Lesson #33

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Acts

September 21, 2015

Lesson #01

January 14, 2010

Lesson #02

January 14, 2010

RETURN TO THE SYLLABUS

ACTS 28
LESSON #33
THE ON-GOING CONCLUSION

• MEMORY VERSE: 2COR 4:10

• IN OUR STORY OF THE LIFE OF PAUL AND HIS MINISTRY, THIS CHAPTER IS A CONTINUATION OF HIS JOURNEY TO ROME.
• HOWEVER, THIS FINAL CHAPTER DOES NOT EVEN TELL US THE END OF PAUL’S LIFE.
• PERHAPS IT IS BECAUSE THE WORDS OF PAUL CONTINUE ON IN THE NEW TESTAMENT AND THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL TO THE GENTILES ALSO CONTINUES ON IN THE SAME WAY AS PAUL BEGAN IT.
• THE LOCATION OF THIS CHAPTER IS THE ISLAND OF MELITA, WHICH IS CALLED MALTA TODAY. THIS ISLAND IS 17 MILES LONG AND 9 MILES WIDE. THE NAME OF THE ISLAND MEANS = REFUGE, BECAUSE OF THE MANY SHIPS THAT SOUGHT REFUGE THERE IN MEDITERRANEAN STORMS.
• THIS SAME BAY WHERE PAUL LANDED WAS THE MOST BOMBED PLACE EARLY IN WORLD WAR II BECAUSE OF ITS STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE.

• READ ACT 28:1-2 THE KINDNESS OF THE PEOPLE OF MELITA
• WHEN PAUL AND THE 275 OTHERS FROM THE SHIPWRECK LANDED ON THE SHORE OF THIS ISLAND, THE PEOPLE WERE VERY KIND TO PROVIDE FOR THESE VICTIMS FROM THE SEA EVEN THOUGH MANY WERE CRIMINALS ON THEIR WAY TO ROMAN PUNISHMENT.
• LUKE ONCE AGAIN UNDERSTATES THE FEELINGS OF THESE PAGAN PEOPLE WITH THE WORDS, “…showed us no little kindness…” (2)
• NOTICE THAT LUKE CALLS THESE PEOPLE, “BARBAROUS PEOPLE” (2),
• THIS PHRASE DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME MEANING TODAY AS IT DID IN LUKE’S DAY.
• TODAY THE PHRASE MEANS = SAVAGE, VIOLENT OR WARLIKE.
• IN LUKE’S DAY, IT MEANT A PEOPLE WHO DID NOT SPEAK GREEK. THEY WERE OUTSIDE THE TRADING INFLUENCE WHERE GREEK WAS SPOKEN AS A LANGUAGE OF THE TRADING BUSINESS.
• THESE PEOPLE WERE DESCENDANTS OF THE SEA-GOING PHOENICIANS AND CARTHAGINIANS. THEY SPOKE A SEMITIC DIALECT.

• READ ACT 28:3-10 MIRACLES AND MINISTRY IN MELITA
• BECAUSE PAUL HAD POOR EYESIGHT, HE PROBABLY DID NOT SEE THE SNAKE WHEN HE PICKED UP SOME WOOD FOR THE FIRE. HE SUFFERED A VICIOUS SNAKEBITE.
• OF WHAT SIGNIFICANCE IS THE MIRACLE WITH THE SNAKE?
• READ MAR 16:17-18
• DR. LUKE, THE AUTHOR OF ACTS, IS CONFIRMING THE PROMISE OF MIRACULOUS SIGNS TO ADVERTISE THE GOSPEL.
• THESE PEOPLE ARE PAGANS WHO HAVE NOT HEARD THE GOSPEL. THEY ARE HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY ROMAN LAW AND THINK THAT PAUL IS REAPING JUSTICE FOR BREAKING ROMAN LAW.
• THE EXPLANATION IN THEIR PAGAN BELIEF SYSTEM FOR THE SNAKEBITE, WAS THAT THE GOD OF JUSTICE, “NEMESIS”, HAD FINALLY CAUGHT UP WITH THIS CRIMINAL IN CHAINS.
• ROMAN LAW HAD NO MERCY OR FORGIVENESS. THIS IS WHAT MADE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ATTRACTIVE TO THEM. THIS MIRACLE ADVERTISED GOD’S FORGIVENESS AND MERCY.
• UP TO THIS POINT IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, ALL THE MIRACLES HAVE ADVERTISED THE GOSPEL. THIS ONE IS NO DIFFERENT.
• THE PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A GODLY MIRACLE. HOWEVER, THEY MISTAKENLY THINK PAUL IS A GOD.
• KINDNESS AND HEALING IN THE HOUSE OF PUBLIUS
• PAUL, LUKE, AND ARISTARCHUS STAYED 3 DAYS WITH PUBLIUS, A ROMAN MAGISTRATE OF THE ISLAND UNDER THE GOVERNOR IN SICILY.
• PAUL PRAYS FOR A HEALING OF PUBLIUS’ FATHER WHO HAD A VERY COMMON CASE OF MALTA FEVER.
• THE MAN IS HEALED THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• ONCE AGAIN IT IS AN ADVERTISEMENT OF THE GOSPEL.
• HOWEVER, DR. LUKE DOES NOT TELL US THAT PAUL PREACHED THE GOSPEL HERE IN MILETA. THE DOCTOR ONLY TELLS US OF THESE PHYSICAL MIRACLES.
• PAUL, BEING WHO HE WAS, IT IS ASSUMED THAT HE OBVIOUSLY PREACHED THE GOSPEL IN THE CONTEXT OF THESE MIRACLES.
• A CHRISTIAN CHURCH CLOSE TO THIS HOUSE WAS ESTABLISHED ON THIS ISLAND THAT WAS CALLED THE CHURCH OF ST. PLUBIUS. 

• READ ACT 28:11-16 THE FINAL PART OF PAUL’S JOURNEY TO ROME
• PAUL REMAINS ON THE ISLAND OF MELITA FOR 3 MONTHS.
• THIS DELAY WAS OBVIOUSLY IN WAIT FOR THE END OF THE NORTH WIND WINTER STORM SEASON IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA.
• FINALLY AT THE END OF THIS WINTER STORM SEASON WHEN THE SOUTH AND WESTERLY WINDS BEGAN TO BLOW, THE SHIP-WRECKED GROUP CONTINUES THEIR JOURNEY TO ROME ON BOARD ANOTHER LARGE GRAIN SHIP CALLED, “CASTOR AND POLLUX”, WHICH WERE NAMES OF ROMAN GODS WHO WERE THE TWIN SONS OF ZEUS (JUPITER).
• THIS SHIP STOPS AT VARIOUS PORTS ALONG THE WAY SPENDING 3 DAYS IN ONE PORT, ONE DAY IN ANOTHER, AND SEVEN DAYS IN ANOTHER PORT.
• ALL ALONG THE WAY, CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE HEARD ABOUT PAUL’S TRIP GATHER TO GREET HIM AND TO ENCOURAGE HIM. (15)
• THIS SHIP LANDS AT PUTELOI (TODAY CALLED, PUZZOLI), WHICH IS A DEEP WATER PORT WHERE THESE LARGE GRAIN SHIPS LANDED.
• BECAUSE THIS WAS A LARGE COMMERCIAL CENTER, THERE WERE MANY CHRISTIANS LOCATED HERE. PAUL SPENT 7 DAYS IN THIS CITY.
• THE DELAY IS PROBABLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT ROMAN SOLDIERS BY LAW MUST ENTER ROME IN FULL ROMAN MILITARY UNIFORM. HAVING LOST EVERYTHING IN THE SHIPWRECK, THEY PROBABLY NEEDED TIME TO OUTFIT THE MILITARY GUARD.
• PAUL IS MARCHED TO ROME WITH THE OTHER PRISONERS ALONG THE VERY FAMOUS ROMAN ROAD CALLED THE APPIAN WAY.
• FINALLY, PAUL REACHES ROME AND IS HOUSED ALONE WITH ONE GUARDING SOLDIER.
• ALL THE OTHER PRISONERS WERE PUT IN THE PRISON, BUT PAUL WAS UNDER HOUSE ARREST PERPETUALLY CHAINED TO A ROMAN SOLDIER.
• PAUL’S SUPERIOR CONDITIONS WERE DUE TO KING AGRIPPA’S WORDING OF THE CHARGES THAT ACCOMPANIED PAUL, THE GOOD REPORT OF PAUL’S CONDUCT DURING THE SHIPWRECK BY JULIUS, THE CENTURION, AND PAUL’S OWN ROMAN CITIZENSHIP AS AN UNCONDEMNED PRISONER.

• READ ACT 28: 17-22 PAUL IN ROME WITH THE JEWS
• NOTICE THAT PAUL HAS SOME FREEDOM IN HOUSE ARREST. HE CALLS FOR THE JEWISH LEADERS IN ROME TO VISIT HIM. THEY COME, AND HE PREACHES TO THEM.
• PAUL IS MAINTAINING HIS USUAL PATTERN THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS THAT THE GOSPEL WAS FIRST TO GO TO THE JEWS.
• YOU MAY REMEMBER IN OUR STUDY OF ACTS THAT AQUILA AND PRISCILLA HAD BEEN FORCED TO LEAVE ROME BECAUSE OF A LAW THAT EXPELLED ALL JEWS FROM THE CITY OF ROME. (ACT 18:2) THIS LAW HAD SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN RESCINDED.
• PAUL BRIEFS THEM ON HIS ARREST IN JERUSALEM AND WHY HE IS NOW PRESENT IN ROME FOR TRIAL.
• HOW DOES PAUL USE THE PHRASE, “THE HOPE OF ISRAEL” (20)?
• THE PHRASE, “THE HOPE OF ISRAEL” REFERS TO THE RESURRECTED JESUS CHRIST, THE MESSIAH.
• ALL THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT, THE JEWS OF FAITH LOOKED FOR THE HOPE OF THE COMING MESSIAH.
• BECAUSE THE MESSIAH CAME IN THE FORM OF JESUS, IS THE REASON PAUL IS NOW BOUND.
• THE REACTION OF THE JEWS:
• THE JEWISH LEADERS IN JERUSALEM HAD NOT INFORMED THE ROMAN JEWS OF PAUL’S CASE.
• THIS FACT IS VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE OF THEIR LONG HELD HATRED OF PAUL AND THEIR ATTEMPT TO KILL HIM OVER SEVERAL YEARS. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THEY DID NOT FOLLOW THROUGH.
• COULD IT BE POSSIBLE THAT ANY LETTERS OR DOCUMENTS ABOUT PAUL WERE ON BOARD PAUL’S SHIP AND THEREFORE WERE DESTROYED IN PAUL’S SHIPWRECK?
• THE JEWISH LEADERS IN ROME WANTED TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE GROWING SECT OF BELIEVERS IN “THE WAY”, THE CHRISTIANS, BECAUSE EVERYWHERE JEWS WERE SPEAKING AGAINST THIS SECT.
• THE LEADERS SEEM TO INDICATE THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW THE BELIEFS OF THE CHRISTIAN SECT. HOWEVER, A LARGE CHRISTIAN CHURCH ALREADY EXISTED IN ROME.
• PAUL WROTE IN ROM 1:8 THAT THE ROMAN CHRISTIAN’S ZEAL AND FAITH WERE KNOWN EVERYWHERE.

• READ ACT 28:23-29 PAUL PREACHES THE KINGDOM OF GOD
• PAUL SETS A DAY FOR THE JEWS TO COME AND HEAR HIM SPEAK.
• EVIDENTLY PAUL’S HOUSE ARREST ALLOWED HIM TO HAVE QUITE A LARGE GROUP OF VISITORS. THEY STAY A WHOLE DAY TO HEAR HIM EXPLAIN THE FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT.
• NOTICE THE REFERENCE TO “THE KINGDOM OF GOD” IN VERSE 23. HOW DOES THE REST OF THE VERSE EXPAND ON THE MEANING OF THIS PHRASE?
• THE KINGDOM OF GOD REFERS TO GOD’S PLAN SET DOWN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW AND THE PROPHETS THAT POINTED TO THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST.
• SOME OF THE JEWS BELIEVED PAUL’S WORDS AND SOME DID NOT.
• WHAT DO YOU THINK THE “ONE WORD” WAS THAT PAUL SPOKE THAT ENDED THE CONVERSATION WITH THE JEWS? (25)
• THAT ONE WORD WAS PROBABLY, “RESURRECTION”, WHICH WAS THE CENTRAL MESSAGE OF ALL PAUL’S PREACHING IN THE BOOK OF ACTS.
• PAUL GIVES A FINAL WARNING WORD OF PROPHECY FROM ISAIAH:
• READ ISA 6:9-10
• WHAT DOES THIS PASSAGE TEACH?
• THE JEWS WILL HEAR THE TRUTH OF GOD, BUT THEY WILL NOT UNDERSTAND IT.
• THE JEWS WILL SEE GOD’S MIRACULOUS SIGNS BUT THEY WILL NOT PERCEIVE THAT THEY COME FROM GOD.
• THE HEART OF THE JEWS WILL BE BURDENED WITH IRRELEVANT THINGS SO THAT THEY DO NOT ACCURATELY HEAR THE TRUTH.
• THE JEWS WILL SHUT THEIR EYES TO THE TRUTH OF GOD SO THAT THEY WILL NOT SEE, HEAR, OR UNDERSTAND SPIRITUALLY.
• THEREFORE, THEY WILL NOT BE CONVERTED AND SPIRITUALLY HEALED.
• THE WORD OF GOD BRINGS OUT WHAT IS ALREADY IN THE HEART OF MAN:
• THOSE WHO HAVE A SOFT HEART FOR GOD, HEAR AND RECEIVE THE WORD.
• THOSE WHO HAVE A HARD HEART TOWARD GOD, HEAR THE WORD AND IT CAUSES THEIR HEART TO BECOME EVEN HARDER TOWARD GOD.
• BECAUSE OF THIS JEWISH REJECTION, PAUL EXPLAINS THAT THE FULFILLMENT OF THIS PROPHECY LED HIM TO PREACH TO THE GENTILES.
• VERSE 29 IS DELETED FROM MANY NEW VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE.
• THIS VERSE INDICATES A FINAL REJECTION OF THE TRUTH AND SOME DISPUTES BETWEEN THOSE FEW JEWS WHO BELIEVED PAUL’S WORDS AND THE MAJORITY OF JEWS WHO DID NOT.

• READ ACT 28:30-31 PAUL’S LIFE UNDER ROMAN ARREST
• PAUL CONTINUES UNDER HOUSE ARREST FOR TWO YEARS.
• PEOPLE COME TO HEAR HIM PREACH.
• HE WON SOME OF HIS GUARDS TO THE LORD.
• HE WON SOME FROM THE PALACE TO THE LORD.
• PAUL WRITES HIS PRISON EPISTLES:
• THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS
• THE BOOK OF PHILEMON
• THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS
• THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS
• WHAT FINALLY HAPPENED TO PAUL THAT DOES NOT APPEAR IN THE BOOK OF ACTS?
• THE FINAL DETAILS OF PAUL’S LIFE ARE DISPUTED BUT PROBABLY HE WAS RELEASED AFTER TWO YEARS.
• ROMAN LAW STATED THAT ANY UNSUBSTANTIATED CASE WOULD BE THROWN OUT OF COURT WHEN THE STATUTORY PERIOD FOR FILING CHARGES ELAPSED, WHICH WOULD BE TWO YEARS.
• EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITION STATES THAT PAUL WAS RE-ARRESTED LATER IN ROME AND DIED A MARTYR FOR CHRIST.
• HE WAS BEHEADED IN 64 AD BY ORDER OF THE ROMAN EMPEROR, NERO.
• HE WAS NOT CRUCIFIED BECAUSE HE WAS A ROMAN CITIZEN. CRUCIFIXION WAS USED FOR NON-CITIZENS.
• CONCLUSION:

• NOTICE THAT THIS FINAL CHAPTER IN THE BOOK OF ACTS DOES NOT REALLY HAVE AN ENDING…IN FACT, THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT CONTINUES EVEN IN OUR DAY. THE ACTUAL FINAL CHAPTER OF THIS BOOK WILL END AT THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH WITH THE CLOSE OF THE CHURCH AGE.

• DISCUSSION: IN THINKING ABOUT THE WHOLE STUDY IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, WHAT ONE LIFE-CHANGING THING DID YOU DISCOVER?

MAY THE ACTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT CONTINUE TO WORK IN AND THROUGH YOU FORTHE SPREADING OF THE GOSPEL TO THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE WORLD!

THE END