seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Acts 28:1 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
7 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. 8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10 They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.
OK... Now Paul has prayed. I think....Here's something I found interesting.
No doubt this man is a murderer…yet justice does not allow to live: The natives were convinced that justice had finally caught up with this prisoner. Justice is actually a reference to the Greek goddess of justice, Dikee. The natives, knowing Paul was a prisoner, assumed he committed a great crime, and the goddess of justice would not permit Paul to escape unpunished.
And suffered no harm: God didn’t preserve Paul from the storm just to let him perish by a snake. Paul was protected. It was promised he would go to Rome (you must also bear witness at Rome, Acts 23:11), and Paul wasn’t to Rome yet. It wasn’t so much that nothing would stop Paul as it was that nothing would stop God’s promise from being fulfilled.
i. Paul could take God’s past faithfulness as a promise of future blessing and protection.
ii. By extension, we also see that “Divine Justice” had no more claim against Paul — it had all been satisfied by Jesus’ work on the cross. God’s justice could never harm Paul, nor anyone who has had all his or her sins paid for by the work of Jesus on the cross.
So, we're back in the early 00's and people are really quite ignorant about gods. They won't get over that stupidity for centuries. Some on earth are still just as ignorant. When the Spanish came to the America's, they too were called gods. Just because the earth is not flat.... and anything they don't see, they don't believe, ignorance will abound. When Paul showed up on the wrong side of the island.... and got bitten by a snake.... and didn't die.... then he must be a god. Ignorant thinking about gods can really be a problem.The commentary went on to talk about how Paul was neither a god nor a criminal. I agree he was no god.... but I still think he's a self-absorbed murderer. He murdered Stephen by holding those coats and keeping his mouth shut. He's sure he's right no matter which side he takes. That's self-absorbed. He's not giving God first place. It's still all about the mutt, who was identified at birth as a Greco Roman Jew. He didn't choose to follow Jesus... Jesus chose him.... yeah right... Jesus "showed him the light". Geeze what a special little mutt!
And check this out.... from the same commentary.
The father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery: Some think this was a malady known as Malta fever, which comes from a microorganism found in the milk of Maltese goats. Its symptoms usually last about four months.
Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him: God healed this man; yet it happened through the willingness and activity of Paul. God did the work, but Paul made himself ready and available for the work.
See, the commentaries are praising Paul for "making himself ready and available". I guess Balaam's donkey [Numbers 22:21-39] made himself ready too?!?! I mean if God can make a donkey talk.... He can make a human do a good deed. It seems that the devil himself could make Paul immune to snake bite if he so chose. I find it interesting. Did the snake die? Or did it just slither back home? Even the demons knew Jesus. Snakes wouldn't have dared to bite Jesus! They would know better. Paul has just got to stop putting his hands where they don't belong!
So, the author of this book of Acts, Dr. Luke [Apostle of Jesus] says the man was sick, Paul prayed, and the man was healed. Good job.
The rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed: Soon, the work Paul did went to many others. This word for healed is not the customary word for a miraculous healing. The word more literally means, “to receive medical attention.” It may be that Luke (who was a physician according to Colossians 4:14) served as a medical missionary on Malta.
Does that make Paul a god? Would that make Luke a god as well?
They called him god.
