Book of Acts: Difference between revisions

|Abbreviation=Ac

|Class.=New Testament

|Writer=Luke

|Date (Approx.)=c. 61–63 BC

|2-3||The Work of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

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|6-7||The Martyrdom of Stephen

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|9||The  Conversion of Apostle Paul

====Paul’s Mission to Rome====  

:When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, he reported to the elders of the church about all that God had accomplished through his missionary journeys. A few days later, some Jews from Asia (modern-day southwestern Turkey) saw Paul in the temple and began to spread false accusations against him, inciting the crowd. As a riot broke out, the commander of the Roman troops intervened with his soldiers and ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. With the commander’s permission, Paul addressed the people in his own defense, but his words only further inflamed the crowd. The commander then ordered Paul to be flogged and interrogated. However, when he learned that Paul was a Roman citizen, he became alarmed and immediately halted the proceedings.<br>

:The next day, the Roman commander assembled the Sanhedrin—the Jewish council—to question Paul. Standing before them, Paul declared that he was a [[The Pharisees|Pharisee]] and that he was on trial because of his hope in the resurrection of the dead. This statement immediately caused a sharp dispute between the Pharisees, who believed in the resurrection, and the [[The Sadducees|Sadducees]], who denied it. That night, God appeared to Paul and said, “Take courage. As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”<br>

:A few days later, King Agrippa (Herod Agrippa II) visited the newly appointed Governor Festus in Caesarea. When Agrippa expressed interest in hearing from Paul personally, a formal hearing was arranged. During the hearing, Paul defended his innocence and recounted the story of his conversion—from his former life as a devout Jew to his faith in Christ. He explained that if he was guilty of anything, it was for proclaiming the message of salvation and the hope of the resurrection foretold by [[Moses]] and the prophets. At one point, Festus interrupted, declaring that Paul had gone mad. King Agrippa, intrigued, asked whether Paul was trying to persuade him to become a Christian. In the end, Agrippa admitted that Paul had done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment, remarking that he could have been set free if he had not appealed to [[Caesar]].

: Paul was transported to Rome by ship. During a brief stay at Fair Havens, a harbor on the island of Crete, Paul warned that continuing the voyage would be dangerous. However, the centurion chose to trust the ship’s captain instead and set sail. Soon after, a violent storm arose, and the ship drifted helplessly for many days. On the fourteenth night, they neared land. At daybreak, as they tried to reach the shore, the vessel struck a sandbar and was wrecked. Fearing that the prisoners might escape, the Roman soldiers planned to kill them, but the centurion, wishing to spare Paul, ordered everyone to swim or float to shore. All safely reached land on the island of Malta (Melite). When Paul was bitten by a viper and suffered no harm, the locals believed he was a god. Paul then healed many of the island’s sick through prayer and the laying on of hands. In gratitude, the people of Malta honored Paul and his companions with great kindness and hospitality. After spending three months on the island during the winter, they finally set sail again for Rome.

:The believers in Rome came out to welcome Paul as he approached the city. Three days after his arrival, Paul called together the Jewish leaders living in Rome. He explained the circumstances that had led to his imprisonment, emphasizing that he had done nothing against the Law of Moses or the Jewish people, and that he was not in Rome to bring accusations against his own nation before the emperor. The Jewish leaders later gathered at Paul’s lodging, where he spoke with them from morning until evening, using the Scriptures to testify about Jesus Christ. Paul remained under house arrest in Rome for two years, welcoming all who came to see him. During this time, he boldly preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and taught about Christ without hindrance.