Acts · 30 verses
Acts 28
Every verse links to the people and places named in it, and to the passages readers connect it with.
The chapter
What happens here
Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.
On Malta, a viper turns Paul from suspected murderer into a god simply by failing to kill him.
The viper and the islandvv. 1–10
After the wreck, the islanders of Malta kindle a fire for the soaked company. Paul adds a bundle of sticks, and out comes a viper, which fastens itself to his hand. The islanders decide that Justice has let a murderer survive the sea only to finish the job; when Paul suffers no ill effects, they reverse the verdict with admirable speed and call him a god. At Publius’s estate, Paul heals Publius’s feverish father, and then the island’s other sick people come to be cured. The islanders respond by honouring the company and supplying its needs for the voyage.
By stages to Romevv. 11–16
After three months, the company leaves Malta in an Alexandrian ship bearing the Twin Brothers as its figurehead, which is a splendidly specific thing to have above the bow. Syracuse receives them for three days; Rhegium follows, then a south wind carries them to Puteoli. Brothers there give them a week, and the journey reaches Rome. Brothers from Rome travel out as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns, and Paul, seeing them, gives thanks to God. In Rome he is allowed to live by himself, with a soldier guarding him.
A rented house, an open argumentvv. 17–31
Three days after arriving, Paul calls the Jewish leaders together. He tells them that he was taken prisoner in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans, that the Romans found no basis for a death sentence, and that he appealed to Caesar when the Jews objected. His visitors have heard no bad report from Judea, but they are willing to hear his views because people everywhere are speaking against the sect. On the appointed day, many come to his lodging. Paul speaks from morning to evening about the kingdom of God and persuades them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets. Some are convinced; others refuse. The meeting breaks up in disagreement after Paul quotes Isaiah and says that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles. The chapter then leaves Paul in his own rented house for two full years, welcoming visitors and proclaiming boldly and freely. It does not say what becomes of the appeal or the charge.
The text
Read it
Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.
Acts 28:1Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.
Acts 28:2The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold.
Acts 28:3Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he laid them on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to his hand.
Acts 28:4When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”
Acts 28:5But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
Acts 28:6The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
Acts 28:7Nearby stood an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days.
Acts 28:8The father of Publius was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after praying and placing his hands on him, he healed the man.
Acts 28:9After this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured as well.
Acts 28:10The islanders honored us in many ways and supplied our needs when we were ready to sail.
Acts 28:11After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered in the island. It had the Twin Brothers as a figurehead.
Acts 28:12Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there three days.
Acts 28:13From there we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium. After one day, a south wind came up, and on the second day we arrived at Puteoli.
Acts 28:14There we found some brothers who invited us to spend the week with them. And so we came to Rome.
Acts 28:15The brothers there had heard about us and traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and gave thanks to God.
Acts 28:16When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to stay by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
Acts 28:17After three days, he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, I was taken prisoner in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.
Acts 28:18They examined me and wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me.
Acts 28:19But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, even though I have no charge to bring against my nation.
Acts 28:20So for this reason I have called to see you and speak with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
Acts 28:21The leaders replied, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers from there reported or even mentioned anything bad about you.
Acts 28:22But we consider your views worth hearing, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.”
Acts 28:23So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.
Acts 28:24Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others refused to believe.
Acts 28:25They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit was right when He spoke to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
Acts 28:26‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
Acts 28:27For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’
Acts 28:28Be advised, therefore, that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
Acts 28:30Paul stayed there two full years in his own rented house, welcoming all who came to visit him.
Acts 28:31Boldly and freely he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
01 — Also here
Who else the chapter reaches
Names written in the English are linked in the text above. These are the ones that are not: an entity the Hebrew or Greek names under a spelling the translation does not use, or one reached only by an assertion about a verse of this chapter.
Named in the Hebrew or Greek somewhere in this chapter, under a form the English renders differently — the registry's Ludim against the translation's Ludites — so there is no word in the sentence to hang the link on.
Reached by an assertion Atlas extracted from a verse of this chapter rather than by a name written in it — a pronoun, a title, or a participant the sentence carries without naming. This layer is model-read and measured at 88.6–90.3% precision, and it is kept separate from the names above for that reason.
02 — Read alongside
Where this is echoed
Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 284 passages were voted onto 28 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.
- 26Isaiah 6:9–10And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
- 5Luke 10:19Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.
- 26Ezekiel 12:2“Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.
- 27Isaiah 6:10Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
- 26Isaiah 42:19–20Who is blind but My servant, or deaf like the messenger I am sending? Who is blind like My covenant partner, or blind like the servant of the LORD?
- 26Matthew 13:14–15In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
- 28Luke 2:30–32For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
- 5Mark 16:18they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”
- 8Acts 9:40Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
- 26Mark 4:12so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”
- 28Acts 26:17–18I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
- 31Acts 4:29And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness,
- 31Ephesians 6:19–20Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,
- 5Psalms 91:13You will tread on the lion and cobra; you will trample the young lion and serpent.
- 28Romans 3:29–30Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
- 31Matthew 4:23Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
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