Acts Chapter 28
Paul Arrives in Rome
A. Paul’s Ministry on the Island of Malta
Acts 28:1-2 – “Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.”
When the survivors of the shipwreck made it safely to shore, they discovered the island was called Malta. The sailors may have been familiar with Malta as a whole, but they did not recognize this side of the island because most traffic came into the main port on the opposite side. God had guided them to this specific, lesser-known shore for His purposes. Luke, who traveled with Paul, notes both the cold and the rain that they endured, as well as the warm hospitality of the islanders. These natives showed “unusual kindness” by kindling a fire and welcoming the drenched and exhausted survivors. Interestingly, the name Malta is debated in its origin. If from Greek roots, it may mean “honey,” recalling the island’s beekeeping; if from Phoenician, it likely means “refuge.” Considering the circumstances, “refuge” would be especially fitting, as God had indeed provided a refuge for Paul and those with him.
Acts 28:3-6 – “But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, ‘No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.’ But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.”
Paul’s servant heart is seen once again, as he personally gathered sticks for the fire despite being the great apostle of Christ. With 276 survivors present, many others could have performed this task, yet Paul was never above humble service. In the process, a viper, driven out by the heat, latched onto his hand. This was not a minor nip, but a firm fastening, which the islanders immediately interpreted as divine justice catching up with Paul. They assumed he must have been a murderer who, though he had escaped the sea, would not escape the goddess of justice, Dike. This demonstrates the innate sense of justice written on men’s hearts (Romans 2:14-15), though their theology was misguided.
Paul, however, remained calm. He did not lament, accuse God, or rebuke others for their idleness. He simply shook the snake into the fire and trusted in God’s providence. The natives waited for him to swell up or collapse, but when nothing happened, they changed their opinion to the opposite extreme and declared him a god. This reaction illustrates the instability of human opinion. People are quick to exalt or condemn based on circumstances, which is why believers must root their identity in Christ, not in the judgments of men.
Theologically, Paul’s preservation reveals God’s sovereign protection. The Lord had already promised Paul that he must testify in Rome (Acts 23:11 – “But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.’”). Therefore, nothing—not a storm, nor shipwreck, nor venomous snake—could hinder God’s promise. This moment reaffirmed that divine justice had already been satisfied at the cross. Paul bore no guilt before God because the penalty of sin had been fully paid by Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”). Thus, not even the physical bite of a viper could bring judgment upon him.
This passage also serves as a reminder of the Lord’s words in Mark 16:17-18 – “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Paul’s experience on Malta was not about theatrics or seeking attention, but about God’s promise of protection being fulfilled in real circumstances.
In the end, the islanders’ shifting opinions show how unstable human judgment can be. One moment Paul was considered a condemned criminal, the next a god. In reality, he was neither. He was simply a servant of the true and living God, faithfully carrying out his mission. Believers must not live for the praise or fear of men, for such opinions can change with the wind. Instead, our confidence must rest in God’s unchanging Word and His unfailing promises.
Acts 28:7-10 – “In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary.”
After the miraculous preservation of Paul and the others from shipwreck and the viper, the Lord opened a new door for ministry. On Malta there was an estate belonging to Publius, described by Luke as the “leading citizen of the island.” Luke’s accuracy is once again noteworthy, as this was the exact title for the official Roman representative on Malta. This position meant that Publius was a man of great influence, wealth, and authority, and God, in His providence, placed Paul and his companions under his care. Publius graciously welcomed and entertained them courteously for three days, offering a striking contrast to the two weeks of misery endured at sea. The Lord often provides His servants with such seasons of refreshment, demonstrating His tender care even in the midst of hardship (Psalm 23:2 – “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.”).
While staying at the estate, Paul learned that the father of Publius was gravely ill, suffering from fever and dysentery. Many scholars suggest this may have been “Malta fever,” an illness caused by a microorganism found in goat’s milk that could linger for months and cause severe weakness. Yet the specifics of the disease mattered little, for the great Physician was present through His servant Paul. Paul, ever faithful and compassionate, went in, prayed, laid his hands on him, and the man was healed. It is important to see the divine order: Paul prayed first, acknowledging that healing belongs to the Lord alone, and then he acted by laying on hands. God’s power was manifested through Paul’s willingness and availability. This aligns with James 5:16 – “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Paul’s life was one of continual readiness to be used by God.
When news of the healing spread, the rest of the islanders who were afflicted with diseases came seeking help. Luke, himself a physician (Colossians 4:14 – “Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you”), notes with precision that the word used for “healed” in this passage is not the typical word for miraculous healing, but rather one that also carries the sense of receiving medical treatment. This suggests that both divine healing through prayer and medical care through Luke’s skill may have been at work. God often uses both prayer and medicine together, reminding us that all true healing ultimately comes from Him, whether directly or through means. Thus, Paul and Luke likely ministered as a team, one through apostolic prayer and the laying on of hands, the other through medical knowledge, both bringing glory to Christ.
The result was that the people of Malta honored Paul and his companions in many ways. When the time came for departure, they supplied all that was necessary for the continued journey. God not only provided protection from danger and healing for the sick, but He also ensured that His servants had everything required for the next stage of their mission. This reflects the principle of Philippians 4:19 – “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
In this account we see several truths. First, God uses both extraordinary and ordinary means to accomplish His work. Paul’s miraculous healing of Publius’ father and Luke’s likely medical assistance to the sick show the harmony between divine power and human means. Second, ministry often begins with humble acts of service, as Paul’s gathering of sticks led to opportunity, and his prayer for one man opened the door to minister to an entire community. Third, the providence of God places His servants exactly where He intends them to be, not only for their protection but also for the advance of His kingdom.
Paul’s Status as a Prisoner in Rome
Acts 28:16 – “Now when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him.”
After a long and dangerous journey by sea, Paul finally arrived in Rome. This moment was the culmination of years of anticipation and the direct fulfillment of the Lord’s promises. Earlier, during his third missionary journey, Paul had resolved in the Spirit, saying in Acts 19:21 – “When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, ‘After I have been there, I must also see Rome.’” In his letter to the Romans, written years earlier, he expressed the same desire: Romans 1:15 – “So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.”
The Lord confirmed this desire with a direct promise. In Acts 23:11 it is written: “But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.’” Again, in the midst of the violent storm at sea, God reassured Paul through an angel in Acts 27:23-24 – “For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’” What the Lord had promised was now realized: Paul entered Rome not as a free traveler, but as a prisoner of Jesus Christ. Yet the manner of his coming did not diminish the faithfulness of God’s word.
When Paul entered Rome, the city was nearly 800 years old and at the height of its power. The great Colosseum was not yet built, but the city’s splendor was marked by the temple of Jupiter, the palaces of the Caesars, and temples dedicated to Mars, the god of war. Rome’s population stood at approximately two million, with about half enslaved and the rest free. Its society was sharply divided into three classes: a small elite of the wealthy and powerful, the vast masses of the poor, and the immense population of slaves. It was into this center of the world’s power, culture, and corruption that Paul entered to bear witness of the gospel.
The centurion Julius, who had accompanied Paul from Caesarea (Acts 27:1), fulfilled his duty by delivering the prisoners into the custody of the captain of the guard. This was a moment of relief for Julius, who had successfully escorted his charges through storms, shipwreck, and danger. Yet it was clear that God had preserved them all for the sake of Paul.
Paul, however, was given an unusual privilege. Rather than being confined to a common prison, he was permitted to live by himself, renting his own lodging (Acts 28:30 – “Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him.”). Nevertheless, he was always under guard, usually chained by the wrist to a Roman soldier. The soldiers were rotated regularly, perhaps every four hours, meaning Paul’s chains brought him into contact with a constant stream of new guards. While this was physically restrictive, it became a providential opportunity for the gospel. Paul later wrote in Philippians 1:12-13 – “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ.”
Though Paul bore chains, his spirit was unbound. He did not waste his imprisonment in bitterness or self-pity, but used every moment to advance the cause of Christ. The guards who thought they were watching over Paul discovered that they were, in fact, his mission field. What Rome intended as confinement, God transformed into a platform. The very heart of the empire was about to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ through the lips of His apostle.
Paul Appeals to the Jewish Community of Rome
Acts 28:17-20 – “And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: ‘Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.’”
Paul had been in Rome for only three days when he took the initiative to call the leaders of the Jewish community together. This reflects his consistent pattern throughout his ministry: to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16). Wherever he traveled, Paul made it his practice to begin with the synagogue or with Jewish leaders, seeking to explain the fulfillment of God’s promises in Christ. Even in chains, he did not waver from this conviction.
Paul addressed them as “Men and brethren,” affirming his Jewish identity and solidarity. He wanted them to know that he had not abandoned his heritage or forsaken his people. As he had declared earlier in Jerusalem, “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today” (Acts 22:3). Though Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, he never ceased to love Israel deeply, calling them brethren in the flesh (Romans 9:3-4).
Paul then defended himself against the charges that had led to his imprisonment. “Though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.” He reminded them that his arrest was not for any violation of the Mosaic law or betrayal of Israel, but because of false accusations stirred up by hostile leaders in Jerusalem. Before the Roman authorities, Paul had been found innocent. As Luke records, “who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death.” Both Felix and Festus had acknowledged this, and even King Agrippa had admitted in Acts 26:31-32 – “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains. This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Yet because the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem opposed his release, Paul was compelled to appeal to Caesar. Importantly, he clarified, “not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation.” He was not lodging a complaint against Israel, nor seeking revenge against his accusers. His appeal was a matter of necessity, not hostility. In this way, Paul showed remarkable grace. Even while wrongfully accused and imprisoned, he refused to slander his people or bring charges against them. His heart mirrored the spirit of Christ, who on the cross prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).
Finally, Paul explained the true reason for his imprisonment: “Because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.” This “hope of Israel” was the long-anticipated Messiah, Jesus Christ. The same hope that sustained the patriarchs, was foretold by the prophets, and embodied in the promises of the covenants, had been fulfilled in Christ. Paul’s chains were not due to political crimes or rebellion against Rome, but because of his unwavering proclamation that Jesus is the risen Messiah of Israel. This was the central issue: belief or unbelief in Jesus of Nazareth.
The phrase “hope of Israel” echoes earlier statements Paul made in his trials. Before the Sanhedrin he declared, “Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!” (Acts 23:6). Before Felix he said, “I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust” (Acts 24:15). Before Agrippa he confessed, “And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?” (Acts 26:6-8).
Thus, Paul’s imprisonment was ultimately Christ-centered. He was in chains not because of political unrest, but because he clung to the promises of God fulfilled in Jesus. His suffering was a testimony that the Messiah had come, had been rejected by many of His own people, and yet was the true hope of Israel. As history drew nearer to A.D. 70, the destruction of Jerusalem would make it tragically clear that rejecting this hope brought devastating consequences. Yet Paul proclaimed that Jesus Christ remains the only true hope, not just for Israel, but for the entire world.
The Jewish Leaders Respond to Paul
Acts 28:21-22 – “Then they said to him, ‘We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.’”
The Jewish leaders in Rome gave a surprising reply to Paul’s introduction. They explained that no official letters had been received from Judea concerning him, nor had any Jewish brethren from Jerusalem spoken evil of him. This silence from Judea demonstrated that Paul’s accusers knew their case was hopeless. After failing to prove their accusations before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa, they evidently recognized they would stand no chance of convincing Caesar’s court. If their case had been strong, they would have certainly followed Paul to Rome with letters and witnesses, but their absence exposed the weakness of their cause.
This also reveals God’s providence in protecting His servant. By the time Paul reached Rome, no official word of accusation had arrived, which gave him a clear opportunity to establish himself with the Jewish community before slander could take root. The Roman Jews, therefore, had no prejudice against him personally. They had not heard anything evil concerning him, but they had heard plenty about Christianity, or what they called “this sect.” They acknowledged that it was “spoken against everywhere.” From Jerusalem to Antioch, from Galatia to Corinth, the Christian movement was controversial and often maligned. Yet these Jewish leaders, to their credit, did not rely on rumor alone. They desired to hear Paul’s explanation firsthand. This demonstrates a measure of fairness, echoing Proverbs 18:13 – “He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him.” Though they were skeptical, they were at least willing to listen.
Paul Preaches the Gospel to the Jewish Community
Acts 28:23-24 – “So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.”
A day was appointed, and many of the Jewish community gathered at Paul’s lodging. This was not a brief discussion but an exhaustive, day-long exposition. From morning until evening, Paul explained, testified, and persuaded them concerning Jesus Christ, showing from the Law of Moses and the Prophets that He is the fulfillment of God’s promises. This was the same pattern he had followed in other synagogues: reasoning from the Scriptures, demonstrating that the Messiah had to suffer and rise again, and proclaiming that Jesus of Nazareth is that Messiah (Acts 17:2-3).
Paul’s testimony centered on “the kingdom of God.” He undoubtedly taught what Jesus Himself had taught: that the kingdom begins spiritually in the hearts of those who believe, and that the Messiah must first bring redemption before He returns in glory to establish His political reign. Many Jews in Paul’s day longed for a kingdom that would overthrow Rome and restore Israel’s national power, yet they overlooked the suffering Servant foretold by Isaiah (Isaiah 53:3-6 – “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief… But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”). Paul labored to show that the Messiah’s first coming was to bear sin, and His second coming would bring the kingdom in fullness.
The result was a divided response. “Some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.” This is a recurring pattern throughout Acts. The Word of God is powerful and Paul’s teaching was clear, but acceptance depends upon the heart’s condition. As Paul himself had written earlier, the gospel is “to the one the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life” (2 Corinthians 2:16). Even the most faithful exposition by the greatest apostle could not convince all hearers. Belief and unbelief are not ultimately matters of intellectual evidence alone, but of the will and heart.
This division also mirrors the parables of Jesus, especially the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:18-23). Some seed fell on good soil and bore fruit; other seed fell on stony or thorny ground and did not endure. The Word preached by Paul in Rome bore fruit in some hearts, yet was resisted in others. The rejection by many of the Jews would soon lead Paul to emphasize the gospel’s extension to the Gentiles, fulfilling the Lord’s commission to carry His name to the nations.
Paul Explains the Rejection of the Gospel from Isaiah
Acts 28:25-27 – “So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: ‘The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying, “Go to this people and say: Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.”’”
As Paul concluded his all-day exposition, the Jewish leaders found themselves divided. Some were persuaded, but others resisted, and disagreement broke out among them. The gospel always produces a dividing line, and even among God’s chosen nation there was no consensus. Those who rejected Paul’s words were not simply rejecting him, but rejecting the Holy Spirit Himself. Paul underscored this by quoting Isaiah 6:9-10, declaring, “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers.” By attributing the words of Isaiah directly to the Holy Spirit, Paul affirmed the divine inspiration of Scripture and the Spirit’s ongoing authority in speaking through the Word.
The quotation from Isaiah was originally delivered in the context of Judah’s rebellion against God during Isaiah’s ministry. The prophet was commissioned to deliver a message that would expose the hardness of the people’s hearts. Though they would hear the truth, they would not understand it. Though they would see God’s works, they would not perceive them rightly. Their hearts had become dull, their ears closed, and their eyes deliberately shut. The problem was not a lack of evidence, but a willful refusal to believe. As Isaiah’s generation rejected God’s call, so too did many of Paul’s hearers in Rome.
The tragedy is expressed in the Lord’s words: “Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.” God’s desire is to heal, restore, and forgive. Yet when men harden their hearts against Him, they shut themselves off from His saving power. As Jesus lamented over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37 – “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” The unwillingness of the human heart is the great barrier to salvation, then as now.
This passage remains just as true today. Countless men and women hear the gospel, yet refuse to turn because they love their sin more than God. As John 3:19 explains, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” When people close their ears and eyes to the truth, their unbelief is not due to intellectual confusion but to moral rebellion.
Paul Announces Salvation Sent to the Gentiles
Acts 28:28-29 – “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.”
Paul’s final word to the Jewish leaders in Rome was both solemn and prophetic. “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” This statement did not mean that Israel was forever rejected, but that God’s plan had always included the Gentiles, and now the gospel would spread among them with greater receptivity. As Paul had written to the Romans years earlier, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16). The order was “to the Jew first,” but Israel’s rejection opened the way for the Gentiles to be grafted in, as Paul had explained in Romans 11:11 – “I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.”
For Paul, this was not a bitter triumph but a sorrowful necessity. His heart always ached for his people. In Romans 9:2-3 he declared, “I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh.” Yet he also knew that God’s plan would not fail. The Gentiles would indeed hear and believe. Where one group hardened their hearts, another would open theirs.
Paul’s ministry thus stood as both an invitation and a warning. To those who believed, his preaching was the aroma of life leading to life. But to those who rejected, it was the aroma of death leading to death, as Paul had written in 2 Corinthians 2:16. Every sermon has a double effect: it either draws to Christ or hardens against Him.
The Jews departed after Paul’s declaration, and Luke records that they left in “great dispute among themselves.” Some believed, some resisted, and others argued. Yet God’s Word had accomplished its purpose, dividing truth from error, light from darkness, faith from unbelief. Within a few years, judgment would fall on Jerusalem in A.D. 70, when Rome destroyed the city and slaughtered its inhabitants. Paul’s warning was not only spiritual but prophetic, foreshadowing the temporal consequences of rejecting Christ.
Paul’s Two Years in Rome Before His Trial
Acts 28:30-31 – “Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.”
Paul’s journey concluded with two years of waiting in Rome, confined yet free to minister. This was not the first time Paul had endured prolonged delay. Earlier, he had spent more than two years confined in Caesarea under Felix and Festus (Acts 24:27). Now in Rome, another two years passed before his case came before Caesar. The delay was not unusual, as the Roman courts were often congested with cases, and it could take years for an appeal to reach the emperor. Yet what appeared as legal delay was in fact divine appointment. God had stationed His apostle in the capital of the empire, giving him a unique platform to bear witness to Christ.
Paul lived in a “rented house,” which he likely financed through his continued work as a tentmaker or leatherworker, as he had done in Corinth (Acts 18:1-3) and as he had modeled in Ephesus (Acts 20:33-35). Even in confinement, Paul was industrious and self-reliant, refusing to be idle or a burden to others. His home became a center of gospel activity, as he “received all who came to him.” Among those who visited was Onesimus, a runaway slave who came to faith in Christ through Paul’s ministry in Rome (Philemon 1:10-12). Paul did not merely receive dignitaries or close associates, but welcomed anyone willing to hear the gospel, showing no partiality.
During these two years Paul gave himself to “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence.” Though chained to a Roman soldier, his message was unhindered. He proclaimed the kingdom not as a political rebellion against Caesar but as the reign of God inaugurated in Christ, presently spiritual but awaiting its visible fulfillment at Christ’s return. He taught the things concerning Jesus Christ from the Scriptures, showing that all the promises of God find their fulfillment in Him (2 Corinthians 1:20). His preaching was marked by confidence—a Spirit-empowered boldness that no chain could silence.
This season was also incredibly fruitful for the church because Paul’s confinement produced several of his most treasured letters. During these years, he wrote the Epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and to Philemon. These letters, written from prison, continue to instruct and encourage believers around the world. What looked like limitation became multiplication. As Paul himself testified in 2 Timothy 2:9 – “For which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.”
Luke concludes Acts by emphasizing that Paul preached “with all confidence, no one forbidding him.” The Greek phrase carries the sense of unhindered. Paul was under guard, yet the gospel was free. The sea, the storm, the soldiers, the snake, and even the chains of Rome could not stop the advance of the Word of God. The rejection of some Jews, or the indifference of the Roman elite, could not hinder it either. God ensured that His message continued to move forward.
This closing is deliberate. Acts is often called “the unfinished book” because it does not end with Paul’s trial, acquittal, or martyrdom. Instead, it ends with the gospel still going forth, unhindered, leaving the story open for the church throughout the ages. The Great Commission continues, and the Spirit of God continues to empower His people to carry the message of Christ to every nation. In this sense, the Book of Acts is a never-ending story, continued by every believer who faithfully proclaims the kingdom of God until Jesus returns.
As Matthew 22:8-10 illustrates in the parable of the wedding feast, when those first invited refused, the king commanded his servants: “Go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding. So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.” The rejection of Israel opened the door for the Gentiles, and the gospel would continue to spread until the fullness of the nations comes in.
Luke closes not with defeat but with triumph. Paul is chained, but Christ is not. The servant of God may be hindered, but the Word of God never will be. As Matthew Henry observed, the Acts of the Apostles closes, but the acts of the risen Christ through His church continue to this very day.
