Paul In Rome

Paul in Rome

Q: What did Paul do while he was under house arrest in Rome?

• a. tried to escape
• b. wrote a lot of letters
• c. begged God to free him

Three months after the shipwreck, Paul and his companions boarded another ship to complete the trip to Rome. The believers in Rome were excited that Paul was coming and gathered to meet him. Paul was allowed to have his own house, but a soldier guarded him.

Paul had wanted to preach in Rome, but this probably wasn’t what he envisioned—being sent to Rome as a prisoner, being shipwrecked, getting bitten by a snake, and finally arriving in Rome months after his journey began (see Acts 27:1–28:11). Despite all that, Paul was able to minister to both believers and unbelievers in Rome.

While Paul was under house arrest, he not only preached to Jews and Gentiles, but he wrote letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. He also wrote a letter to Philemon. These are called epistles, and they are now part of the New Testament.

It’s believed that Paul was released after two years and did more traveling but was again imprisoned for preaching. Paul, once a persecutor of believers before he met Jesus, was often persecuted himself. But it didn’t stop him from spreading the gospel message whenever and wherever he could. Paul viewed his trials and hardships as opportunities to minister for Jesus.

For You

Paul had wanted to preach in Rome, but writing letters to believers as a prisoner was probably not what he had planned. Sometimes our plans don’t work out, but God knows the whole course of our lives. Nothing catches him by surprise. He will open the doors for you to be able to accomplish what he needs you to do.

Answer: b

For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.   Acts 28:30-31

(The Whole Story: Acts 28:17-31)