II. PAUL'S JOURNEYS
Scripture, Acts 13:2-28:31
STUDY VI
JERUSALEM TO ROME
Scripture, Acts 21:11-28:31
THIS JOURNEY
Scripture, Acts 21:17-28:31
From Jerusalem to Rome.—This portion of the book of the Acts comprises more than one quarter of the whole, or seven and a half chapters. There must have been some important purpose to be served by thus relating so fully the incidents of this period in Paul's life; for Luke elsewhere narrates only the incidents of the missionary journeys which are of great interest. It may be that his purpose was to show, with the full connecting incidents, how clearly and strongly Paul testified, to the Jews in the temple (Acts 22:1-23), and before the Roman tribunal (Acts 25:13, 14, 26; 26:1-32), that Jesus was the Christ. Jesus himself, before his death, gave the same testimony to the Sanhedrin (Matt. 26:63, 64; Mark 14:61, 62; Luke 22:67-69), and the Roman tribunal (John 18:33-37). The testimony of Paul was further carried to imperial Rome, the capital of the world (Acts 28:17-24).
The Seven Speeches.—The last recorded addresses of the Great Apostle are a striking feature of this period. They show his faith after it had been tried and tested in his toilsome years of missionary labors. They reveal the courage and character of the man in that they were given when he was in bonds and in imminent peril of his life.
1. The speech before the Jewish mob in the temple (Acts 22:1-29) in which Paul tells the Jews how he was changed from a persecutor to a believer in Christ. He relates also the story of his conversion.