Atos 28
Theophylact of Ohrid
Atos 28:3-5
When Paul was gathering brushwood, a viper bit his hand and caused him no harm, because the holy man was a practitioner of faith. Having sunk its fangs into the apostle's hand and finding no sinful wound in it, the viper immediately recoiled and threw itself into the fire, as if seeking punishment for itself. We, however, fear wild beasts, since we do not possess the full armor of virtue. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 28:4
"They said to one another." Look: natural judgment is full of truthfulness, and among the barbarians they do not simply condemn, but having conferred among themselves with a feeling of compassion. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 28:6
They thought that Paul's body would be torn apart. "Having waited a long time." The miracle was not revealed suddenly, but the people waited for it for some time. Thus, this occurrence was not a deception or mere trickery. "They said that he was a God." Since they had the custom of calling anyone who did something extraordinary a god, just as the ancients called gods those who, whether by physical strength, like Heracles, performed greater feats than their contemporaries, or drove spectators out of their minds by the art of magic, like Simon in Samaria. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 28:7
Publius was a hospitable man, because he received them knowing nothing about them, but only out of compassion for their plight, and gave rest to two hundred and eighty people, seeing in this a benefit for himself. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 28:8-9
"The father of Publius lay sick with a fever and dysentery." Dysentery, a disease difficult to cure, having been healed by Paul, converted many to faith in Christ. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 28:11
Almost always, especially on Alexandrian ships, it was customary to make such images near the bow of the ship on the right and left sides. And since, given the prevailing idol-worship of that time, the "Dioscuri" were probably depicted on this ship, we may conclude from this that the shipmaster on it was a foreigner and an idolater. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 28:15
When he says "to the Appian Forum and the Three Taverns," he indicates certain localities before Rome. The first, the Appian Forum, is a locality where a statue of Appius stood; from this, probably, the locality was also named the forum before the statue. "Seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage." Although Paul had performed so many miracles, he nevertheless gained greater boldness from seeing the brethren. From this we learn that he received both consolation and adverse treatment toward him in a human manner. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 28:16
Paul was so respected that he was permitted to stay by himself; for if the centurion had been favorable to him until now, he became even more favorable. "With a soldier who guarded him," in order to prevent the possibility of new plots against Paul, so that the soldier was not watching over him, but rather watching out so that no harm would come to him. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 28:19
Since Paul knew that it was entirely inappropriate to be on trial, especially before an unbelieving man, he defends himself from both sides, namely: that he acted not against the law, but on the contrary, was himself knowingly unjustly condemned by the Jews, and that he did not appeal to Caesar of his own will, but because the Jews themselves gave him reason to do so, since they saw fit neither to judge him according to the law of the Church nor to submit to the lawful opinion of the authorities. The authorities wanted to release him; but they did not release him because the Jews opposed this. So then what? Did you do what you did—appeal to Caesar—in order to accuse the Jews? No, he says, in order to escape danger. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 28:20
"For the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain." That is, by the Scriptures one hope has been granted to the Jews—Christ, and it was by preaching Him that Paul found himself in this condition of a prisoner. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 28:21-22
Even before Paul's arrival in Rome, the Jews had been persuaded not to accept the preaching about Christ — not only the Jews in Rome, but all Jews throughout the entire world. But how is this known? In the writings of ancient authors we find that the priests, scribes, and elders dwelling in Jerusalem wrote epistles and sent them to all countries, to the Jews living in them; in these epistles they reviled the teaching of Christ as a teaching alien to God, and urged them not to accept it. The same thing, it seems, is indicated by the following prophecy of Isaiah: "Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, that sends ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of papyrus upon the waters!" (Isa. 18:1–2). By this is signified that the impious voice of the people inhabiting Judea was carried on swift-sailing ships beyond the land of Ethiopia and to the uttermost ends of the earth, and that their "ambassadors," sailing upon the waters and crossing the sea, penetrated into all countries, carrying epistles and reviling the teaching about our Savior. Among the Jews it is still customary to this day to call ambassadors, or messengers, those persons who carry circular letters from their leaders. The next part of the prophecy — "go, swift messengers, to a nation strong and vigorous" — (ibid., 2) — speaks of the disciples of the Savior, whom the prophecy calls "swift messengers" — in contrast to the Jewish ones mentioned by him, and by virtue of the fact that they are proclaimers of good tidings to all people. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 28:23-24
The Jews call faith in Christ a heresy. But even they testify that Christ is preached everywhere, although not all accept this preaching, and some of the Jews and Greeks even oppose it. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 28:25
Observe how the Jews now plot against Paul: in Judea they were like tyrants, but here, even though rebuked by Paul, they dare say nothing against him, because his case was no longer subject to their authority. "Well spoke the Holy Spirit." Here Paul opportunely strikes a blow against those who assert that the Holy Spirit is a person subservient to the Father, because he calls the Holy Spirit Lord, sitting "on a throne, high and lifted up," Whom Isaiah saw (Isa. 6:1), since the Holy Spirit is consubstantial with the Father and the Son and has equal authority with Them. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 28:26-27
They did this, he says, people who stopped their ears and closed their eyes, who "will not turn, so that I may heal them." This points to the strong impiety and stubborn aversion of these people. This is said in order to attract and dispose them, and to show that if they turn back, they will be healed. "For the heart of this people has grown dull." This is said not in the sense that God, Who desires all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, contributes to their not seeing, as though He were zealous that they not hear; rather, we are accustomed to speaking this way about people who withdraw and do not wish to hear the words of salvation. Such a person flees and turns away so as not to hear the word that could convert him and restrain him from evil. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 28:30-31
Paul did not act like that Diogenes who dressed in rags and lived in a barrel, who amazed many with things in which they had no need whatsoever, yet brought benefit to no one. Paul did nothing of the sort, because he did not turn his gaze toward ambition. On the contrary, Paul dressed with every possible propriety, lived constantly in a house, and showed every care for decency, which the aforementioned cynic neglected, violating it publicly, living intemperately, and being carried away by a passion for glory. If anyone should undertake to seek the reasons for his dwelling in a barrel, he will find no other reason than vainglory alone. But Paul even paid for the lodging he occupied in Rome. — Commentary on Acts