This section of Acts covers events on Malta where Paul and others from the shipwreck interact with natives of Malta.

The people on the island showed great kindness to Paul and the others. Luke shares vivid details as an eyewitness to this. A viper came out of a fire used to warm up the travels, bit Paul and Paul showed no harm. The natives went from thinking Paul was a murderer receiving justice to calling him a god!

We show how a similar episode in Acts 14 led to Paul teaching the truth about God. Those with no special revelation try to find blessing or cursing based on observable events. We teach that blessing and cursing in the Bible are relational and not discerned through symptoms.

Luke also narrates a healing of a key person from the area whose father was healed by through the hands of Paul. This leads to many coming to Paul and receiving healing. This incident reminds us of Jesus’ healings in Luke 4.

We talk about the implications of God’s providence and self-revelation through calling Paul to go to Rome to testify and keeping him through the perils of the trip to Rome by sea.