Acts
28:1-6 … After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island
was called Malta. The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they
kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold.
When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper
came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. When the native people
saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt
this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not
allowed him to live.” He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and
suffered no harm. They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down
dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him,
they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
There are currently no vipers on Malta. However, we have Dr. Luke
writing and he loves detail so what do we conclude. Another commentator pointed
out that it was also very unlikely that a viper would be hiding in driftwood.
This illustrates the problem of being nearly 2000 years from the event. First,
mankind, as is our tendency with islands, has deforested Malta and greatly
altered the ecology. People hate snakes and especially have an issue with
poisonous snakes. It would not be surprising to find a poisonous snake species
extinct given human habitation and habits over 2000 years on the island.
Secondly, who said driftwood? There were forests on Malta when Paul was there
and they were collecting firewood and not necessarily driftwood. T.E. Lawrence
(Lawrence of Arabia) in writing about the desert portions of World War 1
describes a very similar event with the exception that the snake was warmed by
the fire and took off into the night without biting anyone. So while they
events described may be implausible in 2012 they were plausible in the first
century. Luke’s details are outstanding and give us confidence that he knew
where he was.
Mankind loves patterns and especially loves the comfort of an
explanation that makes them feel safe. We jump to these things. You need to
realize that about your brain that you will sometimes find a pattern that isn’t
there. Humble yourself under the hand of God and He will lift you up at the
appropriate time. The natives of Malta were certain that they could explain
misfortune. When Paul was bitten by the snake then he was a bad man who escaped
the judgment of the sea but “justice” has found him and not allowed him to
live. This was their way of feeling secure. Since they were not bad people then
they would not be bitten by snakes and die. That is of course a false security
because we live with our sin natures in a fallen world in which we all die.
Briefly, the Bible gives multiple explanations for suffering:
1)
Common Suffering (Job 5:6-7) – Man is born to
trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.
2)
Corrective Suffering (Hebrews 12:5-11) – The
Lord disciplines us as His children.
3)
Constructive Suffering (Romans 5:3-4) –
Suffering produces perseverance, then character, then hope.
4)
Godly Suffering (Job; The Martyrs; Col 1:24-26)
– While we may see how it is profitable for the Body of Christ at time … we
largely do not understand it.
Anyone with a chronic disease or a sick family member or friend
will not find a category to be comforting. These are biblical categories but
the comfort comes, as Paul demonstrated, in a settled confidence that God is
sovereign. We will be reading part of the Didache in a week and that document
says, “Accept as blessings whatever happens to you, being aware that nothing
happens without God.”
Christ corrected the disciples when they wanted to categorize all
suffering as payment for sin. We do a disservice when we insinuate someone must
be in sin or lacking in faith when they suffer. Job’s comforters were rebuked
for that nonsense.
Now I’m sure you want to discuss snake handling since we live in
Georgia. The other relevant Scripture is found in the Gospel of Mark.
Mark
16:18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any
deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick,
and they will recover.”
Scripture interprets Scripture. That which is less clear is made
clear by the plainer portions of Scripture. Luke’s description of Paul in Acts
shows what this verse means. It doesn’t mean you run out and grab a snake. It
does mean that when the Holy Spirit is taking us someplace – like Paul to Rome
– we will have supernatural protection. Extra-biblical literature also has
examples of poisons having no effect in the lives of the Apostles. In short,
you don’t make a crazy doctrine from half a verse. No the Bible doesn’t teach
you to pick up snakes.
Acts
28:7-10 … Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the
chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us
hospitably for three days. It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with
fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on
him healed him. And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the
island who had diseases also came and were cured. They also honored us greatly,
and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.
Luke tells us the name of the Roman ruler of the island. Publius
was there with his father and the doctor tells us the symptoms. They have a
fever in that part of the world called Malta fever. It is a bacteria carried by
goats that can make you sick from 4 months to years and was identified in 1887.
The ministry to the island went on for months and I’m sure it opened many
doors. The help they were given when leaving the island was also partly a
result of Paul’s ministry. As I mentioned a few times, this material in Acts
would also be relevant to Paul’s court defense in Rome.
Acts
28:11-16 … After three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the
island, a ship of Alexandria, with the twin gods as a figurehead. Putting in at
Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. And from there 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. There we found brothers and were invited to stay with
them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. And the brothers there, when they
heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet
us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. And when we came into
Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him.
I noticed that one commentator said that three months was too
short a time for it to be safe to sail from Malta. I sometimes wonder which
batch of humans some commentators have been watching. The first ships in to the
final port get the best prices and we will do all sorts of crazy things for
money and boredom. The Mediterranean seafloor has enough ships to prove that.
They boarded another cargo ship and sailed in February or March (likely with
some risk) but they worked their way up the coast and came into Rome. Paul was
initially treated as a celebrity by the Christians in Rome.
Acts
28:17-22 After three days he called together the local leaders of the
Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done
nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered
as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. When they had
examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for
the death penalty in my case. But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to
appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. For this
reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is
because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” And they said to
him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the
brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. But we desire
to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that
everywhere it is spoken against.”
Well it is a little hard to believe they were as ignorant as they
claimed. However, the local leaders of the Jews also had no reason to lie about
it. They say they have heard bad things about Christianity as a sect but
nothing bad about Paul. Maybe the group who took the pledge not to eat until
they killed Paul stuck with the pledge. Paul makes three points. First, he
didn’t do anything wrong, secondly, the Romans wanted to let him go, and
thirdly, he didn’t bring counter charges. We’ve seen Paul work with the Jewish
leadership first before. First, he works at the synagogue and then he expands
his work to the Gentiles. So they set up an appointment to hear Paul share the
Gospel. The Gospel hasn’t changed from Chapter 2 to Chapter 28 of the Book of
Acts.
Acts
28:23-31 … When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his
lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them,
testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both
from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. And some were convinced by what he
said, but others disbelieved. And disagreeing among themselves, they departed
after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your
fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
“‘Go
to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
For
this people’s heart has grown dull,
and
with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes and
hear with their ears
and understand with their heart and turn, and
I would heal them.’
Therefore
let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the
Gentiles; they will listen.” He lived there two whole years at his own expense,
and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching
about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
Acts doesn’t really end because the acts of the Holy Spirit have
not ended. From AD 60 to 62 Paul was preaching and teaching while under house
arrest. At the end of Chapter 28, Paul has not yet been tried before Nero and
Jesus had told him that he would see Caesar (Acts 27:24). Paul seemed to expect
to be acquitted and released (Phil. 1:25; 2:24; Philem. 22) early in his
imprisonment. This must have occurred before A.D. 64, when Nero set fire to
Rome and accused Christians of that crime.
When released about AD 62, Paul seems to have taken up his
ministry again, going as far as Greece (Nicopolis, Titus 3:12; Thessalonica, 2
Timothy 4:10), Crete (Titus 1:5), and Asia Minor (Ephesus, 2 Timothy 1:18;
4:12; Troas, 2 Timothy 4:13; Miletus, 2 Timothy 4:20). It is even possible he
went as far west as Spain (Romans 15:23-28). Writing in the first century,
Clement seems to indicate that Paul made it to Spain.
However, about A.D. 67, Paul was imprisoned again by Nero and then
beheaded outside the city. Near the end of his time on earth, Paul wrote:
2 Timothy 4:6-8 … For I am already being poured out as a drink
offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up
for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will
award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his
appearing.
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