The Acts of the Apostles

How the Gospel was carried from Jerusalem to Rome

David M Pearce

Chapter 12

Letters from Prison

Soft winds and spring flowers warmed the heart of the apostle Paul as the little party of prisoners trudged with their guards along the well paved Roman road from Puteoli.

Appian Way, where Paul almost certainly walked, on his way to Rome. Photo by Radosław Botev.

It was a relief to feel the breeze and the hot sun after the years he had spent in prison. The respite, unhappily, was to be short–lived. He faced with trepidation the prospect of his impending trial before the emperor at Rome. Paul the Apostle Each step was taking him nearer to the headquarters of the giant bureaucratic machine that had crushed his people with jaws of iron and executed his master in spite of his innocence. Paul had no illusions as to his probable fate. Imagine his relief and gratitude therefore, when it turned out that a small band of travellers coming towards them at the Forum of Appii was actually a group of Christian disciples who had heard Paul had landed at Puteoli, and set off from Rome to welcome him. Their thoughtfulness and support cheered his aged heart. So moved was he, reports Luke, that he " thanked God and took courage " (Acts 28:15).

Paul's first move on reaching the capital was diplomatic. He was permitted by the Department of Justice to hire his own accommodation while waiting for his case to come up. He was confined to the house with a Roman soldier as a guard. He was free to receive visitors, and he decided to introduce himself to the leaders of the Jewish synagogues in Rome, of which there are thought to have been at least seven. They were curious to meet Paul, and he was anxious to outline his position to them himself before enemies from the Jerusalem Jewish community had a chance to wag their poisonous tongues. It was a unique opportunity to preach the gospel to a 'captive' audience, (although truly he was the prisoner!) and he made the most of it. For a whole day " he expounded the matter to them from morning to evening " writes Luke " testifying to the Kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus, both from the Law of Moses and from the prophets " (Acts 28:23). He actually made a little headway. Some were convinced by what he said. Others, more prejudiced, would not agree with him. They went home arguing between themselves. Paul's parting shot was one of reproach " Let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen " (Acts 28:28). So the great apostle had done his duty by his master, the Lord Jesus. The good news of the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ had arrived in the capital of the empire. He had preached the gospel in Rome also.

What next, you might ask? What was the outcome of Paul's appearance before the emperor? Was he set free to continue his missionary journeys? Strangely the record in Acts is silent. It is as if Luke, having covered the journey to Rome, considered his account complete. All he tells us is that Paul lived on in his hired house for two whole years, and preached the Kingdom of God to all his visitors. Presumably at the end of two years his case would come up for a hearing. Roman justice obviously took as leisurely a course as the equivalent today! But Luke is silent about the verdict.

To find out more about those two 'hidden' years, we need to turn to Paul's epistles His stay in prison, though irksome, was productive in letter writing, and with a little research we can uncover some fascinating stories. Luke noted that Paul received a stream of visitors. One of the more unusual of these was a runaway slave. This man, Onesimus, has a whole book devoted to him, named after his master, Philemon. Philemon came from Colosse, a city not actually listed in Paul's journeys, but the home of a group of disciples well known to him, for he wrote them a letter from prison. Philemon was probably one of the most influential members of the church, or ecclesia, at Colosse, because Paul mentions the church met in his house (Philemon 2). As a man of substance, Philemon would own a number of slaves, who would be likely to attend upon him during services, as well as for everyday tasks. In this way it is not hard to imagine Onesimus travelling with his master to Ephesus to meet the apostle Paul, and overhearing the long and earnest conversations they would have had before Philemon was baptised as a Christian. Now the young slave had run away, heading northwest for Rome.

A runaway slave was liable to be executed if caught, but in the metropolis he would be swallowed up in the seething crowds, just as criminals today lie up in London to escape from justice. What strange circumstance brought him to the apostle's lodgings we cannot guess. Perhaps, desperately lonely, he remembered his master speaking of the imprisonment of the saintly apostle, and deliberately sought him out. He came to the right man. Paul took to Onesimus as a father to a son, and before long Onesimus, like his master, had become a disciple of Jesus. The problem was, what to do next. Paul enjoyed having Onesimus to run errands, but felt obliged to send him back to Philemon now the two men were brothers in Christ. But if Onesimus simply turned up on his doorstep at Colosse, Philemon would jump angrily on him. So Paul wrote a short introductory letter for Onesimus to take back, a model of tact and diplomacy that would melt Philemon's heart. We can imagine the astonishment on his face, as Philemon looked from the piece of paper to Onesimus and back, and at last stepped down to give his slave the Christian kiss of peace.

Paul had other visitors to his house of detention. We know that his good friends at Philippi sent him a present, brought by the hand of a messenger, Epaphroditus, because our epistle to the Philippians was his 'thank you' letter. To Paul's dismay, Epaphroditus fell gravely ill while at Rome, but recovered sufficiently to be sent back with the letter (Philippians 4:25–27). Timothy too, Paul's son in the faith, was with him (Colossians1:1), as was Luke, his constant companion. Most interesting is the fact that Paul sends greetings from Rome on behalf of an unknown number of disciples " of Caesar's household " . Paul writes in Philippians that " it has become known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ " (Colossians 1.13). It sounds as though some of the Roman soldiers chained to Paul on duty, and therefore bound to hear his persuasive arguments for belief in God, had themselves become disciples. Paul never lost a chance to preach the Word of Life.

There are hints in Philippians, Philemon and Colossians that Paul, at the time of writing, expected soon to be released. There is little doubt that he was, in fact, set free. In three letters written after the Acts (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus) we find Paul referring to a journey he had recently made to Macedonia (1 Timothy 1:3), to Crete (Titus 1:5), to Nicopolis (Titus 3:12), and to Troas (2 Timothy 4:13). None of these visits fit into the record of Acts. For example, Paul did not travel to Crete at all in his three earlier preaching tours. These journeys must therefore have been made after he was set free. It looks as if he had to abandon his earlier plan to go to Spain, and instead made another short Mediterranean voyage. But time was running out. We know from history that around AD 64 Emperor Nero turned hostile to the Christians. As a ringleader of the movement, it would not be long before Paul was re–arrested and imprisoned. This time he had no hope of acquittal. It was no use appealing to Caesar when Caesar himself was the enemy. As he writes his last letter to Timothy, we sense that the apostle knows his end is near. He had already had a first hearing, at which he records sorrowfully not one of his friends was prepared to give evidence on his behalf (2 Timothy 4:16) He begs Timothy to come to him quickly, for only the faithful Luke was left with him, and he knew it was time to say goodbye. In spite of his dismal prospects, his faith was firm and his courage undimmed. " The time of my departure has come " he declares " I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that a Day " (2 Timothy 4:6–8). Nero, the unrighteous judge, would condemn him to die, but Jesus, Paul's master, had " abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel " (2 Timothy 1:10).

One morning, the sun hot on his face and the wind rustling in the trees at the roadside, the aged apostle was led from his dark prison cell into the green countryside outside the walls of Rome. His Roman citizenship ensured a swift death by the sword. At last those weary feet, that ready pen, and the tongue that had lifted thousands from a life of sin and death to the hope of the gospel, were stilled in the sleep of death. But Paul's work went on. His indomitable spirit had laid the foundation on which others would build. In time the gospel preachers would press westward and north into Europe. By the power of the printing press, his words would bring light to a circle far wider than his original readership, and through translation men and women " from all tribes and peoples and tongues " would embrace the truth for which he lived and died.

We come at the end of the queue. The time of which Paul wrote, that Day when the Judge will come to give him his reward is drawing very near. Let us make sure we grasp the gift of the gospel, brought to us at such cost, with both hands, now, while we still have the chance. The crown which Jesus brings will be given, Paul promised " not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing " (2 Timothy 4:8). This is the challenge we leave with you as our study draws to its close.

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