After a three months' stay in Malta the soldiers and their prisoners left in an Alexandrian ship for Italy. A.D. 56. They touched at Syracuse, where they stayed three days, and at Rhegium, from which place they were carried with a fair wind to Puteoli, where they left their ship and the sea. At Puteoli thej^ found "brethren," for it was an important place, and espe- cially a chief port for the traffic between Alexandria and Rome ; and by these brethren they were exhorted to staj' awhile with them. Permission seems to have been granted by the centurion ; and while they were spending seven days at Puteoli news of the apostle's arrival was sent on to Rome. The Christians at Rome, on their part, sent forth some of their number, who met Paul at Appii Forum and Tres Tabernaj ; and on this first introduction to the Church at Rome the apostle felt that his long desire was fulfilled at last. " He thanked God and took courage."
(4.) Confinement at Rome. — On their arrival at Rome the centurion doubtless delivered up his prisoners into the proper custody, that of the praetorian prefect. Paul was at once treated with special consideration, and was allowed to dwell by himself with the soldier who guard- ed him. He was not released from this galling annoy- ance of being constantl}' chained to a keeper ; but everj' indulgence compatil)le with this necessary restraint was readily allowed him. He was now therefore free "to preach the Gosiiel to them that were at Rome also;" and proceeded without delay to act upon his rule — " to the Jew first." Ho invited the chief persons among the Jews to come to him, and explained to them that though he was brought to Rome to answer charges made against him b}' the Jews in Palestine, he had really done noth- ing disloyal to his nation or the law, nor desired to be considered as hostile to his fellow-countrymen. On the contrar}-, he was in custody for maintaining that "the hope of Israel" had been fulfilled. The Roman Jews replied that they had received no tidings to his prejudice. The sect of which he had implied he was a member they knew to be everywhere spoken against ; but they were willing to hear what he had to say. It
has been thought strange that such an attitude should be taken towards the faith of Chi'ist by the Jews at Rome, where a flourishing branch of the Church had existed for some years ; and an argument has been drawn from this representation against the authen- ticity of the Acts. 15ut it may be accounted for with- out violence from what we know and may probably conjecture. (1.) The Church at Rome consisted main- ly of Gentiles, although it must be supposed that they had previously been for the most part Jewish pros- elytes. (2.) The real Jews at Rome had been perse- cuted and sometimes entireU' banished, and their un- settled state maj- have checked the contact and col- lision which would have been otherwise likely. (3.) Paul was possibly known by name to the Roman Jews, and curiosity may have persuaded them to listen to him. Even if he were not known to them, 3'et here, as in other places, his courteous bearing and strong expres- sions of adhesion to the faith of his fathers would win a hearing from them. A daj' was therefore appointed, on which a large number came expressly to hear him expound his belief; and from morning till evening he bore witness to the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, l)oth out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets. So the apostle of the Gentiles had not yet unlearned the original apostolic method. The hope of Israel was still his subject. But, as of old, the reception of his message by the Jews was not favorable. They were slow of heart to believe at Rome as at Pi- sidian Antioch. The judgment pronounced by Isaiah had come, Paul testified, upon the people. They had made themselves blind and deaf and gross of heart. The Gospel must be proclaimed to the Gentiles, among whom it would find a better welcome. He turned therefore again to the Gentiles, and for two years he dwelt in his own hired house, and received all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God, and teaching concernins the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
These are the last words of the Acts. This history of the planting of the kingdom of Christ in the world brings us down to the time when the Gospel was open- ly proclaimed by the great apostle in the Gentile cap- ital, and stops short of the mighty convulsion which was shortly to pronounce that kingdom established as the divine commonwealth for all men. The work of Paul belonged to the jjreparatory period. He was not to live through the time when the Son of Man came in the destruction of the Holy City and Temple, and in the throes of the New Age. The most significant part of his work was accomplished when in the Im- perial City he had declared his Gospel, "to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile." But his career is not abruptly closed. Before he himself fades out of our sight in the twilight of ecclesiastical tradition, we have letters written by himself, w^hich contribute some par- ticulars to his external biographj', and give us a far more precious insight into his convictions and sym- pathies.