The apostle Paul left the city of Corinth after he completed his letter to the churches in Rome. He traveled through Macedonia and then set sail for the city of Troas (located in modern-day Turkey).
He was speaking to a group of believers and taking Communion with them, when a man that was sitting by an open window, fell asleep and plummeted 3 stories to his death. Paul ran to the man and embraced him. And the Holy Spirit worked through the apostle and brought the man back to life.
Paul then set sail for Jerusalem. Along the way, his ship docked in the city of Miletus, (also in Turkey, near the city of Ephesus). He sent for the elders of the Ephesian church and told them that he was troubled:
“And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead.” Acts 20:22, 23. NLT
But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. Acts 20:24 NLT
We can all be thankful that Paul was so zealous. He went on to say to them that they would never see him again. The apostle also warned them about false teachers that would try to corrupt their church after his death.
In the spring of 57 A.D., Paul arrives in Jerusalem. James (the brother of Jesus) and other church elders met with him, and informed him of rumors going around, accusing the apostle of teaching Jews to renounce the Mosaic and ceremonial Jewish laws. (Patently untrue).
They suggested to Paul that he make nice with the Jews, by submitting to a 7-day Nazarite purification ceremony, to reinforce his ‘Jewish-ness’ to them. He began the ritual. However, a group of Jews, who had opposed Paul during his previous ministry travels, dragged him out of the Temple to kill him.
As they were beating him, a group of Roman soldiers came to investigate, with the intention of taking Paul to their barracks and arrest him. The apostle first however, asked them if he could address the crowd. The soldiers complied.
Paul told the crowd that he was trained as a Pharisee and had been instrumental in the persecution of the church of Christ. He then informed them of his conversion on the road to Damascus, which convinced him to be a follower of Jesus.
The non-believing Jews reacted violently; and the Roman soldiers took Paul back to their barracks with the intent to flog him. However, he revealed his Roman citizenship, which gave him the right to be judged by Roman laws. Fortuitously, one of those laws forbade the flogging of a Roman citizen.
The following day, Paul was set before the council of the Sanhedrin, where he was able to play the Sadducees and the Pharisee factions of the council against each other, over their opposing beliefs regarding the ‘resurrection.’
Then Paul was returned to the barracks, whereupon Jesus Himself manifested in front of him with His new ‘marching orders’:
“Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.” Acts 23:11 NLT
Simultaneously, a group of Jews plotted to kill Paul. However, Paul’s nephew overheard the plotters, and reported it to his uncle. Paul sent him to the commander of the Roman soldiers in Jerusalem. The commander took a large company of soldiers and transported Paul to the governor of Caesarea, Antonius Felix.
Paul defended himself to Felix, stating that the Jews were lying. Felix placed him under a liberal house arrest. Felix was hoping that Paul would pay him a bribe for his release, but two years elapsed without Paul doing so. Subsequently, he was forced to spend an additional two years under house arrest.
Felix was succeeded by a new governor, Festus, who, arranged to have Paul stand trial in Jerusalem. Knowing that this decision would result in certain death, the apostle called up another of his Roman citizenship privileges – that of the right to be tried in Rome.
Before he set sail for Rome, King Agrippa II, (who ruled the region of Judea for Caesar), came to hear Paul plead his case. The apostle first explained his conversion on the road to Damascus. He then elaborated on his subsequent ministry:
“And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God – and prove they have changed by the good things they do.
Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen – that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.” Acts 26:19 – 23. NLT
Festus thought Paul was crazy. But neither he nor the King thought the apostle did anything wrong. So, they complied with his request and sent him on his way to Rome.
Along the way however, his boat was shipwrecked on the island of Malta. There, he also
was bitten by a viper, but miraculously it had no effect.
Paul remained on the island for 3 months – Holy Spirit-healing people from all kinds of diseases.
In the spring of 60 A.D., Paul arrived in Rome, where he was placed under house arrest for yet another 2 years.
Yet, he was able to preach to many guests he had during that time:
…boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him. Acts 28:31 NLT
What a mighty man of God!
Goodnight and God bless.