Sermon Tone Analysis

*Acts 28:1-5 ~~* When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.

2The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all.

3But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.

4When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.” 5However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.

shook the creature off – Paul’s not only not worried about the bullet that missed he also doesn’t worry about what can’t be changed – plus he believes God.

Island 1~/4th size of Flathead Lake in area – 122 sq mi

and populated for about 6,000 years now 400,000 pop.

*Acts 28:6-9 ~~* 6But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead.

But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

7Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius (puhb-lee-uhs), who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days.

8And 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.

9After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured.

was a god – Human fickelness (god then stoned in Galatia) and lack of Bible correcting the perception – we must take it as a whole and then we know Paul corrected them

leading man – Prôtos – correct title, again!

after he had prayed – determine God’s will first!

rest of the people – God establishes a connection for the Gospel and His purposes – Every person?

*Acts 28:10-15 ~~* 10They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed.

11At the end of three months we set sail on an Alexandrian ship which had wintered at the island, and which had the Twin Brothers for its figurehead.

12After we put in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days.

13From there we sailed around and arrived at Rhegium (ree-jee-uhm), and a day later a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli (pew-tee-oh-lee).

14There we found some brethren, and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and thus we came to Rome.

15And the brethren, when they heard about us, came from there as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

*Map*

Twin Brothers

Syracuse, Rhegium & Naples Bay Puteoli

Charybdis = *kuh-rib-duhs* = whirlpool

Scylla = *sil-lah* = Rock sea monster

Between a rock and a hard place, Homer’s Odysseus sailed closer to Scylla and lost some men instead of losing the ship.

Tyrrhenian Sea = *tuh-ree-nee-uhn*

Market of Appius 90 from Naples and Three Inns 30 from Rome

 

*Acts 28:16-19 ~~* 16When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

17After three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying to them, “Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

18“And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death.

19“But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation.

allowed to stay by himself Burrus’ proxy or maybe Burrus

 

not that I had any accusation against my nation Claudius 49 A.D. expulsion (Acts 18:2 Aquila & Priscilla) Suetonius (swee-toe-nee-uhs)

 

*Acts 28:20-23 ~~* 20“For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.”

21They said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you.

22“But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.”

23When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.

*Acts 28:24-27 ~~* 24Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe.

25And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, 26saying, ‘Go to this people and say, “You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; 27For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes; Otherwise they might see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.”’

one parting word *Isaiah 6:9&10* All four Gospels also.

*Acts 28:28-31 ~~* 28“Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen.”

(29When he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.)

30And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, 31preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.

sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen

Suetonius - Nero in 54 at age 16, Stoic philosopher and orator *Seneca, Burrus*, the commander the Praetorian forces until 62 (age 24) then downhill –Agrippina, niece & wife of Claudius exiled by her brother Caligula.

Claudius adopted Nero and gave him in marriage his own daughter, Octavia.

Paul was released in 62 A.D. then fire in 64 and beginning of major persecution culminating with Paul’s re-arrest in 64 and death in 67.

Nero appointed Ves. in 66 A.D. to war and committed suicide in 68 “What an artist dies with me.”

Suetonius (sue-ah-toe-nee-uhs) Nero in 54 at age 16, Stoic philosopher and orator *Seneca, Burrus*, the commander the Praetorian forces until 62 (age 24) then downhill – (Julia Agrippina, niece of Emperor Claudius.

After the violent death of his first wife, Valeria Messalina, Emperor Claudius married Julia, adopted her son Nero and gave him in marriage his own daughter, Octavia.

Rhegium = ree-jee-uhm Although a Roman ally as early as the Punic Wars, Rhegium maintained a Greek character into the time of the Roman Empire.

In spite of numerous earthquakes, it remained well populated throughout the first century A.D. and was a center for Pythagorean philosophy.

Unfavorable winds hindered navigation between the narrow straits, perhaps explaining Paul’s delay there

* *

Greek mythology Castor and Pollux, twin sons of Zeus and Leda.

Made into a constellation (Gemini) and thus considered gods, their chief interest was in the safety of mariners (they had been granted power over wind and waves).

Used pejoratively, ‘barbarian’ demeaned those lacking Hellenistic culture as crude, coarse, boorish, savage, or bestial Paul and Philo combine ‘Greek and barbarian’ to mean the entire world (excluding Jews).

Appian Way, Roman road connecting Rome, Capua on the Bay of Naples, and Brundisium on the Adriatic.

It was constructed under the Roman censor Appius Claudius in 312 B.C. Until the harbor of Ostia was developed by Trajan, Puteoli, on the Bay of Naples, served as the major seaport for Rome.

From the 2d century B.C. until the 1st century A.D., the normal route in approaching Rome by sea was to sail to Puteoli, as Paul did (Acts 28:13–15).

The traveler then used the suburban roadways to reach Capua, from which the journey to Rome, 132 Roman miles, normally took five or six days.

Canal boats allowed the traveler to continue the journey during the night somewhat more comfortably than on the road: the poet Horace includes an account of this boat in his colorful, detailed description of a trip on the Appian Way.

The roadway, 14 Roman feet wide, was covered with gravel, and flanked by wide pedestrian walkways of pounded earth.

Towns and villages like Forum Appii and Tres Tabernae (“Three Taverns”) offered lodging, stables, and food.

The use of the first name therefore may reflect, according to Zahn (1921, 2: 846), the friendly relationship that had arisen among Publius, (Puhb-lee-uhs) Paul, and Luke during their time together on Malta.

Or it may reflect the common usage among the peasants around Publius’ estate.

Zahn (2: 843) documents the fact that two inscriptions found on the island, one in Greek and one in Latin, demonstrate that the term “chief man” (protōs) in Acts 28:7 is an official title.

Thus Publius was either the highest Roman official on the island or its chief native officer, serving under the governor of Sicily.

As is the case with the “city authorities” (politarchas) of Thessalonica (Acts 17:6, 8), the author of Acts uses a governmental term that is appropriate to the location in question.

Puteoli (pyuh-tee-oh-lee, the seaport just west of Naples where, Paul stayed seven days with the local Christian community.

Founded probably in the sixth century B.C. by Greek colonists from Samos.

In 215 B.C., the Romans garrisoned the town against the Carthaginian general Hannibal and renamed it Puteoli.

In 194 B.C., it became a Roman colony.

During the first century A.D., Puteoli was the major port of Italy, where Alexandrian grain ships (like Paul’s) docked to unload cargo for Rome.

Syracuse (sihr-uh-kyo̅o̅z), a Greek colony on the southeast coast of Sicily, founded by Corinth ca.

734 b.c.

It developed into the principal city of the island, with a fifth-century b.c.

temple of Athena.

Phoenician settlers were expelled in 234 b.c., but the city was taken by Rome in 212 b.c.

On his voyage to Rome, Paul spent three days there

 

Taverns, the Three, a way station on the Appian Way, about thirty miles south of Rome, ten miles north of the Forum of Appius, where Paul was met by members of the Christian community of Rome, as he journeyed there from Puteoli

 

Malta - 400,000 people and 122 square miles, basically 11 miles