Acts 28
1 And having been saved, we then knew that the island is called Miletus. 2 And the natives were granting not the ordinary kindness to us, for having lit [a] fire they received us all because of the rain having come and because of the cold. 3 So Paul having gathered up [a] certain multitude of sticks and placed them on the fire, [a] snake having come out from the heat fastened upon his hand. 4 Now when the natives saw the wild-beast hanging from his hand, they were saying to one another: Certainly this man is [a] murderer, who having been saved from the sea, justice does not permit to be zoe-living1 . 5 On the one hand therefore having shaken the wild-beast off into the fire he suffered nothing evil, 6 but on the other they were awaiting him to be [about] to be becoming swollen, or to be falling down suddenly dead. So after much [time] they having awaited and having beheld nothing unusual come to pass upon him, having changed [their] minds they were saying him to be [a] god. 7 Now in the environs around that place were possessions to the foremost [man] of the island by name Poplios, who having received us, three days [he] hospitably lodged [us]. 8 Now it came to pass the father of Poplios, having been seized by fevers and dysentery, laid down, to whom Paul having gone in and having prayed, having laid [his] hands upon him, [he] healed him. 9 Now when this came to pass, the rest of those in the island having feeblenesses were also coming to [him] and were being healed, 10 who also honored us with many honors, and when we departed they placed [supplies] towards [our] needs. 11 So after three months we were brought by boat which had wintered in the island, [a ship] of Alexandria, marked Dioskourois. 12 And having been brought down to Syracuse, we remained three days, 13 whence having gone around we arrive in Rhegium. And after one day [a] south wind having come to pass, we came on the second day to Potiolus, 14 where having found brothers, we were called upon by them to remain seven days. And thus we came to Rome. 15 And from there the brothers, having heard the [news] concerning us, came to meet us as far as the Forum of Appius and The Three Taverns, which Paul having seen, having thanked God, he received courage. 16 So when we came to Rome, it was permitted to Paul to be abiding by himself with the soldier guarding him. 17 So it came to pass after three days Paul summoned those being foremost of the Jews. So when they were gathered he was saying to them: I, men, brothers, having done nothing against the people or the customs [given] to the fathers, [a] prisoner from Jerusalem was I delivered up to the hands of the Romans, 18 who having examined me intended to release [me] because of no cause of death being in me. 19 But the Jews having spoken against [me], I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not as having anything to be accusing of my nation. 20 Because of this therefore have I called upon you to see [you] and to speak [to you] with reason. For on account of the hope if Israel do I wear this chain. 21 So they said to him: We have neither received letter concerning you from Judea, nor having arrived has any of the brothers reported or spoken any wicked2 [thing] concerning you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what you think, for indeed concerning this sect, [it] is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against. 23 So having appointed for him [a] day, more came to him in the lodging place, to whom he set forth testifying of the kingdom of God, persuading them both from the law of Moses and [from] the prophets, from early to evening. 24 And some were being persuaded to the [things] said, but others were not believing. 25 And being at variance towards one another they were departing, Paul having spoken one word, that: Well did the Holy Spirit speak through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers 26 saying3:Go to this people and say,
With hearing you will hear and will not understand,
And looking you will look and will not see.
27 For the heart of this people has grown fat4,
And with their ears they heard with disgust,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with [their] heart and turn back,
And I heal them.
28 Let5 it therefore be known to you that to the nations6 is sent this salvation of God, they themselves indeed will hear [it]. [ 29 And he having said these [things], the Jews departed, having much dispute among themselves.]7 30 So he remained two whole years in his own rented house, and he received all those coming in to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the [things] concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness8 unhindered.
1from ZOE "ZOH-ay" (ζωη)—Life 'collectively', interdependent, interconnected. Although it means 'life' in the conventional sense (for example: Matt.9:18, Matt.27:63, Luke.2:36, Acts.25:24, Rom.7:2, 2Cor.1:8, 1Thes.4:17, 1Tim.5:10, Rev.19:20), Jesus uses ZOE exclusively of 'life eternal' (with the possible exceptions of Luke.15:13, Luke.16:25). The other N.T. writers use ZOE in both senses—temporal and eternal, generally clear from the context. The Father is the 'zoe-living God' (see Matt.16:16). The Septuagint (LXX) in Gen.2:7 has "...[God] breathed into his nostrils the breath of zoe-life, and the man became a zoe-living psyche-life" (and see 1Cor.15:45); and Gen.3:20 (LXX) "And Adam called his wife's name ZOE, because she was the mother of all zoe-living." Contrast PSYCHE (ψυχη): an individual manifestation of life/consciousness. See John.12:25 where both ZOE and PSYCHE occur. Greek also has the word BIOS (βιoς ) for 'life' in the sense of biological processes.
2PONEROS (πoνηρoς ) here. The Greek word KAKOS (κακoς ) is always translated `evil', PONEROS is usually translated as `wicked' although occasionally as `bad'; it can also mean 'diseased', 'sickly' and is thus translated where appropriate. Like KAKOS, PONEROS also means `evil', but the harm that evil does is more in view, where KAKOS is more `evil as evil'.
3Isa.6:9-10
4or "thick"
5imperative
6i.e. the Gentiles
7omit vs. 29: p74ℵB; include vs. 29: K vg
8or "boldness"