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Acts 28:30-31 A POSTSCRIPT 

Introduction:

	In our previous message Luke closed out the Book of Acts and, in so doing 
he closed out his record of the ministry of the Apostle Paul.  He has told us 
some of the special privileges which the Apostle Paul enjoyed while he was 
awaiting trial before the Roman Caesar.  Paul was a prisoner and, to be sure, he 
suffered somewhat as a result.  But the special privileges which he had enabled 
him to have a successful and joyous ministry during those two years.  Luke does 
not mention it, but I pointed out to you that Paul wrote four books of the New 
Testament during that time.   
	But beyond that point Luke tells us nothing. He does not tell us whether or 
not Paul was set free in his trial.  He does not even tell us whether or not 
there ever was a trial.   He tells us nothing whatsoever about what happened to 
Paul beyond that point.    
	In this message I want to take up at that point and see if we cannot put 
together some bits and pieces of information that we can find and see if we 
cannot put together a picture of the closing part of Paul’s ministry.  Let us 
read again those last two verses.  V. 30-31, “And Paul dwelt two whole years in 
his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the 
kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, 
with all confidence, no man forbidding him.” 
	Now let us begin at that point and put together some of the pieces.   

  I.  Paul’s first imprisonment at Rome

	 Paul’s letter to Philemon:  “Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and 
Timothy [our] brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellow labourer,” 
Philemon 1.  In this verse the Apostle Paul speaks of himself as being a 
prisoner.  In the post-script at the close of this epistle most publishers state 
that the letter was written to Philemon from Rome.  If this information is true, 
and I assume that it is, Paul wrote this epistle to Philemon while he was a 
prisoner at Rome awaiting trial before the Caesar.  Philemon was a Christian man 
and was a member of the church at Colosse.  Apparently Paul knew Philemon well 
and there is strong indication in the letter that Paul had won him to the Lord.  
	The post-script added by the publishers state that the letter was sent to 
Philemon by Onesimus who was a servant or slave.  The contents of the letter 
reveal that the slave, Onesimus, was owned by Philemon, whom Paul had won to the 
Lord.  The letter also reveals that Onesimus, the slave, had run away from 
Philemon, his master, and had some who found his way to Rome and had come in 
contact with the Apostle Paul.  The Apostle Paul had also won Onesimus to the 
Lord and had also persuaded him to return to Philemon to resume his position as 
a slave to Philemon.  Onesimus, himself, was to carry the letter from Paul with 
him when he returned to Onesimus.  This is information about the work of the 
Apostle Paul at Rome which Luke does not mention in the Book of Acts.  

	Paul’s letter to the church at Colosse:  “Who now rejoice in my sufferings 
for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my 
flesh for his body's sake, which is the church.,”  Col.  1:24.  In his letter to 
the church at Colosse, where Philemon held membership, Paul acknowledged his 
sufferings as a prisoner, but he also said that he rejoiced.  He rejoiced that 
his sufferings had given great opportunity to serve the Lord and bring spiritual 
blessings to others.  
	  “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of 
utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds,”  Col. 
4:3.   In this verse Paul asked the brethren in the church at Colosse, which 
included, Philemon, to continue to pray for him that God would continue to use 
him to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.  
	  “All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, [who is] a beloved 
brother, and a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord:  Whom I have 
sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort 
your hearts,”  Col. 4:-8.  In these Paul states that he will send this letter by 
Tychicus who will be accompanied by Onesimus, the slave whom he is sending back 
to Philemon who is a member of the church at Colosse.  .  
 	The post-script at the end of this epistle also states that this letter 
from Paul at Rome was delivered to the church at Colosse by Tychicus and 
Onesimus.  So when the slave, Onesimus, returned to Philemon and delivered the 
letter from Paul to Philemon, he also helped to deliver the letter which Paul 
wrote to the Colossian church where Philemon held membership.  
	Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus:   “Wherefore I desire that ye 
faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory,” Eph. 3:13.  In his 
epistle which Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus he urged them not to be 
discouraged about him being in prison.  In this verse we get an insight into the 
great love and concern which Paul had for the churches which he had established.  
He was a lot more concerned about the churches that he had established than he 
was about himself being in prison.  He was afraid that the news about him being 
in prison would discourage the Christians cause them to be less zealous in the 
Lord’s cause.  Paul did not want his imprisonment to cause them to faint or slow 
down in the Lord’s work.  
	  “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy 
of the vocation wherewith ye are called,”  Eph. 4:1.  Paul pled with the 
brethren at Ephesus not to be discouraged, but to continue to walk worthy of 
their call to the service of the Lord.  
	  “For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, 
as I ought to speak,” Eph. 6:20.  Paul asked the Ephesian brethren to remember 
him in prayer while he was in bonds.  I find it astounding that he did not ask 
them to pray that he would be released from prison.  Rather, he asked them to 
pray for him that he would always speak boldly for the Lord Jesus Christ and be 
a faithful ambassador for Christ.  
  	Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi:    “So that my bonds in Christ 
are manifest in all the palace, and in all other [places],”  Phil. 1:13.  In his 
letter to the church at Philippi Paul revealed that because of his bonds, he had 
been able to witness for Christ even within the palace of the Roman Caesar, 
himself.  This is something that he most certainly would not have been able to 
do if he were not a prisoner of the Roman government.  The indication is that 
some within the palace had believed his message about Christ and had been saved.  
We are not told whether these were servants or members of the Caesar’s family or 
both.  This is something that Paul would not have been able to do if he had not 
been a prisoner of he Roman government.  
	  “But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.  Yet I 
supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in 
labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my 
wants,”  Phil. 2:24-25.    
In this verse that Paul expressed that expected to be released soon and that he 
planned to make a trip to the church at Philippi in Macedonia.    
	  “I know how to be abased, and I know also how to abound: in everything 
and in all things have I learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, 
both to abound and to be in want,” Phil. 4:12.  In this verse Paul mentioned 
some of the hardships which he had experienced, but stated that he had learned 
to be content in both the good times and the bad.  This, of course included his 
prison days at Rome.  
	  “Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me 
greet you. 
   All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household,” 
Phil. 4:21-22.
In these verses Paul makes it clear that his witness in the household of Caesar 
had not been in vain.  He indicated that a goodly number of people in Caesar’s 
household had been saved as a result of his witness to them.  I strongly suspect 
that these were not all servants of Caesar.  I suspect that some of them, 
perhaps a goodly number of them were actually in Caesar’s family.  
	The post-script at the end of the letter to the Philippians states that 
this letter was from Rome.  

II.  Paul’s trial and release

	The Holy Scriptures do not give a record of Paul’s trial nor its outcome.  
However, it is generally believed that Paul’s trial took place before the Roman 
Caesar,  Nero, sometime is the spring of A. D. 62.  It is also generally 
believed that he was acquitted and released.  
	In the light of other epistles which Paul wrote, it is rather certain that 
he was released.  The accepted date may be off a little bit, but not much if 
any.  

III.  Paul’s activities after his release

	We have already read in Philippians 2:24 that Paul expected to be released 
and that he intended to visit with the church at Philippi soon after his 
release.  It is to be presumed that he did so soon after he was released from 
Rome.  The city of Philippi was located in Macedonia.  It should also be 
presumed that while he was in Macedonia he would visit with the churches at 
Thessalononica and Berea which he had earlier organized.
	It is generally believed that from Macedonia went to Spain.  Before he was 
carried to Rome as a prisoner he had written to the church at Rome and expressed 
his intention to go to Spain and to stop and visit with them at Rome on his way 
to Spain.  “Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I 
trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, 
if first I be somewhat filled with your [company],”  Rom. 15:24.   At that time 
he was on his way to Jerusalem to carry the special offering for the Judean 
brethren and he must go to Jerusalem first.  But he fully intended to go to 
Spain after that, stopping off at Rome first.  In verse 28 he added, “When 
therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come 
by you into Spain.”
	While we cannot be certain, it is believed that he returned again to 
Macedonia after making his journey to Spain.  It is believed that he wrote he 
wrote his first epistle to Timothy and his epistle to Titus during this stay in 
Macedonia.  

III.  Paul arrested again 

	It is believed that Paul had left Macedonia and had returned to Ephesus 
when he was again arrested.  This time it was not the Jews who instigated his 
arrest.  Rather it was the Romans.  Historians agree that Nero became embittered 
toward Christians and was persecuting Christians severely;.  He was still in 
power when Paul was arrested and returned to Rome as a prisoner.  This time Paul 
was not given the special favors such as he had received during his first 
imprisonment.  From the Roman prison he wrote his second epistle to Timothy and 
spoke of the harsh treatment that he was receiving.    “Wherein I suffer 
trouble, as an evil doer, [even] unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound,”  
II Tim. 2:9.  During Paul’s first imprisonment he was well treated, but during 
this second imprisonment he was very cruelly treated. 
	 At least one former helper had turned against him and forsaken him.  
Other well meaning brethren no longer visited him either because they were 
serving the Lord too far away to be of service or, with some, because of fear of 
the Roman authorities.  At the end only Luke was with him.  “For Demas hath 
forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; 
Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. 
Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable 
to me for the ministry,   And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.  The cloke that I 
left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring [with thee], and the books, 
[but] especially the parchments,”  II Tim. 4:9-13.  It is worthy of note that 
Timothy was intending to visit with Paul and that apparently Mark was willing to 
come to help him and in fact, he had earlier done so.  
	Under the severe pressure of his sufferings Paul began to look forward to 
his execution and to better things ahead.    “For I am now ready to be offered, 
and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought a good fight, I have 
finished [my] course, I have kept the faith:  Henceforth there is laid up for me 
a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at 
that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing,” 
II Tim. 4:6-8.  
	Scriptures make it clear that after this second imprisonment Paul had two 
different hearings or trials before Nero.  He was not released at the first 
hearing, but at least he was not put to death.    At my first answer no man 
stood with me, but all [men] forsook me: [I pray God] that it may not be laid to 
their charge.  Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that 
by me the preaching might be fully known, and [that] all the Gentiles might 
hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion,”  II Tim. 4:16-17.  
	Paul indicated to Timothy that he expected to remain in prison into the 
next winter.  “Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, 
and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren,”  II Tim. 4:21.   Back 
in verse 13 he had already asked Timothy to bring his coat when he came.  He 
anticipated needing that coat during the winter months.  
	However, historians agree that the second hearing of Paul’s second 
imprisonment at Rome took place about mid-summer --- long before winter came.  
In this second hearing Nero condemned Paul to death and ordered him beheaded.  
II Timothy speaks of a faithful friend by the name of Onesiphorus who often came 
to visit Paul until the end bringing him refreshments.  According to II Tim. 
4:21 there were several other brethren who came as they could.  Luke, the writer 
of the Book of Acts,  was there daily until the end.  One cannot but wonder why 
he did not include the death of Paul in the book and why the Holy Spirit did not 
inspire him to write about it.  Perhaps it was because he was so close to Paul 
emotionally that it was too painful for him to write about it and the Holy 
Spirit, in mercy, did not require him to do so.  

IV.  Thoughts in closing

	As we close out this message we should not only look for outstanding 
lessons from this subject matter, but we should look for outstanding lessons 
from the entire Book of Acts.  
	The lesson that stands out most to me in missions.  Paul was a missionary.  
He devoted his life to preaching the gospel to the unsaved, starting new 
churches and teaching and training them to carry on the work of the Lord.   
Missionary work is still important today.  There is a great deal of religion in 
the world today, but there is relatively little true Christianity.  There is a 
lot more false religion in the world than there is true religion.  Even may 
organizations which call themselves New Testament churches are not true New 
Testament churches.  
	Another vital lesson which we learn is to be faithful to doctrinal truth.  
Jesus taught His apostles and other disciples the great truths of God.  Paul was 
late in becoming an apostle, but Jesus taught the Apostle Paul those same truths 
of God.  Paul was a stickler for preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ and 
he was a stickler for teaching Christians all doctrinal truth.  Just as Jesus 
taught against the false doctrines of the Jewish scribes and Pharisees even so 
the Apostle Paul stood against man made doctrines and taught the true doctrines 
which he had received from the Lord Jesus Christ.  
	Another great lesson which we learn from Paul and from the Book of Acts is 
love.  The Apostle Paul had a great love for his own Jewish brethren in the 
flesh.  He prayed earnestly that they might be saved and he did not hesitate to 
tell them that the only way they could be saved was by trusting Jesus Christ to 
forgive their sins.  Paul loved unsaved Gentiles.  They were of a different 
nationality, a different language, a different culture and some of them were of 
a different skin, but Paul loved them anyway.  He loved all of them and wanted 
all of them to get saved.  Paul had a special love for his Christian brethren.  
  	Still another great lesson which we learn from Paul is to be sacrificial.  
Paul did not live to see how many good things he could get for himself.  Rather 
he lived to see how many good things he could do.  He lived to do for God and to 
do for other people and he was willing to make great sacrifices in order to 
serve God and serve other people.  We should let a little bit of that rub off on 
us.  Let me make a correction.  We should let a lot of Paul’s self-sacrificial 
spirit rub off on us.  
	Let us learn something else from Paul.  Let us learn to trust the Lord at 
all times.  No matter how bad things got for him, the Apostle Paul always 
trusted the Lord to take care of him.  He trusted Jesus to take care of him in 
the storm.  He trusted the Lord to take care of him when he was in prison.  He 
trusted the Lord to take care of him when he stood before the courts of men.  He 
trusted the Lord to take care of him when he faced execution and death.  He 
firmly believed the Lord would take care of him in every circumstance.  Oh, that 
we all might have that kind of faith in the Lord.  Listen, I am afraid that in 
the days ahead of us we just might need a great lot of that kind of faith in the 
Lord.  We need to trust him no matter what happens to us.  Let us know beyond 
any shadow of doubt that no matter what comes,  there are better times ahead for 
us.  Jesus will see us through the dark days and Jesus has a bright future all 
planned out for us on the other side.  
	Let us learn one more lesson from the Apostle Paul.  Let us be faithful to 
the Lord until the end of this life.  Let us be faithful to serve Him as long as 
we have breath.