What is the meaning of Acts 28:5? But Paul • Luke places Paul at the center of the scene, fresh from the storm and shipwreck of Acts 27. • God had already assured him, “Do not be afraid, Paul… you must stand before Caesar” (Acts 27:24), so every detail now unfolds under that promise. • Paul’s record of endurance—beatings, stonings, and “three times I was shipwrecked” (2 Corinthians 11:25)—sets the stage for another display of the Lord’s preserving power. shook the creature off • The viper fastened itself to Paul’s hand, yet he responded with calm confidence, simply shaking it away. • Jesus had promised, “They will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them” (Mark 16:18). • Earlier the Lord told the seventy-two, “I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions” (Luke 10:19). Paul lives out these words in real time. • His action models faith over fear, treating a mortal threat as powerless because Christ has already conquered it. into the fire • The same fire the islanders built “because of the rain and cold” (Acts 28:2) becomes the viper’s end. • Symbolically, everything that threatens God’s servant is consigned to destruction—much like the fiery serpents of Numbers 21:6 were ultimately overcome by looking to the bronze serpent God provided (John 3:14-15). • The fire also keeps the focus on God’s provision: warmth for Paul, judgment for the snake. suffered no ill effects • Luke’s medical eye notes there was no swelling or fever (Acts 28:6), underscoring the miracle. • Psalm 91:13 foretells, “You will tread on the lion and cobra… the serpent you will trample underfoot”. • The event authenticates Paul’s apostleship just as healings and wonders did earlier (Acts 19:11-12). • It reassures the shipwrecked company—and us—that “the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18). summary Acts 28:5 shows God’s sovereign protection in vivid, literal form. Paul, secure in Christ’s promise, brushes off a deadly viper, consigns it to the flames, and remains unharmed. The moment validates Jesus’ words, strengthens the faith of onlookers, and reminds believers today that nothing can thwart God’s purposes or separate us from His preserving love. |
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