PowerMinistries logo

Island of Melita, apostle Paul shakes off a viper.

Alpha & Omega logo
Home / teachings / Healings
Acts 28:1-6
1And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. 2And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. 3And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. 5And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. 6Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
KJV
Insights
  • I included this in with the healings, because the barbarous people of the island thought that certainly Paul would suffer harm, fall down and die, and when he did not they said among themselves that he was a god.
  • Paul was not harmed by the posioness viper according to the scripture;
    They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover, Mark 16:18.
    And perhaps also that his last act on the ship was to administer Holy Communion to the entire ships crew. It's all about the blood of Christ, the saving blood, the forgiving blood, the cleansing blood, the powerful blood.
  • We can also look at this as a public testing of Paul that not only proved his faith, but also spoke to others, that this was an anointed man of God.
  • Note: This was during Paul's fourth missionary journey, Acts 27:1 .