Rome at Last

Scripture Reading: Acts 28:11-31, Isaiah 6:9-10, 2 Timothy 4:6-8

At last. Paul had made it to Rome, ready to preach the gospel. And nothing had been able to prevent him from his mission: not persecution, not natural disasters, not religious or political authorities. Not even house arrest.

He welcomed all who visited him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. 
—Acts 28:30–31

Although he had a guard present with him at all times, he was still able to enjoy a large amount of freedom. For two years, Paul was able to preach the gospel. Even in limited freedom, he remained committed to helping others know and understand the kingdom of God.

This is for us an example of what it means to serve God faithfully in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. The book of Acts has shown us that our status as followers of Christ doesn’t exclude us from opposition. Instead, as we share the message of hope in a broken world, we should expect resistance. The gospel had transformed Paul, along with others mentioned in previous chapters, so much so that they began to passionately proclaim the kingdom of God.

Perhaps Acts doesn’t end the way we would expect it to; many consider the ending abrupt. It is widely known that Paul died in Rome; however, Luke mentions nothing about the apostle’s death. Acts is more than a historical account that biographs the lives of the apostles or any other member from the early Church period. As prominent as Paul and Peter are throughout the book, the gospel is the main character and its journey from Jerusalem to Rome drives the plot.

Jesus told His disciples that they would carry His message from Jerusalem to the world. Ancient Rome was not considered the world’s edge during the first century. However, it was one of the most important, populated cities. It was also a major gateway city through which visitors traveled. As the gospel spread throughout Rome, it also had the opportunity to extend beyond Rome to other parts of the world.

The story of the spread of the gospel and the Church’s growth didn’t end in this last chapter. Instead of giving us a conclusion, Luke set us up for a continuation of the story—one that has continued up to our present day. As members of God’s community of believers, we have been transformed by Jesus’s message of good news. Like Paul, we actively participate in “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 28:31).

We take the truth of the gospel everywhere we go, eager to see the Holy Spirit at work in us and around us.

Written by Tameshia Williams