The shipwrecked crew were kindly received by the barbarous people of Melita. A rain having come on, the whole company were drenched and shivering, and the islanders kindled an immense fire of brushwood, and welcomed them all to its grateful warmth. Paul was among the most active in collecting fuel. As he was placing a bundle of sticks upon the fire, a viper that had been suddenly revived from its torpor by the heat, darted from the fagots and fastened upon his hand. The bystanders were horror-struck, and seeing 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 suffered no harm. Knowing its venomous nature, they watched him closely for some time, expecting every moment to see him fall down, writhing in terrible agony. But as no unpleasant results followed, they changed their minds, and, like the people of Lystra, said that he was a god. By this circumstance Paul gained a strong influence over the islanders, and he sought faithfully to employ it in leading them to accept the truths of the gospel. {LP 270.2}

Det skibbrudne personale blev venligt modtaget af Malta barbariske befolkning. En tung regn kom, og hele gruppen blev gennemblødt og skælvede, og øboerne tændte et enormt bål af kvas, og bød dem alle ind til den overmådelige varme. Paulus var blandt de mest aktive for at samle brænde. Idet han lagde et bundt på bålet, vågnede en giftslange pludselig op fra dvalen på grund af varmen, løsrev sig fra knippet, og bed fast i hans hånd. Tilskuerne blev rædselsslagne, og så på hans kæde at Paulus var en fange, og de sagde til hinanden: »Denne mand er sikkert en morder, som retfærdighedens gudinde ikke tillader at leve, skønt han er reddet fra havet.« Men Paulus rystede skabningen ned i ilden, og led ikke skade. Da de kendte til dens giftighed, overvågede de ham nøje, i en kort tid, og forventede at han ethvert øjeblik ville falde om, vride sig i forfærdelig pine. Men da der ikke kom nogle ubehagelige følgevirkninger, fik de nye tanker, og ligesom Lystras folk sagde de at han var en gud. Ved denne lejlighed fik Paulus en stærk indflydelse på ø-boerne, og søgte nøje at udnytte det, og lede dem til at acceptere evangeliets sandhed.