How Acts Ends: Unhindered

Day 192: Acts 28:1-31

“He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.” - Acts 28:30-31 ESV

The open-ended conclusion of Acts is sure to bother those who enjoy a good, resolved ending. The story Luke tells here in his second writing effort is obviously leading up to this moment of Paul being in Rome. He starts (1:8) with Jesus making the command to be His witnesses to the nations, and he ends with Paul declaring to the Jews that he was turning to the Gentiles (nations, see 28:28), whom he said would listen.

So, why such an abrupt ending?

Why not give us more details about the end of Paul's life? We learn from a lot of Christian tradition (outside the New Testament) that he was decapitated by Nero around 67 AD (near Peter's martyrdom).

We do know Luke was a sucker (more than any other New Testament writer) for the details. Names, places, and times were his thing. This has led many to believe that he refused to record Paul's execution as a way of letting us know we are carrying on the work he started for the nations.

May we carry out the unfinished business of these first-century missionary efforts.

I love the way I. Marshall Howard finishes his commentary on Acts:  “Whatever be the truth, the fate of Paul is secondary to that of the gospel. The final picture is of Paul preaching to the Gentiles the same message which he had preached throughout Acts with boldness and without hindrance. All the emphasis lies on that last phrase. The implication is that the charges against Paul were false and that God backed up his proclamation. Nothing that men can do can stop the progress and ultimate victory of the gospel.” - Marshall, I. H. (1980). Acts: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 5, p. 447)