The shipwrecked crew were kindly received by the barbarous people of Melita. "They kindled a fire," Luke writes, "and received us everyone, because of the present rain, and because of the cold." Paul was among those who were active in ministering to the comfort of others. Having gathered "a bundle of sticks," he "laid them on the fire," when a viper came forth "out of the heat, and fastened on his hand." The bystanders were horror-stricken; and seeing 446 by his chain that Paul was a prisoner, they said to one another, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live." But Paul shook off the creature into the fire and felt no harm. Knowing its venomous nature, the people looked for him to fall down at any moment in terrible agony. "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."

De skibbrudne blev venligt modtaget af de indfødte på øen Malta. "De tændte et bål," skriver Lukas, "og tog sig af os alle, da det begyndte at regne og var koldt." Paulus var blandt dem, der tog virksom del i at sørge for de andre. Da han havde samlet "en bunke kvas og lagde den på bålet, krøb der på grund af varmen en giftslange ud og bed sig fast i hans hånd." De tilstedeværende blev rædselsslagne og da de af hans lænke kunne se, at han var en fange, sagde de til hinanden: "Denne mand er sikkert en morder, som retfærdighedens gudinde ikke tillader at leve, skønt han er reddet fra havet. " Men Paulus rystede dyret af sig ind i ilden og det havde ingen skade gjort ham. Da de indfødte vidste, hvor giftig slangen var, ventede de hvert øjeblik at se ham falde om, forpint af smerter. "Men da de havde ventet længe og så, at der ikke skete ham noget slemt, slog de helt om og sagde, at han var en gud."