Acts 28:7-10 records how the island leader, Publius, takes care of Paul and the ship’s passengers. Publius’s father is sick with a chronic illness, so Paul prays over him and puts his hands on him. Publius’s father is healed. News of this miracle spreads, so that other sick Maltese people come to Paul for healing. The people of Malta take good care of Paul and his companions, up until the time they are able to sail to Rome.
In Acts 28:7-10, God heals many sick Maltese natives through Paul. Paul and his companions are well taken care of by the islanders throughout their winter stay there.
After weeks trapped in a storm on the Mediterranean, the ship carrying Paul to Rome was wrecked against a reef near Malta. God promised that every person on the ship would survive, and He fulfilled His promise as prisoners, soldiers, and crewmen all swam safely ashore to Malta. While warming themselves by a fire, a snake bit Paul on the hand, leading the Maltese to think he was an evil man under divine judgment. But as time went on, the snake bite proved ineffective against Paul, so that the Maltese then concluded he was a god.
Paul’s survival of the snake bite may have helped get them special treatment from the chief Maltese elder:
Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days (v. 7).
The crew, prisoners, and soldiers remain in the neighborhood of that place where they shipwrecked. There were lands in the region which, at the time, were belonging to the leading man of the island. His name was Publius. The first Maltese who greeted Paul’s company were kind enough to build a fire to dry them off. Now the leading man of the island is taking them into his care and protection. He welcomed us, Luke writes, and entertained us courteously for three days. This means he sheltered them, fed them, and likely clothed them.
After weeks of misery trapped in a storm on the Mediterranean Sea, Paul and his fellow passengers have finally been given reprieve and rest beyond what they might have hoped for. God had promised to deliver them from the storm, though the ship would be lost (Acts 27:23-26). They could have shipwrecked on a desert island, or been met with hostile or indifferent natives, but here on Malta they are welcomed and entertained courteously, with genuine concern and goodwill.
Paul is now able to return the favor, by God’s power:
And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him (v. 8).
Their host, Publius, has a father who happened to be chronically ill. His father was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery. The two details that he was lying in bed and that his ailments were recurrent hint that he has been sick for a while now, and is not getting better.
A fever is when the body’s immune system tries to stop infection by increasing our internal body temperature, boosting the efficacy of our white blood cells and slowing the reproduction of bacteria or a virus. However, a fever can quickly overstay its welcome and its usefulness, increasing to too-high temperatures that harm the body rather than help it. Fevers are also painful and tiring.
Publius’s father’s dysentery is likely the reason he has a recurrent fever. Dysentery is a bacterial infection of the intestines that forces the body to relentlessly void bloody waste to the point of dehydration, which can quickly and easily kill the infected individual in a matter of days. Dysentery has caused the death of millions of people throughout history, even in modern times.
Hearing this, Paul went in to see this sick man. Paul does nothing special, he only prayed over him, asking God to heal him. Paul can do nothing miraculous on his own. And after he had prayed for Publius’ father, Paul laid his hands on the suffering man and healed him. The prayer and laying on of hands were acknowledged by God, who permitted the man to be healed. The father of Publius was restored to health; his fever and dysentery were gone.
As is typical when a miracle is publicly known, others flock to the miracle worker. Our world is damaged by the effects of the Fall of Man, when Adam and Eve chose their own way over God’s, bringing death and suffering into the world (Genesis 3:16, 18-19). All of creation longs for healing, from the human race to nature itself (Romans 8:19-22). When Jesus was on earth, healing the sick and disabled, He was often approached by those who heard of His power, who longed for healing for themselves or a loved one (Matthew 4:23-24, 8:16, 12:15, Mark 3:10, 6:55-56). He empowered His apostles to heal, likewise (Matthew 10:8).
Empowered by God, during the early days of the church, the apostles were performing so many miracles in the temple and increasing the number of believers that people began to lay their sick friends on cots in the streets of Jerusalem, in hopes that Peter’s shadow would cross them and heal them (Acts 5:12-16). When in Ephesus years earlier, Paul was healing so many people (through God’s power) that some began taking his handkerchiefs and work aprons he had touched or worn to find healing from the articles of clothing, which, amazingly, God also empowered to be effective (Acts 19:11).
Here on Malta, the other Maltese locals heard of the healing of Publius’s father:
After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured (v. 9).
After Publius’s father was instantly cured of his fever and dysentery, due to God’s power through Paul’s prayer and laying on of hands, word spread of what had happened. Naturally, the rest of the people on the island of Malta began coming to Paul. Those who had diseases wanted to be free of their suffering, and Paul prayed over these afflicted people. By God’s mercy and miraculous power, they were cured.
Luke does not record it here, only highlighting the miracles God was performing through Paul, but it seems probable that Paul took these opportunities of healing to then preach the gospel, since that was his purpose in life, given to him by the Lord Jesus (Acts 26:16). Church tradition claims this as well.
The point of miracles are to attest to God’s goodness, glory, and power; they are not ends in and of themselves, but always direct those who are healed to God’s good news of spiritual healing. That the affliction of our sin nature’s power can be taken away demonstrates that we can be spiritually healed. We can receive a new birth by faith, and we are then given the indwelling Holy Spirit who empowers us to have the capacity to live by choice to follow God, to whom Jesus Christ has reconciled us when we believe in His death and resurrection. That is the ultimate healing; it is a restoration of our design to be God’s child and walk in fellowship with Him, living in His joy (Matthew 25:21).
When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples to heal, He charged them to “proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:1-2). When Paul healed a crippled man in Lystra, the Lystrians tried to sacrifice bulls to him, which he protested, telling them that he was there to preach the gospel and reconcile them to the living God (Acts 14:15). Paul was obeying the commission he was given by Jesus to be an apostle, including bearing testimony to Gentiles such as the people of Malta (Acts 9:15).
The miracles were signs pointing to salvation from God. Here on Malta, Paul must have attributed these redemptive works of healing to God, not to his own power. We see from one of Paul’s last letters the implication that he was not permitted to heal his dear friend Trophimus, who was left behind in Miletus due to an illness (2 Timothy 4:20). Paul himself seems to have possibly suffered from poor vision, or perhaps other maladies, which God did not heal and Paul had to learn to bear with faithfully (Galatians 4:13, 15, 2 Corinthians 10:10, 12:7-9).
God’s healing work through Paul helps ensure that the remainder of his stay on Malta is comfortable and restorative:
They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed (v. 10).
The Maltese people honored Paul and his company with many marks of respect. They continued to take care of their needs, feeding and sheltering them. Though Paul and the others had washed ashore as castaways from a shipwreck, desperately hungry and miserable from weeks in a storm, now they enjoyed the winter among the good hospitality of the Maltese, who were doubtless grateful for the healing of their sick by Paul’s God.
The Maltese go above and beyond mere hospitality. When the winter ended, and Paul and his Roman escort were setting sail to their ultimate destination of Rome, the Maltese equip them with provisions and supplies: they supplied us with all we needed. Paul and company were not lacking in any way; all that they needed was given to them before departing Malta.
Church tradition tells us that Publius became a believer during Paul’s visit, and was the first bishop (Greek, “episkopos,” elder or overseer) of the community of believers in Malta. Malta has continued to be a Christian stronghold since Paul’s stay there. Christianity is the small island nation’s official religion. The Feast of St. Publius is celebrated every year in Floriana, Malta on the second Sunday after Easter Sunday.
Acts 28:7-10
7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days.
8 And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him.
9 After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured.
10 They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed.
Set to dark mode
Acts 28:7-10 meaning
In Acts 28:7-10, God heals many sick Maltese natives through Paul. Paul and his companions are well taken care of by the islanders throughout their winter stay there.
After weeks trapped in a storm on the Mediterranean, the ship carrying Paul to Rome was wrecked against a reef near Malta. God promised that every person on the ship would survive, and He fulfilled His promise as prisoners, soldiers, and crewmen all swam safely ashore to Malta. While warming themselves by a fire, a snake bit Paul on the hand, leading the Maltese to think he was an evil man under divine judgment. But as time went on, the snake bite proved ineffective against Paul, so that the Maltese then concluded he was a god.
Paul’s survival of the snake bite may have helped get them special treatment from the chief Maltese elder:
Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days (v. 7).
The crew, prisoners, and soldiers remain in the neighborhood of that place where they shipwrecked. There were lands in the region which, at the time, were belonging to the leading man of the island. His name was Publius. The first Maltese who greeted Paul’s company were kind enough to build a fire to dry them off. Now the leading man of the island is taking them into his care and protection. He welcomed us, Luke writes, and entertained us courteously for three days. This means he sheltered them, fed them, and likely clothed them.
After weeks of misery trapped in a storm on the Mediterranean Sea, Paul and his fellow passengers have finally been given reprieve and rest beyond what they might have hoped for. God had promised to deliver them from the storm, though the ship would be lost (Acts 27:23-26). They could have shipwrecked on a desert island, or been met with hostile or indifferent natives, but here on Malta they are welcomed and entertained courteously, with genuine concern and goodwill.
Paul is now able to return the favor, by God’s power:
And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him (v. 8).
Their host, Publius, has a father who happened to be chronically ill. His father was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery. The two details that he was lying in bed and that his ailments were recurrent hint that he has been sick for a while now, and is not getting better.
A fever is when the body’s immune system tries to stop infection by increasing our internal body temperature, boosting the efficacy of our white blood cells and slowing the reproduction of bacteria or a virus. However, a fever can quickly overstay its welcome and its usefulness, increasing to too-high temperatures that harm the body rather than help it. Fevers are also painful and tiring.
Publius’s father’s dysentery is likely the reason he has a recurrent fever. Dysentery is a bacterial infection of the intestines that forces the body to relentlessly void bloody waste to the point of dehydration, which can quickly and easily kill the infected individual in a matter of days. Dysentery has caused the death of millions of people throughout history, even in modern times.
Hearing this, Paul went in to see this sick man. Paul does nothing special, he only prayed over him, asking God to heal him. Paul can do nothing miraculous on his own. And after he had prayed for Publius’ father, Paul laid his hands on the suffering man and healed him. The prayer and laying on of hands were acknowledged by God, who permitted the man to be healed. The father of Publius was restored to health; his fever and dysentery were gone.
As is typical when a miracle is publicly known, others flock to the miracle worker. Our world is damaged by the effects of the Fall of Man, when Adam and Eve chose their own way over God’s, bringing death and suffering into the world (Genesis 3:16, 18-19). All of creation longs for healing, from the human race to nature itself (Romans 8:19-22). When Jesus was on earth, healing the sick and disabled, He was often approached by those who heard of His power, who longed for healing for themselves or a loved one (Matthew 4:23-24, 8:16, 12:15, Mark 3:10, 6:55-56). He empowered His apostles to heal, likewise (Matthew 10:8).
Empowered by God, during the early days of the church, the apostles were performing so many miracles in the temple and increasing the number of believers that people began to lay their sick friends on cots in the streets of Jerusalem, in hopes that Peter’s shadow would cross them and heal them (Acts 5:12-16). When in Ephesus years earlier, Paul was healing so many people (through God’s power) that some began taking his handkerchiefs and work aprons he had touched or worn to find healing from the articles of clothing, which, amazingly, God also empowered to be effective (Acts 19:11).
Here on Malta, the other Maltese locals heard of the healing of Publius’s father:
After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured (v. 9).
After Publius’s father was instantly cured of his fever and dysentery, due to God’s power through Paul’s prayer and laying on of hands, word spread of what had happened. Naturally, the rest of the people on the island of Malta began coming to Paul. Those who had diseases wanted to be free of their suffering, and Paul prayed over these afflicted people. By God’s mercy and miraculous power, they were cured.
Luke does not record it here, only highlighting the miracles God was performing through Paul, but it seems probable that Paul took these opportunities of healing to then preach the gospel, since that was his purpose in life, given to him by the Lord Jesus (Acts 26:16). Church tradition claims this as well.
The point of miracles are to attest to God’s goodness, glory, and power; they are not ends in and of themselves, but always direct those who are healed to God’s good news of spiritual healing. That the affliction of our sin nature’s power can be taken away demonstrates that we can be spiritually healed. We can receive a new birth by faith, and we are then given the indwelling Holy Spirit who empowers us to have the capacity to live by choice to follow God, to whom Jesus Christ has reconciled us when we believe in His death and resurrection. That is the ultimate healing; it is a restoration of our design to be God’s child and walk in fellowship with Him, living in His joy (Matthew 25:21).
When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples to heal, He charged them to “proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:1-2). When Paul healed a crippled man in Lystra, the Lystrians tried to sacrifice bulls to him, which he protested, telling them that he was there to preach the gospel and reconcile them to the living God (Acts 14:15). Paul was obeying the commission he was given by Jesus to be an apostle, including bearing testimony to Gentiles such as the people of Malta (Acts 9:15).
The miracles were signs pointing to salvation from God. Here on Malta, Paul must have attributed these redemptive works of healing to God, not to his own power. We see from one of Paul’s last letters the implication that he was not permitted to heal his dear friend Trophimus, who was left behind in Miletus due to an illness (2 Timothy 4:20). Paul himself seems to have possibly suffered from poor vision, or perhaps other maladies, which God did not heal and Paul had to learn to bear with faithfully (Galatians 4:13, 15, 2 Corinthians 10:10, 12:7-9).
God’s healing work through Paul helps ensure that the remainder of his stay on Malta is comfortable and restorative:
They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed (v. 10).
The Maltese people honored Paul and his company with many marks of respect. They continued to take care of their needs, feeding and sheltering them. Though Paul and the others had washed ashore as castaways from a shipwreck, desperately hungry and miserable from weeks in a storm, now they enjoyed the winter among the good hospitality of the Maltese, who were doubtless grateful for the healing of their sick by Paul’s God.
The Maltese go above and beyond mere hospitality. When the winter ended, and Paul and his Roman escort were setting sail to their ultimate destination of Rome, the Maltese equip them with provisions and supplies: they supplied us with all we needed. Paul and company were not lacking in any way; all that they needed was given to them before departing Malta.
Church tradition tells us that Publius became a believer during Paul’s visit, and was the first bishop (Greek, “episkopos,” elder or overseer) of the community of believers in Malta. Malta has continued to be a Christian stronghold since Paul’s stay there. Christianity is the small island nation’s official religion. The Feast of St. Publius is celebrated every year in Floriana, Malta on the second Sunday after Easter Sunday.