June 22nd (Paul in Rome) Paul
arrives in Rome
16: And when we came to Rome, the centurion
delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to
dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. 17: And it came to pass, that
after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were
come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed
nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered
prisoner from Jerusalem
into the hands of the Romans. 18: Who, when they had examined me, would have
let me go, because there was no cause of death in me. 19: But when the Jews
spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought
to accuse my nation of. 20: For this cause therefore have I called for you, to
see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.
21: And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that
came shewed or spake any harm of thee. 22: But we desire to hear of thee what
thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is
spoken against. 23: And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to
him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God,
persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the
prophets, from morning till evening. 24: And some believed the things which
were spoken, and some believed not. 25: And when they agreed not among
themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the
Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 26: Saying, Go unto this
people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye
shall see, and not perceive: 27: For the heart of this people is waxed gross,
and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they
should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their
heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 28: Be it known
therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and
that they will hear it. 29: And when he had said these words, the Jews
departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.
Paul
preaching unhindered
30: And Paul dwelt two whole years
in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 31: Preaching
the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which
concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
Luke brings his record of the Acts
of the Apostles to an end by describing Paul’s adventures in Rome. When they arrived in Rome all the prisoners were handed over to
the Roman guard but Paul was allowed to live in a house by himself with a
soldier to keep watch over him. He was under house arrest. After three days
Paul gathered the chief Jews together to speak to them. You will notice that
Pauls practise from the beginning had been to the Jews first and then to the
Gentiles. Paul as an apostle to the Jews calls them together to hear the good
news of the Messiah. He explains the reason for his arrest. He says l have done
nothing wrong, nor have l broken any of the customs of the Fathers yet despite
this l was handed over to the Romans to be executed. But when the Romans looked
into my case they wanted to release me, because l had done nothing worthy of
death. When the Jews spoke against me l was compelled to appeal to Caesar. This
is why l have called for you to speak to you. l am here in chains because of
the hope of Israel.
The Jews said that they had not heard anything about the case and we want to
hear from you and what you believe, We have heard things about this group and
we know that it is opposed everywhere. So they set a day when Paul could be
heard and the Jews came to his lodging to hear him speak. Paul preached
concerning the whole rule of God and persuaded them about Jesus of Nazareth. He
preached Christ from the Law and the prophets from first thing in the morning
to evening time. Some of the Jews believed the Gospel and some refused to
believe it. The Jews were divided as to what Paul said. Luke comments that
Isaiah prophesied well when he said Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye
shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not
perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull
of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their
eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be
converted, and I should heal them. So Paul formally broke off from the Jews
because of their official rejection of his message. He said, I want you to know
that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear
it. After Paul had spoken these words the Jews left him and they had a great
discussion among themselves. Paul lived for two years in his own private
apartment and he had freedom to receive all visitors. He continued to preach
the kingdom of God and teaching everything about the
Lord Jesus Christ, with total confidence, and no body was able to stopping him
in this work. And so this ends Luke’s Record. Luke has recorded the ministry of
the Apostles. Firstly Peters ministry mainly in Jerusalem and Judea and Then
Pauls ministry in Northern Palestine, Turkey, Macedonia, Greece and now Rome.
In every place the ministry of the Apostles has been quite unique in that the
Gospel of the Kingdom has gone out to the Jews of the whole Roman world. Nearly
every Synagogue of the Jews has been touched by their preaching and most of the
time it has been rejected by them. But there is another story the unfolding of
the Gospel to the Gentiles. Starting from chapter 10 with the conversion of
Cornelius who was a Jewish Proselyte the Gospel has gone out first to the
Gentiles who are living as circumcised God fearing Proselytes and then to the
Gentiles who have no link to Judaism the message of Christ has made large
inroads into the masses of the Roman Empire.
There have been many crisis’, such as the Question of whether Gentiles are to
be forced to take up Judaism in order to be saved or whether christians can be
legitimately persecuted and executed as enemies of the Jewish religion. And the
Gospel has triumphed over all. Even at the last chapter the Word of the Lord is
still going out unhindered.
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