As we follow Paul’s journeys from the island of Malta to Rome in Acts 28, there was a good road running up and down the boot of what we know of as Italy today, and that makes sense: The Romans were known for their roads, which helped both trade and troops to move easily throughout their empire.
The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged.
Acts 28:15 NIV
Note that there are believers in Italy, already (see also Acts 28:14). Paul will not be the first to spread the good news about Jesus in this region, but there is still much opportunity to tell people about Jesus. In the same way, let us not think that the mere presence of the gospel in a city (like my own, which happens to have a lot of church buildings) means that everyone already knows about Jesus. There are still more people who need to know about Him, pretty much wherever we are.
The two places in verse 15 are northwest from Puteoli (and southwest from Rome) along the road called the “Appian Way”. [See Christian Evidences Ministries | Appii Forum and Three Taverns (Three Inns) – Italy]
The NASB indicates that these locations were 43 and 33 miles from Rome, but it appears that believers from Rome were willing to travel that far (without a motorized vehicle, no less!) to meet Paul before he arrived in the big city.
When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
Acts 28:16 NIV
Paul is granted quite a bit of freedom. We might call this “house arrest”, but instead of wearing an ankle monitor, he has a guard. And, this makes sense: I don’t think that the Roman Empire sees Paul as a violent criminal or even a major threat. Paul was rescued from others who were trying to kill him, and could have been acquitted if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar. Also, as a Roman citizen, Paul had rights not necessarily afforded to others in the empire, so he’s pretty much waiting out the time until Caesar is available for Paul’s hearing.
We might say that Paul wanted to witness in Rome, and found a way to get the Roman Empire to pay for his trip there. Pretty clever, if you ask me. In fact [as pointed out by Reese, p.936], let’s read Philippians 1:13.
As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.
Philippians 1:13 NIV
Perhaps by having a “captive audience” – i.e., the guard(s) who had to stay with him and may have considered Paul their “captive”- Paul was able to share the good news with those soldiers, too.
So, let’s consider a couple of things from Paul’s situation, here. First, Christians shouldn’t be ignorant of ways to leverage the cultures that we live in for the spread of the good news about Jesus and the growth of the kingdom of God. (See Matthew 10:16, for instance.) This doesn’t necessarily mean trying to become a government (since that has caused issues, historically), nor becoming too entangled with a secular government (since this can come with strings attached), but let’s be smart. For instance, if a local city or state will supply money for a church to serve the community without limiting their ability to do so in Jesus’ name, let’s help as many people as we can: physically, mentally, and spiritually. If there are opportunities to extend a business trip (paying for the extra time on our own), and join up with a local ministry in a far-away location for a few days, why not use what someone else already paid for to do good?
Secondly, let’s remember that any audience that we have may be an opportunity to share the gospel. This might be with family, friends, or strangers. We might not consider some of the people around us as being fun to be with, but maybe they are our mission field. Let’s remember that there are still more people who need to hear about Jesus, even in places like our own village, town, city, or region.
When one serves the God of the universe, there is nothing in that universe that He can’t use for His good and His purpose. May we not limit where we look for His guidance to only what we can imagine Him doing. If we do, we’re missing out, for sure!
From Sunday School lesson prepared for November 26, 2023
References:
- The Lookout, November 19, 2023, © 2023 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- New Testament History: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Acts, by Gareth L. Reese. © 1976, College Press Publishing Company.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Acts, by Dennis Gaertner. © 1993 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 