Person New Testament
Publius
Publius, the chief official of Malta, who hosted Paul and his companions for three days after their shipwreck on the island. Mentioned in 2 verses across 1 book, first at Acts 28:7.
Why it matters. Chief official of Malta who hosted Paul
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Publius
Publius was the chief official of the island of Malta, as mentioned in Act.28.7-8. He is described as the "leading man of the island" (Act.28.7), which suggests that he held a position of authority, possibly as a Roman official or a local leader. When Paul and his companions were shipwrecked on Malta, Publius welcomed them and hosted them for three days, showing generous hospitality. During their stay, Paul learned that Publius' father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul visited the father, prayed for him, and laid his hands on him, resulting in the father's healing (Act.28.8). This event likely had a significant impact on Publius and the local population, as it demonstrated the power of the God that Paul served. The hospitality and kindness shown by Publius to Paul and his companions is a notable example of the welcome and support that the early Christians sometimes received from non-believers during their travels.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 2 verses across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.