Acts 28:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And from there we made a circuit and arrived at Rhegium. And after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli.

NIV: From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli.

NASB: From there we sailed around and arrived at Rhegium, and a day later a south wind came up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli.

CSB: From there, after making a circuit along the coast, we reached Rhegium. After one day a south wind sprang up, and the second day we came to Puteoli.

NLT: From there we sailed across to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli.

KJV: And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli:

NKJV: From there we circled round and reached Rhegium. And after one day the south wind blew; and the next day we came to Puteoli,

Luke's writing style seems especially happy when he can describe a sea voyage. He, Paul, and Aristarchus are on the home stretch to Rome. The first leg was a leisurely sail from Caesarea Maritima to Myra on the southwest coast of modern-day Asia Minor. The second leg included two weeks in a storm so fierce they couldn't see the sun. By the end, they found themselves swimming for their lives as their ship disintegrated under the power of the surf off the island of Malta (Acts 27). They then spent three months on Malta while Paul healed the sick and the locals responded with great hospitality toward the castaways. Once sea traffic resumed, the friends caught another ship to take them north (Acts 28:1–11).

They left the northern coast of Malta and sailed to Syracuse on the eastern shore of Sicily where they stayed for three days (Acts 28:12). Now, they stop at Rhegium—modern-day Reggio di Calabria—on the costal tip of Italy and thread their way through the narrow channel past Sicily. A strong wind drives them 180 miles to Puteoli, modern-day Pozzuoli, about 25 miles west of Mt. Vesuvius. After the hardships just getting to Malta, they must find the quick trip to Puteoli ironic.

In Puteoli, Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus will meet fellow believers who invite them to stay. After a week, they start their walk to Rome, but are met part-way by Christ-followers from the city. Paul will spend two years under house arrest while Luke, presumably, writes his book The Acts of the Apostles. Paul will be released, but Luke will write no more about Paul's travels (Acts 28:14–31).

Acts 28:11–16 records the final steps of Paul's arduous journey to Rome. He, Aristarchus, and Luke survived a fierce tempest and a shipwreck before spending three months in the care of the people of Malta (Acts 27:1—28:10). Now Paul and his friends board another ship that takes them to Puteoli, Italy. There, Christ-followers provide a warm welcome. As they walk toward Rome, more believers meet them and give them encouragement for the last few miles. Paul spends two years in Rome, under house arrest, but free to teach anyone who will listen about Jesus (Acts 28:30–31).

Acts 28 records Paul's three-month stay on the island of Malta and two-year house arrest in Rome. On Malta, God empowers Paul to perform healing miracles which endear him to the locals. Once he reaches the shores of Italy, many other believers accompany him on his last leg to Rome. In Rome, he finds the Jews just as accepting of Jesus as elsewhere; some believe, but many don't. Paul reaffirms his mission to the Gentiles and spends his time preaching while under house arrest.

Acts 28 is the end of Luke's story of the witness of Jesus' story (Acts 1:8). After his wrongful imprisonment in Caesarea Maritima, Paul appealed his case to Caesar (Acts 25:1–12). He, Aristarchus, and Luke survived a raging winter storm before finally reaching Rome (Acts 27). Again under house arrest, Paul is able to share Jesus' offer of forgiveness with any who wish to visit. While there, he writes the letters Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. After two years, Paul is released; tradition says he takes one more evangelistic tour before being arrested and eventually martyred around AD 67.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.