Acts 28:23

Acts 28:23 says, And when they had appointed him a day, there came many unto 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 until evening.  Paul based his beliefs on the Scriptures, and so must we.  In order to do that, we must have a deep knowledge of what the Scriptures say.  Had Paul been speaking from a superficial understanding of the Scriptures, he would have soon run out of things to proclaim, or he wouldn't have been able to relate it all to Christ.  Our witness should always be consistent with the teaching of the Bible, and we should be able to declare that truth all day long if necessary.  Verse twenty-four adds, And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. As always, some of the people believed and some didn't.  The gospel divides people into those who believe God and those who refuse to believe, and always will.  No matter how in depth we get in our witnessing to people, some are never going to believe. Some people today are going to view Christianity as a cult or just another of many religions, and are going to treat Christians as though they are ignorant to believe such myths, and some will do all they can to stop the spread of the gospel.  We need more people like Paul today, who know what the Scriptures teach, live under the authority and power of the gospel, and will never back away, no matter the cost. Verse twenty-five continues, And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,  Paul is still under arrest and still witnessing. First, the Jewish leaders decided to leave, some believing and some not. Paul had one last thing to share with them before they left.  He said well spoke the Holy Ghost by Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet to our fathers.  He wasn't telling them some new thing.  As a Jew, they shared a common ancestry.  As Christians today, we share an ancestry not by physical birth, but by rebirth into the family of God.  In our spiritual family, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.  Verse twenty-six states, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:  Paul said the Holy Ghost through Isaiah said of their fathers, hearing they would not understand and seeing they would not perceive.  Verse twenty-seven adds, For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. Paul said the Jewish peoples hearts were waxed gross, their ears grown dull of hearing and their eyes were shut, lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart and be converted, and God would heal them. Today, so many people refuse to listen to the gospel and see the reality of God because they have closed their heart and mind to anything related to God, so they remain unhealed in their relationship to God. Verse twenty-eight continues, Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. Since the Jews, God's chosen people, refused to listen to the gospel, it was going to be presented to the Gentiles, and they would hear it.  The Gentiles would be us, but like the Jews in Paul's day and most since, many have closed their heart to God.  Paul is still under arrest and still witnessing. First, the Jewish leaders decided to leave, some believing and some not. Paul had one last thing to share with them before they left.  He said well spoke the Holy Ghost by Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet to our fathers.  He wasn't telling them some new thing.  As a Jew, they shared a common ancestry.  As Christians today, we share an ancestry not by physical birth, but by rebirth into the family of God.  In our spiritual family, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. Verse twenty-nine says, And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.  The Jews left Paul with great reasoning among themselves.  This does not mean they had accepted Christ through reasoning, but they were still arguing about what Paul had said.  We cannot reason our way to salvation but must simply act in faith.  Verse thirty adds, And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him. Paul remained there for two whole years, in his own hired house, though still not free.  Verse thirty-one concludes, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. Paul received all who came to him and continued to preach the gospel with all confidence, and no one forbade him from preaching and teaching.  Wherever we are, our task is to preach and teach about Jesus.  May we be as faithful as Paul was. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acts 28:16

Acts 28:16 states, 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.  The Centurian delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to live by himself with his guard.  Though still not free, he was in a better position to accomplish his mission, which was to be a witness in Rome.  As we do God's will, we should be thankful for any improvement in our condition.  Even if things are still far from ideal, we need to continue with our mission.  Verse seventeen adds, 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, 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.  Paul was in a position where he could call the chief of the Jews together, and this is what he did after three days.  We might wonder at the three day wait, but Matthew Henry says Paul waited for someone to lay a charge against him, and no one had. Since he was there because of the charges brought by the Jews, he called them to him.  We must wait on God's timing as we witness for Him, but we must be active in carrying out our mission.  Paul was where God wanted him, the leaders of those who were accusing him were there, and after all the time waiting, it was time to move forward. Even if we must wait for an extended period of time before completing our mission for God, we cannot wait forever.  Even in less-than-ideal conditions, God will let us know when it is time to move forward.  Paul began to present his case to the Roman Jewish leaders. Paul's testimony never wavered.  He had done nothing against the Jewish beliefs, but he was still being persecuted by the Jews.  As we live our life, even in times of trials, we need to never waver in our testimony. When we fail to live up to our calling as His followers, we can never try to weaken His word to try and justify anything we do against His will. On the other hand, we must never weaken our testimony to escape the trials of the world.  Verse eighteen continues, Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me. We often complain that the law of the land will not allow us to exercise our faith openly when we don't do it anyway. The Jews may have attempted to prevent Paul from exercising his faith, but all they could do was to have him arrested.  We often give up without a fight and gripe about how the government keeps us from doing certain things. Paul said he had committed nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers. He did not suddenly cease to be a Jew when he encountered Christ.  He simply became what all Jews were supposed to be.  Verse nineteen says, But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.  He simply reached out to the Gentiles, the rest of the world, with the gospel.  When we as Christians reach out to people that some may see as our enemies and undeserving of salvation, we may have some fellow Christians oppose us.  We do not cease to be a Christian, but we simply become what a Christian should be.  Paul was rewarded by being arrested, and were we to be also, we can only hope we will be as faithful as Paul was. Again, if we want to write like Paul, remember most of his writing was done when he was under arrest.  Paul told them he had to appeal to Caesar, though he could have been freed and had done nothing against his country. Verse twenty adds, 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.  He knew, as should we, that real freedom comes through Christ. Verse twenty-one continues, 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.  The Jewish leaders in Rome said they knew nothing about what Paul had been charged with. They had received no letters from Judea about him, nor had any of the brethren who came there said anything about Paul.   Verse twenty-two concludes, But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. They wanted to hear what he had to say about Christianity, because everywhere this sect was spoken against.  All we can ever ask is that people will want to hear what we have to say about Christ, no matter the circumstances.  They thought Christianity but a sect but wanted to know more about it.   

Acts 28:7

Acts 28:7 says, In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously. We see the hospitality of the barbarians displayed.  The chief man of the island, named Publius, received them and lodged them three days courteously.  He did not question whether or not they were taking advantage of him.  Surely someone of less importance could meet their needs.  He simply invited them into his home until other arrangements could be made.  We need to learn, as God's people, to look to the need and the best way to fill it.  We must never feel that it is someone else's responsibility, especially if it is because we feel that it is beneath us. Verse eight adds, And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him,  Publius’s father was sick with a fever and a bloody flux.  Paul entered his room, went to him, laid hands on him, prayed, and he was healed.  Paul did not worry about the condition being contagious.  He didn't say he was too tired after his ordeal.  He didn't present himself as a god as they had assumed.  He simply saw a need and prayed that God would meet that need.  We need to be careful that we are not too concerned about how a person's condition might affect us, and we must never be too busy or too tired or just too indifferent to reach out to others in need.  Then, when we do, we need to make sure that God receives the glory, no matter the outcome.  Verse nine continues, So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed.  After God healed the man through Paul's prayers for Him, the people began to bring others to him who were sick, and through his prayers and faith in God, many were healed.  Verse ten states, Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.  Paul and the others were honored with many honors, and when they left, three months later, they were laded with such things as were necessary.  God was still watching over them.  Paul had not prayed for the healing of the people so he might be rewarded, but he accepted their help while he was there and as he left.  We need to learn to accept the graciousness of God in meeting our needs, but we must never expect material rewards for the things we do for God.  If we begin to believe that God has to reward us materially for the things we do for him, remember that Paul was still a prisoner on his way to Rome to stand trial.  God was simply meeting his needs along the way. Verse eleven adds, And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.  After three months in the Militia, they found another ship of Alexandria heading for Rome. The ship, whose sign was Castor and Pollux, had wintered at the isle.  Castor and Pollux were supposedly the gods of the sea.  There are some who profess Christianity that might view this as a good thing.  After just being shipwrecked, what harm could it do to have the protection of other gods.  After all, this ship hadn't been tossed around for days until it sank.  This is the thinking that lets other religious beliefs creep into Christianity.  It is better to shipwreck under God's protection than to winter safely under the protection of other gods.  God's protection is eternal.  Verse twelve continues, And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.  Verse thirteen says, 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:  They sailed first to Syracuse, where they stayed for three days. Then they sailed to Rhegium, and after a day, the south wind blew, and brought them the next day to Puteoli.  This is where they could have been with their ship intact, had they listened to Paul's warning from God the winter before.  Again, when we try to run ahead of God's will, we can expect failure.  Until we get back in line with His timing, we will find difficulty in all that we do.  Verse fourteen adds, Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome.  At Puteoli, they found brethren, fellow Christians. We must acknowledge that wherever we find fellow Christians, they are brethren, or family.  No matter their nationality, they are family.  There are no borders with Christ. They stayed for seven days with the believers at Puteoli.  God told Paul of his mission to Rome, but he never told him to ignore others along the way.  If we get so focused on our mission that we have no time for people around us, we are not glorifying God.  Verse fifteen continues, And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.  We are told that as Paul and his group were on the way to Rome, the brethren came to meet him, as far as the Appia forum and the three taverns.  If we hear of a great man of God coming to our area, especially if he is being brought under arrest, we need to go show him our support.  It doesn't even have to be a great man of God, that is to say well known.  Anytime this were to happen to any Christian, we need to show our support. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.  Just like Paul, if we were to find ourselves in a bad situation in the eyes of the world, we should thank God if fellow Christians show up to support us, and we should be encouraged.  Paul knew his situation was where God wanted him to be, but he was still encouraged by the support.  We must remember that Christians were being persecuted at this time, so for them to openly come to Paul was a statement of faith.