The Expressed Desire of the Letter Fulfilled Acts 28:14b, 15, 30, 31 At last Paul arrived at Rome. He had said, “ I must also see Rome (Acts 19:21). His longing is now realized. Though a prisoner he begins a glorious ministry. Circumstances cannot bind the servant of God. Helps for the Children Paul Preaching from Prison Acts 28:11-31 Memory Verse: “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Rom. 1:16). Paul had always longed to visit the Christians at Rome. When he wrote the letter to the Romans, he hoped to visit them soon. At last Paul was on his way to Rome but in a different way than he had planned and hoped. He was a pris oner being guarded with other prisoners upon the same ship. When the Roman Christians heard of Paul’s arrival, they went to meet him. When Paul saw them, he “ thanked God and took courage.” The other prisoners were placed in a Roman prison, but Paul was allowed to live in a house alone with a soldier to guard him. Paul called the chief Jews together and told them that he was being unfairly imprisoned. They had heard evil things concerning the Christians, but they asked him to spend a day telling them what he believed about the Lord Jesus. At the end of the day some received Christ as their Saviour and others refused to be- lieve Paul’s message of salvation. When the Jews refused the gospel, Paul told them that the Gentiles were going to be given an opportunity to receive the gos pel since the Jews had rejected it. For two years Paul lived in his own house watched by guards, but he was allowed to freely preach to all who came to him. Many souls were saved by the preaching of Paul, the prisoner. Last week we talked about Paul’s brave testimony for his Lord before King Agrippa. Today we have read of his courage to continue witnessing for the Saviour even while he was a prisoner. He might have been discouraged and thought that the Lord had forsaken him when he was kept imprisoned for such a long time. Rather than pity himself and talk to others constantly of how abused he was, he sought to talk always about his Lord and to lead others to Him. In his letter to the Romans Paul had said, “ I am not ashamed of the gos- pel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that be lieveth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” They knew that this verse was true as they watched him living as a prisoner in their midst. Had he been un pleasant and self-pitying all the time, they would have been disappointed in the fact that he did not live the things that he had written to them. Pray that others will never be disap pointed in your testimony, but that your words and your life may always bring the same testimony to all whom you meet. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
the founder of the church at Rome al though the New Testament leaves no rec ord of Peter ever being in Rome unless “ Babylon” is Rome (1 Pet. 5:13). Paul makes no mention of him in his Roman Epistle and Philip Schaff, the great church historian, makes bold to affirm that the Roman tradition of a twenty- five years’ episcopate there “ is unques tionably a colossal chronological mis take.” There is, however, a persistent traditional witness from a number of sources to the effect that Peter was in Rome at some time and was vitally con nected with the church there. The Writer of the Roman Letter Rom. 1:1 Paul delighted to be considered a “bondservant” of Jesus Christ. The word used in the Greek is the one always used of a slave under a taskmaster. Jesus had said of His disciples, “ No longer do I call you servants . . . but . . . friends,” yet Paul finds joy in thinking of himself as tied to the Lord Jesus Christ in His happy service. He is also “ called an apos tle.” By sovereign grace he had been commissioned a sent-one unto the Gen tiles (Acts 9:15). There is a sense in which every believer is an apostle or a missionary for Christ. Moreover, Paul was a “ separate” man. This expression is further explained in Galatians 1:15. Again, there is a glorious sense in which every believer has been separated by in finite grace to accomplish God’s will in this world. Each one is separated from sin and the things of this world unto the privileges and responsibilities of the gospel of God. The Recipients of the Roman Letter Rom. 1:7-12 Paul was writing to the Christians in Rome but what he says of them is true of Christians any time, anywhere. They are “beloved of God,” that is, members of His household, His dear children, ob jects of divine love in a way different from that bestowed upon unbelievers. They are also “ called . . . saints.” Every believer is a saint..There is no particu lar order of saints in the church as some affirm. Every one who has been sepa rated from his sins and belongs to Jesus is a saint. Then, too, all Christians are the objects of divine grace and peace. In the verses which follow (8-12), Paul reveals his own heart in relation to the believers at Rome. Notice how often the first personal pronoun occurs in this section. “I thank my God . . . 7 serve with my spirit . . . 7 make mention of you always . . . 7 long to see you,” etc. We have here sort of an autobiography of Paul. He lays open his heart. He shows the kind of a man he is. In these wonderful words of Paul we have set forth the revelation of a saint. In other words we may see in these words what kind of men and women all who have named Christ’s name should be. Study the import of each one of the statements beginning with “ I” and see if they are true in your life. Note also verses 13 to 16.
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