Paul Preaches Under Roman Guard—The Gospel of Christ is Confined to Personal Space

Acts 28:17-31

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

• Innocent but imprisoned and kept in chains.
• Paul explains why he is a prisoner in Rome.
• The thorns of division and conflict choke out the hearing of the testimony of Jesus.
• Paul preached the Gospel of Christ from his guarded quarters.

Innocent but imprisoned and kept in chains.
“And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: “Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans…” Acts 28:17

“After three days” refers to three days after Paul was imprisoned in Rome and kept under guard [day and might] by a Roman soldier [as described in Acts 28:16]. He was also bound in chains. After those three days, Paul gathered the Jewish leaders within Rome to his jail cell, bound by chains. He began speaking to them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul wanted to make it clear to them that he did not come against the Jewish people or the customs of the Jewish culture. Paul’s only intention was to make known that Jesus is the fulfillment of all prophecies of the Old Testament. Jesus is the Christ, Son of God, and Savior of the world. For that reason, the Jewish people delivered him to the Romans as a prisoner.

Today, Christians and the Gospel of Christ are “imprisoned” and kept under guard day and night. The testimony of Jesus is bound in chains. This is obvious because the Gospel has been abandoned by the churches, government lawmakers do not integrate the values of the Bible in policies and laws, the educational system does not allow the teaching of the Bible in classrooms, and Christianity is not welcomed in any sector of society. As followers of Christ, our hands are nailed to put in chains our ability to share our born-again experience. Our feet are nailed to put in chains our ability to mobilize the spread of the Gospel. A crown of thorns is on our head to put in chains the freedom of thought in the word of God. Our heart is pierced with a spear and there is heartache, as Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice…” John 16:20

We might not be in prison with steel bars, but like Paul, we are kept in a room away from the general population, or mainstream society. We bring no harm to those around us, as we are sheep, and Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd. We hear His voice. We have no desire of being destructive to our cultural heritage, or to today’s atheistic culture. Our Lord Jesus wants our spirit to be sanctified/cleansed from feeling like we want to call fire down from the skies upon those who oppose us, as quoted, “And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them…?” But [Jesus] turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” Luke 9:54-56 Only because we talk about the need to believe in God, to acknowledge our need for Jesus Christ, and to embrace the Holy Spirit, we are kept as “prisoners” within an atheistic culture.

The reason the testimony of Jesus Christ is not permitted to permeate through today’s culture is because He teaches us that our body is His temple, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God…” 1 Corinthians 6:19 This conflicts with today’s culture who serves the entity that intertwines itself within thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors. This entity sets within the temple of God, our body, as if it is God, and is the one “…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 The “he” in this verse is the “man of sin”. Click here for a post on the “man of sin”.

Paul explains why he is a prisoner in Rome.
“…who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. ” Acts 28:18-19

The Jewish people protested to the Roman officials against releasing Paul from custody, they wanted him to be imprisoned and executed. This is when Paul was imprisoned for a little over two years in Judea under the watch of Felix and Porcius Festus, Acts 23:23-24 and Acts 24:27. Paul wasn’t released, he appealed his imprisonment and was sent to Rome. Paul didn’t appeal to be tried in Rome to accuse the Jewish culture, but rather that he could plead his case as a Chrisitan living for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today, government leaders, politicians, and community leaders market themselves in public as being the Christ that is trying to bring peace, love, unity, and kindness to the world. It would seem that if anyone would appreciate the fruit of the Spirit in Christians, it would be the leaders who promote those qualities. It would seem that while we are being scrutinized, despised, and treated as outcasts by today’s culture, we would be able to appeal to the governing authorities. Not that we want to accuse anyone, but simply plead the case as peacemakers, being harmless, and only living for the Gospel of Christ.

As we know, the Romans kept Paul in prison in agreement with the Jewish culture and eventually executed him. Today, we see that is the real agenda of the global government and its global culture, to eradicate the presence of Christians and the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel of Christ has been abandoned by the churches, government lawmakers no longer integrate the values of the Bible into laws and policies, the educational system does not allow the teaching of the Bible in classrooms, and the spread of the Gospel of Christ is not wanted in any sector of society.

Why are Christians shunned in today’s culture? Because we want the presence of the Holy Spirit to speak and live through us, but today’s culture wants the entity that has power over physiology to speak and live through them. The atheistic entity replaces the conscience and spirit [while oppressing the Holy Spirit] to intertwine itself within the thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors of people everywhere. This entity gives life to the image of the beast to speak and live through people as they are groomed to the mark of the beast by what they are given to say and do. This entity sets in the temple of God, our body, as if it is God. This is the one “…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 The “he” in this verse is the “man of sin”. Click here for a post on the “man of sin”.

“For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.” Acts 28:20

Paul wanted to speak to the leaders of the Jewish culture about Jesus Christ because He is the hope of Israel. If the Jewish people would have received Jesus as Christ and Son of God 2000 years ago, the tragedy happening to them in this modern world, since 1948, would never have happened. The war-battered Jewish State of Israel would never have existed, and the holocaust would never have happened. That’s because as Christians, we do not have a country on this earth to call our own, we do not share a national identity. Our country is the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and earth. Whatever country we are in, we obey their laws and live peaceably with others the best way we can. “…be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.” Titus 3:1-2

Why do we want to share our born-again experience? Because this is the Gospel of Christ written on our heart, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” Romans 1:16 In the same way that the Jewish people could have spared all of their misery by coming to Jesus Christ, so can the culture of this world. Because they don’t, tragedy and tribulation is coming to them. Global warming is already here, and it is the Fourth Plague of Revelation 16:8-9. The United Nations will succeed in becoming established as the one world government [like the Jewish people succeeded in having the State of Israel], and they will have peace for a “half hour” before the events of the Seven Trumpets are unleashed. “When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” Revelation 8:1 Click here for a post on that. The opening of the Seventh Seal reveals the events of the Seven Trumpets in Revelation 8, 9, 11.

“Then they said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.” Acts 28:21-22

The Jewish leaders seem to be wanting to “wipe the slate clean” and kind of giving Paul a chance to “start from a clean slate”. From that clean slate, they wanted to hear Paul’s opinion about the Christian “sect” which they knew was spoken against everywhere. Even then, they had to have known that Paul was a powerful and influential person of the “sect” that they already perceived as being evil. After all, before coming to Jesus Christ, Paul was a very powerful Pharisee, rising up in the power rankings of Jewish leaders. Paul was also a naturally born Roman citizen. His father was a Roman and his mother was Jewish. On behalf of the Jewish culture and Roman Empire, Paul arrested, persecuted, and consented to the killing of Christians. The Jewish leaders of Rome would have been very much out of touch not to hear anything against Paul, the leader of the “wicked sect” of Christianity.

Today, the atheistic culture, which is global, will offer us a “clean slate” saying they know of nothing against us. They are giving us a chance not to express belief in God, not to talk about the need for Jesus Christ, and not to give reverence for the Holy Spirit as part of the Trinity of God. Our slate will remain clean if none of that is spoken about. However, when we begin speaking of the Gospel of Christ, we are made the enemy of today’s culture.

Only Jesus Christ can cleanse us from sin and sanctify our spirit, “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” [Church Song]

The thorns of division and conflict choke out the hearing of the testimony of Jesus.
“So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.” Acts 28:23

A time and date were scheduled for Paul to explain the kingdom of God, by the testimony of Jesus Christ, to the Jewish leaders who were in Rome. Many came to hear what he had to say about the “sect” [Christianity] that was spoken against everywhere. Paul used the Law of Moses and the words of the Prophets to reveal Jesus as the Christ and Son of God.

In those days, there was no New Testament Bible like we have today because Jesus Christ is the New Testament. In those days, the Old Testament was used to reveal how our Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of the coming of the Christ. In fact, those who were teaching the kingdom of God plainly talk about Jesus being present in the Old Testament. Jesus Himself said, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.” John 5:46 Paul also said that Jesus Christ was present in the Old Testament, as quoted, “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” 1 Corinthians 10:1-5

For us today, the Old Testament and New Testament is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As followers of Jesus, we realize that all we need to be right with God is Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is our guarantee of eternal life, as quoted “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14 We are the “purchased redemption“, purchased by the blood of Christ and will be redeemed when resurrected from the grave and into the New Jerusalem.

Like Paul, we will present the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the morning of our born-again experience to the evening hours of within this atheistic culture of today.

“And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved…And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.” Acts 28:24, 29

When teaching about Jesus Christ to the Jewish people, there was always those who believed and those who did not. This resulted in a lot of turbulence within the Jewish culture, within the territory of the Roman Empire. Today, if we did have a chance to share our born-again experience [the Gospel of Christ written on our heart], there is always going to be conflict and division, as if by design. Those who instigate conflict are the thorns choking out the planted Gospel seed, “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 1:4

Criticism is the last thing those of today’s culture wants to hear about themselves. When we say we are all sinners in need of Jesus Christ, they take offense to that and become defensive, argumentative, and even combative.

“So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying, ‘Go to this people and say: “Hearing you will hear, and will not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.”’ “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.” Acts 28:25-29

Paul preached the Gospel of Christ from his guarded quarters.
“Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.” Acts 28:30-31

As followers of Jesus Christ, we may be prohibited from bringing the Gospel of Christ to public places, but if someone comes to us then that is the opportunity to share our born-again experience, which is the Gospel written on our heart. They can take the testimony of Jesus out of their culture, but they can’t take away the love God has for us, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39

What happened to Paul after those two years of imprisonment? He was executed by beheading. We know that Paul’s missionary journeys came to an end during his two-year imprisonment in Rome. After that, nothing more is recorded of any such missionary work. Also, nothing more is heard from Luke, who was Paul’s companion and who recorded the events of his missionary journeys of Acts. Luke’s last words are those written in the verses of this section, Acts 28:30-31. We know Luke wrote the gospel of Luke before teaming up with Paul on his missionary journeys [as described in the post on Acts 1:1-3]. Luke made an account of all that Jesus did and taught before traveling with Paul. There is nothing more heard about Luke’s ministry after the two years he spent with Paul during his imprisonment in Rome.

Nero was the Roman Emperor while Paul was imprisoned in Rome. He was brutal and cruel in the killing of Christians. His intent was to purge the Roman Empire of Christianity. Paul and Luke would have been high on his list to target for elimination. They were both leaders of the Church and “galvanized” the faith of those living for Jesus Christ.

Paul’s missionary journeys came to an end before his imprisonment in Rome, as described in the next paragraph. Paul’s missionary journeys began in Acts 13 and ended in Acts 21:26-36 when he was arrested by Roman soldiers in Jerusalem. The remaining seven chapters of Acts describe Paul’s arrest, jail transfers, court trials, and eventual transfer to Rome.

Soon after Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem, he was escorted to Judea where he was imprisoned under the watch of Felix and Porcius Festus, Acts 23:23-24 and Acts 24:27. Paul was imprisoned there for a little over two years. He wrote some of his letters to the Churches while there. Paul appealed his imprisonment and wanted a trial in Rome, which Porcius Festus granted [Acts 25:11-12]. Paul had to be transported to Rome, by ship, which took at least four months due to severe weather as described in Acts chapters 27 and 28. The trip from Israel to Rome was about 1400 miles as a bird flies. The ship had to dock in Malta [Acts 28:1-10] through the winter months [Acts 28:11]. There were at least four months between Paul’s first imprisonment in Judea and his second imprisonment in Rome [Paul wrote some other of his letters to the Churches from Rome]. For over four years, Paul was under constant guard as a prisoner; two years in Judea, at least four months traveling to Rome, and another two years in Rome.

Before Paul visited Jerusalem, where he was arrested [Acts 21:26-36], he prophesied of his death twice, in two different locations. From this, we are led to believe that Paul was executed by beheading after being imprisoned in Rome for two years. When Paul was in Ephesus, he prophesied of his impending death as a result of his soon-to-be visit to Jerusalem. Ephesus was the stop before he came to Ptolemais, where he again spoke of his impending death as a result of his soon-to-be visit to Jerusalem. From Ptolemais, Paul made his visit to Jerusalem, where he was arrested by Roman soldiers. He was transferred to Judea where he was imprisoned for a little over two years. From Judea, Paul was transferred to Rome where he was imprisoned for another two years and executed,

In Ephesus, Paul said to fellow Christians that they would see his face no more and encouraged them to shepherd the Church of God, through Jesus Christ, as quoted, “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more...Therefore take heed to yourselves… to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. …Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more.” Acts 20:25, 27, 37-38

From Ephesus, Paul sailed and came to Ptolemais, where once again he speaks of his impending death after his arrest in Jerusalem was prophesied about, as quoted, “When [Phillip] had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 21:11-13

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11