We learned yesterday about Paul arriving in Rome, a place of great influence, where he hopes to convince Caesar, the Emperor, about the good news of Jesus Christ, and anyone else he meets.
He tried to share it with some of his fellow Jews, but was rejected by all but a few. Does he give up? No…there is great progress, and great potential.
The book of Acts ends with these two lines:
[30] He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, [31] proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. (Acts 28:30-31 ESV)
The book of Acts began with Jesus commissioning his followers to take the gospel to Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, then the ends of the earth. We’ve seen Paul transform from formidable opponent of Christianity to its biggest proponent. We’ve seen him travel to those exact places, sharing the good news of Jesus at each stop.
Now Paul finds himself at the centre of the Roman Empire, where those from the ends of the earth come, and from which the Roman Empire sends its messengers, soldiers and rulers. Now, Rome will also be a center of mission for the Christian church as well.
It says he was able to do this without hindrance. Finally. After all kinds of hindrance from angry crowds, religious authorities and local rulers, he finally has some peace.
This doesn’t last, of course, Christians continued to be persecuted, even as they are today, for example in Iraq. But for a time, Paul had some peace to write, speak, and see the Christian movement grow in influence. It seems like God had him exactly where he needed him to have maximum impact, an impact we still see today!
Question: Why do you think it’s relevant that Paul lived there at his own expense?
Meeting with a Group? Your discussion questions are in this week’s Group Study Guide
[permalink append=”#comments”]Discuss the Challenge[/permalink]Two Dates to Remember:
- Our Outdoor Movie Night Returns – THIS FRIDAY – September 19th at 7:30pm in Ajax – More Info