If you have been following along on this blog, you have now read through the entire book of Acts. What a great book! You cannot read this book without getting excited about what God did through that first century church. They literally changed their world, and that is still the call to the church today.
The author of Acts, who was Luke, the physician, concludes the book in a rapid fashion. There is no formal conclusion to this book, so we are left guessing what happened to the Apostle Paul. We have to go to some of Paul's other writings, as well as history and tradition, to piece together what became of this faithful man.
Paul expected to be released according to what he wrote to the Philippians. In Phil. 1:19-26 he wrote these words: “I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.”
History and tradition tell us that the prayers of the Philippian church were answered and Paul was set free. He traveled for another two years, was rearrested, tried in Rome, convicted and sentenced to death. Because he was a Roman citizen he could not be crucified. Paul was beheaded as a martyr for Jesus Christ around A.D. 64 or 65.
So, the book of Acts is finished. Or is it? No, not by a long shot! It is still being written today, and you are in it. The story goes on---your story, my story, our story, Jesus’ story. It is the story of how our 21st century church is changing the world for Jesus Christ. And this book of Acts will continue to be written until the return of Jesus Christ to this earth for His church.
Thanks for going through this study with us. I hope you gleaned some helpful truths in the process. Let's you and I keep writing the book of Acts in our community.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Acts - Week 14 / Thursday
Reading for today: Acts 28:11-31
Three months after the shipwreck they set sail again for Rome. This time they make good time, and it's a safe journey. Paul is encouraged when some believers come to meet him, and accompany him to Rome. The fact that there were believers in Rome did not surprise Paul. He had already sent his letter to the Romans well in advance of his arrival, in fact three years before.
Paul is put under house-arrest in Rome, where he is free to receive visitors. He calls for the Jewish leaders to come to him, and he tells them how he came to be in Rome as a prisoner, emphasizing his innocence.
Three days later the Jews came back to Paul's apartment to hear more from Paul. As he always did in the synagogues, Paul uses the books of Moses and the prophets to teach the gospel and to try to persuade them that Jesus is the Messiah.
Some believed, and some didn't. Those in disagreement began to leave, but not before Paul would quote Isaiah 6:9,10 and let them know the gospel was for the Gentiles as well.
While Paul waited at least two years for his trial to take place, he used the time well, writing the four letters of the New Testament that we know as the Prison Epistles---Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.
We know from Paul writings in Philippians 4:22 that some of Caesar's (Nero) household were converted, possibly as a result of Paul's witness to the soldiers that made up the palace guard. Whatever the case, we know that Paul did not sit around bemoaning his situation. He used the time well, influencing anyone and everyone he could about the reality of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Tomorrow: The final wrap-up
Three months after the shipwreck they set sail again for Rome. This time they make good time, and it's a safe journey. Paul is encouraged when some believers come to meet him, and accompany him to Rome. The fact that there were believers in Rome did not surprise Paul. He had already sent his letter to the Romans well in advance of his arrival, in fact three years before.
Paul is put under house-arrest in Rome, where he is free to receive visitors. He calls for the Jewish leaders to come to him, and he tells them how he came to be in Rome as a prisoner, emphasizing his innocence.
Three days later the Jews came back to Paul's apartment to hear more from Paul. As he always did in the synagogues, Paul uses the books of Moses and the prophets to teach the gospel and to try to persuade them that Jesus is the Messiah.
Some believed, and some didn't. Those in disagreement began to leave, but not before Paul would quote Isaiah 6:9,10 and let them know the gospel was for the Gentiles as well.
While Paul waited at least two years for his trial to take place, he used the time well, writing the four letters of the New Testament that we know as the Prison Epistles---Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.
We know from Paul writings in Philippians 4:22 that some of Caesar's (Nero) household were converted, possibly as a result of Paul's witness to the soldiers that made up the palace guard. Whatever the case, we know that Paul did not sit around bemoaning his situation. He used the time well, influencing anyone and everyone he could about the reality of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Tomorrow: The final wrap-up
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Acts - Week 14 / Wednesday
Reading for today: Acts 28:1-10
Well, I wrote this blog for today once already, but for some reason it did not post, and in the process, I lost it. So, I am sorry about that, especially for all of you out there that are just dying to read these each day!
Once all 276 soaked survivors made it to shore safely, just as Paul had promised they would, they discovered they were on the island called Malta. The people of Malta were of Phoenician descent and probably spoke a dialect closely related to Hebrew. They were unusually kind to the survivors of this shipwreck, considering the fact that many of the survivors were prisoners.
The Maltese built a nice, warm fire to warm them up in the rainy, cold morning hours. Paul, being the servant that he was, gathered some wood for the fire. When he went to throw it on the fire, a cold-blooded snake was suddenly warmed and fastened himself unto Paul's hand. Paul immediately flicked the snake off his hand.
The islanders watched all this and immediately assumed that Paul must have done something wrong, like murder, to have this happen to him. They were convinced that he would swell up and die right before their eyes.
When that didn't happen, they jumped to another conclusion: Paul must be a god. Knowing Paul's history from the book of Acts, he would have done his best to dissuade the crowd from thinking he was a god.
It so happened that Publius, the #1 man on the island, had a sick father. Paul prayed for him and he was healed. When the word got out, all those on the island who were ill or diseased came and they, too, were cured.
Here's the interesting point in this story. God healed every person who was in need, except one---Paul himself. The man who prayed saw all those around him healed, but he was denied healing by God. That doesn't compute very well, does it? That is the enigma surrounding healing. God heals some, and He doesn't heal others. So, should we quit praying for healing? Never! All God asks of us is to pray in faith. The rest is up to Him. He does not hold us responsible for the results of our prayers, just the faithfulness of our prayers.
Tomorrow: Rome---finally!
Well, I wrote this blog for today once already, but for some reason it did not post, and in the process, I lost it. So, I am sorry about that, especially for all of you out there that are just dying to read these each day!
Once all 276 soaked survivors made it to shore safely, just as Paul had promised they would, they discovered they were on the island called Malta. The people of Malta were of Phoenician descent and probably spoke a dialect closely related to Hebrew. They were unusually kind to the survivors of this shipwreck, considering the fact that many of the survivors were prisoners.
The Maltese built a nice, warm fire to warm them up in the rainy, cold morning hours. Paul, being the servant that he was, gathered some wood for the fire. When he went to throw it on the fire, a cold-blooded snake was suddenly warmed and fastened himself unto Paul's hand. Paul immediately flicked the snake off his hand.
The islanders watched all this and immediately assumed that Paul must have done something wrong, like murder, to have this happen to him. They were convinced that he would swell up and die right before their eyes.
When that didn't happen, they jumped to another conclusion: Paul must be a god. Knowing Paul's history from the book of Acts, he would have done his best to dissuade the crowd from thinking he was a god.
It so happened that Publius, the #1 man on the island, had a sick father. Paul prayed for him and he was healed. When the word got out, all those on the island who were ill or diseased came and they, too, were cured.
Here's the interesting point in this story. God healed every person who was in need, except one---Paul himself. The man who prayed saw all those around him healed, but he was denied healing by God. That doesn't compute very well, does it? That is the enigma surrounding healing. God heals some, and He doesn't heal others. So, should we quit praying for healing? Never! All God asks of us is to pray in faith. The rest is up to Him. He does not hold us responsible for the results of our prayers, just the faithfulness of our prayers.
Tomorrow: Rome---finally!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Acts - Week 14 / Tuesday
Reading for today: Acts 27:21-44
During the terrible storm (most likely near the 11th day) that this ship encounters, Paul gives everyone a word of encouragement: No person will be lost in this storm, but the ship will be destroyed.
On the 14th night the crew sensed that they were approaching land, so they took a couple of depth readings, and discovered that they were, indeed, getting closer to land. When some sailors decided to abandon ship, Paul warned the centurion that if the sailors were allowed to escape via the life boat, that all aboard would be lost. So Julius, the centurion had the ropes of the dinghy cut, and the sailors stayed with the ship.
After finally eating to gain their strength, they jettison the rest of the cargo overboard, which was an extreme measure, given the costly nature of the grain on board. But it was necessary to properly beach the ship.
They finally see land, and head for a beach. But they strike a sandbar, and the surf begins to break up the stern of the ship.
The soldiers, fearing the prisoners would escape, planned to kill the prisoners. Remember that those guarding prisoners were responsible for them. If the prisoner was guilty of a crime deserving the penalty of death and that prisoner escaped, the guard was put to death---he paid the penalty intended for the prisoner.
But Julius, the centurion, kept the soldiers from carrying out their plan, because he wanted to spare Paul's life. So he ordered all who could swim to head for shore, and those who could not swim to find a plank, hang on tight, and head for the beach. Amazingly, just as Paul had promised, all 276 on board made it to shore safely, but the ship was wrecked.
Tomorrow: An unusual kindness
During the terrible storm (most likely near the 11th day) that this ship encounters, Paul gives everyone a word of encouragement: No person will be lost in this storm, but the ship will be destroyed.
On the 14th night the crew sensed that they were approaching land, so they took a couple of depth readings, and discovered that they were, indeed, getting closer to land. When some sailors decided to abandon ship, Paul warned the centurion that if the sailors were allowed to escape via the life boat, that all aboard would be lost. So Julius, the centurion had the ropes of the dinghy cut, and the sailors stayed with the ship.
After finally eating to gain their strength, they jettison the rest of the cargo overboard, which was an extreme measure, given the costly nature of the grain on board. But it was necessary to properly beach the ship.
They finally see land, and head for a beach. But they strike a sandbar, and the surf begins to break up the stern of the ship.
The soldiers, fearing the prisoners would escape, planned to kill the prisoners. Remember that those guarding prisoners were responsible for them. If the prisoner was guilty of a crime deserving the penalty of death and that prisoner escaped, the guard was put to death---he paid the penalty intended for the prisoner.
But Julius, the centurion, kept the soldiers from carrying out their plan, because he wanted to spare Paul's life. So he ordered all who could swim to head for shore, and those who could not swim to find a plank, hang on tight, and head for the beach. Amazingly, just as Paul had promised, all 276 on board made it to shore safely, but the ship was wrecked.
Tomorrow: An unusual kindness
Monday, September 1, 2008
Acts - Week 14 / Monday
Reading for today: Acts 27:1-20
This account of Paul's journey to Rome gives us one of the most interesting and factual accounts of a sea voyage and a shipwreck to be found anywhere in ancient literature. Luke uses "we" throughout the passage, so it is clear he was an eyewitness.
When they finally get to Myra, Julius books passage for the prisoners on an Alexandrian grain ship bound for Rome. Egypt was the chief source of wheat for the city of Rome, and these ships that carried wheat were considered very important. With much difficulty against these contrary winds, they finally arrive at Fair Havens.
It had taken a great deal of tie to get this far, and Paul cautioned agaisnt going on. The dangerous season for sailing in this part of the world is between the middle of September and the middle of November. After the middle of November all shipping on the open sea came to a halt until February at the earliest.
Luke mentions that it was already past "the Fast" or Yom Kippur, which occurred in A.D.59 on October 5. Therefore, they were well into the dangerous sailing season. The centurion, persuaded by the pilot and the owner of the ship, ignored Paul's warning and decided to try to reach Phoenix and winter there.
When the winds shifted, they found themselves at the mercy of the winds. When they found some protection on the south side of the island of Cauda, they ran cables around the hull to hold the ship together. This was a common precaution done in the event of riding out a storm. They also let out an anchor to slow their drift towards any sand banks.
The next day they threw overboard some of the cargo, which probably meant some of the ship's equipment. The grain would have been (and was) the last thing to go. Lightening the load indicates that the ship was taking on water.
The third day they even threw the ship's tackle into the sea, and for the next 11 days the storm continued, making navigation impossible. They were simply riding out the storm. But when they saw neither sun nor stars for many days, and the storm continued raging, they finally gave up all hope of being saved., except for Paul.
Tomorrow: The shipwreck
This account of Paul's journey to Rome gives us one of the most interesting and factual accounts of a sea voyage and a shipwreck to be found anywhere in ancient literature. Luke uses "we" throughout the passage, so it is clear he was an eyewitness.
When they finally get to Myra, Julius books passage for the prisoners on an Alexandrian grain ship bound for Rome. Egypt was the chief source of wheat for the city of Rome, and these ships that carried wheat were considered very important. With much difficulty against these contrary winds, they finally arrive at Fair Havens.
It had taken a great deal of tie to get this far, and Paul cautioned agaisnt going on. The dangerous season for sailing in this part of the world is between the middle of September and the middle of November. After the middle of November all shipping on the open sea came to a halt until February at the earliest.
Luke mentions that it was already past "the Fast" or Yom Kippur, which occurred in A.D.59 on October 5. Therefore, they were well into the dangerous sailing season. The centurion, persuaded by the pilot and the owner of the ship, ignored Paul's warning and decided to try to reach Phoenix and winter there.
When the winds shifted, they found themselves at the mercy of the winds. When they found some protection on the south side of the island of Cauda, they ran cables around the hull to hold the ship together. This was a common precaution done in the event of riding out a storm. They also let out an anchor to slow their drift towards any sand banks.
The next day they threw overboard some of the cargo, which probably meant some of the ship's equipment. The grain would have been (and was) the last thing to go. Lightening the load indicates that the ship was taking on water.
The third day they even threw the ship's tackle into the sea, and for the next 11 days the storm continued, making navigation impossible. They were simply riding out the storm. But when they saw neither sun nor stars for many days, and the storm continued raging, they finally gave up all hope of being saved., except for Paul.
Tomorrow: The shipwreck
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