Publius the leading man of the island

“Now in the neighboring parts of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us warmly for three days.” (1) A man named Publius, the leading man of the island, appears. The Greek word for “leading” is “protos”, which was a Roman official title. This man was the governor of Malta. (2) Paul and his companions were invited to Governor Publius’ house. (a) The viper incident likely made a big impression on Publius. (b) Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus were generously hosted for three days. “And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with a recurring fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after he prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him.” (1) Paul healed the father of Publius. Publius’ father was suffering from fever and dysentery. This illness is known as “Malta fever,” an infectious disease commonly found along the Mediterranean coast. It is believed to be transmitted through the consumption of unpasteurized goat’s milk from Malta. Paul prayed, laid his hands on him, and healed him. (2) News of Paul’s healing spread throughout the island. Other sick people also came and were healed by Paul. (3) When they set sail three months later, the islanders provided them with all the necessary supplies.

Applications for us

Reflecting on Jesus’ healings in Capernaum (Luke 4:38-40), let’s look at the contrast between Jesus and Paul as portrayed by Luke. (1) Jesus began by healing one person and then went on to heal many others. Similarly, Paul started with one healing and then healed many sick people on the island. (2) The first person healed was a family member of the one hosting Jesus (the mother-in-law). In Paul’s case, the first person healed was the father of the governor, who had hosted Paul. (3) Peter’s mother-in-law suffered from a high fever (likely a regional illness). Likewise, the governor’s father suffered from a high fever (Malta fever). (4) Jesus laid His hands on each person and healed them. Paul also prayed, laid his hands on them, and healed them. When we view the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles as one continuous record, we see a contrast between the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry and the final events in Acts. Luke, in his Gospel, depicted the life of Jesus, and in Acts, he described the works of the risen Jesus. Paul was a vessel used by Jesus. Even now, Jesus continues His work of building the Church. We are servants of God, called to serve His purpose. Let us pray that God’s glory may be revealed through us.