The missionary character of Paul's stay on Malta (Acts 28:1-10) according to the early Church
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Date
Authors
Van der Bergh, Ronald Henry
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Ancient Languages, University of Pretoria
Abstract
Paul's apparent lack of preaching to the inhabitants of Malta in Acts 28:1-10 and his seeming indifference to being called 'a god' form a stark contrast to his usual missionary pattern in the narrative of Acts, possibly showing a lack of evangelistic concern among the 'barbarian' population of the island. This article investigates the reception of Acts 28:1-10 in the writings of the Greek- and Latin speaking church (up to the end of the fifth century) to determine whether Paul's behaviour in Acts 28:1-10 was considered to be missionary in character. This proves to be the case, although the missionary nature of his actions is substantiated in a variety of ways.
Description
Keywords
Mission, Barbarians, Early Christian exegesis, Paul, Malta
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Van der Bergh, RH 2013, 'The missionary character of Paul's stay on Malta (Acts 28:1-10) according to the early Church', Journal of Early Christian History, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 83-97.