Publius
Summary
Publius was the chief official of the island of Malta who hospitably received Paul and his companions after their shipwreck, and whose father was miraculously healed by Paul of fever and dysentery.
☩Identity and Position
Publius (Greek Poplios, from the Latin praenomen Publius, meaning 'popular') was the leading official of Malta when Paul was shipwrecked there around AD 55. The distinctive title given to him, 'the first (protos) of the island,' appears to have been an official designation peculiar to Malta. This has been confirmed by inscriptions discovered at Malta and nearby Gaulus, where the same title occurs. As Malta belonged to the jurisdiction of the Roman praetor of Sicily, Publius was probably the delegate governor of the island. He possessed property in Malta and was responsible for any Roman soldiers and their prisoners who might land there.
☩Hospitality to Paul
When Paul and his companions were shipwrecked on Malta, Publius received them and lodged them courteously for three days. The account implies that he displayed more than ordinary solicitude for the shipwrecked party. Some apocryphal accounts state that 'he did for them many acts of great kindness and charity.' This hospitality proved providential, for it soon appeared that he was entertaining an angel unawares—Paul gave proof of his divine commission by miraculously healing the father of Publius, who lay sick with fever and dysentery.
☩The Healing Miracle
Publius's father was suffering from fever and dysentery when Paul came to him, prayed, laid his hands on him, and healed him. The exactitude of the medical terms employed in the account has been noted as evidence that the writer of Acts was a physician. Following this healing, Paul worked other cures on the sick who were brought to him throughout his stay on the island. These miracles resulted in the inhabitants honoring Paul and his companions with many honors and providing them with necessary supplies when they departed.
☩Later Tradition
According to ecclesiastical tradition recorded in the Roman martyrologies, Publius was the first bishop of Malta and afterwards succeeded Dionysius as bishop of Athens. Jerome records a tradition that he was crowned with martyrdom. He is commemorated in the Byzantine Church on April 14 and in the Roman Church on May 19. While these traditions cannot be historically verified, they reflect the early church's memory of Publius as one who came to faith through his encounter with the apostle Paul.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Publius," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VIII (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Publius," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.James Hastings (ed.), "Publius," in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. II (T. & T. Clark, 1915–1918).
- 4.George Morrish, "Publius," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).