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Bible chapter guide
Acts 28
On Malta a viper fastens on Paul's hand and he is unharmed, and he heals the father of Publius. In Rome he lives two years under guard in his own rented house, welcoming all who come and proclaiming the kingdom of God boldly and without hindrance.
Summary written for the Labs; read the chapter itself for the full text.
What happens in this chapter
The islanders of Malta light a fire for the soaked survivors, and when a viper fastens on Paul's hand they expect him to die, then decide he is a god when he does not. Publius, the chief man of the island, entertains them for three days; Paul heals his father of fever and dysentery, and the sick of the island come to be healed. After three months they sail on in an Alexandrian ship with the Twin Brothers as its figurehead, by Syracuse and Rhegium to Puteoli, and believers walk out from Rome as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet Paul. In Rome he lives under guard, explains his case to the Jewish leaders, and for two whole years welcomes everyone who comes to his rented house, where Acts ends.
What the lab shows, and where to look
Paul's Roads ends the route to Rome in this chapter. Open 'Malta: the shipwreck' for the strong claim that Melita is Malta, then step through Syracuse, Rhegium and Puteoli, where the leg card notes the south wind that made the 350 km run a fast one. On land the route follows the Via Appia to the Forum of Appius, the Three Taverns and Rome. Acts stops there; the lab's dotted 'Later travels' route, all of it speculative, picks up the hints in Paul's later letters.
- Malta: the shipwreck (To Rome) · Paul's Roads
- Syracuse (To Rome) · Paul's Roads
- Rhegium (To Rome) · Paul's Roads
- Puteoli (To Rome) · Paul's Roads
- The Forum of Appius (To Rome) · Paul's Roads
- Rome (To Rome) · Paul's Roads
Questions people ask
Was Melita really Malta?
Almost certainly. The Greek name is Melitē, the drift from Crete before a north-easter ends there, the 'chief man of the island' (28:7) is a title found on Maltese inscriptions, and the next port is Syracuse in Sicily. A minority has argued for Mljet, also called Melite, off the Adriatic coast, reading 'Adria' of 27:27 narrowly, but in ancient usage that name covered the open sea south of Italy as well.
What happened to Paul after Acts ends?
Acts does not say. The lab's later route, every stop of it marked speculative, follows one common reconstruction: release after the two years, perhaps the hoped-for visit to Spain (Romans 15:24), work in Crete, Ephesus, Macedonia and Nicopolis drawn from the Pastoral Letters, then a second imprisonment and death in Rome under Nero, as early tradition holds. Others think Paul was never released.
Which letters did Paul write in Rome?
Traditionally Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon, the prison letters, since Acts leaves him two years under guard but free to receive visitors (28:30–31), and Philippians mentions the praetorian guard and Caesar's household. The lab marks Rome as plausible for each and sets Ephesus and Caesarea beside it as alternatives, each with its own level. 2 Timothy also places Paul in chains in Rome, though its authorship is debated.
See it in the Labs
- Paul's RoadsPaul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsMalta: the shipwreck (To Rome) · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsRome (To Rome) · Paul's RoadsOpen
- The Bible Time MapShipwreck and Rome · The Bible Time MapOpen
- Paul's RoadsSyracuse (To Rome) · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsRhegium (To Rome) · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsPuteoli (To Rome) · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsThe Forum of Appius (To Rome) · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsThe Three Taverns (To Rome) · Paul's RoadsOpen
People in this chapter
Places
Also in this chapter
How sure can we be?
- Textually stated
From Syracuse they 'fetched a compass' to Rhegium.
Acts 28:13; the phrase suggests tacking against the wind.
- Textually stated
With a south wind they reached Puteoli on the second day.
Acts 28:13; about 350 km, a fast run.
- Textually stated
After three months they sailed to Syracuse.
Acts 28:11–12.
- Strongly supported
Melita is Malta.
The name, the drift from Crete before an east-north-east wind, the title 'chief man of the island' (Greek prōtos), known from Maltese inscriptions, and the onward voyage to Syracuse all fit Malta.
- Strongly supported
Syracuse is located with confidence.
The site is identified by ancient sources and remains on the ground; Pleiades 462503.
- Strongly supported
Rhegium is located with confidence.
The site is identified by ancient sources and remains on the ground; Pleiades 452416.