For two whole years Paul lived in his own rented place and welcomed everyone who came to him. He continued to preach about the kingdom of God and to teach boldly and freely about the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.
Acts 28:30-31
Let’s consider these final two verses which close the Book of Acts. Firstly from a practical view point and then from a literary one.
The Practical View
Paul had called the Jewish leaders of the city together and explained about the Messiah from their own Holy writings, gave his own testimony once again (testified / witnessed) and persuaded them to accept that Jesus Christ was their long awaited Messiah. Now he was free to share the gospel in Rome, just as he had done in every other city around the eastern end of the Mediterranean through to Greece and Macedonia. Now Paul was in Rome, the capital of the empire, the centre of the known world. Not only that, but he was bold and free; open and unhindered. Many commentators think these two words [parresia] and [akolūtos] are in a deliberate pair, the first describing Paul inner state and the second describing Paul’s freedom in Roman capital. Paul’s attitude now must have been that he felt free to speak openly about Christ. He had weathered all kinds of opposition in getting to this point. He was awaiting a hearing before Caesar and so he was free to say what he felt in the Spirit.
The second term is a legal technical term found in many papyri of this period. Paul was legally free, unhindered by the State or any individual person. No man could forbid him from speaking what he wished to say. Imagine Paul in a situation like that for two years. That is the equivalent of the longest time he spent in any other place with the exception of Ephesus where he spent three years. (Acts 20:31) Imagine what Paul must have accomplished in that time he spent under house arrest for two years in the capital of the Roman Empire. He is now in the political hub of the world and able to explain fully his condensed thoughts expressed in his letter to the Romans. Romans is perhaps the clearest outline of Christianity and its implications there is.
- How long did Paul stay chained to the guard?
Some think that he would have been granted more and more freedom over that two year period, but it is purely conjecture. He certainly would not have been able to go and preach in the Forum in the centre of the city. Was he always chained to the guard? I suspect there would have been times when the guard would have been more lax than others. Was he chained to the same guard for two years. I wouldn’t think so. I suspect the guard would have been changed from time to time. But I hasten to add I know of no documentary evidence which throws any light on this matter. We have no recorded statements of the conversion of the guard, or any guard chained to Paul. But as I have written above, there were more likely to have been a series of man who guarded Paul during this time of house arrest in Rome.
In answer to the reader’s question: Did Paul convert the guard with him?
I think it would have been highly likely that he did. Could you imagine being chained night and day to Paul and not influenced by his comments and discussion with you, while also you were privy to the conversations and discussions he had with others? Who were those who would have visited Paul while he was under house arrest? Well I gave you a long list of the names of some of them in Bible Gem 1882 – How Can Paul Know the Names of the Believers in Rome if He has Never Been There Before? (Acts 28:11-16) Could you imagine many of those members of the church in Rome not visiting Paul over this two year period? I imagine he would have held regular meetings with them. Consider too that we are talking about Rome and so we are talking about the church that developed in Rome over the subsequent centuries. Paul’s influence must have been great over those two years. It was only in the centuries after Paul that the Roman church went astray. Actually it was when Constantine declared Christianity to be the religion of the Empire that seeds for the demise of the Roman church were planted.
I would say a number of the Jewish leaders who were convinced by Paul at his all-day meeting with them would have dropped in regularly. I suspect numbers of them would have joined the body of Christ and have been taught by Paul over the two year period of his house arrest. Remember he was bold and unhindered. I suspect that is the source of the mixed church in Rome, predominantly Gentile but Jewish believers as well.
The Literary View
I want to draw your attention to the way Luke has written this account. Acts begins with the Kingdom of God and it ends with the Kingdom of God. The focus of the Kingdom message has moved from the Jews to the Gentiles. The geographic centre has moved from Jerusalem to Antioch to Rome. Now the witnesses have arrived in the centre of the world. The result of change of direction I described in Gem 1683 related to the Holy Spirit blocking Paul from going to Asia and sending him to the West and eventually taking him to Rome. We can see how this has all been God plan, which Luke has been careful to tell us.
Now at the end of the book Luke leaves Paul in Rome with freedom to preach the gospel of the Kingdom. What more does Luke need to tell us? The gospel is now in the place God intended it to be. From here it will be taken to the ends of the earth, only Luke would not be around to write the story.
I will take time to address your remaining questions before we close off the Book of Acts.
Our remaining questions:
- You said the use of “we” stops Ian, does that mean that Luke has now left Paul on his own?
- How does Luke know what was said if he didn’t stay with Paul? It doesn’t mention Luke in the final verses.
- The story has been leading up to appearing before Caesar. So why is that missed out? Did Paul ever appear before Caesar?
- Why doesn’t Luke give us a summary of what happened to Paul after that?
- Why does the story just stop where it does?
- It seems like it doesn’t have an end. Like it is an anti-climax. What is going on Ian?
- Was Paul really a prisoner of Rome or was he primarily a bond slave of Christ? Ian
To forgive is to set the prisoner free…and then discover the prisoner was you.
Anon
Think of who Paul had to forgive after his life journey. Now what about you?
Ian Vail
Troubles to the left of us, threats on the right, danger lurking behind us and obstacles ahead; but that’s alright, there’s God above.
Ian Vail
What is behind you & what is ahead of you are tiny matters compared to what is WITHIN you.
Sidney Mohede