Praying for Healing
Notes
Transcript
Acts 28:1-9 New King James Version
Acts 28:1 Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta.
1. MAP: Caesarea to Crete
2. MAP: Crete to Malta
3. MAP: St Paul’s Bay, Malta
Acts 28:2 And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.
1. Natives - the native people of an area in which a language other than Greek or Latin was spoken (such persons would be regarded as being outside the civilized world of NT times)—‘native people, uncivilized, foreigners.’ [1]
a. The Maltese were of Phoenician descent, and most commoners there spoke and read only Punic (the late Phoenician dialect of the Carthaginians). But Roman citizens and retired soldiers also lived there, the elite spoke Latin or Greek, and the island was certainly not considered culturally primitive.[2]
b. Barbaroi is an onomatopoetic word; to the Greeks and Romans strange languages sounded like “bar-bar-bar,” hence the word “barbarian” (Lat., barbarus).[3]
2. The temperature during that season would have been typically below 60 degrees Fahrenheit when raining, and being wet probably made people feel even cooler.[4]
a. The temperature at this time of year on Malta was probably about fifty degrees Fahrenheit.[5]
3. Fire: bonfire n. — a large, outdoor fire.
Acts 28:3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
1. viper n. — a snake primarily known for being venomous.
Acts 28:4 So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.”
1. justice (goddess) n. — the goddess of Greek mythology personifying justice who was said to oversee the acts of men and to ensure proper recompense.
Acts 28:5 But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.
Acts 28:6 However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
1. The term πιπρασθαι, found only in Luke-Acts in the NT, is the ancient medical one for an inflammation[6]
2. Acts 14:8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.
3. Acts 14:9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
4. Acts 14:10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.
5. Acts 14:11 Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
Acts 28:7 In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius [PUHB lih uhs], who received us and entertained us courteously for three days.
1. Augustus established a Roman governor on the island, who bore the title municipi Melitesium primus omnium (“the chief man over all in the municipality of Malta,” Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum 10.7495; cf. Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum 5754—or, as at v. 7, ho prōtos tēs nēsou, “the first man of the island”).[7]
2. The title assigned to him here has been found in Greek and Latin inscriptions as the proper title of the island’s governor.[8]
Acts 28:8 And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him.
1. Publius’s father was suffering from intermittent attacks of gastric fever17and dysentery,[9]
2. Fever - What is traditionally called Malta fever (now no longer the menace that it once was) is caused by a microbe in goats’ milk.[10]
3. Luke uses the plural pyretois (“fevers”) in his description, probably with reference to the way it affects its victims with intermittent attacks.[11]
Acts 28:9 So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed.
Praying for Healing:
1. Healing portrayed in the Old Testament.
a. Numbers 21:6 So the Lordsent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
b. Numbers 21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
c. Numbers 21:8 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”
d. Numbers 21:9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
e. John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
f. John 3:15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
2. Healing performed by Jesus.
a. Matthew 8:14 Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever.
b. Matthew 8:15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.
c. Matthew 8:16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,
d. Matthew 8:17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.”
e. Isaiah 53:4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
f. Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
3. Healing promised through Jesus’ followers.
a. Mark 16:17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
b. Mark 16:18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
c. James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
d. James 5:15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
NT New Testament
[1] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains(electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 135). New York: United Bible Societies.
[2] Keener, C. S. (2014). The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Second Edition, p. 414). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press.
[3] Longenecker, R. N. (1981). The Acts of the Apostles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: John and Acts (Vol. 9, p. 564). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
[4] Keener, C. S. (2014). The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Second Edition, p. 414). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press.
[5] Witherington, B., III. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles: a socio-rhetorical commentary (p. 777). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
[6] Witherington, B., III. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles: a socio-rhetorical commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
[7] Longenecker, R. N. (1981). The Acts of the Apostles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: John and Acts (Vol. 9, p. 563). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
[8] Keener, C. S. (2014). The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Second Edition, p. 415). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press.
17 What is traditionally called Malta fever (now no longer the menace that it once was) is caused by a microbe in goats’ milk.
[9] Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (p. 499). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
[10] Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
[11] Longenecker, R. N. (1981). The Acts of the Apostles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: John and Acts (Vol. 9, p. 565). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.