Acts 27–28: Preaching & Teaching

Read the Bible in 2011 ◊ Week 52: Saturday

“And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.”
Acts 28:30–31

Saturday’s Bible reading is Acts 27–28. Although yesterday’s reading was the last chapters of the Bible, because on Saturday, the last day of the week, we’ve been reading through the Gospels and then Acts, today finishes Read the Bible in 2011.

These two chapters of Acts find Paul a prisoner traveling under sail to Rome. His famous shipwreck on the island of Malta is recounted here and his safe arrival at Rome, where for two years while under house arrest, he is able to openly explain and teach about the Lord Jesus Christ. There also Paul will write his letters to the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Colossians and to Philemon.¹

I like ending the year with the vignette of Paul continuing to try to persuade all who will listen to believe in Jesus. He kept encouraging and caring for his fellow believers.

“But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
Philippians 3:7–11

Paul also wrote to the Philippians:

“Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”
Philippians 3:17

“The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:9

May the Lord enable and empower us in this coming year to be imitators of Paul as he also was of Christ.

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Isaiah 42 Photograph: ChristianPhotos.net – Free High Resolution Photos for Christian Publications
Saint Paul Writing His Epistles: Public Domain.
¹Ralph P. Martin, “Ephesians,” F. Foulkes, “Philippians,” Donald Guthrie, “Colossians,” Donald Guthrie, “Philemon,” The New Bible Commentary: Revised, D. Guthrie, J. A. Motyer, eds., A. M. Stibbs, D. J. Wiseman, contributing eds., pp. 1106, 1126, 1141, 1187.