﻿Acts.
Chapter 28.
After we had reached safety, we learned that the island was called Malta. 
The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They lit a fire and welcomed us all because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold. 
Paul gathered a bundle of sticks and put it on the fire. A viper came out because of the heat and fastened onto his hand. 
When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “This man must be a murderer. Though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” 
But he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. 
They expected him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. After waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. 
Near that place were estates belonging to the chief official of the island, named Publius. He welcomed us and kindly hosted us for three days. 
Publius’s father was lying in bed, suffering from fevers and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, prayed, laid his hands on him, and healed him. 
After this happened, the rest of the island’s sick people also came and were healed. 
They honored us in many ways, and when we set sail, they supplied what we needed. 
After three months we set sail in a ship from Alexandria that had wintered on the island and had the Twin Brothers as its emblem. 
We put in at Syracuse and stayed there for three days. 
From there we weighed anchor and reached Rhegium. A day later a south wind came up, and on the second day we arrived at Puteoli. 
There we found some brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. 
When the brothers there heard about us, they came as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. 
When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier guarding him. 
Three days later he called together the leading men of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, I was handed over as a prisoner from Jerusalem to the Romans. 
After questioning me, they wanted to release me because there were no grounds for putting me to death. 
But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, though I had no charge to bring against my nation. 
For this reason I asked to see you and speak with you, because it is for the hope of Israel that I wear this chain.” 
They said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers who have come has reported or said anything bad about you. 
But we want to hear your views, for we know that this sect is spoken against everywhere.” 
They arranged a day with him and came in greater numbers to his lodging. From morning until evening he explained and solemnly testified about the kingdom of God, trying to persuade them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the Prophets. 
Some were persuaded by what he said, but others did not believe. 
They disagreed with one another and began to leave after Paul made this one statement: “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet, 
saying, ‘Go to this people and say: “You will keep hearing but never understand, and you will keep looking but never perceive. 
For this people’s heart has grown dull, and they have become hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, so that they might not see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”’ 
Therefore, know that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles. They will listen.” 
After he said this, the Jews went away, arguing at length among themselves. 
He stayed two full years in his own rented lodging and welcomed everyone who came to him, 
proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete boldness and without hindrance. 
