1 Paul, after his shipwreck, is kindly entertained of the barbarians.
5 The viper on his hand hurts him not.
8 He heals many diseases in the island.
11 They depart towards Rome.
17 He declares to the Jews the cause of his coming.
24 After his preaching some were persuaded, and some believed not.
30 Yet he preaches there two years.

the island. 27:26,44

2 And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

barbarous. 4 Ro 1:14 1Co 14:11 Col 3:11

shewed. 27:3 Le 19:18,34 Pr 24:11,12 Mt 10:42 Lu 10:30-37 Ro 2:14,15,27 Heb 13:2

because. Ezr 10:9 Joh 18:18 2Co 11:27

3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

came. Job 20:16 Isa 30:6 41:24 59:5 Mt 3:7 12:34 23:33

fastened. 4 Am 5:19 2Co 6:9 11:23

4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

barbarians. 2

beast. 5 Ge 3:1 Isa 13:21,22 43:20 Zep 2:15

No doubt. Lu 13:2,4 Joh 7:24 9:1,2

a murderer. Ge 4:8-11 9:5,6 42:21,22 Nu 35:31-34 Pr 28:17 Isa 26:21 Mt 23:35 27:25 Re 21:8

5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

felt. Nu 21:6-9 Ps 91:13 Mr 16:18 Lu 10:19 Joh 3:14,15 Ro 16:20 Re 9:3,4

6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

said. 12:22 14:11-13 Mt 21:9 27:22

7 In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously.

the chief. 13:7 18:12 23:24

who. 2 Mt 10:40,41 Lu 19:6-9

8 And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.

the father. Mr 1:30,31

prayed. 9:40 1Ki 17:20-22 Jas 5:14-16

laid. 9:17,18 19:11,12 Mt 9:18 Mr 6:5 7:32 16:18 Lu 4:40 13:13

and healed. Mt 10:1,8 Lu 9:1-3 10:8,9 1Co 12:9,28

9 So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:

others. 5:12,15 Mt 4:24 Mr 6:54-56

10 Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.

honoured. Mt 15:5,6 1Th 2:6 1Ti 5:3,4,17,18

laded. 2Ki 8:9 Ezr 7:27 Mt 6:31-34 10:8-10 2Co 8:2-6 9:5-11 Php 4:11,12,19

11 And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.

Cir. A.M. 4067. A.D. 63.
a ship. 6:9 27:6

whose. Isa 45:20 Jon 1:5,16 1Co 8:4

12 And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.

Syracuse. Syracuse was the capital of Sicily, situated on the eastern side of the island, 72 miles S. by E. of Messina, and about 112 of Palermo. In its ancient state of splendour it was 22? in extent, according to Strabo; and such was its opulence, that when the Romans took it, they found more riches than they did at Carthage.

13 And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli:

Rhegium. Rhegium, now Reggio, was a maritime city and promontory in Italy, opposite Messina.

the south. 27:13

Puteoli. Puteoli, now Puzzuoli, is an ancient sea-port of Campania, in the kingdom of Naples, about eight miles S.W. of that city, standing upon a hill in a creek opposite to Baiae.

14 Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome.

we found. 9:42,43 19:1 21:4,7,8 Ps 119:63 Mt 10:11

and were. 20:6 Ge 7:4 8:10-12

15 And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.

when. 10:25 21:5 Ex 4:14 Joh 12:13 Ro 15:24 Ga 4:14 Heb 13:3 3Jo 1:6-8

Appii forum. Appii Forum, now Borgo Longo, was an ancient city of the Volsci, fifty miles S. of Rome.

The three taverns. The Three Taverns was a place in the Appian Way, thirty miles from Rome.

he thanked. Jos 1:6,7,9 1Sa 30:6 Ps 27:14 1Co 12:21,22 2Co 2:14 7:5-7 1Th 3:7

16 And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.

Rome. Rome, the capital of Italy, and once of the whole world, is situated on the banks of the Tiber, about sixteen miles from the sea; 410 miles S.S.E. of Vienna, 600 S.E. of Paris, 730 E. by N. of Madrid, 760 W. of Constantinople, and 780 S.E. of London.

2:10 18:2 19:21 23:11 Ro 1:7-15 15:22-29 Re 17:9,18

the centurion. 27:3,31,43

captain. Ge 37:36 2Ki 25:8 Jer 40:2

but. 30,31 24:23 27:3 Ge 39:21-23

17 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

though. 23:1 *etc: 24:10-16 25:8,10 Ge 40:15

was. 21:33 *etc: 23:33

18 Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.

22:24,25,30 24:10,22 25:7,8 26:31

19 But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.

I was. 25:10-12,21,25 26:32

not. Ro 12:19-21 1Pe 2:22,23

20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

this cause. 17 10:29,33

for the. 23:6 24:15

See on 26:6,7

this chain. That is, the chain with which he was bound to the 'soldier that kept him;' (ver. 16;) a mode of custody which Dr. Lardner has shown was in use among the Romans. It is in exact conformity, therefore, with the truth of Paul's situation at this time, that he declares himself to be 'an ambassador in a chain,' [en halusis,] (Ep. 6:20;) and the exactness is the more remarkable, as [halusis,] a chain is no where used in the singular number to express any other kind of custody.

26:29 Eph 3:1 4:1 6:20 Php 1:13 Col 4:18 2Ti 1:10 2:9 Phm 10:13

21 And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee.

We. Ex 11:7 Isa 41:11 50:8 54:17

22 But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

for. 16:20,21 17:6,7 24:5,6,14 Lu 2:34 1Pe 2:12 3:16 4:14-16

sect. 5:17 15:5 26:5 1Co 11:19 *marg:

23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

there came. Phm 1:2

he expounded. 17:2,3 18:4,28 19:8 26:22,23

both. See on ch. 26:6,22 Lu 24:26,27,44

from. 20:9-11 Joh 4:34

24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

13:48-50 14:4 17:4,5 18:6-8 19:8,9 Ro 3:3 11:4-6

25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,

agreed. 29

well. Mt 15:7 Mr 7:6 2Pe 1:21

26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

Go. Isa 6:9,10 Eze 12:2 Mt 13:14,15 Mr 4:12 Lu 8:10 Joh 12:38-40 Ro 11:8-10

Hearing. De 29:4 Ps 81:11,12 Isa 29:10,14 42:19,20 66:4 Jer 5:21 Eze 3:6,7 12:2 Mr 8:17,18 Lu 24:25,45 2Co 4:4-6

27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

it known. 2:14 4:10 13:38 Eze 36:32

the salvation. Ps 98:2,3 Isa 49:6 52:10 La 3:26 Lu 2:30-32 3:6

sent. 11:18 13:46,47 14:27 15:14,17 18:6 22:21 26:17,18 Mt 21:41-43 Ro 3:29,30 4:11 11:11 15:8-16

29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.

great reasoning. 25 Mt 10:34-36 Lu 12:51 Joh 7:40-53

30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,

Paul. Paul, after his release, is supposed to have visited Judaea, in the way to which he left Titus at Crete, (Tit. 1:5,) and then returned through Syria, Cilicia, Asia Minor, and Greece, to Rome; where, according to primitive tradition, he was beheaded by order of Nero, A.D. 66, at Aquae Saiviae, three miles from Rome, and interred in the Via Ostensis, two miles from the city, where Constantine erected a church.

dwelt. 16

31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

Cir. A.M. 4069. A.D. 65. Preaching. 23 8:12 20:25 Mt 4:23 Mr 1:14 Lu 8:1

and teaching. 5:42 23:11

with. 4:29,31 Eph 6:19,20 Php 1:14 Col 4:3,4 2Ti 4:17

CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES.

The Acts of the Apostles is a most valuable portion of Divine revelation; and, independently of its universal reception in the Christian church, as an authentic and inspired production, it bears the most satisfactory internal evidence of its authenticity and truth. Luke's long attendance upon Paul, and his having been an eyewitness of many of the facts which he has recorded, independently of his Divine inspiration, render him a most suitable and credible historian; and his medical knowledge, for he is allowed to have been a physician, enabled him both to form a proper judgment of the miraculous cures which were performed by Paul, and to give an authentic and circumstantial detail of them. The plainness and simplicity of the narrative are also strong circumstances in its favour. The history of the Acts is one of the most important parts of the Sacred History, for without it neither the Gospels nor Epistles could have been so clearly understood; but by the aid of it the whole scheme of the Christian revelation is set before us in a clear and easy view.