UST by section ACTs 28:1

⌂ ← ACTs 28:1–28:31 ║ ═ ©

The Acts of the Apostles 28

28 After we had arrived safely on the shore, we learned that we were on an island whose name was Malta. 2 The people who lived there took care of us very generously. It was cold and it was starting to rain. So they lit a fire and invited all of us to come and warm ourselves. 3 Now Paul was helping by collecting a bundle of pieces of wood to burn. When he put them on the fire, a poisonous snake came out from the bundle to escape from the heat of the fire. It bit Paul on his hand and clung to it. 4 Now the people from the island saw the snake dangling from Paul’s hand. They said to each other, “This man has probably murdered someone. He has escaped from drowning in the sea. But the goddess Justice is punishing him anyway. He will die from this snake bite.” 5 But Paul shook his hand hard so that the snake would fall off his hand and back into the fire. The snake fell off and Paul was not hurt at all. 6 Still, some of the people of the island expected that Paul’s body would soon swell up because of the snake bite. Others thought he would suddenly fall down and die. But they waited a long time and did not see either of those things happen to him. So the people decided they had been wrong about who Paul was. They said to one another, “This man is not a murderer. He must be a god, because that snake bite would have killed any human being!”

7 Now the people of the island had built the fire near 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 very good care of us for three days. 8 At that time Publius’ father had fever and a stomach illness. He was lying sick in bed. So Paul visited him and prayed for him. Then Paul placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 After Paul healed Publius’ father, the rest of the people on the island who were sick came to him and he healed them too. 10 The island people also brought us gifts and showed in other ways that they greatly respected us. Later on, when we were ready to leave, they brought us food and other things that we would need on the ship.

11 We stayed on Malta for a total of three months. Then we left on a ship that had spent the winter there. The ship was from Alexandria and was going to Italy. On the front of the ship there were carved images of the twin gods whose names were Castor and Pollux. 12 When we arrived at the city of Syracuse, we stayed there three days. 13 Then we sailed away from Syracuse and arrived at the city of Rhegium in Italy. The next day, the wind began to blow from the south. So in only two more days, we reached the town of Puteoli. There we got off the ship and went the rest of the way to Rome by land. 14 In Puteoli we met some fellow believers who asked us to stay with them for seven days. After that, we continued on to Rome.

15 Some fellow believers in Rome had heard that we were coming and they came to meet us. Some of them met us at the place on the Appian Road whose name was the Market. Others met us at the place whose name was the Three Inns. When Paul saw those believers, he thanked God and felt brave. 16 After we arrived in Rome, the authorities there permitted Paul to live in a home rather than in prison. But a soldier was always there to guard him.

17 Now after Paul had been in Rome for three days, he sent a message to the Jewish leaders to come and talk with him. And when they arrived, Paul said to them, “My dear kinsmen, I have not opposed our people or spoken against the customs of our ancestors. But some Jews in Jerusalem seized me and tried to kill me. A Roman commander rescued me and later sent me as a prisoner to the city of Caesarea so that the Roman authorities could put me on trial. 18 The Roman authorities questioned me and wanted to release me because I had not done any bad thing for which I should be executed. 19 But the Jewish leaders argued that the Romans should not set me free, So I had to request that the emperor judge me here in Rome. But I did not do that because I wanted to accuse our leaders of doing anything wrong. 20 So I asked you to come here so that I could tell you why I am a prisoner. It is because I believe in what we Jews confidently expect that God will do for us.” 21 Then the Jewish leaders replied, “We have not received any letters from our fellow Jews in Judea about you. And none of our fellow Jews who have come here from Judea have said anything bad about you. 22 But we would appreciate you telling us what you think about this group that you belong to. Please tell us, because we are aware that in many places people are speaking against it.”

23 So they decided that they would come back on another day. On that day, even more people than before came to where Paul was staying to hear Paul speak. Paul explained many things to them. He talked about how God would rule everyone. He also talked about how various places in the Scriptures foretold that Jesus would come. Paul talked for that entire day with the people who had come to his house. 24 Paul was able to persuade some of those Jews that the things he said about Jesus were true. But some others would not believe that they were true. 25 The two groups argued with each other. When they were about to leave, Paul told them one more thing. He said, “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said something through Isaiah the prophet.

26 He said, ‘Go to the people of Israel and say to them:

“You seem to be listening but you never really understand what God is saying.

You seem to be looking but you never really recognize the things that God is doing.” 27 These people do not understand because they have become stubborn.

It is as if they have become deaf.

It is as if they have closed their eyes.

It is as if they have done this because they do not want to see well,

and they do not want to hear well,

and they do not want to understand well.

If they did pay attention to me and understand what I am telling them, they would stop sinning and live in the right way again.

If they did that, I would restore them.’

28 Therefore, you should know that God is offering to save the non-Jews, and many of them will accept his offer.” 29 [fn] [When he had said these things, the Jews went away. They were having a great dispute among themselves.]

30 After that, Paul stayed in Rome for two whole years in a house that he rented. Many people came to see him. He received each of them gladly and spoke with them. 31 He preached about how God would rule over everyone. He also taught people about the Lord Jesus the Messiah. He spoke about these things very openly. No one tried to stop him.

Some ancient manuscripts include verse 29.

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