by Tim Green
On My Way
to Rome.
The Life and Ministry of Paul the Apostle.
(Zero to 68 AD.)
On My Way to Rome
Copyright ? 2016
Timothy Green
Index.
#1 Bound and in Chains.
#2 A Roman Citizen.
#3 Brought Before Felix.
#4 Appeal to Caesar.
#5 Madness.
#6 Serpent in the Fire.
#7 The First Martyr.
#8 Brighter than the Midday Sun.
#9 Eyes Opened.
#10 The Journey Begins.
#11 Love for the Jews.
#12 Law or Grace.
#13 Hard Times.
#14 Alone in Athens.
#15 The God of All Comfort.
#16 Unusual Miracles.
#17 Saying Good-bye.
#18 Final Hour.
Preface.
Almost the entire Book of Acts was re-written in an easy to read simplified form. In doing so five different Bible translations were used, along with the original Greek words, historical facts, spiritual principles and Bible doctrines, all merged together, to almost read like a story. Extracts were taken from Paul's Letters to the Churches and incorporated into the Book of Acts, including his benedictions, prayers, greetings and instructions.
Up to five hundred references to the Holy Bible were used totalling one thousand one hundred verses of Scripture. (Mostly from the Book of Acts.) References are made in the book to which Greek and Roman god's were worshipped in which major cities, and what those cities were famous for at the time. Constant references are made to "who" travelled with Paul on which Missionary Journey as the Book of Acts can go on for chapters at a time without mentioning "who" is still with him.
Paul the Apostle attempts to tell his own life story as in the Book of Acts, which makes it more personalised and adds a totally new dynamic to it. For example: "Barnabas and Paul," now becomes "Barnabas and I"or "Me and Barnabas."
Bound and in Chains. #1
He stood head and shoulders above everyone else. He was tall and muscular. I could see on his face that he was exempt of all fear. His features were hard and he never smiled or laughed. I had seen eyes like his before. Eyes full of the horror of murder. My eyes were once full of that same murder. Rumour had it that he was fierce and ruthless in battle. He had scars, lasting wounds on his body to prove he was a warrior. He had survived many a battle and was zealous and passionate about advancing the kingdom of Rome to the ends of the earth. He was loyal to the Emperor in that he would gladly die for him and for Rome.
He was a Praetorian Guard, an elite body guarding unit consisting of only nine thousand men. These men were the best of the best. These Praetorian Guards had made an agreement, they had signed their names using their own blood, agreeing to die for the Emperor, for Rome and for the person they were protecting. He claimed that the god's had kept him alive for some unknown reason. It was miraculous how he had frequently escaped death on the battlefield. He should have died a thousand times but he didn't.
How could I ever forget the first day I met him. It was on that wonderful day in Jerusalem when my fellow countryman, the Jews wanted to kill me. That was the day he was assigned to me as my personal body guard. I had travelled from Caesarea to Jerusalem, both cities of Palestine in that same week, accompanied by some of the Lord's disciples from the church in Caesarea.
They brought me to the home of a man with whom I was to stay, Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, who had been with the disciples since the early days. The brothers in Jerusalem received and welcomed me and my companions warmly.
The following day, I and the rest of my co-workers went to see the Apostle James. All the church elders were present. After greeting them, I described in detail all the things that God had done among the Gentiles through my ministry. On hearing it they praised God, but they also said to me, "You see brother how many tens of thousands of believers there are among the Jews. All of them are zealous and enthusiastic upholders of the Law of Moses. Now what they have been told about you is that you are teaching all Jews living among the Gentiles to turn away and forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children and not to follow the ancient traditions."
The apostles and church elders in Jerusalem didn't want an uprising and neither did I. The unbelieving Jews had been a thorn in my side everywhere I went. James suggested, "What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come here. So do what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow. Take them with you and be purified with them in the Temple. Pay the expenses connected with having their heads shaved and pay for the temple offering. Then everyone will know that there is nothing to these rumours which they have heard about you. Then you yourself walk in observance of the Law. With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have already sent them a letter with our decision."
I agreed to come under the Law, not to be a slave again to the Law, but to keep the peace and prevent an uprising. I was dead to the Law. The next day I took the men and I went through the rites of purifying myself along with them. This was the purification of the Law of the Nazarite, a vow as ordered by God to Moses. We entered the Temple to give notice of when the period of purification would be finished and when the offering would have to be made for each one of us. The seven days of purification were almost up when some unbelieving Jews from the Province of Asia saw me in the Temple. They stirred up all the crowd and grabbing me, shouted, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who goes around everywhere teaching everyone things against the people, against the Law, and against this sacred place. He has also brought Greeks into this temple, he has polluted and defiled this holy place!"
They had previously seen Trophimus from the city of Ephesus with me and assumed that I had brought him into the inner court of the Temple, which was forbidden for the Gentiles to enter. A man looks very different after he has shaved his entire head. The whole city was aroused by this, and people came running at me from every side. They seized me and dragged me out of the Temple, and at once the gates were shut. While they were attempting to kill me, word reached the commander of the Roman battalion that all Jerusalem was in turmoil. It was becoming a habit that my presence continually caused an uprising everywhere I went. Immediately he took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to us. When they saw the chief captain, the commander of the Roman battalion and the soldiers, they stopped beating me.
Then the commander approached me and arrested me for my own safety. He ordered that I be tied up with two chains. He then inquired and asked who I was and what I had done. I had been bound in chains by both my hands and my feet just as Agabus had prophesied when he acted out the parable with my belt. Everyone in the crowd shouted something different to the commander. So, since he couldn't find out what had happened because of the uproar. He ordered me brought back to the barracks. When I got to the steps, I had to be carried by the soldiers, because the mob was so wild. That's when I first saw him. He grabbed me by my belt with one hand and by the scruff of the neck with the other and hoisted me up the stairs. He was a brute of a man. The crowd kept following me and screaming, "Kill him, kill him." I hated being bound and in chains. I detested being in custody and in prison.
A few decades earlier, those same cries echoed out from those very same steps. The Messiah, Jesus Christ had stood upon those very steps before a hostile crowd, just like me. They had shouted out in unison, before Pontius Pilate, the procurator of Judea, "Kill Him, kill Him, let Him be crucified!" The same mobsters that crucified my Messiah also wanted me dead.
Just as I was about to be taken into the barracks, I asked the commander, "Is it all right if I say something to you?" The commander replied in astonishment, "You know G
reek! Say, aren't you the Egyptian who tried to start a revolution a while back, and led four thousand armed terrorists out into the desert?" I calmly replied, "No, I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of that important city. I beg you, allow me to address the people." So, I was allowed to speak to that hostile Jewish Mob. I could feel his fearless presence beside me. He was ready for a fight. He was wanting blood and hoping to get it. I felt confident having this awesome warrior beside me.
It was comforting to know that his sword was my sword, just like God's two edged sword is our sword. God's word in our mouth is as powerful as His own word in His mouth. We must just speak it, for the word is near you even in your heart and in your mouth. My life was in his hands and his life was in my hands. Having received permission, I stood on the steps and motioned with my hand to the people, indicating that I wanted to speak to them. When they finally became still, I addressed them in Hebrew, their own native tongue.
When they heard me speaking to them in Hebrew, they settled down and became quiet. So I continued, "Brothers, fathers, hear my defense which I present before you now!" I opened my mouth and allowed the Holy Spirit to take control of my heart and my words. I announced, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus a city in Cilicia, but
