Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE LANDING AND DIVINE HEALING.
1. The island of Malta, as they told me when I was there three years ago, is still infested with those
venomous reptiles here mentioned, because the prickly pear there abounds indigenous, growing in
clusters so dense and producing needles so fine and sharp that they will pierce the flesh far into the
bone before one is aware, thus affording both hiding-places and protection for these dangerous
vipers, of whose poisonous bite you see here Paul was miraculously healed, convincing the simple
natives that he was not a murderer thus suffering divine retribution, but a god, having power over
the poison which, without Divine intervention, always proved fatal.
7-10. Here we see Paul rendered himself eminently useful while on the island, practicing divine
healing, not only in behalf of the old king, who was dying of bloody flux and fever (an awful
combination), but many others. It seems that the healing was quite general among the suffering
invalids of the island. “Going in and praying and laying hands on him he healed him.” This is a
beautiful and profitable lesson for us all. When we find sick people we should go in and pray for
them, with the simultaneous imposition of hands, committing them to God for healing. The people
were very grateful for his benefactions, not only showing kindness to him and Luke and Cleopas
during their three months’ sojourn on the island, but loading them with good things to eat on their
voyage when they embarked amid singing birds and blooming flowers the next February, which is
spring-time in that climate. Of course, Paul and his comrades labored in the interest of souls,
preaching the gospel to them, but in this hurried narrative it is not mentioned.
RE-EMBARKATION FOR ITALY.
11. It was an Alexandrian ship that went down in the muck. Now they embark in another of the
same company which had spent the winter in the island, and was dedicated to the sons of Jupiter, i.e.,
Castor and Pollux, who were believed to have great power over storms. Hence they were sacred to
sailors. When I was in Rome I saw their statues, very large, and said to be two thousand years old.
Rhegium is on the coast of Italy. They sailed in a circle from Syracuse, the capital of the large island
of Cicily, on a direct course from Malta to Rome. The circular course was to keep away from the
Scylla and Charybdis, terrible whirlpools off the coast of Cicily, the consternation of all ancient
mariners, the theme of many a legend and poem, but of latter days utterly bereft of their glory by the
steam engine and mariner’s compass.
13. Puteoli is now the city of Naples, the metropolis of Italy.
14, 15. It is two hundred and twenty miles to Rome. Paul and his comrades had a nice walk. I ran
over it by steam. The brethren came out forty miles and met him at the Appii Forum and the Three
Forums, a good recreation walk.