Acts 28:17-31: "With all Boldness and Without Hindrance"

Let’s take our Bibles together and turn one last time to the book of Acts, as part of our series, “No Other Name.” We’re going to do something exciting this morning—we’re going to finish our verse-by-verse study of the book of Acts. 

Our journey through this book began a little over a year ago in January of 2025. And today we are going to look at the final words that Luke records for us, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in this great book of the Bible, which describes the world being turned upside down by the gospel. 

And as I look back on the book of Acts, there are so many themes that emerge in this writing of Scripture: 1) The work of the Holy Spirit, 2) The spread of the gospel throughout the world, 3) The sovereignty of God, 4) The role of the church, 5) The fellowship shared by believers, 6) Endurance through suffering (that’s been a major theme especially in the last few chapters of the book). 

But today our book ends on one of the themes that, if not the most prevalent throughout the book, it’s at least one of the most prevalent themes in the book. And here it is… Boldness. Bold proclamation of the gospel! In fact this book ends with the statement, this is the title of our message today: “With All Boldness and Without Hindrance.”  

What we’re going to see today is another example in the book of Acts of God’s faithful messenger preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ with boldness. The book of Acts began with this kind of preaching. Peter stood up before a crowd of Jews in Jerusalem and told them, “This Jesus, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” (2:23). And then he told them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (2:38). 

That same boldness was demonstrated by John and the other Apostles, and by Stephen, and by Philip, and by Paul, and by Barnabas, and by Lydia, and by Priscilla and Aquila and Apollos and Silas and Timothy. And this book ends with a remarkable display of boldness by the Apostle Paul as he is incarcerated in Rome and witnesses to the Jews of that city.

And this is what’s important for us. That same boldness should be evidenced by us, the followers of Jesus Christ in the twenty-first century, who are called to testify about him to the watching world. When Jesus said, “You will be my witnesses to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8), he wasn’t just talking to first century disciples. He was talking to us too. So today’s message is about getting your boldness on. Turn to your neighbor right now and say, “You need to get your boldness on.” We need to get our boldness on.

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So without further ado, let’s look at Acts 28. Our passage today is Acts 28:17–31. But before we dive in there, let’s quickly get up to speed with what led up to these final verses.  

When Paul was imprisoned in Jerusalem, Jesus appeared to him and said, “You will testify about me in the city of Rome” (Acts 23:11). That was a promise to Paul from the Lord. And like all promises from the Lord, there is absolute certainty that this promise will be fulfilled. 

And sure enough the promise was fulfilled. But it was fulfilled in a circuitous way. The Lord took his time fulfilling this promise. Paul was imprisoned for two years in Caesarea awaiting sentencing. Paul boarded an ill-fated ship as a prisoner that was lost at sea on the way to Rome. Paul had to endure a storm, a shipwreck, a snakebite, and a handful of unsavory sailors and soldiers on his way to Rome. It wasn’t a pleasure cruise that Paul was on, going to Rome. They weren’t sipping Mai-Tais and sunbathing on the deck of the ship all the way to Rome. It was an ordeal. 

But God used it. And who knows how many people came to Christ through this little excursion. Maybe some of the soldiers came to Christ. Maybe some of the sailors came to Christ. Certainly some of the people of Malta came to Christ because of Paul’s miracles on that island. And God was using this circuitous journey to Rome to accomplish his greater purposes.

Now when we last saw Paul, the soldiers had finally secured another ship and Luke details explicitly their journey up to the port of Puteoli. And after a hike of about 150 miles from Puteoli to Rome, they finally entered the gates of Rome. 

Let’s take a look at one final map as part of our series through Acts. This is Paul’s final leg of his journey from the island of Malta to Rome.

Paul’s Final Leg to Rome: From Malta to Rome - Click to view Map

Altogether it took Paul almost a year to get from Caesarea to Rome. He probably left in the fall of AD 59, arriving in Rome in the spring of AD 60. I heard a preacher say once that it’s a good thing that there were no children on this trip to Rome, because if there were, they would have incessantly asked the question, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” Yes, we’re there. Finally!

And verse 15 tells us that the Christians in Rome were so excited about seeing Paul that they actually travelled a good distance to meet him before he entered into the city. And verse 16 states: 

16 And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him.

Now here’s how this would work. Paul comes to Rome, but he’s still a prisoner. He’s still awaiting trial before Caesar. And Luke tells us that Paul was allowed to live by himself outside of prison walls, but a soldier would have to be chained to him throughout the day. Actually a group of soldiers would, one at a time, take turns being chained to Paul as he awaited trial in Rome. 

How’s that for an occupation? That’s a pretty interesting gig for a soldier!

“Hey soldier so-and-so! What are you doing today?” 

“Well I’m chained to that guy Paul again! All day! And that guy won’t stop talking about Jesus.” 

Actually were going to see in a moment, that Paul really didn’t stop talking about Jesus. And the people who had a front row seat in every message that Paul gave while he was in Rome were these soldiers chained to his wrist. How many of you think that was a pretty good place to be? 

R.C. Sproul says that, “There were no more blessed prison guards in the history of the world, than those [men] who had the privilege of being cuffed to the wrist of the world’s greatest preacher, greatest theologian, greatest missionary, and greatest teacher.” 

Now why would Sproul say that? Why was this such a great privilege? Well it’s because Paul’s not the kind of guy that just sits around moping all day because his life had fallen on hard times. “Woe is me! I’m a prisoner again. God must not love me!” 

No. Neither does Paul say, “When in Rome, do like the Romans… Let’s just live like pagans do!” That’s not Paul. Come hell or high-water, Paul’s the kind of guy that’s going to joyfully and boldly go after the things that God has called him to do.

Here’s an apt statement about Paul, “He never lets grass grow under his feet.” Look at verse 17.

17 After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews,

Now take note of his methodology here. Paul targets the Jewish leaders first. Does everyone see that in the text? He did the same thing in other cities that he visited for the first time. In this case, he doesn’t have the freedom to travel to the synagogue, so he asks the synagogue leaders to come to him. 

And this is Paul’s method. This is Paul’s strategy for reaching people. And it’s a reflection of his great heart for his own brethren, about whom he said in Romans 9:3, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”

Paul loves the Jews, and he targets them first in this great city. I know that some people have surmised based on Paul’s modus operandi that all Christians should go to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. I disagree with that. I think Paul’s actions are descriptive not prescriptive. But I wouldn’t fault anyone, Gentile or especially Jew, who adopts Paul’s practice of going to Jews first.  

By the way, the population of Rome at this time was approximately a million people. And there were an estimated 50,000 Jews at this time in Rome. They were expelled out of the city some ten years earlier by Emperor Claudius. If you remember, Priscilla and Aquila were Roman Jews who had fled the city. But after some time, the Jews started trickling back into Rome. And the “local leaders” here that Paul assembled are probably the presidents of the ten to fifteen synagogues that existed around the city.

So, verse 17 says,

and when [the local leaders of the Jews] had gathered, [Paul] said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18 When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. 19 But because the Jews objected, 

We already know all this, right? Because of the trials that have transpired recently, we know that Paul was falsely accused and is being persecuted by Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.

19 But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. 

In other words, “I’m not after them; they are after me.” Look at verse 20.

20 For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” 

Can you see Paul lifting up the chain at this point? Can you see Paul showing this group of Jewish leaders the literal chain that is attached to a Roman guard? When I think of Paul in this setting, I just marvel at the absurdity of Paul talking to these men while simultaneously being chained to a Roman soldier. And who knows what that Roman soldier was thinking! 

Now what is Paul doing here? He’s doing two things: 1) He’s trying to neutralize any false accusations against him that might have circulated to Rome already. He’s not talking to the church here. Paul doesn’t have to prove himself to the church. They already love him. He’s speaking to unbelievers. He’s speaking to Jews who have not yet embraced Christ as their Savior. So he’s defending himself, so that he can gain an audience with these Jews and deliver the gospel.

 2) And that’s the second thing he’s doing—He’s prepping them for the great unveiling of the message concerning the messiah! He’s whetting their appetite for the good news of Jesus Christ. 

Look again at what he says in verse 20: 

20 For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” 

What’s the hope of Israel? What longing in the hearts of this people is he addressing here? The Messiah. “The Messiah has come. Salvation is here. And I’m here to tell you about it.” Paul wants to let them know that the Christ who they’ve been anticipating for thousands of years is finally here. The hope of Israel has come! And Paul says, “I’m going to tell you about it.”

Go ahead and write this down as the first point from our message. The key word today is boldness. And I want to give you three statements about boldness… three answers to the question: 

What does boldness in sharing the gospel look like?

Here’s the first answer:

1) Boldness means not letting grass grow under your feet (28:17–21)

That means for you, church, that when you get a chance to speak about Christ, you take it. That means when you are asked what you believe, you don’t say, “Uh, all roads lead to heaven?” We don’t give mealy-mouthed, politically correct answers about salvation. We don’t tell people that there are many roads that lead to heaven, because there aren’t many roads that lead to heaven. 

Listen, there is only one hope. There is only one Messiah. There is one way. Jesus said himself, “I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6). We read it earlier in Acts 4:12, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which you must be saved.” That’s it! That’s the way. And when you get a chance, you tell people that. Boldness does not allow for any equivocation on this issue. 

So boldness means that when you get a chance, you take it. And it also means that you don’t just sit on your hands and wait for the opportunities to come to you. Paul didn’t do that. Paul went after the Jewish leaders in Rome. Paul wasn’t in Rome for more than three days and already he’s making headway for the gospel.

By the way, Paul probably would have gone to the synagogues if he could. That is typically what he would do when he entered a new city. But remember, he’s chained to a soldier. He’s under house arrest until his trial. 

Paul could have very easily said, “O I guess I can’t go anywhere, might as well just sit this one out and wait until my trial is over. Maybe I’ll catch up on my reading!” No, he says, “I can’t come to you, so you come to me. This news is too good. You got to hear about this.” Boldness means not letting grass grow under your feet.

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Now watch how this group of Jews responds. Their initial response is surprising. Their ultimate response is not. In fact it’s quite typical. At first they respond to him:

21 And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. 

This is pretty surprising in light of the ruckus that Paul has caused in Jerusalem. There was some serious enmity towards Paul that was displayed in Jerusalem. And it’s surprising that that enmity hasn’t spread to Rome. 

But if you stop and think about, this makes sense because Paul probably boarded the last ship out of Caesarea. And he travelled late in the shipping season. So even with the shipwreck and all the delays that he experienced, he’s probably the first ship to arrive in Rome after the winter months. So it’s probable that word hasn’t yet reached the Jews in Rome about Paul.

Another possibility is that the Jews just abandoned their case against Paul. They know they don’t have a case against him. They don’t want to look like fools in front of Caesar. So they are just content to get Paul out of Judea. “Glad to be rid of that guy. Let’s hope he never comes back this way again.” And then they just let the case go. Whatever the case, these Jews in Rome don’t know anything about the accusations against Paul. 

Now Christianity on the other hand… they know all about that. Look at verse 22. 

22 But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect 

They’re talking about “the Way” here (Acts 9:2; 19:9; 19:23; 22:4; 24:14; 24:22). They’re talking about Christianity. 

we know that everywhere it is spoken against.” 

In other words, they are like, “We need to hear from you Paul about this sect called Christianity.”

Paul’s like, “I thought you’d never ask! I’d love to tell you about this ‘sect’ which in actuality is ‘The hope of Israel.’ I’m about to tell you the greatest news that you will ever hear in your entire life!” 

“Hey Roman soldier guy! Are you listening? This is for you too.” 

23 When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. 

So this wasn’t the Jewish leaders or the synagogue presidents. This is a large number of very curious Jews who want to hear about the hope of Israel that has caused Paul to be chained and brought to Rome.

From morning till evening [Paul] expounded to them, 

You might think to yourself, “Pastor Tony preaches some lengthy sermons.” Yeah, well you ain’t seen nothing. Paul could preach all day. Paul would preach so long that people fell asleep and fell out of a third story window (Acts 20:7–12).

From morning till evening [Paul] expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. 

If you remember, when Paul was in Athens, he didn’t use the OT to reason with those pagan philosophers (Acts 17:22–31). They had no background in that. He had to contextualize the gospel for his audience. 

Well, that’s not a problem for these Jews. They had studied and memorized the OT from their youth. And so Paul uses that knowledge of theirs to show them that the OT points to Christ. “This is that!” “This OT Scripture is fulfilled in that aspect of Jesus’s coming.” Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

What are some things that Paul probably taught during this time? Well let me give you a quick list of possibilities.

1. How about the OT sacrifices? Paul could have shown them that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away a person’s sin. Those sacrifices pointed forward to the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
2. How about the Law? Paul could have shown them that the Law pointed out their sinfulness… And how Jesus the spotless sinless Lamb of God, came to accomplish something that the Law could not, namely the removal of their sins.
3. How about the bronze serpent in the wilderness? Paul could have shown them how that serpent foreshadowed the death of Jesus Christ. John 3:14-15, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
4. Paul could have shown them Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 53, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and [by his wounds] we are healed” (53:5).
5. Probably Paul talked about Psalm 2 to describe Christ’s deity and his identity as the “Son of God.” “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (2:12).
6. Probably he used Psalm 16 to explain Christ’s resurrection. “You will not let your Holy One see corruption” (16:10). Paul and Peter both have spoken in the book of Acts about how it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead (Acts 2:25–31; 13:34–37; 17:3; 26:22–23).
7. Perhaps Paul quoted Jeremiah 11:19 in reference to Christ, “But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter.”
8. Perhaps Paul quoted Zechariah 12:19, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.” Or Zechariah 13:7, “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.”
9. How about the Virgin Birth prophesied in Isaiah 7:14.
10. Or Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem, prophesied in Micah 5:2.
11. Or Jesus’s betrayal by a close friend, Judas, which was prophesied in Psalm 41:9.

And on and on and on Paul went…

23 … From morning till evening [Paul] expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. 

And so Paul takes his time to build an irrefutable defense of Jesus’s identity as the “hope of Israel,” the Messiah that would save his people from their sins. Who could deny this? Who could walk away after hearing this good news? This is the greatest message, the greatest news-flash, that the world has ever known. 

And praise God, look what happens in verse 24: 

24 And some were convinced by what he said, 

Hallelujah, they get it. They believe. Salvation is here! The angels on high are rejoicing at the salvation of these new believers.

But… But… and this is the story of the book of Acts. This is the story of the church for 2,000 years. This is our story at Messiah Bible Church in San Antonio, Texas.

but others disbelieved. 

What’s interesting is that Simeon, the old man who saw Jesus after his birth in the temple, he was so happy when he saw Jesus the Messiah (Luke 2:22–34). He echoed Isaiah’s prophecies that Jesus would be a light to the Gentiles and glory to the people of Israel (Luke 2:28–32). But he also prophesied in that moment that Jesus would bring division into Israel. He said to Mary, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel” (Luke 2:34). And that was true. Some in Israel rejected Christ to their destruction, and some embraced him for their own salvation. And that pattern still continues today. 

That’s not just true in Israel, it’s true in all of humanity. Some believe and some reject. Some Jews believe; some Jews reject. Some Gentiles believe; some Gentiles reject. 

Remember Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians: “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance of death to death, to the other the fragrance from life to life” (2:15–16). 

Listen up people, to some your bold, gospel testimony will be the most wonderful aroma that has ever wafted past their nostrils. It is the fragrance of life. To others your testimony and your boldness stink like death. The same sun that melts wax hardens clay. Paul gets that. He gets it. 

And so he’s not surprised when in verse 24:

24 And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. 

Write this down as a second point in your notes. Boldness means not letting grass grow under your feet. Also, 

2) Boldness means not fearing rejection from your listeners (28:22–27)

Let me just emphasize this a little bit. There is nothing more discouraging for a messenger of the gospel than to have his or her message rejected. It’s painful. And I’ve been preaching now as a Senior Pastor for about eighteen years, so I know a little bit about this. It’s painful. It’s painful to preach your heart out and have people reject you.

But if you are going to be faithful to what God has called you to… if you are going to be a witness for him before the watching world… you’re going to have to push past your fear of rejection. You have to be bold. Boldness means not fearing rejection from your listeners.

Now watch in verse 25 how rejection takes shape in Paul’s meeting with these Jews. What’s interesting is that even in their rejection… even in their disbelief, Paul sees the fulfillment of Scripture. So if Paul is discouraged by their rejection, he at least has perspective. 

Paul takes all this time to explain how Christ fulfills Scripture. He preached all day. Some believe and some disbelieve. Yet even in their disbelief, Paul says that Scripture is fulfilled.

Look at verse 25.

25 And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet: 

Notice, if you will, how the Holy Spirit speaks through the prophet. Everyone see that? Dual-authorship of Scripture emphasized right here. That’s as true of the OT as it is for Paul’s letter in the NT. 

And what did the Holy Spirit say through the prophet Isaiah? Look at verse 26.

26 “ ‘Go to this people, and say, You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. 27 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ 

Paul is being pretty insulting of these Jews that came to hear him teach. More insulting than you realize! He’s saying you are just like them. You are just like the people that Isaiah spoke against. I’m like Isaiah and you are like Isaiah’s hardhearted listeners. That’ll get your dander up if you are a Jew in Paul’s day! 

What Paul is describing here is the universal condition of hardheartedness. The passage that Paul quotes, Isaiah 6:9–10, is the go-to passage when a NT preacher wants to describe a hardhearted condition. Jesus used it (Matt 13:14–15). John used it (John 12:39–20). Paul alludes to it on another occasion in the book of Romans (see Rom 11:8). It’s a description of hardheartedness. 

“You hear it. But you won’t listen. You see it. But you can’t perceive what’s going on. You receive the information. You’ve taken down the facts, but you won’t exercise your faith and step out and believe the Word of God!” 

You come to church, because you know there’s something different going on here. You know you should be here. You listen to the words. You entertain the possibilities. But that’s where it ends, you don’t cry out to the Lord in desperation. You won’t turn and repent and receive the healing that God offers. It’s hardheartedness. It’s quite common in our world.

And by the way, one of the implications of this verse is that willful blindness can often lead to sovereign blindness. Willful disobedience and hardheartedness can often lead to a sovereign hardening of the heart. Do you remember Pharaoh in the OT? Pharaoh hardened his heart, and then later God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. 

John MacArthur says the following about Acts 28, “Willful unbelief is turned into sovereign unbelief. What began as willful blindness turned into sovereign blindness; frightening… He who will not believe may find some day that he cannot believe.” 

You might say, “That is frightening, Pastor Tony. What do I do about that? How do I prevent that?” Here’s what you do. Hebrews 3:7 says, “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Today if you hear his Word, don’t you harden your heart! You believe! 

If you’re not a Christian this morning, don’t harden your heart! Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. If you are a Christian this morning, and the Holy Spirit is bringing conviction in an area of your life, don’t you harden your heart! Receive that conviction. Repent. Change. Not because you need to change in order to stay saved, but because change is what saved people do. When you feel the Holy Spirit’s conviction, then receive it, turn from sin, and walk in newness of life.

R.C. Sproul says that “It’s impossible to hear the word of God and remain neutral. You’re either moved in the direction of your sanctification, or you’re moved in the direction of the hardness of your heart.” That’s your choice every Sunday morning.

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Now after quoting Isaiah 6:9–10, Paul makes a fundamental statement in verse 28. 

28 Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” 

This is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecies as well. Isaiah prophesied that the salvation that was made particular for the Jews would eventually be expanded to the world. Even in the book of Genesis, God told Abraham, “through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed” (Gen 22:18, NIV). 

In Romans, Paul wrote that the gospel is the power of God for salvation … to the Jew first and then the Gentile (1:16). Paul has done his part to reach the Jew first, and now he is broadening his message, as God intended, to the Gentiles. 

And speaking of that broadening message, look at verse 30.

30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 

It didn’t matter if it was a Jew or a Greek. It didn’t matter if they were male or female. It didn’t matter if they were the lowliest of slaves in Rome or Emperor Nero himself. God is not a respecter of persons, and neither is Paul. “You want to get saved. You want hear the gospel. Come on in, I’ll tell you all about it.”

31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

 Do you remember how the book of Acts began? Do you remember in Acts 1:6, where the disciples asked Jesus, “When’s the kingdom going to come?” Paul’s right here proclaiming the kingdom! It has come in part, but not fully. It still awaits full culmination with Jesus’s return. But we can start talking about it now. We can proclaim it now. 

Paul was in the Roman capital, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness. And as an extra measure of God’s grace, he did it “without hindrance” in Rome.

Write this down as #3 in your notes. Boldness means not letting grass grow under your feet. Boldness means not fearing rejection from your listeners. And thirdly, 

3) Boldness means not hesitating to share with any who will listen (28:28–31)

That last statement in Acts 28:31 is informative. God allowed Paul to preach “without hindrance.” We know, because we’ve seen it repeatedly in the book of Acts, that Paul has not always preached “without hindrance.” Oftentimes there were lots of hindrances. 

But for whatever reason, under the rubric of God’s sovereignty, God allows Paul to have two years of reprieve in Rome to preach the gospel, “without hindrance.” What never changes with Paul is his boldness. Paul was bold with hindrance. Paul was bold without hindrance. That’s clearly evident in Acts. 

And here’s what I can say about us and our situation. Sometimes we have hindrances and sometimes we don’t as Christians. Either way, we need to be bold. Praise God we live in a country that allows for religious freedom. That has not been the norm throughout human history. And to the extent that we’ve been allowed to preach Christ and share Christ and live for Christ boldly without hindrance, we should take that! But even if the hindrances come… even if persecution and opposition tick up in the years ahead, we cannot dial down the boldness. May God give us boldness no matter what in our proclamation of the gospel and the coming kingdom. 

Now some of you after I read that last verse were thinking to yourself, “That’s it! That’s how the book of Acts ends! What happens to Paul? What happens with his trial? What about Caesar? When does he die?” 

Also you might ask, “What happens with Peter and the other disciples? They just kind of disappeared in this book? What happens with the churches? How can you just end the book with Paul preaching the gospel while incarcerated in Rome? That’s so anti-climactic!” Is anyone feeling that way right now?

I heard one pastor say that if this was a modern novel, and it ended like this, then most of us would write a letter to the publisher and say, “What gives? How could you finish a book like that? I invested all this time and energy reading this book and it just ends so unceremoniously! Where’s the climax? Where’s the resolution? It feels so unfinished.”

And you know what, here’s my answer to that. It is, in a sense, unfinished. The Scriptures are complete, but the story of the church goes on. The story of the Holy Spirit’s work in this world continues, and it’s still going on 2,000 years later in a place called San Antonio, Texas. 

Charles Spurgeon said this about the end of the book of Acts, “What was begun with so much heroism ought to be continued with ardent zeal, since we are assured that the same Lord is mighty still to carry on His heavenly designs.” 

Some might wonder what happened to Paul. When did he die? And what else did he do during those two years in prison? Well, he wrote Scripture from prison—the so-called prison letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. But after that, he was released and traveled around the Roman Empire again before eventually being imprisoned again by Emperor Nero and beheaded. That took place probably in AD 67 or thereabouts. 

But Luke doesn’t record that in Acts. Luke ends this book with Paul, in prison, testifying about the kingdom to the people in Rome—Jews and Gentiles both. And I think that there’s a definite theological reason that the Holy Spirit didn’t inspire Luke to finish this book with a statement about Paul’s death. Here’s the reason—this book is ultimately about Jesus Christ, and maybe secondarily about Christ’s Spirit that he gave to the church. 

This book of the Bible is ultimately about salvation through “No Other Name.” His death and his resurrection are preeminently significant, not Paul’s. And not Peter’s either, or any of the other disciples. This book is about Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the church. And so, I think an in-depth description of Paul’s death and final days would have taken away from that emphasis on Christ. 

And so, the book ends with a statement about Jesus… and with a statement about the gospel. 

30 [Paul] lived there two whole years at his own expense… proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

And the story goes on. And the proclamation of the kingdom continues. And the teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness carries on into the twenty-first century. And the gospel of Jesus Christ prevails in our world. It prevails. And the beat goes on.

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Now let me close with this. I assume that there are two kinds of people in this room right now. There are some who need to hear the gospel proclaimed boldly, so that you can respond in faith and believe. If that’s you right now, let me just say as boldly and as unobnoxiously as I can that you need Jesus Christ. You need to turn from sin, admit your sinfulness before a righteous God, believe in Christ’s work upon the cross, and confess him as your Lord and Savior. You need to do that right now. 

There is no other way to have peace with God other than through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. So believe on him. Accept the free gift of salvation that he gives. Tell him, “I’m a sinner. I need your grace, Lord. I believe that Jesus is the Messiah. I believe that he died on the cross for my sins. And from this point forward I will live, to the best of my ability, in obedience to King Jesus.”

Others in this room, need an exhortation to be more bold in your witness for Christ. If that’s you… Don’t let the grass grow under your feet. Don’t wait for people to come to you, you go to them. Don’t let a fear of rejection keep you from speaking the truth. And don’t hesitate to share the gospel with any who will listen to you. 

Jesus said in the beginning of the book of Acts, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). That’s us. That’s not just for first century disciples. That’s for us. We, as disciples of Jesus Christ, should be his witnesses in this city of San Antonio. In southern and central Texas, and wherever else God gives us opportunities. Amen?. Let’s go do that, church. Let’s be his witnesses.