Acts 28:1-6 1And then, after being brought safely through, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2The native islanders showed unusual kindness to us, for after lighting a fire, they welcomed us all, on account of the rain which had begun and on account of the cold. 3And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a snake, coming out because of the heat, seized onto his hand. 4When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they were saying to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer who, though escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed to live.” 5Then, shaking the creature into the fire, he suffered no harm. 6And they were expecting him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, changing their minds, they said that he was a god.
All the passengers, crew, and Roman soldiers made it to shore safely. They learned from the people who lived there that the island was called Malta. The distance from Fair Haven to the beaching location is about 300 straight miles. The ship had traveled a significant distance across the Mediterranean, blown back and forth by the time it reached the island. Malta is only 122 square miles, with St. Paul’s Bay located on the eastern shore. It was fortunate and evidence of God’s providential care that the ship ran into this island; otherwise, it would have been lost at sea as it floundered further across the sea.
Luke sets the scene in verses 1-2 to introduce the miracle of verses 3-6. The ship’s passengers were treated kindly (philanthrōpian) by the island’s natives. It was approaching winter, so the weather was cooler, plus everything had just come out of the water, dripping wet. The weather was still bad, with more rain. The conditions were all ripe for hyperthermia, especially with the fatigue of a difficult journey. A fire was started to warm everyone.
Paul helped gather sticks for the fire, but a viper, a poisonous snake, came out of the wood and bit him on the hand. The natives were aware of the danger posed by these snakes, as they had to deal with them on a regular basis. Modern scholars who doubt that this snake was poisonous neglect to consider the testimony of the people who lived on the island at that time. The islanders saw the snake hanging on Paul’s hand and expected some reaction, such as swelling or even death, but nothing happened. Ancient people believed that if a snake bit a person, that person was guilty of wrongdoing. In this case, the natives thought Paul was a murderer. They had the evidence of Roman soldiers and many prisoners, so the conclusion seemed obvious to them. They attributed bad things happening to people as a form of punishment. Justice (hē dikē) could be interpreted as the Greek goddess named “Justice,” the virgin daughter of Zeus, who tallied injustices in the world and dispensed punishment accordingly. Many people today have the same superstition about bad things, attributing them to karma or God’s judgment. God does not do harm to people, but may allow challenges to come into their lives as a form of discipline (Hebrews 12:4-11). In Paul’s case, he was innocent, as evidenced by the fact that nothing happened to him.
The natives were shocked when nothing happened to Paul. They surprisingly went from calling him a murderer to thinking him a god. The reader of Acts is reminded of the incident when Barnabas and Paul were called gods in 14:11–15. Luke does not give any further response in this episode. His purpose seems to be to highlight God’s protection of Paul on the difficult journey to Rome. God’s plan for Paul to get to Rome and witness to the Emperor would be fulfilled. Considering Paul’s response in many other places where he faced difficulty and God’s protection was evident, he likely used this situation as an opportunity to share the gospel with the people gathered around the fire or to speak to the natives. He was not a passive witness, but he used every opportunity given him to share the good news (1 Corinthians 9:16). God’s protection through an accident can be a powerful testimony and an opportunity to share the grace found in Jesus.