If Luke intended to write a biography of the Apostle Paul, he certainly stopped short of his goal!

Looks like rather than biography, Luke is penning us “history” instead. A Record of the Work of the God the Holy Spirit in the early years of the infant (first century) Church.

Amen!

I say that because of the cryptic ending of our Subject of study for months now, our analysis of the book of Acts.

We don’t even know how Paul’s “trial” developed! Or even if he faced Caesar, the Emperor to whom he had appealed for justice. Acts is silent on these issues!

Here’s the final (divinely inspired) Sentence or two … “And 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

Are questions popping into your mind, as they are in mine?

Why the “two year” delay? So atypical for Rome!

Where did Paul get the money to rent that house?

How did all these people know of Paul’s presence in Rome? Who drew the crowds?

And what, specifically, did Paul preach and teach during that time. I wish there was a Pauline “Epistle from a Roman Dwelling” that we could read and study!

And isn’t it amazing, “no man forbidding him,” God surely brought Paul into “favor” with some highly place Roman officials!

Then Luke succinctly adds: “The End.”

Thank God for the New Testament’s 14 Letters from Paul’s own hand!

They complete what Luke began!

This sort of makes me want to study my Bible all day long!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Actually Scripture has a lot of open-ended Material! The Parable of the Prodigal Son, for example. (Did the older brother ever make things right?) The Book of Jonah, too. (Did the Prophet pout for years and years?) What about the story of Demas as well? (Did he ever repent? Could he, like John Mark, have rededicated himself to the Lord?)

And this too … the trajectory of your life, Christian friend? And mine? Will we be “faithful” unto death? So far, we all are open ended stories!

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It’s the New Testament Book of “evangelism.” Showing us how the Holy Spirit works in bringing men and women to Jesus. He uses human instrumentality in the process, folks.

And the “Twenty-eight Chapter Masterpiece” (Acts) ends with this example: “And when they had appointed him (Paul) 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 evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.” Acts 28:23-24

“They” (the first pronoun in our Text above) simply means the “Jews” Paul had contacted soon as he arrived in Rome!

Paul is a Roman prisoner, yet he is allowed enough liberty to dwell in a “house” somewhere! Here “xenia” means “a place of hospitality.” Especially for a “stranger, foreigner!” (Paul is not Italian, but Jewish, born of the Tribe of Benjamin!)

And Paul preaches!

Notice the three verbs Luke employs …

“Expounding” (placing one truth beside another) and “Testifying” (witnessing and interacting) the Things of God!

Then “persuading,” actually “urging,” or “inducing” … implying a little exhortation, gentle pressure!

In a word, evangelizing!

“Morning till evening,” he never tired of telling the Gospel! Not they of listening, apparently!

Then here comes the good news, followed by some bad.

“Some believed!”

Hallelujah!

“To the Jew first” (Romans 1:16) but “also to the Greek!”

“And some believed not.”

Sad!

And this is the story of “spreading the Gospel” to this very day!

Some trust Jesus!

Some reject Him!

“God is not willing that any should perish!” The Bible (2 Peter 3:9) clearly promises us.

Then where’s the disconnect?

But some people are just not willing to come!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Tell someone today about Jesus!

Then persuade them a little!

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Once Paul was finally in Rome, he did an unusual thing. “And it came to pass, that after three days Paul CALLED THE CHIEF OF THE JEWS together: and when they were come together, he said unto them …” Acts 28:17

He called his “enemies” to a conference! It was the Jews in Jerusalem who had orchestrated his arrest. And opposed him at every subsequent hearing, trial. Paul’s “kinsmen, according to the flesh.” (Romans 9:3)

He still wants to “defend” the Gospel, and his “lifestyle.” After all, he had done nothing wrong, certainly not worthy of death!

How did Paul’s “meeting” fare? What did he say?

“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.” Still Acts 28:17, King James Version.

Then he adds: “When they (the Romans) had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me. But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.” Verses 18 and 19 of Acts 28.

I think Paul is making some headway! At least they are listening to him. Dialogue! “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. But we DESIRE to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.” Verses 21 and 22 now, where we learn that no accusers were present! They did not pursue their accusations! Also we hear a “spark” of interest!

Wow!

Paul squarely faced the problem, didn’t he? He did not run, what astounding boldness! (Proverbs 28:1)

Then the little Apostle casts the (soul-winning) net! Ever passionate about Israel! He uses the expression “hope of Israel!”

“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.”

And Israel’s hope is?

The Lord Jesus Christ!

Paul will now witness (testify) to everyone he sees, Jew and Gentile alike! Telling the glorious Gospel Story of the Death and Burial and Resurrection of our Saviour!

“The Hope of Israel” … do you know a Jewish person today? If so, begin introducing them to Jesus! And model the Christian life before their eyes.

Because we do have “hope” concerning those people, the Jews … even this promise (still from the pen of Paul) …

“And so ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer (JESUS), and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” Romans 11:26

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Finally, at Rome!

Another of God’s countless promises has been fulfilled. Way back in Acts 23:8 the Apostle was assured: “And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, SO MUST THOU BEAR WITNESS ALSO AT ROME.”

Many confrontations later, many perils too …

“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.” Acts 28:16

Remember, Paul is not at liberty.

Fearing for his life (the Jews around Jerusalem and Caesarea would have certainly put him to death) and being a Roman citizen … Paul appealed unto Caesar!

But Rome did not house prisoners for long. They had no facilities for “long term” incarceration! The accused was thrown into jail, tried quickly … and either acquitted or killed!

And yet … look what Paul experienced!

Talk about the caring Hand of God!

He is not (at this time) thrown into a dungeon! (As was the case a few years later, in his “second Roman imprisonment.”) Or congregated with a bunch of disease-ridden ruffians! Or summarily tried and executed!

He is allowed to “dwell by himself,” with apparently (merely) one soldier by his side.

This is called (normally unheard of) kindness!

And from one of the cruelest governments ever to rule the world!

How did this happen?

A kind Centurion, speaking well of Paul?

A Captain of the Guard who was just in a good mood that day?

“Luck, fate, happenstance?” (I think not!)

This tenderness was the result of the mighty Hand of God (no doubt using a dozen other influences as well) blessing Paul with a “token for good!” (Psalm 86:17, a prayer: “Show me a token for good.”)

That’s my Point today …

Learn to appreciate the “little kind acts, gracious deeds” extended you through a given week!

In fact, look for them!

Count them!

Accent them!

Then use them as catalysts to “worship” our dear Lord!

After all … “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17

And Psalm 68:19 as well … “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.”

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

One of the first steps downhill for any society is their becoming “unthankful!” See Romans 1:21 … “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, NEITHER WERE THANKFUL; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

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Though the Book of Acts does not specifically name the physician Luke as its author, Christian history is solid in that belief. The literary style of both the third Gospel (Luke) and this fifth New Testament Book (Acts) is quite compatible. In ways, nearly identical!

In fact, Luke addresses both his divinely inspired Works to a man named “Theophilus!” (Meaning “Lover of God!”) See both Luke 1:3 and Acts 1:1 to see what I mean. And both Luke and Acts are (obviously) meticulously researched, a fact one would have suspected from an educated man (of that day), from “the beloved physician.” (Paul’s name for Luke in Colossians 4:14.)

And his method of research is even detailed of us: “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth IN ORDER a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were EYEWITNESSES, and MINISTERS OF THE WORD; it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee IN ORDER, most excellent Theophilus.” Luke 1:1-3, things listed “in order.” Consultation with “eyewitnesses!” Then interviews with “ministers of the Word,” no doubt the very Apostles being among them! (I personally believe Luke interviewed Mary the Mother of Jesus! His Report of the Virgin Birth being as precise as it is. Luke tells his Nativity Story from Mary’s point-of-view in reality.)

Wow, I am learning as I write this morning!

The Lord laid this thought on my heart as I read (before sunrise) these words from the final chapter of Acts … “And after THREE MONTHS we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there THREE DAYS. And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli: where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them SEVEN DAYS: and so we went toward Rome.” Acts 28:11-14.

Watch the “time markers” here in this short Text. “Three months” on the Island of Malta! “Three days” in a City called Syracuse.” Then “seven days” in Puteoli.

See how chronologically accurate Luke is?

And that’s a “mark” of his whole New Testament Corpus!

Acts 18:11 is another (precious) example. Where we learn Paul preached in Corinth “eighteen months!”

Christianity is not a “sham” faith, folks. It is based on solid (numerical in ways) evidence! Enough so that I can confidently (this adverb employing the Latin word for “faith”) say … “I KNOW whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him.” 2 Timothy 1:12, without a doubt!

Thank God today for the Bible, His Holy (Inspired, Inerrant) Word!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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