The book of Acts ends with these words, "Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ." Paul is in Rome under house arrest. Faithfully he continues to preach the Kingdom. I find two things curious in this final chapter.
First, I find it curious that there is no mention of Paul preaching while on the Island of Malta. They are cordially welcomed to the island after their shipwreck. Paul is miraculously protected from a snake bite. He heals the sick on the island. But there is no mention of preaching or of converts. There is mention of healings, and of the people of Malta honoring Paul, but no mention of preaching or converts. Perhaps, this suggests that we don't preach to everyone, but only to those whom the Spirit has prepared. Or perhaps Paul's approach in Malta was just different from that in Rome. In contrast, Paul unashamedly preaches to the Jews in Rome whether they are ready to accept it or not. Perhaps, the difference is found in the cultural expectations of the Jewish synagogue, which would expect a traveling Jewish preacher to address them. At any rate, I find this curious, and wonder about its implications for my life.
The second thing I find curious is that Paul is said to preach the Kingdom. I would have expected the text to say that he preached the gospel. These are evidently both Jews and Gentiles coming to visit Paul and he preaches the Kingdom. It's not that the simple gospel is broader than what we have come to understand, but perhaps the implications of the gospel are broader than we have traditionally understood. What does it mean to preach the Kingdom, and why do we not use that language anymore?
These things I find curious. I think perhaps we would have done things differently or recorded these events differently. Yet, God inspired the text and seems to be working in unique ways in this passage. Father, may I be sensitive to what you are doing and what your Holy Spirit is up to in people's lives even if it is different from what I would expect.
First, I find it curious that there is no mention of Paul preaching while on the Island of Malta. They are cordially welcomed to the island after their shipwreck. Paul is miraculously protected from a snake bite. He heals the sick on the island. But there is no mention of preaching or of converts. There is mention of healings, and of the people of Malta honoring Paul, but no mention of preaching or converts. Perhaps, this suggests that we don't preach to everyone, but only to those whom the Spirit has prepared. Or perhaps Paul's approach in Malta was just different from that in Rome. In contrast, Paul unashamedly preaches to the Jews in Rome whether they are ready to accept it or not. Perhaps, the difference is found in the cultural expectations of the Jewish synagogue, which would expect a traveling Jewish preacher to address them. At any rate, I find this curious, and wonder about its implications for my life.
The second thing I find curious is that Paul is said to preach the Kingdom. I would have expected the text to say that he preached the gospel. These are evidently both Jews and Gentiles coming to visit Paul and he preaches the Kingdom. It's not that the simple gospel is broader than what we have come to understand, but perhaps the implications of the gospel are broader than we have traditionally understood. What does it mean to preach the Kingdom, and why do we not use that language anymore?
These things I find curious. I think perhaps we would have done things differently or recorded these events differently. Yet, God inspired the text and seems to be working in unique ways in this passage. Father, may I be sensitive to what you are doing and what your Holy Spirit is up to in people's lives even if it is different from what I would expect.
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