Paul's Voyage to Rome (continued) (27:1-28:16)
F. The Ship is Stranded, but the Men Escape, (vv. 39-44)
v.39 Even though Melita was well known to the ancient sailors, they failed to recognize it? Why? They found a beach on which they could run the ship aground. This is why the skilled sailors were needed.
v.40 They cut the anchors loose, lowered the rudders into the water, raised the sail and headed for the beach.
v.41 The ship ran aground on a sandbar formed by two currents coming together. The stern of the ship was subjected to the force of the waves and began to break into pieces.
v.42 Because Roman law called for the execution of a guard who allowed a prisoner to escape, the soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners.
v.43 The centurion was looking out for Paul. He sent those that could swim ahead to shore. The soldiers who arrived on the beach first could supervise the prisoners as they arrived.
v.44 The non-swimmers would use loose planks, broken pieces of wood and other floating debris to make their way to the beach. Paul's prophecy of verse 24 is fulfilled.
G. Paul Escapes Another Peril (28:1-6)
v.1 Melita is now known as Malta, it belongs to Great Britain and is 9 miles ~d~ and 17 miles long. It is located 70 miles south of Sicily.
v.2 The "barbarians" simply means foreign people, that is, foreign to those shipwrecked. The inhabitants were very kind to the strangers, building a fire to keep them from the cold and to dry them off.
v.3 A snake was among the wood Paul gathered. In the cold, the snake would be inactive, but once exposed to heat and to escape the fire the snake came out and latched onto Paul's hand.
v.4 The superstition of the natives caused them to believe that justice was catching up to Paul. They knew that some of the shipwrecked were prisoners and they now believed Paul must be a murderer. The snake was obviously poisonous
v.5 Paul shook the snake off into the fire and seemed not to be concerned. Why? 1) Mk. 16:18 and 2) he knew he would get to Rome.
v.6 The islanders waited for Paul to drop dead. When this did not occur, their superstition caused them to believe he was a god. (Compare the way the barbarians here reacted to Paul with those in Lystra. 14:8-20)
H. Paul's Usefulness in Melita (vv. 7-10)
v.7 The ruler of the island received Paul and his companions and entertained them for 3 days. Some believe that all 276 were included.
v.8 The sickness of Publius' father gives Paul an opportunity to confirm the word of God. Compare Peter's healing of Tabitha (9:36-43). Luke was the physician, but Paul did the healing.
v.9,10 Remember, preaching always accompanied miracles. As word of Paul's healing powers circulate, other sick come to him to be healed. The gratefulness of the Melitans is shown in the goods and honors they gave the travelers as they continued mm their journey.
ADDENDA- Miracles in the book of Acts
29) Paul survives snakebite, 28:3-5
30) Paul heals the father of Publius and all of the sick of Melita, 28:8-10