Acts 28

And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

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.

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.

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.

And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

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.

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.

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.

So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:

Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.

And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.

And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.

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:

Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome.

And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appiiforum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.

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.

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.

Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.

But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.

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.

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.

But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

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.

And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

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,

Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

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.

Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.

And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,

Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

What does Acts 28:23 mean?

Explanation

Acts 28:23 describes an event during Paul's house arrest in Rome. Paul, a crucial figure in the early Christian church, had been spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ throughout the Roman Empire and was now awaiting trial before Caesar. Despite being confined, he continued his missionary efforts.

In this verse, we see Paul engaging with the local Jewish leaders. He has invited them to his place of residence to discuss matters of faith.

The verse indicates that Paul exerted great effort ("from morning till evening") to explain and bear witness to the "kingdom of God", and to convince his audience about Jesus as the Messiah, drawing from their shared scriptures – "the law of Moses, and out of the prophets."

The deeper meaning here is the relentless zeal of Paul in his mission to spread the Gospel. Even under challenging circumstances, he seized the opportunity to teach and clarify the connections between the Hebrew scriptures and the life and mission of Jesus, thus fulfilling Old Testament prophecies.

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

This verse is set toward the end of the Book of Acts, which chronicles the early Christian church's spread after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.

Paul arrives in Rome around AD 60 as a prisoner, having appealed to Caesar for trial as a Roman citizen accused of crimes by Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.

He is under house arrest but has some freedom to receive guests and talk with them.

At this time, the Christian message is being spread throughout the Roman Empire, but it is still a matter of deep contention and debate, especially among Jews, regarding whether Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse demonstrates the continuity that the early Christian apostles saw between the Hebrew Bible and the teachings of Jesus.

The term "kingdom of God" is central to Jesus' teachings, referring to God's sovereign rule and the coming of a new era through the Messiah.

From a Christian interpretive standpoint, Paul's efforts show the early understanding of Christian apologetics, where religious truths are defended and explained through debate and interpretation of scripture.

A more critical view may consider Paul's methodology as an attempt to retrofit the narrative of Jesus into the Hebrew scriptures, which would have required persuasive argumentation given the Jewish audience's potential skepticism.

Practical Applications

In terms of practical applications:

Persistence in Faith: The verse encourages believers to be relentless in sharing their faith, even under less-than-ideal circumstances.
Biblical Literacy: It highlights the importance of knowing scriptures and being able to use them to explain and defend one's faith.
Interfaith Dialogue: Paul's model provides an example of engaging with those of different beliefs in a respectful manner, opening avenues for dialogue and understanding.
Patience: The "from morning till evening" aspect shows that deep spiritual conversation and persuasion take time and patience.

Cross-References

Isaiah 53: A prophetic passage often cited concerning Jesus's sufferings and death.
Deuteronomy 18:15: "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;"
Luke 24:27: "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself."

Language Study

Two key phrases in this verse are worth examining in the original Greek:

"expounded and testified" (Greek: "exetheto kai diamartyromenos"): This compound expression emphasizes the thoroughness of Paul's teaching and his role as a witness.
"kingdom of God" (Greek: "basileian tou Theou"): Central to Jesus' message, the term kingdom denotes God's rule, both present in Jesus's ministry and future in fullness.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Comparing this with other religious traditions, Jewish audiences would see the Messiah as a political or military leader, unlike the suffering servant role that Christians claim Jesus fulfilled.

In Greco-Roman culture, the use of logic and debate was common for philosophers, and Paul's approach echoes these cultural practices.

Scientific Perspectives

Science tends to not intersect directly with theological discussions about scripture and messianic prophecies.

However, disciplines like archaeology and textual criticism contribute to our understanding of the historical context of such texts.

Commentaries

Commentaries offer various insights into Acts 28:23:

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible: Gill comments on the thoroughness of Paul's teaching approach and how he used the scriptures to provide evidence for Jesus's Messiahship.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary: Henry highlights Paul's commitment to seizing every opportunity to speak about Christ.
The Pulpit Commentaries: This collection of commentaries brings out the aspect of Paul's persuasive skills and the critical importance of explaining Jesus Christ in the context of Jewish scripture.

Acts 28

Acts 28

What does Acts 28:23 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Acts 28:23 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?