‘And when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came, and were cured, who also honoured us with many honours, and when we sailed, they put on board such things as we needed.'
The natural result of this was that many people on the island brought their sick and they were all healed (a different word from Acts 28:8 but used elsewhere in Acts of Peter's healings (Acts 5:16)). And as a result the people honoured them with many honours. They were received with complete acceptance and treated with great respect.
There is an interesting parallel here with Luke 4:38-40. In both cases a relative of an associate is healed, followed by wholesale healings of the people who come to him. But we must not overpress this. There are significant differences.
As is often the case throughout Acts the Christian evangelism is simply assumed (we can compare Cyprus (Acts 13:6), Philippi, Caesarea). There were the large number of people saved from certain death who had already learned about God from Paul's behaviour on board. It would be unusual indeed if some had not shown an interest. There were the people who observed the incident of the snake. They too would have been intrigued. There was the fact that they had seen Paul as a god. He could hardly leave things like that. There were those who were healed and their relatives who came from all around the island. They would be open to the Gospel. We cannot doubt that every opportunity was take to present the Good News and that many responded. Paul must have been very busy. Such a response is in fact what this behaviour of the people implies. ‘They honoured us with many honours, and when we sailed, they put on board such things as we needed.' They were expressing their wholehearted gratitude. not only for healing of body, but also for healing of soul. But Luke's emphasis here is not on that, but on reaching Rome.
Paul Meets With Disciples For Seven Days at Puteoli and Then At The Appii Forum (Acts 28:14-15).
Paul is now rapturously welcomed as he approaches Rome with the Christian's equivalent of the emperor's Triumph being granted to him. First at Puteoli, then at the Appii Forum and then at The Three Taverns he is greeted with joy before taking up residence in his own private residence. One of God's Witnesses of the resurrection has come to Rome to establish the Kingly Rule of God (Acts 1:8).