The Prisoners About to Be Killed

The prisoners now faced a threat more terrible than shipwreck. The soldiers saw that to reach land they would have all they could do to save themselves. Yet if any prisoners were missing, the Roman authorities would execute those who were responsible for them. For this reason the soldiers wanted to put all the prisoners to death. Roman law allowed this cruel policy. But Julius knew that Paul had helped to save the lives of all on board, and, convinced that the Lord was with him, he was afraid to do him harm. So he “commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land.” When they checked the prisoner list, not one was missing.ULe 163.3

The heathen people of Malta “kindled a fire,” Luke writes, “and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.” Having gathered “a bundle of sticks,” Paul “laid them on the fire,” and a poisonous snake came out “because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.” Seeing by his chain that Paul was a prisoner, the bystanders said, “‘No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.’ ... But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.”ULe 163.4

During the three months that they stayed on Malta, Paul found many opportunities to preach the gospel. The Lord worked through him. For his sake the entire shipwrecked group was treated with kindness. And when they left Malta they were provided with everything they needed for their voyage. Luke says:ULe 163.5

“Publius ... entertained us courteously for three days. And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary.”ULe 163.6