Atos 28

BLIVRE · Chapter 28/28

1E tendo sobrevivido, então souberam que a ilha se chamava Malta.

2E os nativos demonstraram para conosco uma benevolência incomum; porque, tendo acendido uma fogueira, recolheram a nós todos, por causa da chuva que estava caindo, e por causa do frio.

3E tendo Paulo recolhido uma quantidade de gravetos, e pondo-os no fogo, saiu uma víbora do calor, e fixou [os dentes] na mão dele.

4E quando os nativos vieram o animal pendurado na mão dele, disseram uns aos outros: Certamente este homem é assassino, ao qual, tendo sobrevivido do mar, a justiça não o deixa viver.

5Porém, ele, tendo sacudido o animal ao fogo, sofreu nenhum mal.

6E eles esperavam que ele fosse inchar, ou cair morto de repente. Mas tendo esperado muito, e vendo que nenhum incômodo tinha lhe sobrevindo, mudaram [de opinião] , e diziam que ele era um deus.

7E perto daquele mesmo lugar o homem mais importante da ilha, por nome Públio, tinha algumas propriedades; o qual nos recebeu e nos hospedou por três dias gentilmente.

8E aconteceu que o pai de Públio estava de cama, doente de febres e disenteria; ao qual Paulo entrou, e tendo orado, pôs as mãos sobre ele, e o curou.

9Tendo então isto acontecido, também vieram a ele outros que tinham enfermidades, e foram curados;

10Os quais nos honraram com muitas honras; e estando [nós] para navegar, [nos] entregaram as coisas necessárias.

11E três meses depois, nós partimos em um navio de Alexandria, que tinha passado o inverno na ilha; o qual tinha como símbolo os gêmeos Castor e Pólux.

12E chegando a Siracusa, ficamos [ali] três dias.

13De onde, tendo indo ao redor da costa, chegamos a Régio; e um dia depois, ventando ao sul, viemos o segundo dia a Putéoli.

14Onde, tendo achado [alguns] irmãos, eles nos rogaram que ficássemos com eles por sete dias; e assim viemos a Roma.

15E os irmãos, ao ouvirem [notícias] sobre nós, desde lá nos saíram ao encontro até a praça de Ápio, e as três tavernas; e Paulo, tendo os visto, agradeceu a Deus, e tomou coragem.

16E quando chegamos a Roma, o centurião entregou os prisioneiros ao chefe da guarda, mas a Paulo foi permitido morar por si mesmo à parte, junto com o soldado que o guardava.

17E aconteceu que, três dias depois, Paulo chamou juntos os chefes dos judeus; e ao se reunirem, disse-lhes: Homens irmãos, tendo eu nada feito contra o povo, ou contra os costumes dos pais, [mesmo assim] eu vim preso desde Jerusalém, entregue em mãos dos romanos.

18Os quais, tendo me investigado, queriam [me] soltar, por não haver em mim nenhum crime de morte.

19Mas os judeus, dizendo em contrário, eu fui forçado a apelar a César; [mas] não como que eu tenha que acusar a minha nação.

20Então por esta causa eu vos chamei até mim, para [vos] ver e falar; porque pela esperança de Israel eu estou agora preso nesta corrente.

21Mas eles lhe disseram: Nós nem recebemos cartas da Judeia relacionadas a ti, nem algum dos irmãos, tendo vindo aqui, tem nos informado ou falado de ti algum mal.

22Mas nós queríamos ouvir de ti o que tu pensas; porque, quanto a esta seita, conhecemos que em todo lugar [há quem] fale contra ela.

23E tendo eles lhe determinado um dia, muitos vieram até onde ele estava morando; aos quais ele declarava e dava testemunho do Reino de Deus; e procurava persuadi-los quanto a Jesus, tanto pela Lei de Moisés, como [pelos] profetas, desde a manhã até a tarde.

24E alguns criam nas coisas que ele dizia; mas outros não criam.

25E estando discordantes entre si, despediram-se, tendo Paulo disto [esta] palavra: O Espírito Santo corretamente falou a nossos pais por meio de Isaías o profeta,

26Dizendo: Vai a este povo, e dize: De fato ouvireis, mas de maneira nenhuma entendereis; e de fato vereis, mas de maneira nenhuma enxergareis.

27Porque o coração deste povo está insensível, seus ouvidos ouvem com dificuldade, e seus olhos estão fechados; para que em maneira nenhuma vejam com os olhos, nem ouçam com os ouvidos, nem entendam com o coração, e se convertam, e eu os cure.

28Portanto seja conhecido por vós que a salvação de Deus foi enviada aos gentios; e eles [a] ouvirão.

29E havendo ele dito isto, os judeus foram embora, havendo entre eles grande discussão.

30E Paulo ficou dois anos inteiros em sua própria casa alugada; e recebia a todos quantos vinham a ele;

31Pregando o Reino de Deus, e ensinando com ousadia a doutrina do Senhor Jesus Cristo, sem impedimento algum.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Shipwrecked on Malta, Paul survives the bite of a venomous snake and heals the father of the island's chief official. Arriving in Rome, he lives under house arrest for two years, freely preaching to all who visit him.

Explanation

The episode with the snake on Malta follows the pattern of Mark 16:18, concerning the signs that would accompany those who believe, and reinforces God's protection over Paul all the way to his final destination. Once in Rome, even as a prisoner, he receives visitors and preaches 'with all confidence, no man forbidding him' — a surprisingly open ending for the book of Acts, suggesting that the church's mission continues beyond the last page. The book closes not with a tidy conclusion, but with the gospel still advancing, as if the reader were being invited to carry the story forward.

Fun facts

  • Malta (ancient Melita) still preserves popular traditions today linking the island to Paul, including St. Paul's Grotto in Rabat, though the exact archaeological authenticity of the site is debated among historians.
  • Acts ends abruptly, without recounting the final outcome of Paul's trial in Rome — which is why many scholars believe Luke wrote the book precisely during those two years of house arrest, before the outcome was known.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Atos 28:1Only after everyone reaches land safely do they discover the name of the place: the island of Malta, called here by its ancient name, Melita.
  2. Atos 28:2The local residents, called “barbarous” simply for not speaking Greek or Latin, treat the shipwrecked group with great kindness, lighting a fire to shelter everyone from the rain and cold.
  3. Atos 28:3A venomous snake comes out of the firewood because of the fire’s heat and bites Paul’s hand. The island of Malta today has no known venomous snakes, which sparks debate among scholars about the exact species or changes in the local fauna over the centuries.
  4. Atos 28:4“Barbarous” was the word Greeks and Romans used to describe any people who did not speak Greek or Latin, without the strongly offensive sense the word carries today. The people of Malta spoke a language of Phoenician origin, unlike the Greek used through the rest of the voyage.
  5. Atos 28:5Unfazed, Paul simply shakes the venomous snake back into the fire and suffers no effect from the venom at all, defying everyone’s expectations.
  6. Atos 28:6The same crowd that expected Paul to die of the poison changes its mind on seeing him fine, swinging to the opposite extreme of thinking him a god. It is a pattern similar to what happens at Lystra, in chapter 14, showing how popular reactions were unstable and based on outward signs.
  7. Atos 28:7Near the site of the shipwreck lay the estate of Publius, the chief official of the island, who receives the group with generous hospitality for three days.
  8. Atos 28:8The description of fever and dysentery is quite specific for the period, which has led some scholars to note the technical vocabulary used by Luke, the author traditionally identified as a physician.
  9. Atos 28:9After the healing of Publius’s father told in the previous verse, word spreads and other sick residents of the island come to Paul and are healed as well.
  10. Atos 28:10In gratitude, the people of Malta bestow many honors on the group, and when they depart, they provide everything needed to continue the journey.
  11. Atos 28:11The ship used for the final leg of the journey had a carving on its bow of the twin gods Castor and Pollux, regarded as protectors of sailors in Greco-Roman mythology. It is a detail that shows how pagan religion permeated even everyday objects, like a ship’s decoration.
  12. Atos 28:12Resuming the voyage by ship, they make a three-day stop in Syracuse, an important port city in Sicily.
  13. Atos 28:13From Syracuse they go on to Rhegium, and with the help of a favorable south wind, they reach Puteoli, already on mainland Italy, in just two days.
  14. Atos 28:14In Puteoli they find a Christian community already established, which invites them to stay seven days, before finally continuing overland to Rome.
  15. Atos 28:15Christians from Rome, hearing of Paul’s arrival, come out to meet him at two points along the road, which moves him so much that he thanks God and gains new courage to face what lay ahead.
  16. Atos 28:16Even as a prisoner, Paul receives a relatively comfortable form of house arrest in Rome, able to rent his own lodging and freely receive visitors — treatment tied to the fact that he was a Roman citizen awaiting trial before the emperor himself.
  17. Atos 28:17Now in Rome, Paul gathers the leaders of the local Jewish community to explain his situation, making clear that he had done nothing against the Jewish people or their customs.
  18. Atos 28:18Paul recounts that the very Roman authorities who had questioned him before wanted to release him, since they found in him no crime deserving death.
  19. Atos 28:19Only the opposition of the Jews in Jerusalem forced Paul to appeal to Caesar, and he makes a point of saying that this did not mean he had any accusation against his own nation.
  20. Atos 28:20Paul explains that the reason for gathering these leaders was precisely to speak about the hope of Israel, the very cause behind the chains he wore.
  21. Atos 28:21The Jewish leaders in Rome reply that they had received no letters from Judea about Paul, nor heard anything bad reported by other Jews passing through.
  22. Atos 28:22Even without any prior negative information, they admit genuine curiosity to hear Paul’s views, since they knew that Christianity (“this sect”) was spoken against everywhere.
  23. Atos 28:23On an appointed day, many people come to where Paul was staying, and he spends the whole day, from morning until evening, explaining the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them about Jesus using the Law of Moses and the Prophets.
  24. Atos 28:24As in almost every city Paul visited, the reaction is divided: some believe what he says, others remain unconvinced.
  25. Atos 28:25Unable to reach agreement among themselves, the group departs, but not before Paul makes one final remark, quoting the prophet Isaiah about the people’s spiritual resistance.
  26. Atos 28:26The quotation from Isaiah describes people who hear without truly understanding and see without truly perceiving — an image of deliberate spiritual resistance, not mere ignorance.
  27. Atos 28:27The quotation goes on to explain that this people’s heart had become hardened on purpose, closing their own eyes and ears so they would not have to be converted and be healed.
  28. Atos 28:28Paul draws the practical conclusion from all this: since some of the Jews reject the message, God’s salvation would be openly proclaimed to the Gentiles as well, who would be more willing to listen.
  29. Atos 28:29This verse, present in manuscripts used by the ARC but absent from modern critical editions, records that the Jews withdrew, arguing intensely among themselves after Paul’s final words.
  30. Atos 28:30The book ends in an almost anticlimactic way: Paul spends two whole years in Rome in a house he rented at his own expense, freely receiving anyone who wanted to visit him.
  31. Atos 28:31Acts ends without telling the outcome of Paul’s trial, closing only with the image of him preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about Jesus Christ with complete freedom and boldness, with no one stopping him.

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