Acts 28:1 - Prayer Tents

28Once everyone was accounted for and we realized we had all made it, we learned that we were on the island of Malta.G2532G1295G5119G1921G3754G3520G2564G3194 2The natives went out of their way to be friendly to us. The day was rainy and cold and we were already soaked to the bone, but they built a huge bonfire and gathered us around it.G1161G915G3930G2254G3756G5177G5363G1063G381G4443G4355G2248G3956G1223G2186G5205G2532G1223G5592 3Paul pitched in and helped. He had gathered up a bundle of sticks, but when he put it on the fire, a venomous snake, roused from its torpor by the heat, struck his hand and held on.G1161G3972G4962G4128G5434G2532G2007G1909G4443G1831G2191G1537G2329G2510G846G5495 4Seeing the snake hanging from Paul's hand like that, the natives jumped to the conclusion that he was a murderer getting his just deserts.G1161G5613G915G1492G2342G2910G1537G846G5495G3004G4314G240G3843G3778G444G2076G5406G3739G1295G1537G2281G1349G1439G3756G2198 5Paul shook the snake off into the fire, none the worse for wear.G3303G3767G660G2342G1519G4442G3958G3762G2556 6They kept expecting him to drop dead, but when it was obvious he wasn't going to, they jumped to the conclusion that he was a god!G1161G4328G846G3195G4092G2228G2667G3498G869G1161G846G4328G1909G4183G2532G2334G3367G824G1096G1519G846G3328G3004G846G1511G2316 7The head man in that part of the island was Publius. He took us into his home as his guests, drying us out and putting us up in fine style for the next three days.G1161G1722G4012G1565G5117G5225G5564G4413G3520G3686G4196G3739G324G2248G3579G5140G2250G5390 8Publius's father was sick at the time, down with a high fever and dysentery. Paul went to the old man's room, and when he laid hands on him and prayed, the man was healed.G1161G1096G3962G4196G2621G4912G4446G2532G1420G4314G3739G3972G1525G2532G4336G2007G5495G2007G846G2390G846 9Word of the healing got around fast, and soon everyone on the island who was sick came and got healed.G3767G1096G5127G1096G3062G2532G3588G2192G769G1722G3520G4334G2532G2323

Rome

10We spent a wonderful three months on Malta. They treated us royally, took care of all our needs and outfitted us for the rest of the journey.G3739G2532G5092G2248G4183G5091G2532G321G2007G4314G5532 11When an Egyptian ship that had wintered there in the harbor prepared to leave for Italy, we got on board. The ship had a carved Gemini for its figurehead: "the Heavenly Twins."G1161G3326G5140G3376G321G1722G4143G222G3914G1722G3520G3902G1359 12We put in at Syracuse for three daysG2532G2609G1519G4946G1961G5140G2250 13and then went up the coast to Rhegium. Two days later, with the wind out of the south, we sailed into the Bay of Naples.G3606G4022G2658G1519G4484G2532G3326G3391G2250G3558G1920G2064G1206G1519G4223 14We found Christian friends there and stayed with them for a week. And then we came to Rome.G3757G2147G80G3870G1961G1909G846G2033G2250G2532G3779G2064G1519G4516 15Friends in Rome heard we were on the way and came out to meet us. One group got as far as Appian Court; another group met us at Three Taverns—emotion-packed meetings, as you can well imagine. Paul, brimming over with praise, led us in prayers of thanksgiving.G2547G80G191G4012G2257G1831G529G1519G2254G891G675G5410G2532G5140G4999G3739G3972G1492G2168G2316G2983G2294 16When we actually entered Rome, they let Paul live in his own private quarters with a soldier who had been assigned to guard him.G1161G3753G2064G1519G4516G1543G3860G1198G4759G1161G3972G2010G3306G2596G1438G4862G4757G5442G846 17Three days later, Paul called the Jewish leaders together for a meeting at his house. He said, "The Jews in Jerusalem arrested me on trumped-up charges, and I was taken into custody by the Romans. I assure you that I did absolutely nothing against Jewish laws or Jewish customs.G1161G1096G3326G5140G2250G3972G4779G4413G5607G2453G4779G1161G846G4905G3004G4314G846G435G80G1473G4160G3762G1727G2992G2228G1485G3971G3860G1198G1537G2414G1519G5495G4514 18After the Romans investigated the charges and found there was nothing to them, they wanted to set me free,G3748G350G3165G1014G630G1223G5225G3367G156G2288G1722G1698 19but the Jews objected so fiercely that I was forced to appeal to Caesar. I did this not to accuse them of any wrongdoing or to get our people in trouble with Rome. We've had enough trouble through the years that way.G1161G2453G483G315G1941G2541G3756G5613G2192G5100G2723G3450G1484G2723 20I did it for Israel. I asked you to come and listen to me today to make it clear that I'm on Israel's side, not against her. I'm a hostage here for hope, not doom."G1223G5026G156G3767G3870G5209G1492G2532G4354G1752G1063G1680G2474G4029G5026G254 21They said, "Nobody wrote warning us about you. And no one has shown up saying anything bad about you.G1161G2036G4314G846G2249G3777G1209G1121G575G2449G4012G4675G3777G5100G80G3854G518G2228G2980G5100G4190G4012G4675 22But we would like very much to hear more. The only thing we know about this Christian sect is that nobody seems to have anything good to say about it."G1161G515G191G3844G4675G3739G5426G1063G4012G3303G5026G139G2254G2076G1110G3754G3837G483 23They agreed on a time. When the day arrived, they came back to his home with a number of their friends. Paul talked to them all day, from morning to evening, explaining everything involved in the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them all about Jesus by pointing out what Moses and the prophets had written about him.G1161G5021G846G2250G2240G4119G4314G846G1519G3578G3739G1620G1263G932G2316G5037G3982G846G4012G2424G5037G575G3551G3475G2532G4396G575G4404G2193G2073 24Some of them were persuaded by what he said, but others refused to believe a word of it.G2532G3303G3982G3004G1161G569 25When the unbelievers got cantankerous and started bickering with each other, Paul interrupted: "I have just one more thing to say to you. The Holy Spirit sure knew what he was talking about when he addressed our ancestors through Isaiah the prophet:G1161G800G5607G4314G240G630G3972G2036G1520G4487G3754G2573G2980G40G4151G1223G2268G4396G4314G2257G3962 26Go to this people and tell them this: "You're going to listen with your ears, but you won't hear a word; You're going to stare with your eyes, but you won't see a thing.G3004G4198G4314G5126G2992G2532G2036G189G191G2532G4920G3364G4920G2532G991G991G2532G3364G1492 27These people are blockheads! They stick their fingers in their ears so they won't have to listen; They screw their eyes shut so they won't have to look, so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face and let me heal them."G1063G2588G5127G2992G3975G2532G3775G917G191G2532G846G3788G2576G3379G1492G3788G2532G191G3775G2532G4920G2588G2532G1994G2532G2390G846 28"You've had your chance. The non-Jewish outsiders are next on the list. And believe me, they're going to receive it with open arms!"G2077G1110G3767G5213G3754G4992G2316G649G1484G2532G191G846 29(OMITTED TEXT)G2532G846G2036G5023G2453G565G2192G4183G4803G1722G1438 30Paul lived for two years in his rented house. He welcomed everyone who came to visit.G1161G3972G3306G1333G3650G1333G1722G2398G3410G2532G588G3956G1531G4314G846 31He urgently presented all matters of the kingdom of God. He explained everything about Jesus Christ. His door was always open.G2784G932G2316G2532G1321G4012G2962G2424G5547G3326G3956G3954G209