Wednesday Bible study- The end of all things- Acts

 This week I begin the journey through the last chapters of each book of the Bible, going alphabetically.  Why alphabetically?  Because my 'in order memory is great until you hit the minor prophets, where I only know them alphabetically.  It picks back up in the New Testament, but is a bit iffy in Paul's epistles and really shaggy between Hebrews and Jude.  And, this way mixes things up.  So we start this new journey in Acts, chapter 28.


The first thing I notice is three 'gods' who get mention before OUR God.  The first is in vv 3 and 4...

Act 28:3  And Paul gathering a bunch of sticks, and putting them on the fire, a snake coming out from the heat fastened on his hand. 
Act 28:4  And when the foreigners saw the beast hanging from his hand, they said to one another, By all means this man is a murderer, whom being saved out of the sea, Justice did not permit to live. 

There is your first one, the personification of Justice.  Now, while the Greeks had long worshiped Themis in this capacity, it was a new thing with the Romans- Augustus launched her worship during his reign (think the years just prior to Jesus' birth on earth) and got her first temple from Tiberias about 75 years ago at this point (around 60 AD).  But when Paul survived the bite of the snake...

Act 28:6  But they expected him to be about to become inflamed, or suddenly to fall down dead. But over much time, they expecting and seeing nothing amiss happening to him, changing their minds, they said him to be a god. 

This is now the second time Paul was mistaken for a god- once for his healing a lame man and now for his imagined immortality.  But his own people knew it was just the fulfillment of a prophecy of Christ:

Mar 16:15  And He said to them, Going into all the world, preach the gospel to all the creation. 

Mar 16:16  The one believing and being baptized will be saved. And the one not believing will be condemned. 

Mar 16:17  And miraculous signs will follow to those believing these things: they will cast out demons in My name; they will speak new languages; 

Mar 16:18  they will take up snakes; and if they drink anything deadly, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will be well. 

It should be noted that the LAST time Paul got this 'promotion', 5 verses later the same crowd was convinced to attempt stoning him and Barnabas...  This time the hospitality of the Maltese continued, though, right up to the time they had to board a new ship for Rome, one marked by our third god- or set of gods...

Act 28:11  And after three months we sailed in a ship which had wintered in the island, an Alexandrian with an ensign, Twin Brothers. 

The Twin Brothers, better known to us as Gemini, were actually...

Castor and Pollux (the Dioscuri) are figures from Greek and Roman mythology considered the twin sons of Zeus or Jupiter. Semi-divine figures, they were credited with the role of saving those in trouble at sea or in grave danger in war and were particularly associated with horses and sports.

Which is kinda odd to look for THAT kind of protection when they had Paul.  For their crash on the island was even a protection from God...

Act 27:23  For tonight stood by me an angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 

Act 27:24  saying, Do not fear, Paul, You must stand before Caesar. And, behold, God has granted to you all those sailing with you. 

So Paul really defeated three false gods:  One by not dying as superstition would have had it, one by explaining where his own miracle originated, and one by proving more of a protection than the gods installed for it!

Now once in Rome, he was able to meet with fellow believers in Rome, who met him just outside of town.  Once settled in, he took three days off- or did he?  His first assignment was to talk to the Jews of Rome about Christ- even though he had already 'sworn off' talking to the Jews by then (upon first coming to Corinth some ten years (or 10 chapters, as it turns out) before.  And like with the Jews in Corinth, some listened (kinda), some didn't; and he pretty much did the same thing as he did ten years before in Corinth- with one exception.

Here's where I tuck in those three days.  Having fought this battle before, he had to realize that a Jew in Rome was a Jew in Corinth was a Jew in Jerusalem.  They would be under the same binding influence that kept them from hearing Paul the other times- the one that Paul eventually quoted them:

Act 28:25  And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: "The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet: 

Act 28:26  "'Go to this people, and say, You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. 

Act 28:27  For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.' 

Act 28:28  Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen." 

Which quoted both Isaiah chapter 6 and Psalms 67, unlike the last time where, from Luke's version, he just got mad.  I believe he spent those three days praying for a different result.  He did have a different result with another three days earlier in the chapter:

Act 28:7  And in the parts about that place were lands to the chief of the island, Publius by name. Welcoming us, he housed us three days in a friendly way. 

Act 28:8  And it happened the father of Publius was lying down, suffering from fevers and dysentery; to whom Paul, entering and praying, laying on his hands, cured him. 

Act 28:9  Then, this taking place, the ones in the island having infirmities also came up, and they were healed. 

Gentiles being preached to, being healed.  So why did Paul pray to try again, most likely knowing the result would be the same?  Let's ask Ezekiel, or rather, see how God explained it to Ezekiel:

Eze 3:17  Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. And hear the Word of My mouth, and warn them from Me. 

Eze 3:18  In My saying to the wicked, Dying you shall die; and you do not warn him, and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, he, the wicked, shall die in his iniquity. But I will require his blood at your hand. 

Eze 3:19  And you, because you have warned the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his way, he, the wicked, shall die in his iniquity. But you have delivered your soul. 

Which is why I am here- to encourage you, to help you understand, but also to warn you.  I can't make your decision or your change.  But I can deliver HIS message.