Brit Chadasha Foundations-Concepts in Acts-Chapter 28

Acts 28.1-31 tells us about Paul’s ministry in Malta; Paul’s snakebite with no adverse results; the healing of the father of Publius; Paul at Rome and his ability to dwell by himself in his own living space; his appeal to the Jewish leaders in Rome and their response; preaching the Basar and the kingdom of God; their rejection of his teaching with limited success, and his turning to the non-Jews; Paul spends two years awaiting trial in his own rented house receiving anyone who came to him preaching the kingdom of God and a Torah-based faith in Yeshua.

v 1…And when they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.

v 2…And the natives (“barbarians” in the sense they did not speak Hebrew, Latin or Greek; they were originally a colony of Phoenicia) showed extraordinary kindness (compassion); for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all (no discrimination).

v 3…But 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.

v 4…And when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live (they presumed he had committed a crime worthy of death).”

v 5…However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm (showing God’s power-Mark 16.18; Luke 10.19; Heb 2.4).

v 6…But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited for a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say he was a god (now they go to the other extreme).

v 7…Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading men of the island, named Publius, who welcomed and entertained us courteously for three days (he did not discriminate between Romans, slaves, prisoners, etc).

v 8…And it came about that the father of Publius was lying afflicted with fever and dysentery; and Paul went in and after he prayed, he laid hands on him and healed him (his kindness had its rewards on earth, too; had he not chosen to help and get involved with Paul, he would not have been around to do this).

v 9…And after this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured (the word for “cured” means they were being made well by therapeutic means, not miraculous healing; Luke the physician assisted no doubt-James 5.14; Mark 6.13-they applied medicine).

v 10…And they also honored us with many honors; and when we were setting sail (to go to Italy and Rome), they supplied us with all we needed (to complete their journey).

v 11…And at the end of three months (on Malta) we set sail on an Alexandrian ship (probably another grain ship big enough for 276 people) which had wintered at the island, and which had the Twin Brothers (Castor and Pollux, two sons of Jove who ruled the winds and waves of the sea in their idolatry) for its figurehead.

v 12…And after we put in (landed) at Syracuse (100 miles from Malta and capital of Sicily, a Roman colony), we stayed there for three days (probably waiting for favorable winds).

v 13…And from there we had gotten a compass (direction) and arrived at Rhegium (a town in the south of Italy, called Reggio now), and a day later a south wind sprang up (blew), and on the second day we came to Puteoli (called Pozzuoli today, on the north side of the gulf of Naples).

v 14…And there we found brethren (Jewish believers had believed from Acts 2 and they returned to Italy winning many souls), and were invited to stay with them for seven days, and thus we came to Rome (where Paul desired to teach in Rom 1.14-16 several years earlier).

v 15…And the brethren, when they heard about us, came from there (Rome) as far as the market (forum) of Appius (40 miles southeast of Rome) and Three Taverns (where prominent inns were located) to meet us; when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage (strength).

v 16…And when we entered Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to dwell by himself, with a soldier who was guarding him (in chains-v 20).

v 17…And it happened that after three days he called together those who were the leading men of the Jews (from the synagogues-a former persecution of the Jews by Claudius Caesar had been lifted and many returned to Rome-Acts 18.2), and when they had come together, he began saying to them, “Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people, or the customs (ethics) of our fathers (he was Torah observant-in the Brit Chadasha, it was the enemies of the faith who accused Torah-based believers in Yeshua of not keeping the Torah; today it is Replacement Theology Christianity who sometimes repeat the same accusations about Paul), yet I was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

v 18…And when they examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death.

v 19…But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar; not that I had any accusations against my nation (he was not ashamed to call them “my nation” because he had nothing against them).

v 20…For this reason therefore, I requested to see you and to speak to you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel (Messiah-Jer 17.13; Acts 9.16).”

v 21…And they said to him, “We have neither received letters (of a complimentary nature) from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you.

v 22…But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect (of Judaism) it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere (they were more curious than anything).

v 23…And when they had set a day for him (this day has eternal consequences-God’s patience with that generation was ending), they came to him at his lodging (In Greek, a guest-lodging place not a rented house), and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God (God’s movement and rule in action), and trying to persuade them concerning Yeshua (as Messiah), from both the Torah of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning to evening (Luke 24.27; Acts 26.22).

v 24…And some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe.

v 25…And when they would not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken on departing word, “The Ruach Ha Kodesh rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers (the kingdom offer is expiring; they were like the generation with Moses),

v 26…saying, ‘Go to this people and say, “You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing but will not perceive;

v 27…for the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn again, and I should heal them.” ‘

v 28…Let it be known to you therefore, that this salvation of God (a term for the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of God is a variant of the kingdom of Yehovah-1 Chr 28.5, 17.11-14; 2 Chr 13.8-the kingdom is the restored kingdom of Israel-Acts 1.6) has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen (along with the Jews).”

v 29…And when he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.

v 30…And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters (not the one in verse 23-it was paid for through financial help of others, or he had the liberty to work), and was welcoming all who came to him,

v 31…preaching the kingdom of God (his movement and rule in action), and teaching concerning the Lord Yeshua the Messiah with all openness, unhindered (some believe this was about 63 AD; the nasi James is killed in Jerusalem and the kingdom offer was losing steam; there was no longer a chance for the kingdom to have a national acceptance, and now it would come “in its due time”-Isa 60.22; the torch of the Torah-based faith in Yeshua is now passed along to a faithful Jewish remnant in the diaspora, and to faithful non-Jewish believers who congregate with them. Paul wrote several epistles during this time it is believed, but there is no record of what happened to Paul, but it seems he was acquitted of all charges. Witnesses probably arrived from Asia regarding the charges-Acts 24.19; if there were any written reports by Felix through Julius the centurion, those papers were probably lost in the shipwreck; Luke is silent about what happened to Paul, but he does say he was there two years. What does Brit Chadasha say about the death of Paul? Nothing. This book ends with Paul alive and well, teaching unhindered; we know that Clement of Rome, who may have been a talmid of Paul in Phil 4.3, wrote an epistle about 20 years after Paul wrote Romans, and said Paul went to Spain and died there (1 Clement 5.5-7). Clement certainly knew people who knew Paul and would have had first hand knowledge if he had died in Rome. Other church fathers said the same thing; for more information, see 2 Tim 4.7).

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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