Lessons From Acts – Lesson 43
Acts 28:1 And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.
Acts 28:2 And 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.
The people on the island were lost people. And yet they showed great kindness. I have heard teachers and preachers really mess this principal up. I remember a man stand up and tell a story about his mom. He had a really good, caring mom. A mom who sacrificed and worked to do what was best for her kids. She genuinely loved her kids.
She routinely went above and beyond for them.
A preacher was out door knocking and told her that she needed to accept Jesus and that she could not love her kids correctly without Jesus. And he guaranteed that she could love her kids better if she got saved.
She kicked him out. And was closed to the gospel for decades.
The man told how his mom did a great job loving them and raising them. He said decades after that visit from that messed up preacher she finally did get saved.
It is true that God is love. And it is true that His love is greater than any other. And it is true that His love can flow thru us and we can love with His love.
However, here is that preacher’s mistake. You cannot take one truth and ignore other connecting truths in the bible. The first mistake is that how much of His love flows thru us is largely dependent upon how close we walk with God and how much we are grieving the Holy Spirit.
Getting saved is no guarantee that you will not grieve the spirit after you get saved. We have all seen Christians who did some very unloving things. The preacher presented it to that mom as a guarantee that God’s love would flow thru her and she would love her kids better.
However, we have all seen Christians who did not love with God’s love flowing thru them. I am thinking of one example. The man was saved, he had a clear salvation testimony and there was evidence in his life that he was saved.
But he and his wife lived a lie before their daughter for decades. Continually lying is not coming from God’s love. Lying is grieving the spirit. The lie was eventually exposed and that man and his wife lost their daughter and grandson and do not get to see them anymore.
That preacher was wrong. Getting saved is no guarantee that the love of God will flow thru you, that is dependent upon how close you walk with God after you get saved and how well you do not grieve the spirit.
His second mistake is thinking that the lost cannot really love. It is true that the lost do not have the love of God empowered by the Spirit flowing thru them.
But the lost can love. The lost can sacrifice. The lost can show great kindness. They can raise kids that turn out well and work hard and have a great sense of family. I have had many lost people attack me with cruel words, but I have also had many lost people show be great kindness.
The people that lived on this island are described as barbarous. Words have meanings plural and the meaning is determined by the context.
In some contexts barbarous is used to describe cruelty. In this context barbarous is used to describe primitive. So they did not have a lot of luxuries and they did not build up much of a civilization. They were living in a primitive way.
And as you will see they had a primitive way of thinking about things. But they showed great kindness and were sharing what they had.
Acts 28:3 And 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.
Acts 28:4 And 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.
When the venomous snake hangs on Paul’s hand their first thought is no doubt Paul is a murderer and has this coming. Sometimes it is true because God is not mocked a man will reap what he sows.
The entire world sees that truth when they observe life, but they do not attribute it as God’s truth. They might call it karma or what goes around comes around. The truth is God is not mocked and He makes sure that a man will reap what he sows.
Even this backwards group of people on this island knows that is how things work in this world.
And unfortunately they like so many they have a tendency to think that way about everything bad that they see happening but not everything that happens is for that reason.
If you remember some of the disciples thought that way and when they saw a blind man they asked Jesus who sinned.
John 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
John 9:2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
John 9:3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
That man was not blind for punishment of sin. He was blind so that God could do a work. We should always be careful not to jump to conclusions when we see something bad happen. Bad things can and do happen to good people. God can have a multitude of different reasons for allowing something to come into our lives.
The people on that island had instantly jumped to the wrong conclusion and when Paul is not harmed by the snake then they instantly jump to another wrong conclusion.
Acts 28:5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
Acts 28:6 Howbeit 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.
Something similar has happened before and Paul strongly denounced that. Luke does not record anything about Paul’s reaction. I tend to think that Paul would have reacted in a similar way.
And I like to believe that Paul would have preached Jesus to them.
Next Paul heals the chief man of the island.
Acts 28:7 In 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.
Acts 28:8 And 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.
Acts 28:9 So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:
A couple of things about this. It has been well established all thru the book of Acts that healings were always followed by preaching. The miracles main purpose was to validate the message of the man. It was a way of demonstrating that his message was from God because they did not have a completed word of God.
Luke does not record anything here except people were healed. You have 2 options here. Paul could have told the people about Jesus after the healings. That would be consistent with the rest of the book of Acts. That is what I believe. For some reason Luke just did not record it.
The only other option is that for some reason all of the sudden the miracles of healing were not for the purpose of validating the preaching. I do not believe that option.
The other thing I want to mention is Paul is no longer on the bench. Paul was a huge help in that storm and was a blessing to and an encouragement to those on the ship. And now Paul is getting used by God to heal many on that Island, and I believe Paul is preaching to them.
And those people were grateful.
Acts 28:10 Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.
No mention of salvations or baptisms. But this is not really strange. The people on that Island did not have any foundation about the One True Creator God. We have seen this before. It takes people some time if they are deep into idol worship and worship of false gods and have never heard God’s word before.
Jesus taught that one plants and another waters and another reaps. And when you lead someone to the Lord you have entered into another man’s labors.
They spend the winter on that island. I believe many seeds were planted and watered during that time.
Acts 28:11 And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.
Acts 28:12 And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.
This entire chapter Luke seems to be quickly wrapping it all up finishing the letter quickly. There are many things that there are no details on. Like no details on how the people on the island responded other than that they honored them and gave them what they needed.
And now it is we got on a ship, sailed here and here and here and then in Rome.
Acts 28:13 And 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:
Acts 28:14 Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome.
Acts 28:15 And 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.
Again very short description. And no recorded dialog. Just Paul saw some brethren and thanked God. Then quickly on to the next point. Seeing this change in the type of writing in this lasts chapter I think backs up what I said earlier. I believe that Paul did preach Jesus after all of those healings.
Acts 28:16 And 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.
We see the same trend in verses 17 to the end of the book. The last few verses from verse 17 to the end covers 2 years. The entire length of Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome. And it is not because nothing happened. We know a lot happened because it is recorded in the other books that Paul writes during those 2 years.
Why did Luke switch gears on the last chapter of Acts? Why did he go into quick summary, touch the high points only mode? I have no idea.
I only know that it is pretty obvious that he did. And that does explain why Luke briefly mentions those healings and takes no time to mention the preaching that always followed the miracles.
Luke does pause and briefly record what Paul said when he got to Rome. Then wraps up with a couple of sentences that cover 2 years and it is the end of the book of Acts.
Acts 28:17 And 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.
Acts 28:18 Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.
Acts 28:19 But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.
Acts 28:20 For 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.
Acts 28:21 And 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.
Acts 28:22 But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.
Acts 28:23 And 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.
Acts 28:24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.
Acts 28:25 And 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,
Acts 28:26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
Acts 28:27 For 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.
Acts 28:28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
Acts 28:29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.
Once in Rome some Jews come to see Paul and tell how belief in Jesus is spoken against everywhere. Of course in Jewish circles.
Paul preaches Jesus to them and God is once again opening eyes. Not everyone. But we see some of the Jews believed. Paul is no longer on the bench.
Acts 28:30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
Acts 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
Paul had the same freedom when he was in prison under Festus and Felix. But people did not come and visit and hear and believe.
This teaches several things. One is the place is not important. Both places Paul was in prison with unrestricted visitation. In one Paul was used to see people taught and some believe. In the other nothing.
In one when Paul did get to preach it was only you are mad, when I have a more convenient season, and you almost persuade me. And that was it.
In the other Paul teaches and some do believe.
In one place God gave almost no opportunities. In the other people came and were taught for 2 full years.
What Paul taught in both places was the same Jesus. In one place no results. In the other place many results. This teaches that it is not the words alone, God must also be working. God brings conviction, God opens the eyes, only God works in the heart.
Another wonderful thing we see in all of this is that a man can mess up and he can make a mistake. He can even make a big mistake that gets him put on the bench for a while.
But a man can by the grace and mercy of God be used by God again.
With God it is not one mistake and done. What is required is that you learn and we know Paul did because of what he wrote in Colossians about Jewish ordinances. Taste not, touch not, handle not.
This is an important lesson for all Christians to take to heart. Why? Because none of us are perfect we will all make mistakes and we can make some whoppers. Sooner or later we will all mess up. So we all need to understand what happened to Paul and see the fact that Paul was restored to being used. And know that it is because of God’s grace and mercy and also because Paul learned from his mistake.
Those that stubbornly refuse to see and acknowledge that Paul made a mistake miss out on these important lessons.