Apostle.

PAUL AT ROME

+Testifying to the Jews+ (Acts 28:17-27).--After an
interval of only three days Paul called the chief of the
Jews together, and explained to them why he had been
sent to Rome. He declared that he had no accusation
to make against his nation to the Roman authorities, but
that he was a prisoner on account of his advocacy of the
hope of Israel fulfilled in Jesus Christ. But the Jews
replied that they had had no word about Paul from
Jerusalem. Desiring to hear more of what Paul had to say
about the Christians they appointed a day in which they
would hear Paul at his lodgings. This hearing was
evidently very thorough, and the usual division was made of
believing and unbelieving Jews.

+Testifying to the Gentiles+ (Acts 28:28).--Paul
receiving no sufficient response to his words from the
Jews now turns his attention to the Gentiles.

+The Two Years' Imprisonment+ (Acts 28:30, 31) was
spent in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, in his own
hired house, and receiving all who came to him. Although
Paul was a prisoner he was allowed complete freedom of
speech.

+Incidental Notices of this Imprisonment+ are found in
the four Epistles which were written from Rome during
its continuance. Prof. J. R. Lumby, D.D. (Acts,
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) says: "We know
from first to last the prisoner's chain hurt Paul (Eph. 3:1;
4:1; Phil. 1:13, 16; Col. 4:18; Philem. 1, 9, 10), and
that his cause was at times an object of much anxiety
(Phil. 2:23, 24). We also learn from the same letters
that besides Luke and Aristarchus (Acts 27:2; 28:15) he
had also the fellowship, for some time at least, of
Tychicus, who (Eph. 6:21) was the bearer of his letter to
Ephesus; of Timothy, whom (Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1;
Philem. 1) he joins with himself in the greeting to the
churches of Philippi and Colossae and also in that to
Philemon. In the former of these churches Timothy had
been a fellow laborer with the Apostle. Epaphroditus
came with the Philippian contributions to the aid of the
imprisoned Apostle (Phil. 4:18). Onesimus found out
Paul when in flight from his master he made his way to
Rome (Col. 4:9; Philem. 10). Mark, the cousin of
Barnabas, was also there and another Jewish convert,
Jesus, called Justus, of whom we only know that the
Apostle considered him worthy to be called a fellow
worker unto the kingdom of God (Col. 4:11). Epaphras
from the churches of Laodicea and Hieropolis, ha