Acts - Week 14 / Friday

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.