Act 28:6 | KingComments | STEP | Before Paul witnesses, something happens that will greatly strengthen the witness to be given. The drowning people are invited by the natives to a fire to dry and warm themselves there. They are soaking and it also starts to rain, so that there is not much of a chance for them to dry. For such a large party a big fire and therefore a lot of wood is needed. For that, wood has to be gathered. Paul helps with this. He doesn’t feel too important to help gathering sticks. A communal activity gives warmth to all. The humblest work has that effect. Doing something for the Lord keeps your love for Him and the fellow believers warm and prevents you from getting cold spiritually. Paul gathers a “a bundle of sticks”, a lot of branches, not just a few. When he has laid the wood on the fire and wants to warm himself, a viper comes out because of the heat and fastens itself on his hand. The viper represents the devil. The devil doesn’t like it when believers care about each other. He does not like the heat of brotherly love and will try to disturb it. Just as heat awakens vipers, so love among the brothers awakens the devil as it were. When believers are cold or sleeping, the devil also keeps himself sleeping. When the natives see the beast hanging from Paul’s hand, they are immediately ready with a theory that makes no sense, or it must be that it reveals their idolatrous way of thinking. Such judgment can also occur with Christians. Christians, too, can be ready with an explanation if something bad happens to someone. Paul’s reaction is the reaction of faith ( ; ). He shakes off the beast into the fire. That must also be our reaction if the devil wants to catch us. We must, in faith, put him in the place where he will be forever: the fire ( ). The natives have given their opinion about the viper who had fastened itself on Paul’s hand. They also have their opinion about its consequences: it is one of two things: either swell up or suddenly drop dead. Neither happens. From a spiritual point of view the following application can be made. The hand speaks of activity, of being busy. If we are engaged in a work for the Lord, the devil can fasten himself on it. If we do not act resolutely and point out the devil’s rightful place to him, we will swell up, which means becoming proud of what we are doing for the Lord. Or we will suddenly fall down dead, in other words, we no longer show any life for God. That is why we should not give the devil an opportunity ( ), i.e. we should not give him the opportunity to do his damaging work with us. If the expected consequences do not happen, the natives change their minds. We have here a new proof of how easily people change their opinions, as we have seen before in Lystra, but there the other way around ( ). Such reasoning involves people who only judge by appearances. God has His own plan with this event. He uses this event to indicate that in the midst of all the prisoners, this man is His servant.

‏ Acts 28:6

Paul Bitten by a Viper

Before Paul witnesses, something happens that will greatly strengthen the witness to be given. The drowning people are invited by the natives to a fire to dry and warm themselves there. They are soaking and it also starts to rain, so that there is not much of a chance for them to dry. For such a large party a big fire and therefore a lot of wood is needed. For that, wood has to be gathered. Paul helps with this. He doesn’t feel too important to help gathering sticks. A communal activity gives warmth to all. The humblest work has that effect. Doing something for the Lord keeps your love for Him and the fellow believers warm and prevents you from getting cold spiritually.

Paul gathers a “a bundle of sticks”, a lot of branches, not just a few. When he has laid the wood on the fire and wants to warm himself, a viper comes out because of the heat and fastens itself on his hand. The viper represents the devil. The devil doesn’t like it when believers care about each other. He does not like the heat of brotherly love and will try to disturb it. Just as heat awakens vipers, so love among the brothers awakens the devil as it were. When believers are cold or sleeping, the devil also keeps himself sleeping.

When the natives see the beast hanging from Paul’s hand, they are immediately ready with a theory that makes no sense, or it must be that it reveals their idolatrous way of thinking. Such judgment can also occur with Christians. Christians, too, can be ready with an explanation if something bad happens to someone.

Paul’s reaction is the reaction of faith (Mk 16:18; Lk 10:19). He shakes off the beast into the fire. That must also be our reaction if the devil wants to catch us. We must, in faith, put him in the place where he will be forever: the fire (Rev 20:10). The natives have given their opinion about the viper who had fastened itself on Paul’s hand. They also have their opinion about its consequences: it is one of two things: either swell up or suddenly drop dead. Neither happens.

From a spiritual point of view the following application can be made. The hand speaks of activity, of being busy. If we are engaged in a work for the Lord, the devil can fasten himself on it. If we do not act resolutely and point out the devil’s rightful place to him, we will swell up, which means becoming proud of what we are doing for the Lord. Or we will suddenly fall down dead, in other words, we no longer show any life for God. That is why we should not give the devil an opportunity (Eph 4:27), i.e. we should not give him the opportunity to do his damaging work with us.

If the expected consequences do not happen, the natives change their minds. We have here a new proof of how easily people change their opinions, as we have seen before in Lystra, but there the other way around (Acts 14:11-19). Such reasoning involves people who only judge by appearances. God has His own plan with this event. He uses this event to indicate that in the midst of all the prisoners, this man is His servant.