In Jerusalem they tried to kill Paul. They were so outraged that he brought the gospel to the Gentiles that they plotted assassination attempts and made up charges to try to get him.
In Rome the Jews wouldn’t believe. They listened because this “new sect” called the Way was so controversial, and some believed, but most didn’t. They left Paul in his house arrest rather than defend him.
The Romans, however, were more tolerant. The last verses of Acts, Acts 28:30-31, tell us “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!”
Awaiting a hearing as a prisoner, Paul was treated decently. More so, he was allowed to openly preach. During his two-year confinement he did exactly that, teaching and proclaiming to anyone who was interested.
I wonder what the result of just those two years of ministry were. How many saved people? How many changed lives?
My next thought is to wonder what the result of a similar period of “proclaiming without hindrance” might have done in Jerusalem. But that wasn’t to be; the city that killed Jesus wanted desperately to kill Paul too. The Romans, in their tolerance or perhaps just indifference, allowed Paul a more effective ministry than God’s own people.
It’s an interesting end to Paul’s story. I can’t decide if it’s a sad one, or good. But it reminds me that it is possible for an established church to hinder the spread of the good news. If we put roadblocks in the way of racial reconciliation, or allow fear to keep us from opening our arms to new people, or declare tradition as our basis for excluding certain kinds of people from leadership, we could be hindering.
It’s a sad thought that sometimes God’s saints have to get away from our established churches and most churched communities to do their best work.
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