Paul in Rome

Paul finally arrived in Rome. Luke accompanied him.
There (Puteoli) we found brethren, and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome (Acts 28:14).
Some years ago, Paul had written an epistle to the Roman Christians from Corinth in 58 A.D. He met some of them when he arrived.
And the brethren there, when they heard of us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them Paul thanked God and took courage (Acts 28:15).
Paul was under house arrest in Rome and he enjoyed a certain amount of freedom because he was a Roman citizen. He was free to receive people in his house and he made use of such opportunities to preach the Kingdom of God and Jesus Christ (Acts 28:31).
But the first thing he did was to meet the local Jewish leaders and inquired about the situation in Rome. He made clear to them that he meant no hostility to the Jews and was only forced to appeal to Caesar. The Jewish leaders replied that they heard nothing against him from Judea but they knew that Christianity was a sect spoken against everywhere!
And they said to him, "We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brethren coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you.
But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against." (Acts 28:21-22)
In their view, Christianity was pretty unpopular. For us nowadays, it is rather unimaginable. Still, Paul made an effort to explain to them the mission of Jesus from the law and the prophets. Some believed. Some didn't (Acts 28:24).

Now that Paul was in Rome, Luke could close his book. He has managed to outline how the followers of Jesus had born him witness from Jerusalem through Judea, Samaria to Rome. Luke has charted for us the growth and development of the early Church and provided us a brief history of Christianity and the work of the Holy Spirit in the first half of the first century. We will continue to make history until the second coming of Christ.

Dear Lord, on this eve of the Pentecost, let us pray that Your Kingdom come to transform us all. Amen.