Acts Chapter Twenty Eight
It’s hard to believe that we have reached the end of this book. When we started it looked like a large project to get through. But then, day by day, we have come to the end. It reminds me of what has been said about eating an elephant. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
How do you get through a book of the Bible? A chapter at a time. Maybe even several verses at a time. How do you get through the Bible? One book at a time. By consistent reading and study, it is possible to learn much. I trust that this exercise in Acts will help you to be a reader of the Bible. I trust that it will help you to be a student absorbing the truths of God’s Word. There is so much more to what is proclaimed than simply passing words before your eyes to say you have read it. In this Divine text we find simple truths to guide. We also find deep principles of life to take us through all the challenges we face.
What do we find in chapter twenty eight? We find the end of the journey for Paul that started in Jerusalem and ended in Rome. We left him in a shipwreck at the end of the last chapter. They all made it to the Island of Malta where they were well received by the people who lived there. A few interesting things happened.
The first was when Paul was helping out gathering firewood so they could get warm. A poisonous snake jumped out of the pile of wood and bit him. The people saw that and immediately thought he must be a murderer. Their mentality of justice said that, even though Paul survived the shipwreck, he must be guilty so the gods are getting him. Paul didn’t panic, he simply shook of the snake and kept working. When he didn’t die, then the people thought he was a god. Paul was trusting God for His protection. He knew God promised him to be with him and he simply accepted it. Good lesson here.
The second event worth noting was that the leader of the island, Publius, had a sick father. Paul went to his house and prayed for him. God healed him. Paul was always ready to minister to anyone anywhere. Even though he was a prisoner there, even though he was falsely accused, he was always open for an opportunity to minister for the glory of God.
They all had to winter at Malta. Eventually they got on a ship and made it to Rome. At Rome he was allowed to rent a house and live in it under house arrest. He invited the local Jewish leaders to come in for discussion. He had good discussion and teaching time with them. Some became believers in Jesus.
Paul was in Rome under house arrest for two years. The wheels of justice moved very slowly. Many came to see him and he preached boldly and without hesitation. Luke doesn’t say it, but it is assumed from history that Paul was eventually acquitted of the charges.
Luke very abruptly ends the discourse. There is no, “well, that’s all folks” or anything like that.
I want to ask you to think about what we have read this month. Can you think of some things you have learned? What did you see about how they functioned as the early church? What have you seen that will work in your life today?
While they were human with all their human failures and weaknesses, they lived in the power of God. The presence of the Lord was evident as they faced many obstacles. Many times it was – if God doesn’t come through, we’re sunk. We face those similar kinds of situations. At those times we must be sure to stay focused on, and obedient to, HIM. Getting sidetracked causes one to miss out on the best that God has for us. Remember to always stay close to Jesus.
This is the last chapter of Acts. Please come back again tomorrow to this blog for some follow up comments. Also, this blog will continue. Not as a discussion on Acts, but other topics of interest (at least of interest to me). Let’s stay connected in this form as well as other ways we know each other. Remember, come back TOMORROW.
It’s hard to believe that we have reached the end of this book. When we started it looked like a large project to get through. But then, day by day, we have come to the end. It reminds me of what has been said about eating an elephant. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
How do you get through a book of the Bible? A chapter at a time. Maybe even several verses at a time. How do you get through the Bible? One book at a time. By consistent reading and study, it is possible to learn much. I trust that this exercise in Acts will help you to be a reader of the Bible. I trust that it will help you to be a student absorbing the truths of God’s Word. There is so much more to what is proclaimed than simply passing words before your eyes to say you have read it. In this Divine text we find simple truths to guide. We also find deep principles of life to take us through all the challenges we face.
What do we find in chapter twenty eight? We find the end of the journey for Paul that started in Jerusalem and ended in Rome. We left him in a shipwreck at the end of the last chapter. They all made it to the Island of Malta where they were well received by the people who lived there. A few interesting things happened.
The first was when Paul was helping out gathering firewood so they could get warm. A poisonous snake jumped out of the pile of wood and bit him. The people saw that and immediately thought he must be a murderer. Their mentality of justice said that, even though Paul survived the shipwreck, he must be guilty so the gods are getting him. Paul didn’t panic, he simply shook of the snake and kept working. When he didn’t die, then the people thought he was a god. Paul was trusting God for His protection. He knew God promised him to be with him and he simply accepted it. Good lesson here.
The second event worth noting was that the leader of the island, Publius, had a sick father. Paul went to his house and prayed for him. God healed him. Paul was always ready to minister to anyone anywhere. Even though he was a prisoner there, even though he was falsely accused, he was always open for an opportunity to minister for the glory of God.
They all had to winter at Malta. Eventually they got on a ship and made it to Rome. At Rome he was allowed to rent a house and live in it under house arrest. He invited the local Jewish leaders to come in for discussion. He had good discussion and teaching time with them. Some became believers in Jesus.
Paul was in Rome under house arrest for two years. The wheels of justice moved very slowly. Many came to see him and he preached boldly and without hesitation. Luke doesn’t say it, but it is assumed from history that Paul was eventually acquitted of the charges.
Luke very abruptly ends the discourse. There is no, “well, that’s all folks” or anything like that.
I want to ask you to think about what we have read this month. Can you think of some things you have learned? What did you see about how they functioned as the early church? What have you seen that will work in your life today?
While they were human with all their human failures and weaknesses, they lived in the power of God. The presence of the Lord was evident as they faced many obstacles. Many times it was – if God doesn’t come through, we’re sunk. We face those similar kinds of situations. At those times we must be sure to stay focused on, and obedient to, HIM. Getting sidetracked causes one to miss out on the best that God has for us. Remember to always stay close to Jesus.
This is the last chapter of Acts. Please come back again tomorrow to this blog for some follow up comments. Also, this blog will continue. Not as a discussion on Acts, but other topics of interest (at least of interest to me). Let’s stay connected in this form as well as other ways we know each other. Remember, come back TOMORROW.
