My commentary appears below the text:
Acts of the Apostles 28
28After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was called Malta. 2The natives showed us unusual kindness. Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they kindled a fire and welcomed all of us around it. 3Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire, when a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “This man must be a murderer; though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.” 5He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6They were expecting him to swell up or drop dead, but after they had waited a long time and saw that nothing unusual had happened to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god. 7Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8It so happened that the father of Publius lay sick in bed with fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and cured him by praying and putting his hands on him. 9After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. 10They bestowed many honors on us, and when we were about to sail, they put on board all the provisions we needed.
11Three months later we set sail on a ship that had wintered at the island, an Alexandrian ship with the Twin Brothers as its figurehead. 12We put in at Syracuse and stayed there for three days; 13then we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium. After one day there a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. 14There we found believers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. 15The believers from there, when they heard of us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. 16When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.
17Three days later he called together the local leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, yet I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18When they had examined me, the Romans wanted to release me, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. 19But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to the emperor—even though I had no charge to bring against my nation. 20For this reason therefore I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is for the sake of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” 21They replied, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken anything evil about you. 22But we would like to hear from you what you think, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”
23After they had set a day to meet with him, they came to him at his lodgings in great numbers. From morning until evening he explained the matter 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. 24Some were convinced by what he had said, while others refused to believe. 25So they disagreed with each other; and as they were leaving, Paul made one further statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah, 26‘Go to this people and say, You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. 27For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn— and I would heal them.’ 28Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”
30He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him, 31proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
Commentary: Why is it that some believed and others didn't? This will be a question that Paul will struggle with and try to answer in Romans 10 - 12. Ultimately for Luke, this should not surprise us, for he has Paul quoting Isaiah 6.9-10. Even the prophet who lived long before Paul (Some 500 years) spoke of the reality of what is happening in his day--it is the age of the Gentiles, an age of inclusion beyond the house of Israel, and as Luke has already showed us in Acts we shouldn't be surprised that many in Israel didn't get it--that is the lesson of history.
Why do you think Luke ends the Acts of the Apostles without the martyrdom of Paul. Our best historical evidence suggests that he was beheaded outside of Rome and we don't know if he ever got a chance to actually witness to the emperor. There is also a disturbing report in a letter known as 1st Clement which is a part of the early Christian tradition, but not in the Bible. In this letter Clement suggests that it was the envy and ill will of fellow CHRISTIANS that ultimately led to Paul's execution. Isn't that ironic, that having been 'saved' from so many enemies and situations, it was ultimately his fellow Christians that brough about his death. I think Luke has a reason for not telling us about the martyrdom of Paul--it's because Paul is not the subject or main character of the story. The main character of the story is the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit continues 'unhindered.' That is how Acts ends...with that word, "unhindered."
So in a sense, the story is continuing wih you. The story has no end, because the Holy Spirit is not finished. James may have died at the hands of Herod and Paul at the hands of Rome, and many others have come and gone, but the stories power remains in what the Holy Spirit is still doing today, unhindered in the life of the church.
Where do you see the Holy Spirit evident today?
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