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This is the final stage of Paul's journey: they took a ship called the “Castor and Pollux” from Malta to Syracuse, (the most important city in Sicily) and after three days headed to Rhegium (now Reggio, de Calabria, on the toe of Italy) and after waiting overnight – possibly for a favourable wind to get them through the Straits of Messina to Puteoli (the port that received Alexandrian grain ships, now Pozzuoli). They stayed there for a week. Julius must have had business to attend do in the area, so Paul was able to have fellowship with the local Church – travelling Christians had already brought the gospel to this port. And then they headed by road to Rome. There was already a Church. or rather a fascinating collection of house churches, in Rome: Paul had already written to them three years before, trying to arrange a visit. What an encouragement as somehow the Christians in Rome heard of his arrival (either the church in Puteoli had sent a message to their Roman friends, or because one or two church folks were actually in positions of authority in the army or government) and set out to meet him on the way; it was almost like an official welcoming party, and it encouraged Paul to know he had real friends in Rome. (Verses 11-16)
As always, Paul started in Rome by contacting the Jewish community. They were still god's people, who had a historic covenant relationship with God. One of the big themes in the letter to Romans is that relationship and it connexion with God's Grace. In his initial contact, Paul was satisfied simply to establish his innocence of any offence against God's Law and his Pharisaic Jewish credentials. The Jewish leaders, for their part, had heard nothing bad about Paul but a fair amount of criticism of “the Jesus way” of living. These guys had probably had some experience of Christians already. They wanted to avoid any trouble. Jews had been thrown out of Rome a few years earlier because of a dispute of riot proportions about the issue of “who is the messiah”? Presumably the Jewish Christians in Rome walked a tight line between loyalty to their Jewish background and commitment to their Christian faith. (Verses 17-22) So they arranged a time to meet in Paul’s house to discuss what Paul believed. And when they met Paul's theme was not his own authority but the Gospel. He preaches to the Jews about the Kingdom. Some were convinced by Paul's arguments. Others were not, and Paul told those guys that even their rejection of Christ was something prophesied (Isaiah ). And as he had done elsewhere, Paul announced that he would go to the gentiles. “They would listen”. (Verses 23- 28.)
So arguments continued among the Jews about Jesus. That's no bad thing. As with Paul himself, the Holy Spirit was still speaking and convicting people . We can be content if as a result of our witness, there is a debate happening, a big discussion about Jesus. And Paul's ministry, among the gentiles, continued unhindered for the next two years. (Verses 29-32. )
The point:
Luke gives a number of details – some simply providing local colour; some that we can no doubt learn from. But Luke wants to leave us with answers to a couple of important questions:
1. What is the Gospel? That was a question he had sought to answer in his letter to the Romans. Luke says Paul was “testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the prophets” He wanted to show them that he message of Jesus was what the Old Testament was unavoidably, inexorably, leading to. He explained from the Old testament that Jesus was the Messiah, the Kingdom Bringer. That means he is “Immanuel, God with us"; it means he brings a new age of peace and hope to the world; it means he is the Suffering Servant who was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our sins. Now it is interesting that when we went to the Gentiles, he was once again speaking about “The Kingdom” and a the whole Jesus story. For Gentiles as well as Jews, Paul's Gospel was about the Kingdom of God. Do we know what the Gospel is? Can we sum it up in a few short sentences? Does our way of talking about the Gospel agree with Paul’s: is it about God's kingdom or just about our ticket to Heaven?
2 Who is it for? It is for everyone! Paul began with the Jews because they have an historic covenant with the Lord. God wants them to be his people. He doesn't want to turn his back on them: he doesn't want to turn his back on anybody! But when the Jews had their opportunity to hear and respond, Paul went to the Gentiles, as he had been called to do. “This salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles.” (v. 28)The fact is – whether it offends Jews or not – this message has to go to the nations, and Paul knows that the gentiles will listen. The message is for all who will hear it. And today, that message is for a who will hear it. The message of Jesus is for you – if you will listen. Do we as beleivers sometimes forget that and think the Gospel is only for people like us. We are the type that God prefers. But it is for everyone.
The point Luke is driving home is that we proclaim An upside-down Kingdom about God establishing his rule in the world through the death of Jesus for our sins, that is for gentiles as well as Jews and that has a transforming effect, building a community of love and encouragement.
The problem.
It seems there are a number of loose ends as Luke finishes Acts. What happens to these Roman Christians, as they are never spoken of again? And what happens to Paul at the end of those two years which should have been long enough for his accusers to get a case together if they dared? Was he tried and executed? Was he set free? Is Luke writing as the two years draw to a close, without himself knowing what was going to happen to Paul? It looks like Paul had a period of freedom after this imprisonment when he wrote the later letters – to Timothy and Titus. But we simply don’t know. The whole narrative seems to end so abruptly. But Luke who begain writing an “orderly account” for Theophilus finishes with what F F Bruce calls an “impressive and artistic conclusion”.
The difference.
What we do know – and what I think Luke wants us to realise, is that
1. The Gospel is more important than Paul. Paul knew that. Luke knew it. We need to learn the lesson that the Gospel and the Kingdom of god are more important that us. The Gospel is more important than me or Pam or Allan or Ruth. The Gospel is more important than Lighthouse Kids or Gateway or Rosyth Baptist Church or for that matter the Baptist Union of Scotland. The Gospel is more important than CLAN or Faith Mission or Street Pastors. A few years ago we sometimes talked about churches or organisations as “Causes”. The Union might talk about a “new Cause in Rosyth.” But we are not causes. We are effects. Our life together as churches is the result of Gospel preaching and Kingdom living. In the end, it is not a matter of what happens to us or our Church. It is what becomes of this gospel and this kingdom,
2. Whatever happened to Paul later, in these two years, the Gospel is the power of God. Jesus is the Victor. Luke shows us Paul, proclaiming the Jesus message, “openly and unhindered”. This message that Theophilus had been informed about, was not some dangerous, subversive thing. Yes it could “turn the world upside down” but it was not seen as a threat. Paul spent two years, in constant company of a Roman soldier, his activities no doubt reported to the higher authorities, and nobody said a word of complaint! This is the power of the Gospel, the triumph of the Kingdom, the victory of Jesus in Rome! The Gospel is still the Power of God. Jesus is still the victor. The Kingdom still advances. We are not meant to be living in defeat.
3. So Luke leaves us with a springboard for that Gospel to go further than ever. The loose end isn't a loose end. Luke has already hinted at this when he tells us that Paul said “salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles,” because Paul is not just taking about the local, Roman situation; he is talking about the mission and shape of the Church for the rest of time. Luke has told us about the way the Good News travelled from Jerusalem, round Asia and Greece, to reach Rome. But Rome isn’t the final destination; as in the writing of the letter to the Romans, it is only a stopping off point. There is Spain, Gaul, that dark and wild island called Britannia. And from that island, mission to India, China, America, Africa. And from our lives, to people round about us we can't really imagine would ever trust in Jesus.
© Gilmour Lilly February 2015
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