Acts 28

Thought On This Chapter

ACTS 28:30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,

ACTS 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

Paul is now under house arrest in Rome. He is allowed to stay in his own hired house instead of having to stay in the prison. And for these two years Paul kept busy for the Lord. He taught and preached the Word of God while he was under house arrest. He taught about Jesus with all confidence. Who did he teach? It says that he received all that came to him. During this time Paul was not allowed to go out door to door. But many people came to him. And Paul received them all. He did not reject anyone who came and wanted to learn. He did not only accept people of certain criteria. It did not matter the age or the social status. How much money they had or did not have was not an issue. Paul would receive and teach Jews and he would receive and teach Gentiles. Color, race, nationality, and culture did not matter.

We should do likewise. It would seem like just common sense. But all too many don't get it. There is no room in Christianity for racism of any kind. We all came from one pair. And then at the flood the world was reduced to Noah's family of 8. Every person on the earth came from the same family. All were created in the image of God. Every one has an eternal soul that is worth more that the entire world. Jesus proved His love for all by coming and dieing for all.

1Jo 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.

We should never look down upon anyone as inferior. There is absolutely no room for racism in Christianity.

Thought On This Chapter

ACTS 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

The entire Bible has one main theme and that is Jesus. Paul had many Jews come to hear him while he was in prison in his own house in Rome. They called Christianity a sect and said that every where it is spoken against. They wanted to hear what Paul had to say about it. Paul then used the law of Moses and the prophets to persuade them concerning Jesus. Jesus said, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." Jesus was talking about the Old Testament because that is all they had at that time. Jesus said that the Old Testament testified of Him. And in Acts 28:23 we get an idea of just how much they do. Paul taught them about Jesus from the Old Testament from morning until evening. He went at it all day! Paul had plenty of verses to go to to teach Jesus. If you don't see Jesus when you read the Old Testament, then you are missing the main point.

King James Bible Main Index:

Acts 28 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]

ACTS 28:1 And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

ACTS 28:2 And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

ACTS 28:3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

ACTS 28:4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

ACTS 28:5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

ACTS 28:6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

ACTS 28:7 In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously.

ACTS 28:8 And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.

ACTS 28:9 So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:

ACTS 28:10 Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.

ACTS 28:11 And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.

ACTS 28:12 And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.

ACTS 28:13 And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli:

ACTS 28:14 Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome.

ACTS 28:15 And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.

ACTS 28:16 And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.

ACTS 28:17 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

ACTS 28:18 Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.

ACTS 28:19 But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.

ACTS 28:20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

ACTS 28:21 And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee.

ACTS 28:22 But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

ACTS 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

ACTS 28:24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

ACTS 28:25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,

ACTS 28:26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

ACTS 28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

ACTS 28:28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

ACTS 28:29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.

ACTS 28:30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,

ACTS 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

Much of what happens in the book of Acts centers around the preaching of God's word. Preaching has been at the forefront thru the entire book. And the last verse is about preaching.

ACTS 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

And in this last verse Paul says what and how he preached.

Paul preached the kingdom of God. He preached how to get saved. I know that there will one day be a literal kingdom. But today that kingdom is in the hearts of men. A person gets added to the kingdom when he gets saved.

Paul also taught those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ.

The main things that are to be preached and taught are first salvation and then all things about Jesus.

There are people who go to what they call churches that never give a clear presentation of the gospel. That is wrong. Telling people exactly how to be saved should be a regular occurrence at a church.

Paul also taught all things about Christ. Many today do not do this either. Oh they put the name of Jesus in their lessons, but when you look at what they are teaching you find that it is really not about Jesus. What it really is about is what can I get. How is God going to bless me and my business. I call it the health and wealth, tickle the ears crowd. The focus that this crowd has is all wrong. There focus is on me. The focus needs to be on Jesus and not on us.

Paul also tells us how he preached. He says with all confidence. That is the way it should be done. Expounding the word of God should be done with confidence and boldness.

If a preacher does not have confidence that the Bible is the word of God, then he cannot preach with confidence. If you believe that there is more than one Bible saying more than one thing, then you cannot have confidence in it for which one is right. Multiple Bible versions only brings confusion and doubt and not confidence.

Preachers are to preach like Paul, with confidence. The weak kneed, man fearing, ear tickling, Bible unbelieving preacher should just step down from the pulpit.