Acts 28 is the closing chapter of Luke’s history of the early church. It follows Paul from a shipwreck on the island of Malta to his arrival in Rome, where he spends two years preaching about God’s Kingdom and the Lord Jesus Christ. Readers come to this chapter to see how the story ends, and to learn how a prisoner kept on preaching the gospel even under guard.
Acts 28 Summary
The chapter opens on the island of Malta after the shipwreck. The islanders show Paul and his companions unusual kindness, and Paul is bitten by a viper without harm. He then heals the father of Publius, the island’s chief man, and many other sick people follow. After three months the travelers sail on toward Italy, stopping at Syracuse, Rhegium and Puteoli, where they find believers who welcome them.
When Paul reaches Rome, he calls together the local Jewish leaders and explains why he has come as a prisoner. Some of them are persuaded, others refuse, and the group leaves in disagreement. Luke ends with Paul living in his own rented house for two full years, welcoming visitors and teaching openly and without hindrance.
Background and Setting
Acts was written by Luke, the companion of Paul who is also traditionally credited with the third Gospel. Most scholars date Acts to the early 60s AD, and the book addresses a reader named Theophilus, probably a patron of the Christian movement. The chapter sits at the end of a long travel narrative that began in Acts 21, when Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and sent to Rome to appeal to Caesar.
Because the book closes here without describing Paul’s trial or death, many readers see Luke’s purpose as showing the gospel reaching the capital of the empire. Rome, not Jerusalem, becomes the place where the message is openly proclaimed.
Acts 28 Section by Section
Verses 1-10: Kindness and Healing on Malta
2 The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. 3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
Acts 28:2-3 (WEB)
After the shipwreck, the people of Malta treat Paul and his companions with rare generosity, building a fire against the cold and rain. When a viper fastens on Paul’s hand, the islanders first assume he is a murderer receiving justice, then decide he is a god when he suffers no harm. Luke records the reaction without endorsing the islanders’ conclusion, and the focus stays on the event that changes how they see the travelers.
Paul’s healing of Publius’s father and the other sick people follows, and the chapter notes that the islanders honor the travelers and supply what they need for the journey. The section shows the gospel meeting practical human needs, with Paul’s power working through prayer and the laying on of hands.
Verses 11-16: The Journey to Rome
14 Where we found brothers, and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome. 15 From there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God, and took courage.
Acts 28:14-15 (WEB)
After three months the travelers board an Alexandrian ship and continue westward through Sicily and the Italian coast. At Puteoli they find believers and stay with them for a week before the final stretch. Luke’s brief travel notes carry a quiet theme: Paul is moving toward Rome under the sovereign direction of God, even while under arrest.
The brothers from Rome travel out to meet him at Appius Forum and the Three Taverns. Luke says that when Paul saw them he thanked God and took courage, a moment that shows how fellowship with believers strengthened him for what lay ahead.
Verses 17-22: Paul Speaks to the Jewish Leaders
For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”
Acts 28:20 (WEB)
Three days after arriving, Paul calls together the leaders of the Jews in Rome. He explains that he has done nothing against his people or the customs of their fathers, and that he appealed to Caesar only because the Jews in Jerusalem opposed his release. He frames his chain as bound up with the hope of Israel, a claim that connects his imprisonment to the promises of God given to the nation.
The leaders reply that they have received no letters about him and want to hear his views, since the sect he belongs to is spoken against everywhere. Their courtesy and their caution both show a community that is curious but not yet committed.
Verses 23-28: Testimony, Division and the Gentile Turn
23 When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about God’s Kingdom, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening. 24 Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.
Acts 28:23-24 (WEB)
A larger group gathers at Paul’s lodging, and from morning until evening he testifies about God’s Kingdom and persuades them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets. Luke reports that some believe and some do not, and the group leaves divided. Paul’s preaching does not produce unanimity, but it does force a clear decision.
In his final word to them Paul quotes Isaiah 6 about hearts that have grown callous, then declares that God’s salvation has been sent to the nations, and they will listen. The statement echoes the pattern of the whole book, in which the gospel moves outward from Jerusalem to the Gentiles.
Verses 29-31: Two Years of Open Preaching
30 Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who were coming to him, 31 preaching God’s Kingdom, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.
Acts 28:30-31 (WEB)
Luke closes the book with Paul living in his own rented house for two years, receiving everyone who comes to him. He preaches God’s Kingdom and teaches about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete freedom. The final word, “without hindrance,” gives the book an open ending that invites readers to keep carrying the message forward.
The ending does not tell us what happened to Paul after those two years. Instead it leaves us with a picture of a gospel that cannot be locked away by chains.
Key Themes in Acts 28
- God’s sovereign direction: Luke presents Paul’s journey to Rome as guided by God even through shipwreck, snakebite and arrest.
- Healing and hospitality: The island episode shows the gospel expressed through acts of kindness and the power to heal.
- The hope of Israel: Paul connects his imprisonment to the promises God made to his people, and he reads the Scriptures to make the case for Jesus.
- Division over the message: The response in Rome is mixed, showing that hearing the gospel always requires a decision.
- The gospel to the nations: Paul’s final word anticipates the Gentile mission that drives the whole book forward.
Lessons From Acts 28 for Today
Consider a believer working a night shift at a hospital, where colleagues come to her with questions about faith after a hard shift. Like Paul in his rented house, she can receive people with open hands and speak plainly about what she believes, trusting that God uses ordinary conversations to open doors. The chapter reminds her that a settled, hospitable life can carry the gospel as effectively as a dramatic public moment.
Think of a man who has lost his job and feels that his setbacks have stalled his life. Paul’s story in Rome shows that a delay or a constraint does not mean God has stopped working. The apostle kept teaching and welcoming visitors even when his circumstances were restricted, and that faithfulness became the means by which the gospel kept spreading.
Questions for Reflection
- Where in your daily life have you seen God’s direction through unexpected or difficult circumstances?
- How do you respond when people in your community are curious about Jesus but hesitant to commit?
- What does Paul’s willingness to speak to the Jewish leaders teach you about engaging people who disagree with you?
- In what ways can your home become a place where others feel welcome to ask questions about faith?
A Prayer From Acts 28
Lord, thank you that you guide the story of your people even through storms, snakebites and locked doors. Give me the courage Paul found when the brothers met him on the road, and help me take heart when fellow believers come alongside me. Teach me to welcome those who come to me with questions, and to speak plainly about your Kingdom and the Lord Jesus Christ. Let my life be a place where your word goes forward without hindrance, for your glory. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Acts end without telling us what happened to Paul?
Luke ends the book at the point where Paul is preaching freely in Rome for two years. Scholars offer several explanations, but the most common view is that Luke wanted to emphasize that the gospel was moving forward unhindered in the capital of the empire. The ending invites the reader to continue the story through their own witness.
Why did the people of Malta think Paul was a god?
When the viper fastened on Paul’s hand and he suffered no harm, the islanders changed their minds about him. They had first assumed he was a murderer receiving divine justice, and now they reasoned that he must be divine instead. Luke records their reaction without affirming it, and the focus stays on the power of God that was at work.
What is the significance of Paul quoting Isaiah in Acts 28?
Paul quotes Isaiah 6 to explain why many of the Jewish leaders in Rome do not believe his message. He then announces that God’s salvation has been sent to the nations, which fits the book’s larger pattern of the gospel reaching beyond Israel. The quotation links Paul’s ministry to the prophetic promises God gave to his people.
