Acts 28:10 · Bible study
Acts 28:10 Commentary: Honor or Payment? The Maltese Response
Greek · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Were the many honors given to Paul by the Maltese gifts of gratitude or payment? Examine how this aligns with Paul's free gospel principle.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Maltese expressed their gratitude for Paul’s healing ministry by giving him and his companions generous provisions for the voyage.
- Key words: Timē (τιμή, “honor,” can also mean “price/value”); epethento (ἐπέθεντο, “they laid on,” aorist middle, indicating the community’s active generosity).
- Main debate: Whether the “honors” were payment for services or free gifts of gratitude, commentators overwhelmingly say the latter.
- Theological theme: The free grace of God in the gospel evokes grateful, practical generosity, not a commercial transaction.
- Best use: A model for how Christian service and community response work together; a reminder that ministry is not for sale.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The islanders honored us in many ways and supplied our needs when we were ready to sail.
WEB World English Bible 2000
They also honored us with many honors; and when we sailed, they put on board the things that we needed.
KJV King James Version 1769
Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
who also honored us with many honors; and when we sailed, they put on board such things as we needed.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
who also with many honours did honour us, and we setting sail--they were lading us with the things that were necessary.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
who also honoured us with many honours, and on our leaving they made presents to us of what should minister to our wants.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Who also honoured us with many honours: and when we were to set sail, they laded us with such things as were necessary.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Los cuales también nos honraron con muchos obsequios; y cuando partimos, nos cargaron de las cosas necesarias.
Os quais nos honraram com muitas honras; e estando nós para navegar, nos entregaram as coisas necessárias.
On nous rendit de grands honneurs, et, à notre départ, on nous fournit les choses dont nous avions besoin.
Und sie taten uns große Ehre; und da wir auszogen, luden sie auf, was uns not war.
Die ons ook eerden met veel eer, en als wij vertrekken zouden, bestelden zij ons hetgeen van node was.
ed essi ci fecero grandi onori; e quando salpammo, ci portarono a bordo le cose necessarie.
Którzy nam też wielką uczciwość wyrządzali, a gdyśmy precz płynąć mieli, nakładli nam, czego było potrzeba.
и оказывали нам много почести и при отъезде снабдили нужным.
他們 又 多 方地 尊敬 我們； 到了開船的時候，也把我們所需用 的送 到船上。
Then they gave us great honour, and, when we went away, they put into the ship whatever things we were in need of.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Acts 28:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators agree that the “many honors” the Maltese gave Paul were expressions of gratitude, not payment for his healing ministry. Adam Clarke notes that the Greek word timē (τιμή) can mean a pecuniary recompense or present, as in 1 Timothy 5:17, but Bishop Pearce, whom Clarke cites, shows that in context it signifies a supplying of necessary things. Vincent’s Word Studies confirms that timē was used for professional fees, yet adds that it is “evidently not used in that sense here.” Barnes, Gill, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown all read the passage as grateful gifts for the benefit received. JFB explicitly says it was not taking hire for miracles, citing Jesus’ command in Matthew 10:8: “Freely you received, so freely give.” The consensus is that the Maltese honored Paul and his companions with generous provisions and presents out of genuine thankfulness, not as a transaction for the gospel.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The Maltese honored Paul and his companions with generous gifts and provisions out of gratitude for healing and ministry, not as payment for the gospel.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Whether the 'honors' were payment | All major commentaries see the 'many honors' as free gifts of gratitude, not mandatory payment for Paul's healing. | Some (like Clarke) note the word <em>timē</em> can mean payment, but the context of joyful response makes that unlikely. No serious debate among the supplied sources. |
| Paul's practice of receiving support | Paul often refused financial support to avoid hindering the gospel (1 Cor 9:18; 2 Cor 11:7-9). | Some traditions emphasize that Paul accepted gifts in certain contexts (Phil 4:15-18); the difference is between voluntary thanks and required payment. |
| The miracle at Malta | Paul healed many, including Publius’ father, through prayer and laying on of hands. | None: all traditions affirm that God worked miracles through Paul. |
| Hospitality and mission | The Maltese showed remarkable hospitality to strangers, which is praised. | No contemporary debate; some note that hospitality was a key virtue in the early church and this is a positive example. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The setting is the island of Malta (called Melita in Greek), where Paul and 275 others were shipwrecked after a violent storm (Acts 27). The Maltese were called “barbarians” (Acts 28:2), a term used for non-Greek speakers, not a slur. They showed “no little kindness” by building a fire and welcoming the soaked, cold survivors. During the three-month winter stay, Paul healed the father of the chief official, Publius, and then many others with diseases. The entire island came for healing (v.9). In the ancient Mediterranean world, healers and miracle workers were often given gifts, money, or patronage. But Paul’s apostolic practice (reflected in 1 Corinthians 9:18 and Matthew 10:8) was to offer the gospel free of charge. The “many honors” of verse 10, the Greek phrase pollais timais, likely included food, clothing, and provisions for the voyage to Rome. The verb epethento (“they laid on”) pictures the Maltese loading supplies onto Paul’s ship. This gesture came after three months of shared life and healing, not as a scheduled payment. It was the response of a community that had received divine healing through Paul and wanted to express their gratitude in a tangible way. Even the rough sailors who had survived the wreck were included in this generosity.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentary sources report no significant textual variants for Acts 28:10. The Greek wording is stable across the main manuscripts. The verb epethento (they laid on) appears in the aorist middle, and the phrases “with many honors” and “things that were necessary” are uniformly attested. No variants affect the meaning.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this verse has been read as a model of Christian generosity and the appropriate response to spiritual service. Early writers like John Chrysostom praised the Maltese for honoring Paul not with empty words but with practical gifts. The Protestant Reformers, including John Calvin, used the passage to argue that ministers should accept voluntary support from grateful congregations but not demand payment for spiritual gifts. In later centuries, mission-minded readers saw here a pattern for cross-cultural relationships: genuine service creates bonds that produce mutual care. The verse has also been used to teach that the fruit of the gospel includes tangible care for physical needs, the Maltese provided not praise only, but “things that were necessary.”
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The setting of gratitude: The Maltese had seen God’s power through Paul, healing from fever, dysentery, and other diseases. Their “honors” were the natural outflow of amazed thankfulness.
- The nature of the gift: Not payment for ministry, but practical provision for the journey ahead, food, clothing, supplies. They laded the ship with “things that were necessary.”
- The free gospel at work: Paul gave without charge, and the response was generous giving back. Grace, not transaction, marked the whole encounter.
Five-point outline
- From misjudgment to honor: The Maltese first thought Paul was a murderer (v.4), then a god (v.6), and finally a servant worthy of honor.
- Healing as catalyst: Publius’ father’s healing (v.8) opened the door for island-wide ministry.
- Three months of community: The stay gave time for relationships to form, not a quick transaction.
- Generosity that meets real needs: The gifts were precisely what was needed for the voyage, practical, not lavish display.
- A model for mission: Paul’s free service evoked free giving. Mission that begins with grace often ends with gratitude and provision.
Illustration hooks
- Neighbors helping after a crisis: A family’s house burns; neighbors bring meals, clothes, and a place to stay, not as payment, because nobody asked for help, but because they want to give back.
- A free clinic in a rural village: Doctors volunteer medical care; the villagers, in gratitude, bring eggs, vegetables, and firewood. No money changes hands, but needs are met.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it wrong for ministers to receive gifts or money from those they serve?
- How do we know when a gift is a bribe or a genuine thank-you?
- What should our response be when God is generous toward us?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows what happens when the good news is freely given: people respond with open hands. The Maltese were not believers before Paul came, but they watched God work and wanted to honor him through his servant. As you discuss, think about how gratitude can be a bridge to faith.
Discussion questions
- Read Acts 28:1-10. What do the Maltese learn about Paul in these verses? How does their view of him change?
- The word “honor” (timē) can mean both “respect” and “payment.” Why do you think Luke chose this word? What clues in the story help us decide which meaning is intended?
- How does Paul’s decision not to charge for healing fit with Jesus’ command in Matthew 10:8? Why might Paul have refused payment even when it was offered?
- The Maltese “laded us with such things as were necessary” (v.10). What needs did Paul and his companions have after the shipwreck? How did the gifts meet those needs?
- Has your group ever received unexpected help or generosity from people who did not share your faith? How did that affect your witness?
- Some Christians worry that receiving gifts for ministry compromises the gospel. When does receiving become a problem? When is it a healthy expression of gratitude?
- Think of one way you can show tangible honor to someone who has served you spiritually this week. What would that look like?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 8:9 | So Hazael went to meet him and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him and said, “Your son Benhadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” |
| Ezra 7:27 | Blessed be Yahweh, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify Yahweh’s house which is in Jerusalem; |
| Matthew 6:31 | “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ |
| Matthew 6:34 | Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient. |
| Matthew 10:8 | Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. |
| Matthew 10:10 | Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor sandals, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. |
| Matthew 15:5 | But you say, ‘Whoever may tell his father or his mother, “Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,” |
| Matthew 15:6 | he shall not honor his father or mother.’ You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the honors Paul and his companions received were not merely ceremonial but material gifts, even a sea stock for the voyage. Drawing on Bishop Pearce, he shows the Greek word often means a monetary recompense or present, as it does in several other New Testament passages.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes treats the phrase "honoured us" as referring to practical gifts, not merely respectful words. The people of Malta showed their esteem by supplying everything Paul and his companions needed for the onward journey, making their honour tangible.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes observe that the Maltese did more than offer polite respect; they gave tangible provision. Their hospitality was not empty words but active generosity, supplying everything necessary for the travelers' departure.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill explains that the "many honours" were not religious worship but civil respect, specifically valuable gifts and presents. He supports this from Jewish tradition, where "honour" regularly means a gift or offering. Paul's three-month stay likely led to conversions, which would explain the islanders' extraordinary generosity at departure.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that the Maltese supplies were not wages for miracles but free, grateful gifts the apostle could not refuse without hurting them. He also notes that while the tradition of Publius becoming bishop is unreliable, a credible tradition traces the Maltese church’s beginnings to Paul’s visit.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry sees the shipwreck as no accident but God's purposeful guidance — Paul lands on Malta through a storm because God has work for him there. He notes the irony of how the islanders first judge Paul a murderer, then a god, while he simply gathers sticks like anyone else.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that the Greek word translated as "honors" was also used in Luke's day for professional fees or payments. Although that commercial usage may have influenced Luke's choice of the word, it is clearly not the meaning intended in this passage.