Chapter 28

Verse 1 – The word “escaped” is the aorist passive participle of diaswzw. It means a complete rescue [dia = through; swzw = save/deliver/rescue], to completely through a crisis to a point of complete safety. The word “knew” is not technical and is used for unbelievers here: e)piginwskw from which we get e)pignwsij. If believers were the subject it would be doctrine in the human spirit under the function of GAP, but here we have unbelievers knowing this and it means to ascertain beyond any shadow of a doubt, to perceive with complete accuracy that this was the island of Malta. “Melita” is the old name for Malta.

Verse 2 – is misleading. The word “barbarous” would seem to imply wild men, but it really implies speaking another language other than Greek. The “barbarous people” simply means the natives of the island.

“showed us no little kindness” – literally, “not the kindness that happens every day.” This means a noble and gracious attitude. This is an idiom for unusual kindness. They did not prey on a shipwreck situation.

Verse 4 – “And when the barbarians saw the beast hang on his hand.” Any type of animal that was dangerous they called qhrion—“beast.” “Hang on his hand” is present active participle, and means to keep hanging on his hand. Kremannumi means to be suspended.

“they said among themselves” – imperfect active indicative of legw, they kept on saying. This was their topic of conversation. They stopped being kind and started judging. They had no facts.

“No doubt this man is a murderer” – but they don’t say “no doubt,” they say “of a truth” or “we are very sure.” The word “is” is present active indicative of e)imi – he keeps on being one, a “murderer” – foneuj, a homicide type. So the natives are not only kindly but self-righteous as well. Self-righteous people are always quick to judge others, and always hasty to reach false conclusions.

The word “vengeance” is dikh, “justice”; “suffer” is allow in the Greek, e)aw.

Translation: “But as the barbarians saw the dangerous animal dangling from his hand, they kept on saying, face to face with each other, By all means this man is a murderer, who having escaped out of the sea, the justice will not permit him to live.”

Verse 5 – “And he shook off,” a)potinassw [a)po = ultimate source; tinassw = take away]. He not only shook off the snake but he also shook off the obvious judging. It doesn’t get to him, he doesn’t in any way react to this obvious judging.

“and felt no harm” – e)paqen o)uden kakon. Kakon means evil, o)uden means nothing, e)paqen is simply the aorist active indicative of pasxw. This should be translated “he suffered nothing evil.” That is, from their maligning as well as from the venom.

Verse 6 – “no harm” is “nothing out of place.”

“they changed their minds” – present middle participle of metabalw.

“he is a god” – one minute he is a murderer and the next he is a god, and neither is correct! Self-righteous people cannot come to correct conclusions.

Verse 7 – “quarters” is from the noun topoj and it means “in the neighbourhood” or “in the vicinity”; “possessions” is “estates.”

“received us” – a)nadexomai [dexomai = to embrace, to receive kindly; a)na = again] means to be received kindly again and again, and it comes to mean to be royally entertained.

Verse 8 – “And it came to pass,” aorist active indicative of ginomai. God provided the opportunity. “It happened” – according to God’s plan. The door was opened to the father of Publius.

“lay sick” – the verb is katakeimai [keimai = to lay down; kata = according to a norm or standard]. It means to lie down under conditions where you are not going to get up again. This is a present active participle. With it is a present passive participle of sunexw [not even translated in the KJV] which indicates that he is dying. This man is dying painfully.

“of a fever” – purestoj [e)stoj is a part of the verb to be; pur = fire], he is burning up; “and of a bloody flux” – dusenteria [duj = unlucky and therefore dangerous; e)nterion = intestines], “dysentery.”

“and healed him” – present active indicative of i)aomai, which means here to heal someone in a miraculous way, or sudden healing. There is an ordinary word for healing: qerapeuw., which means to treat someone medically and they get well.

This is the beginning of Paul’s evangelistic ministry on Malta. The miracle was to draw attention to his message, not to alleviate suffering which was a secondary consideration.

Verse 9 – Paul’s three-month ministry is described. “So when this was done” – aorist active participle of ginomai, when this came to pass. We would probably say, “when this happened.”

“others also, which had diseases” – present active participle of e)xw, they kept on having and holding diseases. Whatever they had they couldn’t shake off. The word for “disease” is a)sqeneia which means all kinds of disease.

“came” – they kept coming, imperfect tense of proserxomai. The word spread; “and kept on being healed” – imperfect passive of qerapeuw. They were treated and healed – by Luke. One doctor: Luke; one apostle: Paul. One is a man prepared to disseminate information (gospel, and then doctrine), and one who was able to treat medically these people. When it says they came and were healed the imperfect tense is a connotative imperfect, it means they began to be healed as they were treated – qerapeuw. That means medical treatment, not i)aomai, the laying on of hands.

Verse 10 – “Who also honoured us” is an aorist active indicative from timaw, and the aorist tense would indicate in any contact they had with Paul.

“with such things as were necessary” – literally, “the things for our needs.”

Verse 11 – “sign” is parashmoj. Out on the bow of the ship was placed whatever the name of the ship was—Castor and Pollux, in this case, the twin sons of Zeus. They were regarded as good luck for sailors.

Verse 13 – “we fetched a compass.” The word here is perierxomai [e)rxomai = to come and to go; peri = around] and it means to go around. They had to take a circuitous course.

“Puteoli” is a port in the bay of Naples.

Verse 15 – “and took courage.” It should be “he seized courage” – lambanw, which means to seize and to grasp. Aorist active indicative, in a point of time when he saw these people he seized courage: qarsoj which means to go from depression to courage. He snapped out of it.

Verse 16 – “Paul was suffered [permitted] to dwell by himself.” As a result of all that happened during the trip they permitted him to dwell in his own apartment with Roman guards.

Verse 17 – Paul’s first meeting with the Jews in Rome. “I have committed nothing against the people.” Paul anticipated that there would be some reports that he was trying to discredit the Jews. Actually, Paul had appealed to Caesar to try and stop maladministration of Roman law, rather than the Jewish political attacks upon him. He does not know that the Jews have heard nothing from Palestine.

Verse 18 – “Who, when they had examined me.” This is Roman examination/trial; “would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.” The Romans gave him an acquittal.

Verse 19 – “constrained,” i.e. compelled, a)nagkazw means he was forced into this position. Paul must establish this right away so that he could make an issue out of the gospel, ands he cannot do this if they think he is not a patriot.

Verse 20 – “for the hope of Israel” The word is e)lpij, confidence. The confidence of Israel is Jesus Christ; the fact that He is the son of David, that He will return to the earth and fulfil the Davidic covenant.

“I am bound” – perikeimai, which means to lie round [peri = around; keimai = to lie]. This is called in the Greek “reverse imagery.” Paul lies around the chain, present active indicative. Paul had been depressed and it wasn’t until he reached the Apian way that he “seized courage.” Now that courage is manifest. He no longer says, I am in chains. He says in the Greek, I am wrapped around the chains. This is reverse analogy to demonstrate strength of character. The strength of character here is Romans 8:28. This is another way of saying, I am the prisoner of the Lord.

Verse 21 – Paul is the first one to arrive. The Jews had heard nothing.

Verse 22 – this is their idea; “what thou thinkest” – fronew, to so think that you have established an opinion.

“for as concerning this sect” – a(iresij is a faction, not a sect. This is a reference to Christianity and what the Jews call Christianity. They simply know at this time that there is a great deal said against it.

Verse 23 – “to whom he expounded.” The word is e)ktiqhmi [tiqhmi = to place; e)k = outside]. To place something outside means to expose. He took doctrine and put it outside where they could see it. He communicated it to them. The word “expound” means that he explained objectively.

“testified” is diamarturomai which means to give a solemn warning; “persuade” is a present active participle of peiqw which means to persuade on the basis of having a very lucid and clear presentation; not on the basis of one’s personality but on the basis of information. He presented the information so clearly that they were forced to make a decision.

“both out of the law of Moses, and of the prophets” – reference to the Old Testament. This is the source of his information. Jesus Christ is found in the Old Testament; “from morning till evening.”

Verse 24 – just what the result should be. No salesmanship, no gimmicks. Paul simply presented the facts; “the things which were spoken” – instrumental neuter plural, present passive participle. The instrumental case means that the message of Paul was the means of persuading these people to accept Christ. It is the message that counts. The neuter gender refers to the content of the message. True witnessing relies on accuracy of content rather than persuasiveness of speech. The plural indicates that Paul spoke many words, morning until evening. The present tense is linear aktionsart: Paul kept going through various passages of the Old Testament in presenting the information. The passive voice indicates the gospel message was received.

“some believed not” – a)pistew [a = negative; pistew = believe].

Verse 25 – now Paul gets in the last word with documentation from Isaiah; “they agreed not among themselves.” The gospel is a divider; they now have discord. Matthew 10:34.

“one word” is one more passage—Isaiah 28;9, 10.

Verse 28 – the dispensation has changed, the Jews are getting ready for the fifth cycle of discipline, and God has now sent his message to Gentiles; and Gentiles will be the recipients and Gentiles will be the communicators of this message; “they will hear it.”

Verse 29 is not found in the original.

Verse 30 – “and received all that came to him.” It is stronger than that, it is a)podexomai [dexomai = to embrace; a)po = from the ultimate source]—he received favourably from the ultimate source of himself all that came face to face with him. This is where the big ministry to the Gentiles begins. Paul has enough doctrine to shift gears. He has gone to the Jews first but he now shifts to the Gentiles.