Глава 28

The end of the Apostle Paul's journey to Rome - from Malta to Rome (1-14). Arrival in Rome (15–16). Paul's two conversations with the Roman Jews (17-29). Conclusion of the Book of Acts of the Apostles (30–31) Acts 28:1. Having escaped, those who were with Paul learned that the island was called Melitus. “We learned” - apparently from the inhabitants of the island - about its name “Melit” - present-day Malta, about 100 versts south of Sicily and 350 versts from the African coast. To this day, the tradition of the presence of the apostle (the lip of St. Paul) is preserved here, closely connected with the further story of the Acts (Acts 28: 3–6). Acts 28:2. The foreigners showed us considerable kindness, for they, due to the former rain and cold, lit a fire and accepted us all. “Foreigners” - βάρβαροι, as the writer calls them, however, not for the rudeness of their morals (a further story about their love for humanity would contradict this), but according to the generally accepted custom of the Greco-Romans - to call everyone who did not speak Greco-Roman that way. The settlers of Malta were most likely of Punic origin (Phoenician-Carthaginian) and spoke their own Punic dialect. Acts 28:3. When Paul gathered a lot of brushwood and put it on the fire, then a viper came out from the heat and hung on his hand. “Echidna” is a breed of snake, the most poisonous (see Matthew 3:7). When cold, she falls into a stupor, from which she emerges immediately upon contact with heat. Acts 28:4. The foreigners, when they saw the snake hanging on his hand, said to each other: surely this man is a murderer, when the judgment of God does not allow him, having escaped from the sea, to live. Acts 28:5. But he, shaking the snake into the fire, did not suffer any harm. Acts 28:6. They expected that he would have inflammation, or that he would suddenly fall dead; but, having waited a long time and seeing that no trouble had happened to him, they changed their minds and said that he was God. To escape from a shipwreck and die a minute later from the bite of a snake for the pagans seemed clear proof that this man had committed the greatest crime, which Divine Justice (δίκη - justitia, goddess of judgment, daughter of Jupiter) does not leave unpunished. But when they saw that Paul calmly shook the viper into the fire and “suffered no harm,” they began to say that he was god. The True God, to glorify his ministry, allowed him to prove on himself the reality of what was written about the harmlessness of snakes for the believer. Now on about. There are no more poisonous snakes in Malta. According to the natives, they have been gone since the event described occurred. Acts 28:7. Near that place were the estates of the chief of the island, the name of Publius; he received us and treated us in a friendly manner for three days. “The head of the island” - ο πρῶτος τῆς νήσου - actually - the first person on the island, which means that this was also the chief - the first in position. “He received us” - not all those who escaped from the shipwreck, but us - in the narrow sense of the word, that is, Paul and his companions - Luke and Aristarchus (Acts 27:1-2; cf. Acts 28:10). Probably, only Julius the centurion, whose guard Paul was, should be included here. Acts 28:8. Publius's father lay suffering from fever and abdominal pain; Paul went in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him. Acts 28:9. After this event, others on the island who had illnesses came and were healed: Probably, Paul went to Publius, at his invitation, having heard about Paul’s miraculous salvation from a viper and hoping to receive help from this miracle worker for his sick father. “He healed him...were healed” - no doubt - miraculously. Acts 28:10. and they showed us a lot of honor and provided us with what we needed when we left. Acts 28:11. Three months later we sailed on the Alexandrian ship called Dioscuri, which wintered on that island, “In three months” - from November 15, 60 to February 16, 61, therefore, when the stormy autumn and most of the winter had passed and further navigation was no longer dangerous. “On the Alexandrian ship” (Acts 27:6), “called Dioscuri” (actually marked Dioscuri - παραστήμω Διοσκούροις - with the image of the Dioscuri or their name). “Dioscuri” are two mythological twin heroes known in ancient times: Castor and Pollux, who were considered the patrons of navigation. Acts 28:12. and sailing to Syracuse, they stayed there for three days. “Syracuse” is a seaside city on the southeastern coast of Sicily, 125 miles from Malta. Acts 28:13. Sailing from there, we arrived in Rigia; and when the south wind blew a day later, we arrived on the second day at Puteoli, “Rigi I” is now Reggio, in southern Italy, opposite Messina, on the northeastern corner of Sicily. “Puteol” is now Puzzolo, a seaside town, 7 miles from Naples. The harbor of Puteola at that time was one of the most significant on the western coast of Italy and specifically for trade with the east. Trade ships usually unloaded here, so that from here they could be transported by land to the capital of the then world - Rome. Here Julius disembarked his prisoners and a convoy to proceed to Rome. Acts 28:14. where they found the brothers, and were asked to stay with them for seven days, and then they went to Rome. Julius' great trust and affection for Paul was once again expressed in his kind permission to delay another 7 days in Puteoli, at the request of the Christian brothers there, and, probably, the remaining prisoners and most of the convoy went to Rome without stopping at Puteoli. Acts 28:15. The local brothers, having heard about us, came out to meet us as far as Appian Square and three hotels. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and was encouraged. “Hearing about us...”, thanks to the earlier arrival of other prisoners and generally lively relations between Puteoli and Rome. “Appian Square” is a small town about 60 versts from Rome, named after the name of its founder, Appius Claudius. “Tr and Hotels” is a place to stop for those passing about 40 miles from Rome. “He gave thanks to God and was encouraged.” Two years of captivity in Caesarea, a long journey, a three-month stay in Malta in view of a new prisoner in Rome - all this could not but tire the energy and strength of the apostle, and therefore it is understandable how life-giving the sympathy and love of Christians was for him. “Look how he, too, experienced some human feeling at the same time. The one who performed so many miracles was encouraged at the sight of the brethren. From here we see that he humanly received both consolation and grief” (Chrysostom). Acts 28:16. When we arrived in Rome, the centurion handed over the prisoners to the military commander, and Paul was allowed to live separately with the soldier guarding him. "We came to Rome". This was in March 61, in the 7th year of the reign of Nero. No doubt, as a result of the good reviews of Paul by Festus (Acts 25:26–27) and the centurion Julius, “Paul was allowed to live separately with the soldier guarding him” (see Acts 24:27), separately from ordinary prisoners and with great freedom (cf. Acts 28 and Acts 28:31). Acts 28:17. Three days later, Paul called together the noblest of the Jews and, when they came together, he said to them: Men and brethren! Having done nothing against the people or the customs of my fathers, I was handed over from Jerusalem in chains into the hands of the Romans. “After three days” - that is, upon arrival in Rome, spent partly in rest, partly in conversations with Christians who visited the apostle, etc. “Paul called together the noblest of the Jews...” - and here the apostle follows his custom (Acts 17:2 and par.) - to preach first of all to the Jews, and, since he himself was deprived of the opportunity to come to the synagogue for this, he invites representatives of Judaism to himself. The first conversation of the apostle with the invited Jews was intended to eliminate their prejudices against the apostle and, in order to eliminate any slander against him, to give correct information about his case. The main thoughts of this conversation of the apostle are as follows: 1) he is held in bonds innocently, having committed no crime either against the people, or against the customs of his fathers or the law of Moses. 2) The apostle himself sent himself to the court of Caesar, and not with the goal of accusing his fellow believer of anything, but with the goal only of avoiding the lynching of the Jews, who contradicted the recognition of him as innocent and subject to release, by the Palestinian Roman judges... Having demanded the court of Caesar, “I did this not in order to cause harm to others, but in order to rid myself of evil, and not of my own free will, but was forced” (Chrysostom). Acts 28:18. They, having judged me, wanted to set me free, because there was no guilt in me worthy of death; Acts 28:19. but since the Jews contradicted, I was forced to demand a trial from Caesar, although not in order to accuse my people of anything. “The Jews contradicted...” is a characteristic feature that complements the writer’s story about Paul’s trial before Festus (Acts 25). The matter seems clearer this way: after what Paul said before Festus (Acts 25:8), the procurator expressed a desire to release him, but the Jews opposed (Acts 28:19), and then Festus, pleasing them, invites Paul to be tried in Jerusalem (Acts 25:9), in response to which Paul prefers to demand the judgment of Caesar (Acts 25:11). Acts 28:20. For this reason I called you, to see and talk with you, for for the hope of Israel I am bound with these bonds. “For this reason...”, in order to declare one’s innocence and the real purposes of appealing to the court of Caesar, “I have called you...”, preventing misunderstandings and false representations of the case that may arise. I am not an enemy of the people and the law, as the apostle says, on the contrary, “for the hope of Israel I am bound with these bonds...” - (cf. Acts 26:6). His work, therefore, is, as it were, the work of an entire people, the custodian of Divine promises. Acts 28:21. They said to him, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers who came reported about you or said anything bad.” Acts 28:22. However, it would be desirable for us to hear from you how you think; for we know that this doctrine is disputed everywhere. Paul's speech made a noticeable impression. “They were so carried away by his speech that they began to justify not only themselves, but also their fellow tribesmen..., as if to say: neither through letters nor through people did they tell us anything bad about you; however, we would like to listen to you. And at the same time, they already express their opinion in advance, adding: we know about this heresy that they are arguing about it everywhere. They did not say: we contradict, but: “they argue about it” in order to ward off condemnation from themselves...” (Chrysostom). Acts 28:23. And having appointed a day for him, many came to his hotel; and from morning to evening he expounded to them the doctrine of the Kingdom of God, bringing evidence and confirming them about Jesus from the law of Moses and the prophets. “Very many” - not only the noblest ones - come to Paul on the day appointed by them. “About the Kingdom of God” - that is, about the foundation and establishment of it on earth by the coming Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, of course, with the communication of information about His life, teaching and activity, about His suffering, death, resurrection and ascension, confirming and verifying all this with prophecies about the Messiah from the Old Testament (cf. Acts 17:3). Acts 28:24. Some were convinced by his words, while others did not believe. “Some,” probably a minority, “were convinced,” while “others,” the majority, “did not believe” (cf. v. 25). Acts 28:25. Not agreeing with each other, they left when Paul said the following words: Well the Holy Spirit said to our fathers through the prophet Isaiah: “When they left without agreeing with each other, then he quotes the words of Isaiah (Is. 6 et c.), not to reproach these (those who did not believe), but to confirm those (who believed)” (Chrysostom) cf. Matthew 15:7, 8, etc.; John 12:40 . Acts 28:26. Go to this people and say: You will hear with your ears and not understand, and you will see with your eyes and not see. Acts 28:27. For the hearts of this people are hardened, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, that I might heal them. Acts 28:28. So let it be known to you that God’s salvation has been sent to the pagans: they will hear. “You will hear by hearing, but will not understand.” “Do you see how he shows that they are unworthy of forgiveness if, having a prophet who foretold this of old, they did not convert? And the word “good” (good) expresses that they were rightly rejected, but the pagans were given the knowledge of this mystery. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that they contradicted: for this was predicted from ancient times. Then he again arouses competition in them, pointing to the pagans, with the following words: “So let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the pagans; they will hear” (3lat.). Acts 28:29. When he had said this, the Jews left, arguing a lot among themselves. “When he said this, the Jews left” - cf. Acts 28:25. Obviously, the Jews heard all these words that were terrible for them, without understanding them and fully deserving of the condemnation expressed in them. Acts 28:30. And Paul lived for two whole years at his own expense and received everyone who came to him, Acts 28:31. preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness without restraint. The last two verses form a gentle conclusion to the book of Acts, reminiscent of a similar form of conclusion to the Gospel of Luke (Luke 24:52–53). This seems to force us to accept for certain that the book of Acts is by no means an unfinished book, but like the Gospel of Luke, it is a completely finished “word” according to the intention of the writer (Acts 1:1). “Two whole years” - probably until his release from bonds, and not until his martyrdom, which, according to some legends, followed somewhat later. “At your own expense” - εν ιδίω μισθώματι - which involves both the rental of premises and the maintenance of meals. Since now Paul, as a prisoner, did not have the opportunity to earn his living as before - by his own labor (Acts 20:34), then, obviously, he took advantage of the zeal of the faithful, not only the natives, but also other Christian societies that he founded and loved him (cf. Phil. 4 and Phil. 4:18). “Preaching without restraint” - especially after his first answer before the court of Caesar (2 Tim. 4:16) made him known to the whole praetorium and to everyone else (Phil. 1:12-13), serving to greater success of the Gospel (Phil. 4:22). “Let us be,” convinces St. Chrysostom, imitate Paul, this valiant and adamantine soul, so that, following in the footsteps of his life, we can sail the sea of ​​real life, reach a serene harbour, and be worthy of the blessings promised to those who live worthy of Christ.” With this the writer ends his story and leaves the eager listener to fill in the rest with his own conclusion. “For, of course, as the former was, so was the subsequent... Corinth had him for two years, Asia for three, this (Rome) for two, and then he came there a second time, when he died... Would you like to know what followed? It is the same as the previous one: bonds, suffering, struggle, imprisonment, intrigues, slander, daily death! (Chrysostom). In conclusion, it is not without interest to pose the question: why during these two years of Paul’s stay in Rome did his situation not change either for the better or for the worse? It is believed, in explanation of this, that all this time they were waiting for someone from Judea, authorized to support the accusation against Paul before the emperor, or that the matter was simply slowed down due to the negligence characteristic of the Roman unlimited rulers. Finally, some admit that this slowdown did not occur without the participation of Paul’s friends, who saw it as a great benefit both for themselves and for him, in presenting him with such broad freedom in bonds. Tales about the further fate of the apostle are borrowed mainly from the messages of Eusebius of Caesarea, Simeon Metaphrastus, Nicephorus Callistus, Baronius, Clement of Rome, Lactantius and others. The most reliable time of the martyrdom of the apostle is 67 or 68 AD. You might be interested in: