Paul in Rome – Part One

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

May 15, 2021

Paul in Rome – Part One

When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

Acts 28:16

Read: Acts 28:11-22       

Three things stood out to me in today’s reading. First, Paul, ever consistent, after arriving in Rome, waited only three days before inviting the local Jewish leaders to meet with him. If these leaders had been alerted by officials in Jerusalem to work against Paul, he wanted to try and defuse the situation. More importantly, as he had done countless times, Paul wanted to present Jesus as God’s promised Messiah to these local leaders.

Secondly, in our world of instant gratification, where everything seems to move at high speed, Paul’s pace of travel was much slower. He spent three months on Malta, and arrived in Rome at least one year, if not longer, after he first began his journey. Luke closed the Book of Acts by noting Paul remained in Rome for two years. As I ponder my speed through life as compared to Paul’s, I recall something Paul Young, the author of The Shack, said when he visited our church several years ago: “Don’t out-pace grace.”

Lastly, I marvel at all the people, followers of Jesus, who went out to greet Paul and provide for his needs as he approached Rome. The Gospel had arrived and was flourishing in Rome!

My Takeaway: One of the keepsakes I purchased when I was in Israel is a Jerusalem Cross that I wear on the lapel of my blazer.

 

It is a Latin cross, with four smaller crosses in each quadrant. It symbolizes that the Gospel has gone out from Jerusalem to the four corners of the earth. Indeed, just three decades after Pentecost, the Gospel was well on its way! May I continue to participate in spreading the Good News of Jesus!

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.