ACTS 28
Read Acts 28:1-31
We now come to the end of Paul’s journey and to the end of the Book of Acts. Paul has arrived on the island of Malta after a shipwreck and, even though he is still under guard, he has the opportunity to witness to the power of Jesus.
While helping to build a fire Paul was bitten by a snake. He managed to shake it off and suffered no ill effects, much to the surprise of those who saw the incident. Their reaction was indicative of much pagan superstition that exists even today. They assumed that because Paul had been bitten by this snake that it was some sort of retribution for him being a bad person, a murderer perhaps. We see this attitude quite a lot today. People call it ‘karma’. If you do bad things then bad things will happen to you, you deserve it. People who are having a bad time will say, “What have I done to deserve this?” Jesus himself spoke against this sort of cause and effect attitude in John Chapter 9 (John 9:1-3). When Paul failed to show any ill effects from the snake bite, the onlookers did a U-turn. He survived the snake bite, therefore he must be a god. The superstitious went from one extreme to the other not realising that Paul was protected by God. Then Paul had the opportunity to show the grace of God with healings.
Finally, Paul reached Rome (as the Lord promised he would in Acts 27:24). He was greeted along the way by believers who accompanied him to his lodgings. As a Roman citizen Paul was entitled to arrange his own accommodation and to receive visitors, although he was under constant surveillance.
Even as a prisoner Paul stuck to the methods he had used throughout his missionary journeys. First of all he spoke to the Jews and emphasised that he had done nothing wrong and then spoke to them about the nature of God’s kingdom and how the scriptures told of Jesus as the messiah of God. As ever, some believed and some did not. Paul then told them that the gospel of Jesus and the good news of salvation was for Gentiles as well as Jews (v28) and that while many Jews rejected Jesus, the Gentiles would be more open to receiving him.
There is no record of the trial of Paul in Rome. We know that it didn’t happen for at least two years, during which time he welcomed many visitors and preached the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Early Christian tradition says that Paul was executed, but there is nothing in scripture to confirm this.
The Book of Acts has given us the story of the foundation and growth of the early church; it’s progression with many ups and downs. The last words of the book are the last word in the Christian faith, ‘Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ’. It’s all about Jesus!