Acts 28:30-31 concludes the Book of Acts. Luke, the author, informs us that Paul lived in his own rented home during his imprisonment in Rome for two years. He was allowed to preach the gospel as openly as he pleased, without anyone silencing him.
In Acts 28:30-31, Luke concludes his account of the Acts which the Holy Spirit did through the Apostles after Jesus returned to Heaven. The ending centers on Paul, whom the account has followed since Acts 13. The first twelve chapters record the twelve Apostles founding the church by performing miracles and preaching the gospel, with Peter as the central figure.
There is a strong case to be made that Luke wrote his gospel and the Book of Acts to validate Paul’s apostleship. Paul wrote a majority of the New Testament, and his letters contain evidence of an ongoing battle with detractors over whether his authority as an apostle was genuine (1 Corinthians 9:1-3, 2 Corinthians 10,Galatians 1:1, 11-12).
The Book of Acts proves Paul’s authority. Luke documents Paul’s personal engagement with Jesus in Chapter 9, when he is first appointed as an Apostle to preach the gospel. It is possible that Luke wrote his Gospel of Luke in part to validate his own credibility as an historian, given that he was Gentile. (Although scripture does not say Luke was a Gentile, it is strongly implied in Colossians 4:10-14 where Luke is grouped with Gentiles mentioned by Paul, rather than Jews whom Paul also greets.)
Though the first half of Acts focuses largely on Peter, the word “Peter” does not occur between Acts 15:7 and this passage—the end of the book. Furthermore, Luke specifically and intentionally records that the miracles Peter performed were also performed by Paul, also validating Paul’s apostolic authority. This includes healing a lame man who walked (Acts 3:1-10, 14:8-10), and the raising of a dead person (Acts 9:40, 20:9-12).
Luke brings the book of Acts to a close by giving an overview of Paul’s life as a prisoner in Rome:
And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him (v. 30).
Paul stayed two full years in his own rented quarters, under house arrest as a prisoner awaiting trial. But he lived comfortably enough, for a prisoner, and was able to receive visitors. He was welcoming all who came to him to visit him during his imprisonment. These visitors may have included members of the local Roman churches, perhaps Priscilla and Aquila, his old friends and ministry partners (Acts 18:1, 19, 24-26, Romans 16:3), and the other Roman believers Paul knew personally (Romans 16:5-15).
But there were many other old friends and disciples who were able to make it to Rome and minister to Paul during his imprisonment. We can determine this based on the “Prison Letters” Paul wrote during his house arrest in Rome: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (Ephesians 6:20,Philippians 1:7,Colossians 4:18,Philemon 1:1).
One man who came to visit Paul in Rome was Tychicus, an Ephesian believer and friend of Paul who was with him when he went to Jerusalem and was arrested (Acts 20:4). Tychicus also delivered Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and the Colossians (Ephesians 6:21-22, Colossians 4:7-8).
Paul’s beloved “true son in the faith” Timothy of Lystra (1 Timothy 1:2) also came to Rome, and helped write the letter to Philemon and the Philippian church (Philemon 1:1,Philippians 1:1). In his parting words to Philemon, Paul sends along the greetings of Epaphras, John Mark, Demas, as well as Aristarchus and Luke (who had sailed with Paul to Rome, Acts 27:2) (Philemon 1:23-24). Epaphras was someone Paul admired greatly, and he seems to have planted the church in the city of Colossae in Asia Minor by preaching the gospel there (Colossians 1:4-8, 4:12).
Aristarchus and Luke (“the beloved physician”) are still with Paul when he wrote Colossians, as well as Demas and Barnabas’s cousin Mark, and someone named Jesus who was also called Justus (Colossians 4:10-14). The letter is sent via Tychicus, who was accompanied by a man named Onesimus—a runaway slave and the reason Paul wrote the letter to Philemon. Philemon was a man who lived in Colossae and belonged to the church there. Onesimus returned to his master, Philemon, with Paul’s letter imploring Philemon to free Onesimus, as he became a believer in Christ when he met Paul and was now a fellow brother in the faith (Philemon 1:10-20).
One of the Philippian believers, Epaphroditus, brought a gift for Paul, to minister to his needs, and returned with Paul’s letter to the church (Philippians 2:25, 4:18).
While a prisoner, Paul continues preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered (v. 31).
We get a glimpse of Paul’s attitude and opportunities in his letter to the Philippians. He does not describe his interaction with visitors as we might expect, citing appreciation for their concern in his distress. Rather, he focuses on the fact that through his capacity to receive visitors he is able to continue to preach the good news of Christ:
“Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.” (Philippians 1:12-14)
Paul’s faith in Christ had been made “well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,” meaning Caesar’s own personal guard and seemingly other members of the palace became familiar with Paul and what he preached. This infers that Paul spoke not only to the believers who visited him, but to the unbelievers. It seems reasonable to infer that Paul’s guards would have overheard his teaching.
Though housebound and limited to Rome, Paul was given opportunities to keep preaching the coming kingdom of God where Jesus would rule over the earth as the eternal Davidic king promised in scripture (1 Chronicles 17:11-14). Paul was active in teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness. He did not have to teach secretly or quietly, but unhindered; no one prevented him from or penalized him for teaching.
Luke summarizes the current and future fulfillment of the good news of salvation which Paul preached, about the future kingdom of God and the king of that kingdom: Lord Jesus Christ. These three words in succession encapsulate who Jesus was and is. Paul taught that the man Jesus of Nazareth was also the Lord God and the Christ (Messiah, “anointed one”). He was, and is, and is to come (John 1:1,Revelation 1:8).
It is interesting that the Book of Acts ends here, without concluding what happened to Paul when he finally gave testimony before Caesar. There are various possible explanations why this is the case. Luke wrote this account and his gospel to someone named “Theophilus” (Luke 1:3,Acts 1:1), which means “God-lover,” who may have been an individual or a name for anyone who loved God and was seeking to learn about Jesus Christ, His ministry, His death and resurrection, and the Apostles who preached and performed miracles in His name.
This intended reader, “Theophilus,” may have already known that Paul was released from prison, and it was not necessary to explain it. The final verses which say Paul stayed in Rome for two years indicate an end date to this imprisonment. Since Luke does not leave Paul’s stay in Rome open-ended, but writes that it was only for two years, this implies that Paul left Rome after those two years. Perhaps the contemporary readers of Acts already knew Paul had been freed and was still preaching the gospel.
Perhaps Luke felt his writings to this point were sufficient in defending Paul’s apostleship and were ready to be circulated among churches to promote Paul’s teachings and letters which were read in churches across the Roman empire (2 Peter 3:15-16).
Church history and tradition tell us that Paul was declared innocent by Caesar when he finally defended himself before the emperor. A free man once more, Paul is believed to have possibly gone on another missionary journey, perhaps making it all the way to Spain as he had hoped to years earlier.
The letters of 1 Timothy and Titus are generally believed to have been written after Paul was released from this his first imprisonment in Rome. 2 Timothy is regarded as being written during his final imprisonment in Rome.
From these letters of 1 Timothy and Titus, we can see that Timothy spent an extended time in Ephesus as a church leader and teacher there, and Paul was able to return to Macedonia (where churches were in the cities of Berea, Thessalonica, and Philippi), after his time in Rome (1 Timothy 1:3). The book of Titus shows that the gospel spread to Crete, where Titus was teaching (Titus 1:5), and that Paul had decided to winter in Nicopolis, a city on the western coast of Greece, opposite Italy (Titus 3:12).
Then, by 64 AD, the emperor Nero began to persecute followers of Jesus. Paul was arrested and imprisoned again.
Paul’s letter of 2 Timothy is written from this final state of imprisonment (2 Timothy 2:8-9). This is believed to be Paul’s final imprisonment before he is executed by the Romans. In his last letter to Timothy, Paul expresses confidence he will die, will go to be with the Lord, and will find reward for his faithfulness to the end:
“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8)
Church tradition and historians (sources like Clement of Rome and Eusebius) say that the Apostles Paul and Peter were both executed for their faith in Rome during Nero’s persecution. It is said that Paul was beheaded, and Peter was crucified on an upside-down cross.
Accordingly, both Peter and Paul, the primary characters featured in Acts, finished faithfully after a life of service to the gospel of their Lord Jesus Christ. They finished the race and kept the faith, and were reunited with Him before the throne of God.
Historically, Luke’s apparent attempt to validate Paul’s apostleship has proven immensely successful. Whatever resistance to his apostleship that existed in the first century has since dissolved. Paul holds an undisputed place in church history as the most prolific author of New Testament letters.
Luke also holds a prominent position as being the only Gentile New Testament author. With few exceptions, such as the passage quoting a proclamation written by King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, Luke is the only Gentile author in scripture. It seems completely fitting that a Gentile believer would provide the successful defense of the most prolific Jewish author in the New Testament, given that Paul was chosen by God as an apostle to the Gentiles. This could be viewed as a fulfillment of this verse written by Paul in his letter to the believers in Galatia:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” (Galatians 3:28-29)
Though many generations later it is easy to take Luke’s amazing historical works for granted, we can imagine that there were times of discouragement when Luke wondered if his work was worth it, or would make a difference. The prominent placement of Acts as being the book just after the gospels shows God’s immense blessing on his work, which has proved a great blessing to God’s people.
Acts 28:30-31
30 And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him,
31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.
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Acts 28:30-31 meaning
In Acts 28:30-31, Luke concludes his account of the Acts which the Holy Spirit did through the Apostles after Jesus returned to Heaven. The ending centers on Paul, whom the account has followed since Acts 13. The first twelve chapters record the twelve Apostles founding the church by performing miracles and preaching the gospel, with Peter as the central figure.
There is a strong case to be made that Luke wrote his gospel and the Book of Acts to validate Paul’s apostleship. Paul wrote a majority of the New Testament, and his letters contain evidence of an ongoing battle with detractors over whether his authority as an apostle was genuine (1 Corinthians 9:1-3, 2 Corinthians 10, Galatians 1:1, 11-12).
The Book of Acts proves Paul’s authority. Luke documents Paul’s personal engagement with Jesus in Chapter 9, when he is first appointed as an Apostle to preach the gospel. It is possible that Luke wrote his Gospel of Luke in part to validate his own credibility as an historian, given that he was Gentile. (Although scripture does not say Luke was a Gentile, it is strongly implied in Colossians 4:10-14 where Luke is grouped with Gentiles mentioned by Paul, rather than Jews whom Paul also greets.)
Though the first half of Acts focuses largely on Peter, the word “Peter” does not occur between Acts 15:7 and this passage—the end of the book. Furthermore, Luke specifically and intentionally records that the miracles Peter performed were also performed by Paul, also validating Paul’s apostolic authority. This includes healing a lame man who walked (Acts 3:1-10, 14:8-10), and the raising of a dead person (Acts 9:40, 20:9-12).
Luke brings the book of Acts to a close by giving an overview of Paul’s life as a prisoner in Rome:
And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him (v. 30).
Paul stayed two full years in his own rented quarters, under house arrest as a prisoner awaiting trial. But he lived comfortably enough, for a prisoner, and was able to receive visitors. He was welcoming all who came to him to visit him during his imprisonment. These visitors may have included members of the local Roman churches, perhaps Priscilla and Aquila, his old friends and ministry partners (Acts 18:1, 19, 24-26, Romans 16:3), and the other Roman believers Paul knew personally (Romans 16:5-15).
But there were many other old friends and disciples who were able to make it to Rome and minister to Paul during his imprisonment. We can determine this based on the “Prison Letters” Paul wrote during his house arrest in Rome: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (Ephesians 6:20, Philippians 1:7, Colossians 4:18, Philemon 1:1).
One man who came to visit Paul in Rome was Tychicus, an Ephesian believer and friend of Paul who was with him when he went to Jerusalem and was arrested (Acts 20:4). Tychicus also delivered Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and the Colossians (Ephesians 6:21-22, Colossians 4:7-8).
Paul’s beloved “true son in the faith” Timothy of Lystra (1 Timothy 1:2) also came to Rome, and helped write the letter to Philemon and the Philippian church (Philemon 1:1, Philippians 1:1). In his parting words to Philemon, Paul sends along the greetings of Epaphras, John Mark, Demas, as well as Aristarchus and Luke (who had sailed with Paul to Rome, Acts 27:2) (Philemon 1:23-24). Epaphras was someone Paul admired greatly, and he seems to have planted the church in the city of Colossae in Asia Minor by preaching the gospel there (Colossians 1:4-8, 4:12).
Aristarchus and Luke (“the beloved physician”) are still with Paul when he wrote Colossians, as well as Demas and Barnabas’s cousin Mark, and someone named Jesus who was also called Justus (Colossians 4:10-14). The letter is sent via Tychicus, who was accompanied by a man named Onesimus—a runaway slave and the reason Paul wrote the letter to Philemon. Philemon was a man who lived in Colossae and belonged to the church there. Onesimus returned to his master, Philemon, with Paul’s letter imploring Philemon to free Onesimus, as he became a believer in Christ when he met Paul and was now a fellow brother in the faith (Philemon 1:10-20).
One of the Philippian believers, Epaphroditus, brought a gift for Paul, to minister to his needs, and returned with Paul’s letter to the church (Philippians 2:25, 4:18).
While a prisoner, Paul continues preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered (v. 31).
We get a glimpse of Paul’s attitude and opportunities in his letter to the Philippians. He does not describe his interaction with visitors as we might expect, citing appreciation for their concern in his distress. Rather, he focuses on the fact that through his capacity to receive visitors he is able to continue to preach the good news of Christ:
“Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.”
(Philippians 1:12-14)
Paul’s faith in Christ had been made “well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,” meaning Caesar’s own personal guard and seemingly other members of the palace became familiar with Paul and what he preached. This infers that Paul spoke not only to the believers who visited him, but to the unbelievers. It seems reasonable to infer that Paul’s guards would have overheard his teaching.
Though housebound and limited to Rome, Paul was given opportunities to keep preaching the coming kingdom of God where Jesus would rule over the earth as the eternal Davidic king promised in scripture (1 Chronicles 17:11-14). Paul was active in teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness. He did not have to teach secretly or quietly, but unhindered; no one prevented him from or penalized him for teaching.
Luke summarizes the current and future fulfillment of the good news of salvation which Paul preached, about the future kingdom of God and the king of that kingdom: Lord Jesus Christ. These three words in succession encapsulate who Jesus was and is. Paul taught that the man Jesus of Nazareth was also the Lord God and the Christ (Messiah, “anointed one”). He was, and is, and is to come (John 1:1, Revelation 1:8).
It is interesting that the Book of Acts ends here, without concluding what happened to Paul when he finally gave testimony before Caesar. There are various possible explanations why this is the case. Luke wrote this account and his gospel to someone named “Theophilus” (Luke 1:3, Acts 1:1), which means “God-lover,” who may have been an individual or a name for anyone who loved God and was seeking to learn about Jesus Christ, His ministry, His death and resurrection, and the Apostles who preached and performed miracles in His name.
This intended reader, “Theophilus,” may have already known that Paul was released from prison, and it was not necessary to explain it. The final verses which say Paul stayed in Rome for two years indicate an end date to this imprisonment. Since Luke does not leave Paul’s stay in Rome open-ended, but writes that it was only for two years, this implies that Paul left Rome after those two years. Perhaps the contemporary readers of Acts already knew Paul had been freed and was still preaching the gospel.
Perhaps Luke felt his writings to this point were sufficient in defending Paul’s apostleship and were ready to be circulated among churches to promote Paul’s teachings and letters which were read in churches across the Roman empire (2 Peter 3:15-16).
Church history and tradition tell us that Paul was declared innocent by Caesar when he finally defended himself before the emperor. A free man once more, Paul is believed to have possibly gone on another missionary journey, perhaps making it all the way to Spain as he had hoped to years earlier.
The letters of 1 Timothy and Titus are generally believed to have been written after Paul was released from this his first imprisonment in Rome. 2 Timothy is regarded as being written during his final imprisonment in Rome.
From these letters of 1 Timothy and Titus, we can see that Timothy spent an extended time in Ephesus as a church leader and teacher there, and Paul was able to return to Macedonia (where churches were in the cities of Berea, Thessalonica, and Philippi), after his time in Rome (1 Timothy 1:3). The book of Titus shows that the gospel spread to Crete, where Titus was teaching (Titus 1:5), and that Paul had decided to winter in Nicopolis, a city on the western coast of Greece, opposite Italy (Titus 3:12).
Then, by 64 AD, the emperor Nero began to persecute followers of Jesus. Paul was arrested and imprisoned again.
Paul’s letter of 2 Timothy is written from this final state of imprisonment (2 Timothy 2:8-9). This is believed to be Paul’s final imprisonment before he is executed by the Romans. In his last letter to Timothy, Paul expresses confidence he will die, will go to be with the Lord, and will find reward for his faithfulness to the end:
“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
(2 Timothy 4:6-8)
Church tradition and historians (sources like Clement of Rome and Eusebius) say that the Apostles Paul and Peter were both executed for their faith in Rome during Nero’s persecution. It is said that Paul was beheaded, and Peter was crucified on an upside-down cross.
Accordingly, both Peter and Paul, the primary characters featured in Acts, finished faithfully after a life of service to the gospel of their Lord Jesus Christ. They finished the race and kept the faith, and were reunited with Him before the throne of God.
Historically, Luke’s apparent attempt to validate Paul’s apostleship has proven immensely successful. Whatever resistance to his apostleship that existed in the first century has since dissolved. Paul holds an undisputed place in church history as the most prolific author of New Testament letters.
Luke also holds a prominent position as being the only Gentile New Testament author. With few exceptions, such as the passage quoting a proclamation written by King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, Luke is the only Gentile author in scripture. It seems completely fitting that a Gentile believer would provide the successful defense of the most prolific Jewish author in the New Testament, given that Paul was chosen by God as an apostle to the Gentiles. This could be viewed as a fulfillment of this verse written by Paul in his letter to the believers in Galatia:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”
(Galatians 3:28-29)
Though many generations later it is easy to take Luke’s amazing historical works for granted, we can imagine that there were times of discouragement when Luke wondered if his work was worth it, or would make a difference. The prominent placement of Acts as being the book just after the gospels shows God’s immense blessing on his work, which has proved a great blessing to God’s people.