Acts 25-28
Today we come to the end of the book of Acts, with Paul held under house arrest in Rome, continuing to await judgment from the emperor (i.e., Nero) and continuing to proclaim the Gospel. As we proceed through the rest of Paul’s Epistles, let’s remember his situation, his imprisonment, and his hardships. Let’s bring to mind II Corinthians 11:23-27 and envision the scars on Paul’s back. Let’s understand that when Paul speaks of suffering, he speaks from very real experience.
How is it that Paul can endure so much? How is it that he persists in proclaiming the Gospel in the face of such hardship? Perhaps the answer has something to do with Paul’s meeting the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus, a story we hear three times in the book of Acts. (Acts 9:1-22; 22:1-16; 26:12-18) For Paul, the idea of the Resurrection is not some abstract theological construct or wishful thinking. That is, Paul knows the resurrected Jesus, and he knows Him well.
Do we?
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