Today, we see they have made it to the island of Malta. It is there, under the kindness of the residents, Paul is by the fire and bitten by a snake. This seemingly tragic incident shows God’s hand of provision and protection upon Paul. And then as we read this story, it’s a neat thing to look at how this passage goes back to the “longer” ending of the Gospel of Mark. We see how the end of Mark and Acts 28 are very deeply connected.

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Good morning! It’s great to be with you on this Wednesday as we continue reading the book of Acts. We only have one more chapter to go, so we’re not far from being done. I anticipate finishing up Acts this week, most likely by Friday. We’ll start something new on Monday, and I’ll let you know on Friday where we’re going next. We’ve been in Acts for a long time now, so I’ll probably pick something shorter for our next reading, maybe from the Old or New Testament. I would like us to walk through a gospel together in the coming months. 

Today, we’ll be reading chapter 28, verses 1 through 10. After the shipwreck, they swam to shore and are now safe on the island of Malta. The natives of the island showed them kindness by building a fire to keep them warm. While Paul was gathering brushwood for the fire, a viper bit him, and the natives assumed he was a murderer who was getting what he deserved. However, Paul shook off the snake and suffered no harm. The natives then changed their minds and believed that he was a god. Nearby, there was a leading man of the island, Publius, whose father was sick with fever and dysentery. Paul prayed and put his hands on him, and he was cured. After this, the rest of the people on the island who were sick came to Paul, and they were also cured. As a result, they bestowed many honors upon Paul and his companions, and when they were about to sail, the natives put them on board with all the provisions they needed. 

We see here that God continues to work through Paul, performing miracles like the snake bite and the healing of Publius’ father. These signs and wonders are meant to show the Gospel at work and to draw people to hear the Gospel. We also see that Paul is simply a vessel through whom God works. Paul didn’t make these things happen; God worked through him. 

There is also a link between this passage in Acts and Mark 16:14-18. Many scholars believe that this passage was added to Mark’s Gospel to show that Paul was an apostle. The passage mentions that believers will be able to pick up snakes with their hands and not be harmed, just like Paul did. 

Overall, the Bible is beautiful and awesome, and it’s amazing to see how the different passages fit together. We’ll pick up tomorrow with Paul finally arriving in Rome. Thanks for joining us today!