Rome
Acts of the the Apostles • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Today we come to a close on the book of Acts. Or as we often refer to it “The Acts of the Apostles.” If you’ve been here throughout you’ll know it’s really the Acts of the Holy Spirit. Through all 28 chapters of Acts we have seen the Holy Spirit at work within the followers of Jesus. Calling them to go places they never imagined they’d go. Powerful messages. Incredible miracles. Lives transformed. Confrontations with the Sanhedrin, murder plots, and the proclamation of Jesus as messiah and conqueror of death from the lowest in status to the highest, now making it’s way to Caesar himself.
We left Paul last week stranded on the island of Malta with his Roman captors and many prisoners. They were shipwrecked in the process of transferring all of the prisoners to Rome. You’ll recall that this whole ordeal started for Paul over 2 years prior when the religious leaders, the Sanhedrin, made up of 2 sects, the pharisees and Sadducee, demanded Paul’s arrest because of the trouble he’d been stirring up all over the world. This whole thing started way back in chapter 21, and now here we are in chapter 28 and he’s finally going to be arriving in Rome.
They ended up on this island, Malta. Where there were 2 significant miracles. Paul is first bitten by a viper and lives, so the locals think he is a god. The second event is Paul meets the chief official of the island, Publius, whose father is sick in bed. Paul prayers over him and heals him. Then the rest of the sick on the island were brought to him and they were all healed. After that, the people of the island furnished the ship with any supplies that were needed.
After 3 months on the island, they set out. Luke highlights a detail on the start of the journey that is worth taking a moment to look at.
11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux.
Castor and Pollux. Sons of Zeus. Believed at that time by the greeks and romans to have the power to calm storms and guide ships through perilous waters. Celebrated as protectors of sailors. A reminder of the world in which Paul lived. Everywhere was polytheistic. Paul is entering Rome as a prisoner aboard a ship bearing the images of these pagan gods. No circumstance slows the true God. In fact, he is going to use the tools of the enemy himself to advance His kingdom and draw many more to himself.
They finally arrive Rome, a journey from Malta that takes another 3 weeks or so. We read
15 The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
He made it. He’s finally to Rome. He appealed to Caesar, to Caesar he will go. This years long process. Let’s look at how Luke closes out this account in Acts.
17 Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.
19 The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
21 They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”
23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus.
24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
26 “ ‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” 27 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!
The end. That final sentence summarizes the entirety of Paul’s ministry, and is what we as disciples of Jesus strive for. Proclaim the Kingdom of God. Teach about Jesus. Be bold.
Now there’s a glaring piece of information not here. What about Caesar? We’ll come back to that. For the moment, let’s look at the primary event in this passage.
Paul gets there. He calls together the local Jewish leaders and tells them the events that brought him to Rome. They want to hear what he has to say. They come together and he speaks all day, just as he’s been doing, going back through the scriptures, explaining how the prophets were all pointing to Jesus. He explains the Kingdom of God to them. And then what happens? Some are convinced, others reject.
I think it is so difficult to share the gospel because we are afraid of not communicating well enough. We are afraid of rejection. We are afraid because what if they don’t believe? I have failed. I’m not good enough. In every scenario, with every single person, from Jesus to Peter, from Paul to those we’ve never heard of in the 1st century church, the salvation of Jesus and the truth of the gospel is rejected. I find great comfort in that. As well as great sadness. It is a devastating thing to reject love. To reject salvation. To reject our creator. I wish all could have that assurance of salvation that I have, but in God’s infinite wisdom, He gave us each free will.
Paul proclaims the kingdom and teaches about Jesus, and is rejected by some. You’ll remember right now he is speaking with the Jews. He quotes Isaiah, which drives some of them away. It’s the same scripture that Jesus Himself quotes in Matthew 13, which is commonly referred to as the Parabolic Discourse, the 3rd discourse of Jesus found in the gospel of Matthew. In Matthew, Jesus brings this up for the reason He is speaking in parables.When Jesus quotes it, he is speaking in parables. When Paul does, he is speaking plainly. In both instances, they are rejected. It does not matter how the truth is presented, those who would reject it DO reject it. And those who would receive it, DO receive it.
We still operate the same way. There is a choice we all make to seek the truth or reject the truth. Jesus Himself tells us in His sermon on the mount Matthew 7:7-8
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
If you look for sin, you’ll find it. If you look for the shortcomings in the people and leadership of this church, you will find it. If you seek the truth of scripture and and the kingdom of God on earth, you will find it. Not because of who we are but because of who He is.
Back to verse 28.
28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
Here he is facing that rejection again, and taking them to task, telling them that God’s salvation has been sent to the gentiles.
Now back to that final verse again.
30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!
What about the trial? What happened? It’s most likely that Luke recorded all of this before that came to pass, otherwise I’m sure it would have been included. So there’s a little of speculation as to what specifically happened. We can look to the letters of Paul, as well as Christian tradition. One such letter would be 2 Timothy 4:6-8
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
There’s another verse as well that gives some detail, which is a few verses later.
16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.
A large section of Acts is building to Paul preaching to the most important gentile in the world. Nero. And then we don’t see the end of it. But there’s good reason. Things got really bad for the Christians around this time. To wrap this up, let’s look at a timeline of the end of Paul’s ministry.
61 AD: Paul arrives in Rome after Malta, under house arrest with a guard.
Acts 28:16: “Paul was allowed to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him.”
61-63 AD: Paul spends 2 years preaching and writing Prison Epistles.
Acts 28:30-31: “He lived there two whole years… proclaiming the kingdom of God… with all boldness.”
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon
Late 62 or Early 63 AD: Paul may face a trial, possibly released.
Acts 25:11-12: “I appeal to Caesar!” (No trial outcome in Acts.)
2 Timothy 4:16 (At my first defense...)
July 64 AD: Fire devastates Rome; Nero blames Christians, persecution begins. (1st persecution started and ended with Saul hunting Christians then converting. 2nd Begins with Paul being martyred)
No direct scripture; historical context only.
64-65 AD: Paul rearrested, conditions harsh.
2 Timothy 1:16: “The Lord grant mercy… for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.”
65-67 AD: Paul’s possible appearance before Nero or court.
2 Timothy 4:16-17: “At my first defense… I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.”
66-67 AD: Paul beheaded under Nero.
2 Timothy 4:6 “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.”
His mission was fulfilled. After Paul’s conversion in Acts 9, when he is blinded after encountering Jesus, the disciple the Lord sent to Paul, or Saul as Luke records at the time, is Ananias. You remember what Ananias was told?
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
He proclaimed the name of Jesus to the highest rulers of the land.
Paul was a chosen instrument called for a specific purpose. He had a key role in establishing the early church along with the other apostles. We are not all called to the same locations or positions. What we see in Paul, though, that we each can do, is a willingness and desire to spread the gospel in every circumstance. We can each do that, fully leaning into the personalities and gifts that God has given us. We can each have the basic, fundamental purpose that Paul had.
Proclaim the Kingdom of God
Teach about Jesus
Be Bold
We must belong to the Kingdom to proclaim it. We must know Jesus through the scriptures to teach about Him. And we must have recieved the Holy Spirit through repentance of sins and acceptance of Jesus to be bold in the first two. No matter who we are, that is our calling.
