Acts (22)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

The video for lesson 22 concludes our series. You can view it by clicking here (scroll down to Lesson 22).

Read and meditate on Acts 28.11-16.
Luke’s account of the final leg is as historical as the rest of his story – places, details about travel and wintering, weather and navigation, how long it takes to get from here to there. The Kingdom of God unfolds in real history, and it turns real history rightside-up. Luke helps us to see this.

For reflection
1.  Paul must have been elated to find fellow believers in Puteoli. Remember, “we” would have included Paul’s Roman escort as well as his friends and companions. The Christians showed hospitality without discrimination. How can you see the Spirit of Christ at work in His Body here?

2.  The brethren in Rome were so excited to hear about Paul’s arrival that they actually went out to meet him and escorted him along the way – a kind of “triumphal procession” into the imperial capital. Rome was known for such processionals, when a general returned leading captives into Rome. Do you think Luke or his readers would have been mindful of this, or that Luke might have wanted to say something along these lines with this brief report? Explain. How do you think this warm greeting might have impacted those Roman soldiers?

3.  We note how the company of other believers encouraged Paul’s soul and provoked him to give thanks. Even Paul needed the fellowship of the Body of Christ. Do we find our Christian brethren to be as encouraging? Are we as encouraging of other believers as we should be? Do we encourage one another in giving thanks to God?

4.  In Rome, Paul was placed under house arrest, with a good deal of freedom. He would make the most of it. Paul had previously written to these brethren in Rome, telling them he was on his way (Rom. 15). They could not have known all that would transpire to get him there, but they were certainly glad to know he had arrived. The Body of Christ is one Body, all over the world, but we need to work hard to maintain that unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4.3). What are the implications of this for the oneness of Christ’s Body for churches in a local community (Jn. 17.21)?

5.  Does your church work to maintain unity with other churches in your denomination? In your community? Elsewhere in the world?

Summary
The greeting and reception given Paul by the believers in Rome is evidence that the Spirit of God had been at work in Rome, building the church there, just as He was throughout the Roman world. The oneness Paul felt with these brethren cheered and emboldened him. We need to work harder at oneness in the Body of Christ. What’s one thing you might do in order to help your church realize more of its oneness with other congregations?

Closing Prayer
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.
Psalm 133
T. M. Moore

Each week’s studies in Acts are bound together into a free PDF that you can download for personal or group use (click here). Each week also features a video related to the studies of the week, which you may find helpful as you work through our studies in Acts.

Acts is the record of Christ’s ongoing work as King and Lord. This is the work of bringing the Kingdom of God to earth as it is in heaven. Read more about the implications of this work in our new book, The Kingdom Turn (click here).

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