea in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island and had the “Heavenly Twins” as its figurehead.
12We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days.
13From there we cast off and arrived at Rhegium, and after one day a south wind sprang up and on the second day we came to Puteoli.
14There we found some brothers and were invited to stay with them seven days. And in this way we came to Rome.
15The brothers from there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. When he saw them, Paul thanked God and took courage.
16When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.
17After three days Paul called the local Jewish leaders together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, from Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans.
18When they had heard my case, they wanted to release me because there was no basis for a death sentence against me.
19But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar—not that I had some charge to bring against my own people.
20So for this reason I have asked to see you and speak with you, for I am bound with this chain because of the hope of Israel.”
21They replied, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there and reported or said anything bad about you.
22But we would like to hear from you what you think, for regarding this sect we know that people everywhere speak against it.”
23They set a day to meet with him, and they came to him where he was staying in even greater numbers. From morning until evening he explained things to them, testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets.
24Some were convinced by what he said, but others refused to believe.
25So they began to leave, unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah
26when he said,‘Go to this people and say,“You will keep on hearing, but will never understand,and you will keep on looking, but will never perceive.
27For the heart of this people has become dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes,so that they would not see with their eyesand hear with their earsand understand with their heartand turn, and I would heal them.”’
28“Therefore be advised that this salvation from God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen!”
29[This verse is not included in the NET; see KJV/ASV for the traditional rendering.]
30Paul lived there two whole years in his own rented quarters and welcomed all who came to him,
31proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete boldness and without restriction.
1When we had escaped, then they learned that the island was called Malta.
2The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.
3But 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.
4When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.”
5However he shook off the creature into the fire, and wasn’t harmed.
6But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
7Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and courteously entertained us for three days.
8The father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him.
9Then when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came, and were cured.
10They also honored us with many honors, and when we sailed, they put on board the things that we needed.
11After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose sign was “The Twin Brothers.”
12Touching at Syracuse, we stayed there three days.
13From there we circled around and arrived at Rhegium. After one day, a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli,
14where we found brothers, and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome.
15From there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God, and took courage.
16When we entered into Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him.
17After three days Paul called together those who were the leaders of the Jews. When they had come together, he said to them, “I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans,
18who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.
19But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation.
20For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”
21They said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you.
22But we desire to hear from you what you think. For, as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.”
23When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about God’s Kingdom, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening.
24Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.
25When they didn’t agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one word, “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah, the prophet, to our fathers,
26saying, ‘Go to this people, and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive.
27For this people’s heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them.’
28“Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.”
29When he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.
30Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who were coming to him,
31preaching God’s Kingdom, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.
Summary
Shipwrecked on Malta, Paul is bitten by a viper while gathering firewood, and when he suffers no harm the islanders, who first assumed he was a murderer under divine judgment, change their minds and decide he is a god (vv. 1-6). The chief official of the island, Publius, welcomes the survivors, and Paul heals his sick father along with many others on the island, who honor them greatly and supply what they need for the rest of the voyage (vv. 7-10). After three months, Paul sails on to Italy, and believers from Rome come out to meet him along the way, encouraging him as he finally arrives in the city (vv. 11-16). There Paul calls the local Jewish leaders together, explains why he is a prisoner, and testifies about the kingdom of God and Jesus from the Law and the Prophets from morning until evening, persuading some while others disbelieve (vv. 17-24). Echoing Isaiah's warning about a people who hear but do not understand, Paul declares that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, who will listen (vv. 25-28). For two full years Paul lives at his own expense in a rented house, welcoming all who come to him and preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete boldness, unhindered — ending the book on a note of the gospel's unstoppable advance (vv. 30-31).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Malta (v.1): The island where Paul was shipwrecked — located between Sicily and North Africa. Paul was bitten by a viper and healed the father of Publius here.
- Syracuse, Rhegium, Puteoli (vv.12-13): The route from Malta to Italy — Syracuse (Sicily), then through the Strait of Messina past Rhegium, to the port of Puteoli (near Naples).
- Rome (v.16): Paul finally arrived in Rome — the capital of the Empire and the "uttermost part" of Acts 1:8 fulfilled. He lived under house arrest for two years, preaching freely.
- The Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns (v.15): Stops on the Appian Way, 40-50 miles south of Rome, where Roman Christians came to meet Paul.
Places on this map
- MaltaMaltaA small limestone island 60 miles south of Sicily, in the middle of the Mediterranean narrows. Fourteen days adrift from Crete puts a drifting ship almost exactly here, which is one reason the Acts account reads as a sailor's record. Wikipedia
- RomeRome, ItalyFifteen miles up the Tiber from its port at Ostia, about 1,400 miles from Jerusalem by sea and road. Reaching it is the destination Acts is aimed at from chapter one, because from Rome the roads ran everywhere else. Wikipedia
- SyracuseSyracuse, SicilyThe chief city of Sicily and a three-day stop on the voyage from Malta to Italy. Wikipedia
- PuteoliPozzuoli, ItalyThe main grain port for Rome, on the bay of Naples, where Paul landed for the last 130 miles up the Appian Way. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Deep Dive
Setting: Winter of AD 59–60 and the following spring. All 276 people from the wreck are ashore on Malta, soaked and freezing. Three months later another ship carries Paul to Italy, and the last leg is on foot to Rome. The promise of 19:21 and 23:11 is fulfilled. The book Luke opened with "you will be my witnesses… to the end of the earth" (1:8) closes with the gospel preached openly in the capital of the world.
Paul on Malta (vv1–10)
- "The island was called Malta" (v1). Malta lies about 60 miles south of Sicily and was under Roman rule. Its people spoke a Punic (Phoenician) dialect. That is why Luke calls them barbaroi (v2, "native people"), which simply means people who didn't speak Greek. It wasn't an insult.
- "Unusual kindness… they kindled a fire and welcomed us all" (v2). "Kindness" is philanthrōpia, love for people. It is the root of "philanthropy," and Paul uses the same word of God's kindness in Titus 3:4. Two hundred seventy-six wet strangers, including prisoners, are welcomed by the islanders.
- "Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks" (v3). The apostle who had just saved the whole ship is collecting firewood like everyone else. Leadership in Acts looks like service.
- "A viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand" (v3). It was cold and torpid in the brushwood, and the fire roused it. Malta has no venomous snakes today, which some cite against the story. But the island was far more wooded in the first century, and species have disappeared from many islands. The locals clearly expected the bite to be deadly (v6).
- "No doubt this man is a murderer… Justice has not allowed him to live" (v4). "Justice" is Dikē, the Greek goddess of justice and revenge. Their reasoning is common in every culture: disaster must be punishment. Jesus rejected that reasoning (Luke 13:1–5; John 9:2–3).
- "He… shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm" (v5). This fulfills Jesus' promise in Luke 10:19 and the longer ending of Mark (16:18), a passage most scholars think was added later but which records what early believers saw. It is not a pattern for handling snakes. It is God protecting his messenger and his promise: Paul "must stand before Caesar" (27:24).
- "They changed their minds and said that he was a god" (v6). They go from "murderer" to "god" in one afternoon, just as Lystra went from worshiping Paul to stoning him (14:11–19). Luke doesn't record Paul's response, but Paul's habit was to point away from himself (14:15).
- Publius, "the chief man of the island" (v7). "Chief man" (prōtos) was the actual official title of Malta's Roman governor, and it has been found on inscriptions from the island. That is another of Luke's precise local details. Publius hosts the whole company for three days.
- "Fever and dysentery" (v8). Luke the physician gives the medical terms, both plural in Greek, suggesting recurring fevers. This may be "Malta fever" (brucellosis), long common on the island and spread through goat's milk. Paul prayed and put his hands on him (compare Jesus with Peter's mother-in-law, Luke 4:38–40). Prayer comes first. The power is God's.
- "The rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured" (v9). The verb tense suggests they kept coming over the three months. Some suggest Luke treated patients too, since the word for "cured" (therapeuō) can include medical care. "Honored us greatly" (v10) may include gifts or payment (the word is used of money in 4:34; 7:16).
- Commentators: Henry calls Paul "a planet, and not a fixed star," always moving, always useful. Of the storm that brought him there he says, "an ill wind indeed it is that blows nobody any good; this ill wind blew good to the island." He notices Paul "as busy as any of them in gathering sticks," and connects the hidden viper to Amos 5:19, where a man leans on a wall and a serpent bites him. JFB notes the islanders' belief in "a Supreme, Resistless, Avenging Eye and Hand, however vague their notions." It also sees two promises of Mark 16:18 fulfilled here, the serpents and the healing by laying on of hands. Guzik draws a simple lesson from the crowd's flip from "murderer" to "god": other people's opinions are a poor thing to stand on. He suggests Luke may have helped as a physician.
Paul Arrives at Rome (vv11–16)
- "A ship of Alexandria, with the twin gods as a figurehead" (v11). The twin gods were Castor and Pollux (the Dioskouroi), patron gods of sailors. The figurehead may have been the ship's name, Twin Brothers. Luke notes it without comment. Paul sails to Rome under a pagan sign, carried by the true God's hand. They sail in early spring, around February, as soon as the seas were judged safe enough.
- Syracuse, Rhegium, Puteoli (vv12–13). Syracuse was the main city of Sicily. Rhegium sits on the toe of Italy at the Strait of Messina. A south wind brings them 200 miles north to Puteoli (modern Pozzuoli) on the Bay of Naples, where the Egyptian grain fleet unloaded.
- "There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days" (v14). There are already Christians in Puteoli. The gospel had reached Italy before Paul, probably through Jewish believers returning from Pentecost (2:10) or traveling merchants. The centurion's willingness to allow a week's stay shows how much Julius had come to trust Paul.
- "And so we came to Rome" (v14). Luke says it twice (vv14, 16). After twenty chapters of moving toward Rome, Paul arrives.
- "The Forum of Appius and Three Taverns" (v15). These were stops on the Appian Way, about 43 and 33 miles from Rome. Two groups of believers walk out to meet him, a day's march or more. Three years earlier Paul had written to them, "I long to see you" (Rom 1:11). Now they come to see him. "Paul thanked God and took courage." Even Paul needed encouragement. The word for "meet" (apantēsis) was used for a delegation going out to welcome an arriving official, the same word Paul uses for believers meeting the Lord at his coming (1 Thess 4:17).
- "Allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him" (v16). This was light custody (custodia militaris). He lived in rented quarters, chained by the wrist to a soldier on rotating shifts. Over two years, many of the emperor's elite guard would have spent hours chained to Paul, and "it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard… that my imprisonment is for Christ" (Phil 1:13).
- Commentators: Henry quotes Virgil's Aeneid on Aeneas's long journey to Latium, then adds, "We make for heaven." He notes the two Alexandrian ships, both bound for Italy and both on the same island, "but one is wrecked there and the other is saved." He also notes the crew had learned not to sail in winter: "their learning did them good when they had paid dearly for it." Guzik points out the gospel reached Rome before Paul did, since believers were already waiting there. JFB pictures crowds on the shore recognizing the Alexandrian grain ships as they came in, relying on Howson.
Paul in Rome (vv17–31)
- "He called together the local leaders of the Jews" (v17). Only three days after arriving, Paul starts with the Jews, as he always did (13:46; Rom 1:16). Rome had a large Jewish community, perhaps 40,000–50,000, with many synagogues. Claudius had expelled Jews about AD 49 (18:2), but they had since returned.
- "I had done nothing against our people… I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation" (vv17–19). Paul calls them "brothers." He came to Rome as a defendant, not to accuse Israel.
- "It is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain" (v20). He holds up the chain. "The hope of Israel" is the Messiah and the resurrection, the thread through all his defenses (23:6; 24:15; 26:6–7).
- "We have received no letters from Judea about you" (v21). The Jerusalem leaders apparently never followed up. Perhaps the shipwreck delayed any messengers, or they knew their case wouldn't hold up before Caesar. Under Roman law prosecutors who failed to appear could lose their case. That may be why Paul's two years ended without a recorded trial.
- "With regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against" (v22). By AD 60 the Way had a reputation across the empire. Within four years, Nero would blame Christians for the great fire of Rome.
- "From morning till evening he expounded… from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets" (v23). It was an all-day Bible study, like Jesus on the Emmaus road (Luke 24:27, 44). "Testifying to the kingdom of God… about Jesus" is the same message Jesus preached (Luke 4:43) and that Acts opened with (1:3).
- "Some were convinced… others disbelieved" (v24). That was the familiar split, as in synagogue after synagogue.
- "The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah" (vv25–27). Paul quotes Isaiah 6:9–10, God's warning to Isaiah that his own generation would hear without understanding. Jesus applied the same words to his hearers (Matt 13:14–15; John 12:39–41). It is the Old Testament passage the New Testament quotes most often to explain unbelief. Notice "the Holy Spirit… said": Paul treats Isaiah's words as the Spirit's own.
- "This salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen" (v28). This is the third such announcement in Acts (13:46; 18:6). It does not mean God has given up on Israel. Paul had just written that Israel's hardening is "partial" and temporary, "until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in" (Rom 11:25–26). Paul still welcomed "all who came" (v30), Jews included. Verse 29, in the KJV ("the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves"), is missing from the earliest manuscripts, so the ESV leaves it out.
- "He lived there two whole years at his own expense" (v30). Paul rented his lodging, perhaps supported by gifts like the one from Philippi (Phil 4:10–18). From here he likely wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon, the "prison letters." Visitors included Onesimus the runaway slave (Philemon 10), Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25), Tychicus, Mark, Luke and Aristarchus (Col 4:7–14).
- "Proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance" (v31). The last word of Acts in Greek is akōlytōs, "unhindered." The messenger is chained, but the message is not. As Paul later wrote, "the word of God is not bound" (2 Tim 2:9).
- Why does Acts end here? Luke doesn't tell us how Paul's trial ended. The main explanations: - Luke wrote at this very point, about AD 62, and recorded events as far as they had gone. - The ending is deliberate. The goal of the book, the gospel reaching Rome "unhindered," is reached, and Paul's personal fate is not the point. - Luke planned a third volume. - Early church tradition, consistent with the Pastoral Letters, holds that Paul was released about AD 62, traveled again (perhaps even to Spain, Rom 15:24, as Clement of Rome suggests), and was later rearrested. He was beheaded under Nero about AD 64–67. Second Timothy is his last letter: "I have finished the race" (2 Tim 4:7).
- Commentators: Henry admits his sorrow at parting from Paul "in bonds for Christ," and compares his long wait to Joseph forgotten by the cupbearer (Gen 40:23). He sees the bright side: "now his prison was his castle," a refuge from the plots he had always faced. He adds a line from Samson's riddle: "out of the eater came forth meat." On the meeting with the Jews, Henry's verdict is that "God was glorified, many were edified, the rest left inexcusable." Guzik reads Paul's use of Isaiah 6 as a warning of judgment on unbelieving Jerusalem, fulfilled in AD 70. He doesn't see the ending as abrupt. He suggests the two-year delay may have been a court backlog, and that Luke may have written Acts partly as a brief for Paul's defense. He holds, with early tradition, that Paul was released and later martyred under Nero. He reads "unhindered" as the book's real conclusion: the story of the church continues. The Tyndale notes say the same: akōlytōs, one word, is a key to the meaning of the whole book.
Pointing to Christ
Acts began with the risen Jesus teaching about "the kingdom of God" (1:3) and ends with Paul doing the same (28:31). The book never ends because the work hasn't ended. The Spirit who carried the word from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria to Rome is still carrying it "to the end of the earth." The last picture is a prisoner in a rented room, chained to a guard, welcoming everyone who comes and telling them about Jesus. It shows that the King's word goes on unhindered, whatever happens to his servants.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines Malta, the arrival in Rome, Paul's ministry to Jewish leaders, the Isaiah quotation, and the significance of Acts' open ending.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Acts -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Kindness From Unexpected People (v.2) — Shipwrecked strangers receive remarkable kindness from islanders who have no faith of their own and no reason to help. Where have you experienced or overlooked genuine kindness from someone outside the faith?
- No Task Beneath Him (v.3) — Paul, an apostle who has stood before kings, is found gathering firewood like anyone else on the beach. What practical, unglamorous service are you avoiding because you think it's beneath your role or gifting?
- A Message That Divides (v.24) — Paul preaches faithfully to the Jewish leaders in Rome, and the response splits — some believe, some don't. Are you willing to keep speaking the truth faithfully even when you can't control or guarantee how people respond?
- A Gospel That Can't Be Stalled (v.28) — When some reject the message, Paul declares that God's salvation simply moves on to the Gentiles, who will listen. What does it tell you about God's mission that no single rejection, culture, or closed door can actually stop it?
- An Ending Still Being Written (vv.30-31) — Acts closes not with Paul's death or vindication but with him preaching boldly and unhindered from a rented house. Since Luke leaves the story open rather than resolved, what does that say about your own part in the ongoing story of the gospel?