The Rest of the Story

Introduction

When we were last in the book of Acts Paul was in Rome. Let’s again look at Paul’s situation.

In Romans 28:16 we read, “When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself with a soldier to guard him.”

Paul was there for three days and he called for a meeting with the leaders of the Jews, but they knew nothing about what Paul was talking about. In fact they replied, “We have not received any letter from Judea concerning you, and none of the brothers who have from from there has reported or said anything bad about you. But we want to hear what your views are, for we know people everywhere are talking against this sect.”

So they arranged for a time to come together to discuss his views. Look at verse 23.

Paul’s Testimony About Jesus

Acts 28:23–24 NIV84

They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.

Acts 28:23-

I love the fact, that they came out in large numbers to the place where Paul was staying.

It took Paul the entire day to explain and to declare to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus. . .

Like always Paul appealed to what the Jews knew—the Law of Moses and the writings of the Prophets.

It would be great, if everyone we shared about Jesus would fall in love with Jesus, but it simply is not that way. Even here in Rome the Jewish leaders were divided. Some were convinced by what he [Paul] said, but others would not believe.

Just like today, people may hear the same message, some will eagerly accept the message, while others will reject the message.

The disagreement became worse when Paul made his final statement.

Acts 28:25-28

Acts 28:25–28 NIV84

They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: “ ‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” 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.’ “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”

The Bottom Line

Paul concludes his teaching with this idea: “I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”

The book of Acts ends with verse 30, “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.”

After Acts

So what happened after the book of Acts?

Some scholars believe Paul continued to be in prison, and was there until he was ultimately beheaded. However, this does not seem to match up with some of Paul’s other writings.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Last Years

Conservative scholars have argued that Paul was indeed released after two years, since the charges against him were groundless; that he possibly traveled to Spain as he had hoped (Rom 15:24, 28); that he returned to the east, visiting Crete (Ti 1:5), Ephesus and Macedonia (1 Tm 1:3), Miletus and Corinth (2 Tm 4:20), Troas (2 Tm 4:13), and Nicopolis (on the western coast of the Greek mainland, Ti 3:12); that he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus during this period of freedom; that finally he was imprisoned again after AD 64 (the year of the great fire in Rome, which led to the Neronian persecution of Christians); that he wrote 2 Timothy during this second imprisonment in Rome; and that he was decapitated under Nero between the years 65 and 67. Most likely, Paul was not yet 60 years old when he became a martyr for the faith.

This reconstruction of events is somewhat speculative, but it seems to account for the data more clearly than other suggestions. However, even if Paul was indeed released after the imprisonment described in Acts 28, it must be emphasized that almost nothing is known about his activities after such a release. In other words, the real significance of Paul’s ministry must be deduced from the material actually found in the Book of Acts and in the major Pauline letters. God in his wisdom had determined that Paul would be “my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:15, 16). The evidence is clear: Paul was obedient to the heavenly vision (26:19), and his ministry made possible the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth.

What we know, is that after Acts, Paul went on to write 1 Timothy, Titus, and then finally 2 Timothy.

We know that around 64 AD, after the fire in Rome, Paul was again placed in prison, and this time he was placed in the Mamertinum prison where he was eventually beheaded by Nero.

No matter which view you take, the key is Paul was responsible for a large part of the spread of the Gospel!