Acts 28:7

Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius; who received us, and entertained us three days courteously. And it was so that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery: unto whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laying his hands on him healed him. And when this was done, the rest also that had diseases in the island came, and were cured.

Publius ... chief man ... "This exact word has been found in two inscriptions as a title of an official in Malta."[9] Although once disputed, Luke's accuracy is again proved.

Entertained us ... If this refers to the entire 276 survivors, it would probably mean that many of the population opened their homes to the shipwrecked; but if Luke is speaking of Paul's company and the centurion and ship's officers, which is not unlikely, then it would appear that Publius himself entertained them.

Fever and dysentery ... Malta fever is a malady known in the United States at the present time, caused by drinking infected milk. The word "dysentery" is a strict medical term used by the physician Luke.

Paul healed him ... Thus Publius' kindness was repaid. In being able to work such a wonder, Paul verified the truth of Jesus' promise that his apostles should suffer no hurt from deadly serpents, and that they should lay hands on the sick and recover them. As Dummelow noted, "Here we have first hand evidence of a competent medical witness to the reality of Paul's miraculous cures."[10]

We agree with Trenchard that, "Although Luke does not mention preachings and conversions, the analogy of the Ephesian ministry ... suggests that miracles always opened the way for the Word."[11] One likes to suppose that the centurion himself might have been converted, as his subsequent behavior would certainly suggest, and that some of those unfortunate prisoners on the way to the bloody sands of the Coliseum might, through their conversion to Christ, have been enabled to face such a wretched death in the strength of their hope of eternal life in Christ.

[9] G. H. C. MacGreggor, op. cit., p. 343.

[10] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 852.

[11] E. H. Trenchard, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 338.