John Calvin Commentary Acts 28:12

"And touching at Syracuse, we tarried there three days." — Acts 28:12 (ASV)

When we were come to Syracuse. Luke continues to describe the remainder of their voyage, stating that they first arrived in Sicily. After that, because of the storm and the raging sea, they took a roundabout course and sailed over to Italy.

The harbor Luke speaks of here is the most famous in all Sicily. It is farther from the coast of Italy than Messina, which is opposite Rhegium, a place he also mentions. Rhegium is in the region of the Bruttians, as is Puteoli, a city in Campania.

Since the believers kept Paul at Puteoli for seven days, we gather from this how favorably and gently the centurion treated Paul. I do not doubt that the holy man would have given him a faithful promise to return at the appointed time. But the centurion was convinced of Paul's integrity, so he was not afraid that Paul would deceive him.

And from this, we also gather that the seed of the gospel had already been sown there, since there was a community of the Church even at Puteoli.