Storms, Shipwrecks, Snake Bite Acts 28:1-16

Introduction

Some years before in Acts 19 we see Paul express desire to make it to Rome. In Romans 1 we see Pauls desire to make it to Rome. Paul has survived beatings, prison, storm, and shipwreck and now we will see him survive snake bite and finally make it to Rome. Again God is going to put Paul in the right place at the right time to get the gospel out. This morning we will see that no storm, shipwreck or snake bite can stop the Gospel from being spread through out the world.

The landing place of the ship wreck vs. 1

As they escaped the ship wreck they new the island they were on was called Melita

The Island of Melita was a well known Island among the sailors as they traded up and down the Mediterranean.

The name of the Island means refuge

It wouldn’t have been the normal spot for them to stop though due to the ship wreck as we will see in the next point, but God knew exactly what He was doing.

The island in Pauls day would have been under Roman rule.

Paul gets snake bitten and survives vs. 2-6

In verse 2 we find the people that were on the Island

The Bible describes them as barbarous people.

Remember the Greeks called any one who didn’t speak greek Barbarians.

Barbarous people or not they showed great kindness to the 268 survivors of the ship wreck.

They had a fire going and they recieved all of them because of the rain and the cold that was going on

God had them there to fulfil his promise he made to Paul that they all would survive the journey to Rome.

As Paul went to put some more wood on the fire, a snake jumped out of the fire and attached to His hand.

Paul wasn’t complaining about the rain or the cold, he wasn’t just sitting around the fire, he was trying to do his part and put some wood on the fire to keep it going and instead gets snake bit.

The barbarians acted like Job’s friends and instead of checking on him look what they said about him in verse 4

First they noticed it was a venomous snake, I don’t know about you, I don’t want to get bit by any snake but especially not a venomous one.

Then they made assumptions about Paul

No doubt this man is a murderer

He might’ve escaped the sea, but he won’t the snake bit.

Vengeance won’t allow him to live.

Just because something bad happens to somebody doesn’t mean they have done something wrong. Remember Job lost everything and he didn’t do anything wrong. God allows things in our lives to shape us into the image of His Son.

I can imagine as Paul heres them talking about this, he is thinking about what a mighty God he serves, a God who brought him through persecution, storms, shipwreck and surely if God promised he would make it to Rome, there was no doubt that he would make it to Rome.

Paul shook the beast off his hand and didn’t feel any harm

Depending on how potent the venom is from a poisonous snake, he would have felt the effects within minutes

They kept their eyes on Paul for some time, and remember Luke was a doctor so he would have taken an interest in Pauls health as well. As they watched the expected him to have some swelling, or even be dead but none of those things happened

In Mark 16 Jesus told us these things would happen in the transitional period

Mark 16:17–19 “17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”

Notice that the barbarians had gone from seeing Paul as guilty to seeing Paul as god.

Paul was god, but he was a man as God always intended men to be — inhabited by God.

Paul heals The Governors dad vs. 7-10

A man named Publius which was likely his Title and not his name brought them into his home and took care of them for three days.

While Paul was there he was made aware that the Governors father was sick with a fever and of a bloody flux

It was likely dysentery and beyond the capabilities of the medicine and such of the day. It was a job for Paul and not Luke this time.

Paul went to the man prayed for him, laid hands on him, and healed him.

Again the apostles had this ability in the transitional period, but we no longer have the power to heal, but God does.

After he healed the Governors dad he went throughout the whole Island healing

It’s important to remember that just as in Jesus’ ministry here on earth the miracles, healings and signs weren’t the end, but the means to the end which was to share the gospel.

As they were getting ready to depart they were honoured with many honours, and given the necessary things to keep going.

This is the final time we see the transitional gifts being used in the New Testament, remember there were temporary gifts as the church age began and they were used to prove to the Jews that Jesus was Messiah and to validate the message of the church.

I’m sure as Paul was healing the people he didn’t tell them that if they would just give more to his ministry or if they had more faith they would be healed, he was using the power God had given him to reach people with the Gospel. While we no longer can perform miracles we can use the talents God has given us to share the Gospel with others.

Final voyage to Rome vs. 11-16

They spent three months on the island and then departed in a ship of Alexandria.

The ship had Castor and Pollux engraved in it.

These were the twin sons of the Pagan Zeus and Leda. They were regarded as gods by the pagans and were honored as the patron deities of sailors.

They sailed from Melita to Syracuse, which is about a days journey by boat and ported there for three days likely waiting for favourable wind to get them to the next port.

They fetched a compass and headed to Rhegium, once there they waited for favourable wind which took them to Puteoli.

While in Puteoli they found brethren there and stayed with them for 7 days.

Its amazing how far Christianity had reached. Paul found brethren there in Puteoli and got to fellowship with them for 7 days.

From there they went towards Rome

When they were on there way the found some more brethren and even some who traveled from Appii Forum which was 43 miles from Rome.

The Three Taverns was a place 10 miles north 33 miles from Rome, while there Paul fellowshipped with the brethren.

In verse 16 we see they finally made it to Rome

All of the prisoners were dropped off with the captain of the guard but because of Pauls status as a Roman citizen he was allowed to be on house arrest.

Surely Paul had shared the gospel during this trip with the centurion, but we don’t have record of his salvation.

This morning if you haven’t trusted Christ as your personal savior, let me share with you what Paul shared almost 2000 years ago. Jesus Christ came to this earth and live a perfect life, from the manger to the cross, 33.5 years Jesus didn’t commit one single sin, he was hung on a cross where he shed his blood for my sin, he was buried and rose again defeating death, dying so we don’t have to. Thats the only way to heaven!

Conclusion

Christian do you trust Christ to have your best interests? He doesn’t waste our pain, it has a purpose and it is to be more like him, we just have to trust the process.

If you haven’t trusted Christ as your saviour come this morning and I can show you from Gods word how you can be saved