Paul on Malta
Gospel Prompt
Do you think we can learn about Jesus from the story of how the apostle Paul survives a deadly wounding by the serpent?
Read the Passage
Acts 27:33-44
33 And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat. 36 Then they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves. 37 And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship. 38 So when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and threw out the wheat into the sea.
39 When it was day, they did not recognize the land; but they observed a bay with a beach, onto which they planned to run the ship if possible. 40 And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore. 41 But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves.
42 And the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, 44 and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land.
Acts 28:1-10
1 Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. 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. 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. 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.” 5 But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 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.
7 In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. 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. 9 So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. 10 They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary.
Find the Gospel in the Story
LISTEN TO THE STORY OF PAUL
When the ship that was carrying Paul to Rome encountered difficulty at sea, Paul gathered the men of the ship together for one last meal. Acting as host of this meal, Paul offered the men bread for their salvation. He “took bread; and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it” (Acts 27:35). Then he gave it to the men who were with him. Eventually, daylight came, and the ship struck a reef. All of the men on board were forced to swim ashore on the island of Malta. That same day, Paul was destined to have a deadly encounter with a serpent.
On shore, Paul and his shipmates began gathering wood for a fire to ward off the cold. As Paul was setting a bundle of sticks on the fire, a viper came forth from the wood and pierced his hand. Paul immediately shook the viper off into the fire. But he was too late. His hand had received a deadly wounding by a serpent known for its lethal venom. When the islanders saw what had happened to Paul, they assumed he must be a criminal whom God had appointed to die.
Yet Paul did not succumb to death! In spite of his lethal wounding by the serpent, Paul suffered no harm. When the natives realized that Paul had escaped death, they began to whisper to each other that he must be a god.
Three days after receiving the lethal wounding by the serpent, Paul began a ministry of healing on the island. He visited the house of the governor of Malta, whose father had fallen fatally ill. When Paul prayed for the governor’s father, the Lord healed him and saved him from death. Hearing the good news of Paul’s ability to bring healing and deliverance from death, the Gentile natives of Malta began coming to Paul to be cured of all their sicknesses and diseases. Thus the Lord blessed the gospel ministry of Paul among the natives of Malta.
DID YOU HEAR THE STORY OF JESUS?
The night before Jesus was destined to have a deadly encounter with Satan, the serpent of old, he gathered the disciples together for one last meal. Acting as host of this meal, Jesus offered the disciples bread for their salvation. He “took the bread, gave thanks and broke it” (Luke 22:19). Then he gave it to the men who were with him.
The very next day, the religious leaders in Jerusalem, whom John the Baptist had identified as a “brood of vipers” that would one day be cast into the fire (Luke 3:7-9), enacted their plan to have Jesus put to death. Jesus was laid upon the wood of the cross, and his hands received a lethal piercing. When the people of Jerusalem saw Jesus crucified among thieves, they assumed he must be a criminal whom God had appointed to die.
But after three days, Jesus rose from the dead! Just as John the Baptist had foretold, in the end, Jesus suffered no harm (Luke 3:7-9)! When the people of the Lord saw that Jesus had escaped death, they acknowledged him as God (John 20:28).
Three days after receiving his mortal wounding by the serpent, Jesus expanded his ministry of healing to the multitudes of all the earth, delivering them from death. Hearing the good news of Jesus’ power to bring healing and deliverance from death, people from every nation came to him to ask for salvation. Thus the Lord God blessed the gospel ministry of Jesus to all the nations of the earth.
