Notes on Acts 22-28 "A Minister and a Witness," CFM study for July 29 - Aug. 4

Paul's Personal Defense and Conversion, Acts 22:1-21

• Paul delivers a short message to the mob while being led into the barracks by the chief captain.  He speaks in the "Hebrew tongue," or Aramaic.  He recounts how he was just like them, taught by Gamaliel and zealous toward God, "as ye all are this day."  (v. 3).  He was even a persecutor like they are.  
• He recounts his conversion story on the road to Damascus, with slight variations from the last time we heard it.  In Acts 9, it says that the men with him heard the voice but didn't see the light while here it says the opposite.  The JST corrects the verse in chapter 9 to match this version.  It's inevitable that when you tell a story, an error could creep in or that you emphasize different details for different audiences (see this article, for example).  This is the first time we hear about Ananias' words to Paul after he gave him his sight.  I love that Ananias, Mr. "Wait, are you sure you mean HIM?" is so bold in delivering God's message to Paul, "The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard."  
• In Verse 16 Ananias continues by commanding Paul to be baptized to wash away his sins. Elder David E. Bednar teaches, "Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins “is the introductory ordinance of the gospel”16 of Jesus Christ and must be preceded by faith in the Savior and by sincere repentance. This ordinance “is a sign and a commandment which God has set for [His children] to enter into His kingdom.”17 Baptism is administered in the authority of the Aaronic Priesthood. In the process of coming unto the Savior and spiritual rebirth, baptism provides a necessary initial cleansing of our soul from sin.
  
  The baptismal covenant includes three fundamental commitments: (1) to be willing to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, (2) to always remember Him, and (3) to keep His commandments. The promised blessing for honoring this covenant is “that [we] may always have his Spirit to be with [us].”18 Thus, baptism is the essential preparation to receive the authorized opportunity for the constant companionship of the third member of the Godhead."
• Paul then shares a vision experience he had in the temple, either at the time of his initial meeting with the brethren three years after his conversion or perhaps at the time of the Jerusalem conference after his first mission, where he saw the Lord and was told that he needed to go from Jerusalem because "they will not receive thy testimony concerning me."  Paul reminds the Lord of his former status as a persecutor.  Did that make the people less likely to believe him, because he was seen foremost as a traitor to his earlier cause?  Or was it that even the Church members were wary of him because they didn't know if they could trust that his conversion was long-lasting?
• And then comes the line that makes the crowd go wild again, "And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles." (verse 21).  Paul was a bridge between the two cultures.
• The crowd had gathered because they thought Paul had brought a Gentile into the temple, and now he's talking about being sent to the Gentiles?  They cry out, cast off their cloaks, and throw dirt into the air.  Our culture doesn't do those things to express group displeasure, but we can imagine the modern equivalent would be booing or chanting.

Paul is Questioned, Acts 22:22-29

• The chief captain who probably didn't understand Aramaic or what just happened, decides to whip Paul until he tells him what is going on.  As they are about to start with the scourging, Paul asks them innocently, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?"  It wasn't lawful and Paul knew it, as did they.  The centurion goes to the chief captain, who is amazed to find Paul a Roman, because he himself only had that honor because of the great sum of money he bought it with.
• So he invites the chief priests and their council to appear to testify about their grievances with Paul.

Paul's Defense to the Sanhedrin, Acts 22:30-23:11

• Paul only says one line before the high priest commands for him to be smitten on the mouth.  That line that so offended the high priest?   "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day."  I'm not sure what so offended the high priest about that line. Maybe it was just a hatred for Paul or the fact that he spoke at all.
• Paul had likely been a part of this body in his persecution days, or at least well-known among its members.  It has been twenty years since that time, but likely there are some who know Paul from before and hold grudges.
• Paul has quite a temper and calls the high priest a "whited wall" or hypocrite, for breaking the Jewish law against striking a man before he is condemned.  There are two ways of reading what happens next.  The first is that once Paul realizes he has insulted the high priest, he is contrite because he knows he should not "speak evil of the ruler of thy people."  The other is that he knew who Ananias was but was speaking ironically about not recognizing him as the high priest, given his corruption.  
• The New Testament Study Guide quotes Gaebelein about Ananias, "Ananias the son of Nedebaeus ... was known for his avarice and liberal use of violence.  Josephus says he confiscated for himself the tithes given the ordinary priests and gave lavish bribes to the Romans and also Jews."
• Paul then realizes that since part of the room is Pharisee and some Sadducees, he might gain some sympathy from the former.  So he tells them that he is a Pharisee and that he is on trial because he believes in the resurrection.  This causes an uproar between the two factions and the chief captain rescues Paul from a mob for the second time (see Acts 21:32 for the first time).
• The next night in prison, Paul is visited by Jesus, who tells him, "Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome."  It is always a comfort to know that there is purpose in the trials one is experiencing.  Christ's words told Paul that his testimony was accepted, that he had done what he was supposed to do in Jerusalem and that he had more work to do in Rome.  This is the second night visitation by the Lord that we are told of.  The first, in Acts 18:9-11, brought him comfort and direction when he was in Corinth.
• Elder Bruce R. McConkie said of this, "In his persecuted and straitened state, Paul needed comfort and assurance from on high. How shall such be given him? The Lord could have sent an angel; he could have spoken by the power of the Holy Spirit to the spirit within Paul; or he could have opened the heavens and let him see again the wonders of eternity. But this time—thanks to his valiant service, his unwearying devotion, his willingness to suffer even unto death in the Cause of Christ—this time Paul was blessed with the personal ministrations of the Lord of heaven himself. Jesus stood at his side. Without question much was said and much transpired, of which there has been preserved to us only the promise that the Lord’s special apostle would yet bear witness of the Master in Rome" (as quoted in the NT student manual).

The Plot to Kill Paul, Acts 23:12-22

• The New Testament Study Guide quotes Goodspeed about conditions in Jerusalem at this time, "The frenzied condition of the Jews of Jerusalem in the last years before the Jewish war is reflected in the plot made against Paul's life by a group of fanatics of the type of the Sicarii or assassins . . . the heavy guard under which Paul left Jerusalem is a hint of the disturbed condition of the capital of this time."  Most timelines put Paul's arrest in Jerusalem in AD 57.  It was in AD 66-70 that the Jews revolted against Rome, which culminated in the destruction of the temple and then later the siege at Masada.
• We don't know a lot about Paul's family, but here we learn that he had a nephew who was brave enough to thwart the plot of forty conspirators.  He went to Paul and then to the chief captain, who listened to him and sent almost four hundred men to go with Paul to Caesarea.  Caesarea was the coastal city that was the Roman capital of Palestine.



Ceasarea, photo by Richard L.W. Cleave, from the student manual

• Lynn Wilson explains, "Caesarea was initially known as Stratton’s Tower when the Romans conquered it in 63 BC. King Herod renamed it Caesarea Marittima. In 22 BC, he began building a deep-sea harbor. It was the largest artificial harbor in the world at that time (100,000 sq. meters). He also built storerooms, markets, baths, an aqueduct, and an elaborate palace jutting out into the sea. It became the capital of the Roman government in Palestine for over 600 years. The great Jewish war against Rome began there in 66 AD."
• It was in Caesarea just weeks before that Agabus had prophesied that Paul would be bound and delivered to the Gentiles (Acts 21:11-13).  And here is Paul, back and fulfilling that prophecy.  

The Letter to Felix, Acts 23:23-35

• The letter sent to Felix gives a brief history of the disturbance with Paul and the plot to kill him and states that Lysias had found "nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds."  

The Charges Against Paul, Acts 24:1-9

• After five days, Ananias the high priest brings with him the elders and a man named Tertullus, who played a role similar to a lawyer.  Trained in Roman rhetoric, he was ready to make the case against Paul.  Paul is accused of fomenting sedition among the Jews and being a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes (Christians) and that he was going to profane the temple.  Wayment notes that "sect can also be translated as heresy and in later centuries the word was often used to refer to Christian heretical groups."  Tertullus is dismissive and contemptuous about this group. 
• Tertellus makes the mob seem like a simple peaceful gathering.  They were trying to judge him according to Jewish law when the chief captain took Paul away with "great violence."  They don't mention the two times they almost killed Paul but for the chief captain, nor the plot against Paul's life.  

Paul's Defense, Acts 24:10-27

• Paul defends himself by first saying that he was in Jerusalem less than twelve days.  During that time, he wasn't arguing in the temple or gathering mobs in the synagogues or the city and the Jewish leaders can't prove that he was.
• Paul says that his "heresy" was simply to believe in the God of his fathers, the scriptures and the resurrection.  He says it is "the Way," not a heresy.  He was in Jerusalem to bring alms and offerings and was acting peacefully in the temple when the disturbance began.
• The only thing he said that caused commotion was when he defended the resurrection before the Jewish council. (verse 21)
• Felix seems to understand enough about the Christian "sect" or "that way" that he decides to wait for the chief captain to come to further try Paul.  He gives him a measure of freedom under the watch of a centurion.  
• Felix comes to Paul with his Drusilla, a daughter of Herod Agrippa and formerly the wife of a King Azizas of Ernasa, who she abandoned to become Felix's third wife.  They want to know more about Christ.  Was this genuine interest or simple curiosity?  Felix trembles when he hears of "righteousness, temperance and judgment to come."  Given his corruption -- so bad that the Romans soon decide to replace him -- it's no wonder he doesn't like the idea of a final judgment.
• Felix keeps Paul in prison for two years for two reasons.  The first is that he hopes to get some bribe from Paul and the second is that he wants to "shew the Jews a pleasure."  Do we ever do things we know are wrong hoping to get some gain or to please the crowd?  Are we willing to swim against the current of popular opinion?  President James E. Faust said, "Men and women often attempt to gain notice and approval of the group from whom they seek acceptance. Such peer pressure may cause them to do things they would not otherwise do. This is acting out of weakness, not strength . . . In its simplest terms, self-mastery is doing those things we should do and not doing those things we should not do. It requires strength, willpower, and honesty."

Paul Appeals to Caesar,  Paul before Festus, King Agrippa and Bernice, Acts 25:1-27

Source

• Festus replaces Felix and as soon as he is in Jerusalem the chief of the Jews start trying to influence him against Paul, asking Festus to bring him to Jerusalem to be tried as a pretext for them to ambush and kill him.  Festus refuses, and like Claudius Justus, tells them to bring their charges against Paul to Caesarea.
• They do and make a lot of "grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove."  Festus, like Felix, wants to appease the Jews.  As a new ruler he probably does not want to offend these powerful leaders in his first days in office.  So he asks Paul if he will go to Jerusalem to be judged.  Paul appeals to Ceasar, which is his right as a Roman.  Lynn Wilson points out this wasn't a safe option for Paul, "the Caesar at the time was one of the cruelest ever to reign. Paul would have known that he had banned Jews from Rome and hated Christians. . . Nero reigned over the Roman Empire from AD 54–68. His reputation included public brutality and sexual licentious. He killed his mother and his wife to marry another beauty (whom he later murdered). He started a fire in Rome to build a larger palace, “the gold house” (AD 64). As a scapegoat for the fire, he ordered the brutal execution of Christians. He was passionate about chariot races and used the wealth of the empire to buy popularity. When Britain, Spain, and Gaul, revolted against him, Nero committed suicide. The early Christian fathers interpreted the “666” from the beast in Revelation as an acronym for Nero’s name."
• King Agrippa, brother of Felix's wife Drusilla, brings his sister Bernice with him to meet with the new Roman governor Festus.  There were rumors that Bernice and King Agrippa were having an incestuous affair.  The student manual says, "Herod Agrippa II (also called Marcus Julius Agrippa) was the seventh and last king in the Jewish Herodian dynasty. He ruled the territory northeast of the Sea of Galilee from about A.D. 55 to 93. He was the son of Herod Agrippa I, who ordered the death of James and imprisoned Peter (see Acts 12:1–4); the grandson of Herod Antipas, who had John the Baptist beheaded (see Matthew 14:1–12); and the great-grandson of Herod the Great, who ordered the slaughter of the infants of Bethlehem (see Matthew 2:16).
  
  Agrippa’s kingdom lay to the north of Festus’s territory. Agrippa and his sister Bernice (whom some believed he was having an incestuous affair with) visited Festus in Caesarea while Paul was imprisoned there. Because Agrippa was a Jew and was therefore more familiar with Jewish affairs than Festus, who was a Roman, Festus hoped that Agrippa could help him understand the accusations against Paul and also help draft his letter to Caesar (see Acts 25:24–27; 26:3)."  
• After Agrippa has been in town for a while, Festus asks him about Paul's case, and Agrippa wants to listen to Paul himself.  So there is a big gathering "with great pomp" and including all the leaders in the city.  This is a great opportunity for Paul to begin to fulfill his charge from Acts 9:15 to "bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:"
• Festus asks Agrippa to help him decide what to write to Rome about why he's sending Paul.

Paul's Defense Before Agrippa, Acts 26:1-11

• Paul begins by greeting Agrippa and saying he knows him to understand the customs and questions of the Jews.  He asks for patience while he shares his story, then begins with his life as a Phrarisee.  He says he is condemned because he believed in "the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers.  Clearly, he sees Christ as the fulfillment of the covenant of the Old Testament.
• Christ's resurrection is front and center, and he wonders why it is so incredible to them "that God should raise the dead?"  Then he admits that he felt the same back in his persecutor days.
• From the student manual, "In this defense before Agrippa, Paul took a different approach than he had taken when he spoke before the Roman governor Felix (see Acts 24:10–21). To the governor, Paul had emphasized that he was innocent of sedition—the charge that would have been of most concern to a Roman ruler. To Agrippa, who was Jewish, Paul emphasized his faithfulness as a Jew. Discerning that Agrippa believed the writings of the Jewish prophets (see Acts 26:27), Paul explained that his teachings to Jews and Gentiles were in the tradition of the prophets (see Acts 26:22–23; compare Isaiah 42:6; 49:6)."

Paul's Conversion, Acts 26:12-32

• At this point Paul has been imprisoned in Caesarea for two years.  He's had a lot of time to think and compose sermons in his head.  And what is it that he thinks is most important to share in front of kings, noblemen, and rulers?  It is his personal experience with the divine, his conversion and testimony of Christ.  What is recorded is not long; it may be that he knew he wouldn't have a long audience, or it may be that just the highlights are written down.
• The phrase "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks," though quoted in the first account of the vision in Acts 9 in the KJV, was not included in the original manuscripts of that chapter, according to Wayment.  But it is mentioned here.  Evidently, this was a Greek proverb found in Euripides and others and meant to fight against God, or literally, to kick against the cattle prod that is leading you where you need to go, thus making it harder on yourself.  Whether Christ said exactly this phrase or something with a similar meaning, the phrase would likely have had immediate meaning to Paul's audience at this time.   
• I love that we hear the words of Christ directly to Paul,  "I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."  (v. 16-18)
• Christ says to Paul that he will witness of the things that he has seen and of things that he will see, "in the which I will appear unto thee."  Paul's conversion seem quick, but it is not enough for him to have that one experience.  He needs to continue to seek revelation and understanding from God, as do we.  We've seen that need for ongoing revelation all throughout Acts.  Revelation gave him courage and the direction to stay in Corinth for eighteen months.  Revelation kept him from going to Asia.  A vision led to crossing the sea into Macedonia.  Comfort in prison in Jerusalem gave him hope and assurance that he would speak in Rome as well.  President Nelson has said, "what will your seeking open for you? What wisdom do you lack? What do you feel an urgent need to know or understand? Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph. Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort.
  
  Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”9
  
  Does God really want to speak to you? Yes! “As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course … as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.”10
  
  You don’t have to wonder about what is true.11 You do not have to wonder whom you can safely trust. Through personal revelation, you can receive your own witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that this is the Lord’s Church. Regardless of what others may say or do, no one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart and mind about what is true.
  
  I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation, for the Lord has promised that “if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.”12  Oh, there is so much more that your Father in Heaven wants you to know. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “To those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, it is clear that the Father and the Son are giving away the secrets of the universe!”13
• I love that Paul says in verse 22 and 23, "Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles."   Paul gives God the credit for keeping him from being killed by the Jewish plots, but God has also helped him in many other ways.  And he continues his remarkable and constant witness no matter the threats.  Are we also that brave, willing to stand for the truth no matter what?  Do we recognize the hand of God in our lives?
• Festus doesn't believe any of Paul's experiences.  "Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad!"  When we are called crazy for our beliefs, how do we react?  
• Joseph Smith's vision was also called into question.  He said, "“I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.
  
  “So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true. … I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it” (Joseph Smith—History 1:24–25).
• In the KJV, it sounds like Agrippa is "almost persuaded" to be a Christian.  However, the translation is rendered differently in almost every other translation.  Lynn Wilson notes, "The word, “almost/oligos,” in KJV, actually meant: few, little, small, as in a segment of time (as the next verse first phrase confirms, “Short time or long,” NIV), instead of the more modern meaning of “nearly”. It is clearer in other translations:  • “In a short time, you think to make me a Christian!” (RSV) • “A little more, and you are sure to make me a Christian.” (AB) • “In a little thou dost persuade me to become a Christian!” (YLT) • “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?” (BSB)"
• Paul responds that he wishes everyone could be like him, except for the small matter of the chains he is carrying.  That line makes me smile.
• The two men decide that Paul isn't guilty of anything, but since he appealed to Caesar, they will send him to Caesar.

Paul's Trip to Rome, and a Shipwreck Acts 27:1-44

• This chapter is impressive.  Luke uses the first person again and we know that he was with Paul on this voyage, as was Aristarchus of Thessalonica.  The latter was one of those who was brought to the theater in Ephesus when the crowds were yelling about Diana being great.  He was with Paul in Asia when the man fell out the window and was revived, and was with Paul in prison (Col. 4:10).  Paul's companions have a way of fading into the background, but I would bet each one is as impressive as Paul and as faithful.  But except for a bit of time solo in Athens, Paul always had companions with him.  Missionary work today is also done in companionships, as out of the "mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." (2 Corinthians 13:1).
• After a good bit of sailing and after the day of Atonement had passed (so it was after September or October), Paul warns them and prophecies of perils ahead if the continue their journey.  But the centurion believes the ship's owner more than Paul and they didn't want to winter in the port they were in, so they continue.  Since the majority wanted to go ahead, that was what they chose.  Who was this prisoner who thought he could dissuade them? Are we ever tempted to dismiss the words of the prophets in favor of the wisdom of the world? 
• Following all the descriptions of the voyage was a bit confusing for me until I watched the video below.  Then some of the details (such as throwing off the wheat in verse 38), made a lot more sense!  The detail I found most fascinating is that the ship was only trying to go another forty miles when they hit the bad weather and had so much trouble.  No wonder the men dismissed Paul's counsel.  They weren't going that far; surely they could make it forty miles!  I also liked getting a sense for how big a ship it was that could fit the 276 men.

• Don't you love that Paul says "I told you so" in verse 21?  The men had lost "all hope," (v. 20), but Paul assures them that they will not die.  He tells them the angel of God told him in the night (another night visitation for Paul) that he would still be brought before Caesar and that "God has granted you the safety of all those sailing with you."(Wayment translation).  The first part is the same message that he had received in Jerusalem two or more years before from the Lord himself, but he is given that reassurance again.  That must have brought Paul a lot of comfort.  The second part seems to imply that God is answering Paul's pleas on behalf of his traveling companions.  Do we pray for those around us?  Have you been the recipient of other's prayers?
• A bit later, when a group is about to flee on a lifeboat, Paul warns that they need to stay with the ship in order to be saved.  The verse in the KJV is confusing.  They let down the lifeboat "under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship."  Wayment translates it as "under the pretext that they were putting down anchors from the bow."  It sounds like a group of sailors was trying to sneak away when Paul caught them, either through observation or revelation.  It is the soldiers in verse 32 who cut the rope and let the boat fall.  Then the next morning, they all eat at Paul's urging.
• Drive Thru History has a follow-up video about the shipwreck experience:

• The centurion won't let the men kill the prisoners because he wants to save Paul.  Paul is often saved through the intervention of a fair-minded person.

Paul's Time in Malta, Acts 28:1-10

• The word for "barbarian" in verse 2 and 4 did not have the negativity we associate with it.  It didn't mean savage, it meant non-Greek speaking.  Still, the men were surprised by the kindness of these strangers.
• Paul was bitten by a viper and the islanders see as a sign of his wickedness.  But when he survives with no harm, they decide he must be a god.  That is probably reinforced when he begins to exercise the gift of healing among some on the island.

Paul Arrives in Rome, Acts 28:11-16

• After three months on the island, they find another Egyptian ship to take them to Italy.  They land in Puteoli.  Paul is greeted by friends and fellow saints, "whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage."  We draw strength from our fellow saints.  As Christ said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."  I have been to Church in a tiny chapel where the Spirit was powerfully present.  I have been instantly greeted as a friend and offered kindness and hospitality in every location where I have attended Church.  The gospel bonds make us brothers and sisters. 

Paul Speaks to the Jews in Rome, Acts 28:17-31

• Paul is under the watch of a soldier but has a lot of freedom.  Instead of going to the synagogue and teaching the Jews there as is his wont with missionary work, this time he has to call the leaders of the Jews to come to him.  He talks to them about why he is a prisoner and they say they haven't heard anything from Jerusalem about the matter and so they are open to hearing from him.  He teaches them about Jesus from the law of Moses and the prophets.  Some believe and some don't, causing Paul to lament that the words of Isaiah about people who hear but don't understand is true of them.  Paul remarks that the Gentiles will hear what the Jews will not.  
• Acts ends rather abruptly after telling us that Paul dwelt two years in his "hired house" and taught lots of people who came there, "Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him."  The prophecies of Paul continuing to preach the gospel in Rome are fulfilled.  Even though he is a prisoner, he is able to preach and have great opportunity to share the gospel message.
• From what I've gathered from various timelines on Paul's life, he is eventually released from prison and he continues on in preaching the gospel, "He then appears to have visited Asia, Macedonia, Crete, and perhaps Spain. At the end of about four years he was again taken a prisoner to Rome and suffered martyrdom, probably in the spring of A.D. 65." (from the Bible Dictionary.)  
• The student manual concurs, "While under house arrest, Paul wrote what some term his “prison epistles”—Colossians, Ephesians, Philemon, and Philippians. After he spent two years under house arrest in Rome, it is believed that Paul was tried and released and that he thereafter ministered in Asia, Greece, and perhaps Spain before being imprisoned again in Rome. According to tradition, he was killed during the persecutions under Nero, sometime between A.D. 64 and 68. Paul alluded to his future death in 2 Timothy 4:6–8."
• So why does Luke end Acts right here?  Did he run out of room on the scroll?  Is there a missing ending?  Did he plan or write a part three that was meant to finish up his record?  Or was it during the time Paul was in prison that he wrote Luke and Acts so it doesn't complete Paul's life because it hadn't happened yet?

Video Playlist for the Week

Note:  I'm indebted to Thomas Wayment for many of my section divisions and headings on this post and others.  If you haven't checked out his New Testament translation, it is well worth it!