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Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
-- (Acts 28:30-31)
OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this lesson, the students should know that:
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Sometimes the Lord will allow our confining circumstances to serve His purpose. |
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Despite our sincere offering of the Gospel, we should not expect all who hear us to accept Jesus. |
Acts 28:16-25a, 28-31
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 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 eveing.
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.
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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.
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.
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SESSION OVERVIEW
Today's lesson takes us to the end of the book of Acts. The Roman Empire was ruled by its disturbed emperor, Nero. Paul was in Rome to exercise his right as a Roman citizen to appeal his case to Caesar, against his Jewish antagonists back in Judea who accused him of a wide range of charges (see Acts 25:1-11). Prior to gaining an audience with Nero, he was placed under house arrest upon his arrival in Rome, with a Roman soldier as his custodian (Acts 28:16).
During a brief meeting with a delegation of Roman Jews, he witnessed to them. Some believed in Jesus, but some did not. The lesson closes with a description of Paul's activity during his two-year stay in confinement.
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INTRODUCTION
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Upon his arrival in Rome after a tumultuous journey by sea, when he experienced shipwreck and was bitten by a snake (see Acts 27-28), Paul was placed under house arrest, with a Roman guard to watch him. It seems that his confinement was not harsh. He was able to receive visitors. Apparently, the violent persecution of Christians during the years AD 64-68 had not begun; therefore, there is no hint of Paul being cast into prison at this point. Although confident, in typical fashion Paul shared the Gospel with any who would listen, and this included a delegation of prominent Roman Jews who visited him and listened to what he had to say concerning Jesus.
Some believed--some did not. Although his confinement at this stage seemed somewhat benign, later church tradition seems to indicate that he met a violent end by beheading. The eminent fourth-century church historian and bishop of Caesarea, Eusebius, informed us that Paul was eventually executed sometime between AD 64-68, after Nero set fire to the city of Rome and then, to throw the attention off of himself, blamed the Christians. However, the way the lesson text is presented makes it seem that Paul's confinement was prior to Nero's rampage. The lesson and the book of Acts end with Paul ministering in peace to anyone who visited him.
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COMMENTARY ON THE TEXT
I. Paul in Rome for Christ's Sake (Acts 28:16-22)
Upon Paul's arrival in Rome, he was immediately placed under house arrest (verse 16). Three days later, he notified several prominent Roman Jews of his arrival. He did so for the purpose of introducing himself, as well as giving them the reason for his being there--which was to exercise his right as a Roman citizen to gain a personal office with the emperor to argue his case, even though he was innocent of the charges lodged against him (verses 17-19).
In everything, you can trust God. God may not make you comfortable or secure, but He will provide opportunity for His work. Even though the Jews in Rome never met Paul, they were curious to learn about the Christian faith, a movement that had been ill-spoken of throughout the Roman Empire (verses 21-22).
II. Paul Shares the Gospel: Some Accept and Others Reject (Acts 28:23-25)
As was his habit, whenever he had a chance, Paul shared the Gospel with whomever he encountered. His Jewish visitors were no different. After their initial meeting, they met at a mutually agreed time and he painstakingly shared Christ with them in a systematic manner, via the Scriptures, from morning until evening.
Apparently, the number of visitors was great. Paul was regarded as a great teacher of the law, having been a student of Gamaliel. First-century tradition dictated that all great scholars deserved a hearing (verse 23). Naturally, some were persuaded that he was telling the truth and accepted Christ, and others did not. In fact, those who disagreed with him left after he quoted words from Isaiah 6:9-10 (verses 24-25).
III. A Period of Peace and a Season of Preaching (Acts 28:28-31)
The book of Acts ends peaceably. Paul was under house arrest; he was chained (see verse 20), but otherwise, his conditions were not harsh. He was not free to leave, but he could receive visitiors and hold extended teaching sessions with them. In fact, as one group left, he told them as they went that God had presented the Gospel to the Gentiles and that they were open to accepting it. This, of course, offended the visiting Jews' sensibilities and they left in a somewhat agitated state (verses 28-29). The writer, Luke, then informed us that Paul remained in his quarters for two years with access to anyone that he desired, preaching the Gospel with no problems whatsoever (verses 30-31).
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THE APPLICATION OF SCRIPTURE
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In Rome, Paul shared the Gospel with the Jews. He did not count his pain as an excuse to stop preaching the Good News. Likewise, every opportunity that we have, we must engage in sharing the Gospel. Our silence can also be a means of sharing the Good News. When people see us, they should be willing to hear the Gospel.
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