And after three months we set sail in a ship which had wintered in the island, an Alexandrian ship, with the Twin Brothers for its figurehead.
And touching at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.
And from thence we made a circuit, and arrived at Rhegium: and after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli;
Where we found brethren, and were entreated to tarry with them seven days: and so we came unto Rome.
And from thence the brethren, when they heard of us, came as far as the Market of Appius, and the Three Taverns, to meet us: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.— Acts 28:11-15
And he abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto him,
Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, none forbidding him.— Acts 28:30-31
To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.
For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you,
Always in my prayers making request, if by any means now at length I may be prospered by the will of God to come unto you.
For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
That is, that I with you may be comforted in you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.— Romans 1:7-12
For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I rejoice therefore over you: but I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple unto that which is evil.
And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.— Romans 16:19-20
Let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, we want to thank Thee for inviting us to Thy table to remember Thy beloved Son. We do want to proclaim that truly He is our very life.
We praise and thank Thee for giving Thy Son to us, and through Him we can come to Thee and call Thee our Father. And, Father, as we gather here in the name of Thy beloved Son, we know that Thou art with us.
We pray that Thy Word will be living and operative in each of our lives. Lord, how we do desire that Thou wilt get a people through whom Thou canst manifest Thyself and be glorified. We ask in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
We have been sharing on the life of the body of Christ, the church. It will not be complete if we do not also share on the life of the church in Rome.
You remember the command of our Lord, that we should be His witnesses from Jerusalem, to all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. So we find that the church on earth begins in Jerusalem, then spreads to all Judaea and Samaria; and as you come to the end of the book of Acts, you find it is in Rome.
It is true that we do not know too much about the life of the church in Rome. But we can have a glimpse of their life from the book of Acts, from Paul’s letter to the Romans, and perhaps also from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Through these three sources, we can gather some information about the life of the church in Rome and thereby learn some lessons.
First of all, we would like to see how the church in Rome began.
When Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, probably around AD 58, he wrote from Corinth on his last visit there before going to Jerusalem. He felt that the Lord was exercising his heart at last to visit Rome, so he wrote a letter to the saints in Rome.
When he wrote the letter, there was already a church in Rome. As a matter of fact, if you read Romans 15, you find that he had been desiring to visit Rome for some years already. This shows that the church in Rome had begun rather early.
Now, how did it begin? You remember that on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came, one hundred and twenty were baptised into one body, and they began to speak of the glory of God in many different languages.
Many people had gathered in Jerusalem from all over the world because it was the feast of Pentecost. In Acts 2, we find people from different parts of the world present in Jerusalem, and among them were those from Rome, both Jews and proselytes.
So, very probably, on the day of Pentecost some people from Rome—both Jews and Gentiles—received the gospel and believed in the Lord Jesus. Very likely, some of them found their way back to Rome. As they returned, no doubt they brought the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.
When Paul greeted the saints in Rome, he mentioned Prisca and Aquila. We are familiar with this couple because we find them again and again in the book of Acts. They were Jews who had been living in Rome.
At the time of Claudius, when all the Jews were expelled from Rome, this couple went to Corinth. Paul joined them because they were not only brother and sister in the Lord, but they were also tentmakers, and Paul had the same trade. So Paul stayed with them and worked with them.
Most likely, Aquila and Priscilla were among those saved in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. They were probably among the earliest Christians. They were in Corinth, and God used them there. Later, we find that they were in Ephesus, and again God used them to help begin the church there.
By the time Paul wrote the letter to the Romans, they had returned to Rome. Again, we find that the church gathered in their house. In Romans 16:5, Paul says, “Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the church that is in their house.”
This couple was greatly used by God. Wherever they were, you find the church built up. Now they were in Rome. Thus Paul wrote, “To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints.”
Evidently there was already a group of believers in Rome. Among them were Jews, and many were Gentiles. How do we know? When you read Romans 16, Paul greets many people whom he had known before.
Oftentimes, when we read Romans 16, we may simply read over the list of names. But it is very interesting. When you read this list, you find Jewish names, Greek names, Latin names, and names from different parts of the world. There were all kinds of people in the church in Rome.
For instance, Aquila and Priscilla were Hellenistic Jews who had settled in Rome. Then Paul mentions Epaenetus, his beloved, who was the firstfruits of Asia unto Christ. Here you find a Greek, probably one of Paul’s first converts in Asia, perhaps in Ephesus, who had also moved to Rome.
Then Paul says, “Salute Mary, who bestowed much labour on you.” Mary is a Hebrew name, a Jewish name. Then he mentions Andronicus and Junias, his kinsmen and fellow prisoners, who were of note among the apostles and were in Christ before Paul. These two were Jewish, and they had believed in the Lord before Paul.
Some people say that they too may have been among those saved on the day of Pentecost. As you read on, you find names of Jews, Greeks, and people from Asia and from different parts of the world.
Rome was the capital of the world. All roads led to Rome. There were not only many Jews there, but many Gentiles too. Some people who were saved in the early days of the church in Jerusalem were in Rome; others came from Asia, Greece, and places Paul had visited. Because of these people moving to Rome, the church in Rome began.
The church in Rome was composed of Jews and Gentiles. This can also be seen in the letter to the Romans. Sometimes Paul addresses the Jews, and sometimes he addresses the Gentiles. In Romans 1, he addresses the Gentiles; in Romans 2, the Jews; and in Romans 9 through 11, he addresses both Jews and Gentiles.
We do not know whether there were more Jews than Gentiles, or more Gentiles than Jews. But we do know that the church there gathered both Jewish and Gentile Christians.
Evidently, the people in the church in Rome had some relationship with the Apostle Paul. When Paul wrote the letter to the Romans, he had never yet been to Rome. He was thinking of going, and yet he knew a number of people there.
People in the church in Rome had some kind of relationship with him. Aquila and Priscilla had a long relationship with Paul. So, even though he had never visited Rome, there was some connection between Paul and the church there.
According to Roman Catholic tradition, the church in Rome was established by Peter. The tradition says that Peter went there in the second year of Claudius, AD 42, to overthrow Simon Magus; that he remained there for twenty-five years; and that he became the first bishop of the church.
But we know that this is impossible. First, even in AD 50, at the council in Jerusalem, Peter was there. He also visited Antioch afterwards. So Peter could not have been in Rome that early.
Secondly, when Paul wrote the letter to the Romans, if Peter had been there, Paul would certainly have mentioned him. But Paul did not mention Peter in any way.
Thirdly, Paul said in his letter to the Romans that he would not build upon another man’s foundation. If the church in Rome had been founded by Peter, then Paul would have been acting against his own principle.
Evidently the church in Rome had such a relationship with Paul that he could write to them, go there, and help them to be built up without violating his own principle. So, most likely, Peter was not the founder of the church in Rome.
Very possibly, Peter’s presence in Rome came much later—perhaps in the latter part of AD 63. He may have been there only for a few months before he was martyred in AD 64. We know for sure that Peter was not the founder of the church in Rome.
The church in Rome was composed not only of Jews and Gentiles, but also of slaves and freemen. Some names in Romans 16 appear to be names of slaves, while others seem to be names of freemen. Some were of noble families, and some were of the lower class.
Most likely, when the gospel came to Rome, it began with the lower class—perhaps among the slaves. Then it began to reach the higher class, the nobility. When Paul wrote his prison letters, he even sent greetings from those of Caesar’s household. In other words, the gospel had reached into the imperial court.
So there was a mixture of Jews and Gentiles, of different races, of different social positions, and of different backgrounds. Yet these people were together as one.
Paul said in his epistle to the Romans, “Your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.” There in the church in Rome was a group of believers made up of many different kinds of people, and yet they had a common faith. Their faith was so strong that it had spread throughout the whole world.
This is not surprising, because Rome was the centre of the world. Out of Rome, news would spread throughout the whole known world at that time.
Not only was their faith known, but in the last chapter of Romans Paul says, “Your obedience is come abroad unto all men.” Brothers and sisters, they had not only faith; they also had the obedience of faith.
Faith is not merely something to believe. Faith is also something to obey. They had faith in the Lord Jesus, and out of their faith came obedience. They obeyed the faith; in other words, they walked according to what they believed. No wonder the condition of the church in Rome was quite healthy.
It was a very healthy church. But that does not mean it was a perfect church.
When you read the letter to the Romans, you find indications here and there of why Paul wrote them such a complete treatise on the gospel of Jesus Christ—such a systematic and full presentation of the work of salvation.
Evidently, though they knew the gospel, they did not know the fullness of the mystery of the gospel. So Paul wanted to share with them more concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, as you read the letter, you find that they had problems in receiving one another. Those strong in faith looked down upon the weak in faith and would not receive them because they were too weak.
They did not act according to love; they acted according to knowledge. That was something which needed correction. At the end of the letter, Paul also mentioned those who caused divisions. Such people needed to be watched and avoided.
Evidently, there were people who wanted to bring in something that would divide God’s people. So it was not a perfect church, but on the whole it was a very healthy one.
There is another proof that the church in Rome was healthy. When Paul came to Rome, he had been shipwrecked and had stayed in Malta for a few months. Eventually he boarded another ship and finally came to Italy.
When they came to Puteoli, they found some brethren there and stayed with them for seven days. The news of Paul’s arrival probably went from Puteoli to Rome. When the brethren in Rome heard that Paul was coming—and that he was coming as a prisoner—what did they do?
Did they try to separate themselves from him lest they be contaminated? No. Instead, the brethren in Rome went out to meet Paul, and they travelled a great distance.
The Market of Appius was about forty-three miles from Rome, and the Three Taverns were about thirty-three miles from Rome. These brethren went thirty or forty miles to meet Paul.
In those days travel was not as it is today. You could not simply drive a car thirty miles and cover it quickly. They had to walk. To walk thirty or forty miles took time, and it showed love. There was love; there was fervency in love among the brethren.
That again shows the healthy condition of the church there. When Paul saw these people, he was encouraged, and he thanked God.
Of course, the arrival of Paul in Rome was quite an event. After he arrived, he was allowed to stay in his own hired dwelling, though always with a Roman guard watching him.
When he arrived, he called the Jewish leaders. There was discussion, and some believed while others did not. Paul stayed in his rented house for two years, waiting to be judged by Nero, the emperor.
During that period, Paul preached the kingdom of God and taught the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ unhindered. He was not hindered. He had freedom to do this in his hired dwelling. He received everyone who came to him and faithfully preached the gospel.
What Paul did encouraged the brothers and sisters in Rome to preach the gospel fearlessly. Here came a man full of fire—the fire of the heavenly kingdom—and that fire was kindled in the hearts of the brothers and sisters there.
Even though there were some who preached the gospel out of contention, most likely Judaizers who followed Paul and tried to preach the law in order to increase his suffering, Paul said, “It does not matter. As long as Christ is preached, thank God for that.”
Through Paul’s faithfulness, the Praetorian guards who were chained to him one by one could not get away from Paul’s message. Thus we can understand how a number of these soldiers, these palace guards, were saved. Those of Caesar’s household came to the Lord.
So the situation in the church in Rome was rather healthy and rather good.
As we look into the life of the church in Rome, there are several things that really touch our hearts. First, the church in Rome was composed of so many different kinds of people.
There were all kinds of distinctions—not only racial distinctions. In the natural realm, the distinction between Jews and Gentiles was a great problem.
The Jews would have nothing to do with the Gentiles. They considered themselves the chosen of God and looked down upon the Gentiles as unclean, as dogs. They would not even enter the house of a Gentile, nor would they eat with them.
Because of this, the Gentiles reacted against the Jews. They despised the Jews, looked down upon them, and considered them as nothing. There was no relationship between Jews and Gentiles at that time.
But through the gospel, the wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles was broken down by the cross. On the cross of our Lord Jesus, this huge distinction—humanly speaking, an insurmountable distinction—was removed.
God took away the enmity and brought Jews and Gentiles together as brothers and sisters. This is marvellous. This is the power of the gospel. Humanly, it is impossible; it is insurmountable. But in Christ, Jews and Gentiles are one.
In Christ and in the church, there is neither Jew nor Gentile. When a Jew comes into Christ, the Jew is gone. When a Gentile comes into Christ, the Gentile is gone. In Christ, you have only Christ.
In the church, there is no Jew and no Gentile. Only Christ is all and in all of us. Brothers and sisters, that is the marvel of the gospel, and it happened very clearly in Rome.
Then in the church in Rome there were slaves and freemen. This was another great distinction at that time. In the Roman Empire there were more slaves than freemen. Only Romans were free persons who enjoyed their rights, but most people were slaves, and slaves had no rights of any kind.
Yet in the church in Rome, slaves and freemen sat together. That distinction was removed in the church. Especially in Rome, the capital city, this was a remarkable thing: slaves and freemen were together as one.
Furthermore, there was the distinction between the lower class and the upper class. Social status was a real problem. Recently, our brother Christian Chen went to Chile. When he came back, he reported that in Chile the distinction between rich and poor was so great that they had nothing to do with one another.
Yet the Lord brings the rich and the poor together, and it is a beautiful thing.
Brothers and sisters, in the church there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither barbarian nor Scythian, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, neither bond nor free. It is Christ, all and in all. It is a wonderful thing.
Of course, they were not perfect, because they still had some problem in receiving one another. But the Lord would deal with that. Dear brothers and sisters, how we thank God that He can put us together in Christ, in the church, as one.
In the world, you may be an American, a Chinese, an Irishman, or a Norwegian. But in the church, we have no Americans, no Chinese, no Irish, no Norwegians. We only have Christ.
We do not see an American here; we see Christ. We do not see a Chinese here; we see Christ. We do not see an Irishman here; we see Christ. We do not see a Norwegian here; we see Christ.
Just remember that. Are we totally delivered? We need to be totally delivered from all these distinctions, because in Christ and in the church there is only one: Christ. He is all and in all.
Second, in the greetings of Paul in Romans 16, he mentions a number of people. There are men and there are women.
I wonder whether you have counted how many women Paul mentions in Romans 16. Perhaps it is a little difficult, because in some cases we do not know for sure. There may be seven or eight.
Strangely, you find Priscilla’s name placed before Aquila’s. It appears that, in the work of God, Priscilla was more involved in the work than her husband, though Aquila was with her.
The church was in their home, and Aquila, as the head of the household, had his responsibility. But as far as the work was concerned, Priscilla was more involved. Probably she knew the Lord more than her husband, and perhaps she was the one who helped Apollos.
They were Paul’s fellow workers. They even risked their necks for Paul. We do not find exactly when this happened in the book of Acts. Some say Paul was imprisoned seven times, though only four imprisonments are recorded in Acts. We do not know when Aquila and Priscilla risked their lives for Paul, but evidently they truly loved him and gave their lives.
The whole Gentile churches owed something to this couple. Then you have Mary, who laboured much in the Lord.
You have Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who laboured in the Lord. They may have been slaves, and yet they laboured in the Lord. You have Persis, the beloved, who laboured much in the Lord. Persis was probably from Persia, so here you find another sister who laboured much.
There were a number of brothers and a number of sisters. This shows that in that church men and women functioned as members of the body of Christ. They all functioned according to the gift and grace that God had given to each, and they were faithful in their work.
It is very touching to find that Paul especially mentioned how the sisters laboured much in the Lord. Probably, when you go to any assembly, you find that the sisters usually labour more than the brothers. The brothers may get the credit, but the sisters are really doing the work.
Paul noticed that, and God noticed that. The sisters laboured much in the Lord. Here you find a representation of the whole assembly: all the members of the body of Christ working together, each faithful in what the Lord had given.
They worked together, and no wonder the church in Rome was healthy. That is something for us to learn too.
Third, Paul says, “Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the church that is in their house.” So you find that the church at that time met in their house.
It was not until probably after the third century that there were buildings especially for the gathering of the saints. Usually, in the early days, they met in homes. Aquila and Priscilla opened their home for the saints to meet there.
In Paul’s greetings, he greeted people not only individually but also in groups. He greeted those of the household of Narcissus who were in the Lord. He greeted Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brethren with them. He greeted Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, Olympas, and all the saints with them.
Because Rome was a large city, there were many brothers and sisters living in different sections of the city. Some may have lived in Jewish sections, and some in other parts of the city. Perhaps during the weekdays they met in groups, but they came together as a church to meet in the house of Aquila and Priscilla.
That is another thing we can learn. When there are more people and they are more spread out, perhaps we can have groups meeting during the weekdays; then, on the Lord’s Day, we can come together as we do now and meet as a church.
Paul was most likely in Rome for two years waiting to be judged. During the early reign of Nero, he was not yet so wicked and bad. Evidently, the gospel could be preached openly without hindrance, and Nero acquitted Paul.
We believe Paul was then able to travel, revisit places, and perhaps go to Spain as he desired. But perhaps during that period, when Paul had been released and was away, Peter came to Rome.
Peter probably came in the latter part of AD 63 and was in Rome for only a few months. Then, in AD 64, Nero burned the city of Rome.
When Nero burned the city, he tried to find a scapegoat. The Christians became an easy target because they were different from the world. Nero accused the Christians of burning Rome, and great persecution began.
Even Roman historians acknowledged that these Christians were persecuted out of jealousy and enmity. It was not because they had done anything wrong. They were simply used as scapegoats.
Many Christians were seized. Some were sewn into the skins of beasts and thrown to wild dogs. Some were put upon trees, covered with oil, and burned as lanterns in the night. Many, many suffered and were martyred.
Of course, Paul was arrested again. Peter and Paul died in Rome. Peter, because he was a Jew, was crucified. Tradition says that Peter, when he was crucified, said, “I am not worthy to be crucified as my Lord was; crucify me upside down.”
Paul, being a Roman citizen, was beheaded. Many, many Christians died for their faith. But, brothers and sisters, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.
In spite of all this persecution, the Christians had to meet secretly in catacombs. The catacombs became their dwelling places. They lived there, and because there was no air and no sunlight, they became pale and weak. When they died in the catacombs, they were buried there.
Here you find Christians being persecuted. Yet it was not the church that was destroyed; it was Rome that was destroyed.
As a conclusion to our fellowship on the life of the body of Christ on earth, after we have gone through the book of Acts and reviewed the life of the various churches found there, what conclusions can we draw? What are the main lessons we need to learn?
The first lesson we learn is that Christ is living. It is evident that our Lord Jesus is living.
Yes, He died, but He lives, and He lives for evermore. We find that He is still speaking and still working.
As you read the book of Acts, Luke says in his former treatise that he wrote of all that the Lord Jesus began both to do and to teach. The book of Acts is a continuation of the speaking and working of the same Lord.
In the Gospel according to Luke, He taught and worked in His incarnate body. In the book of Acts, He is the risen Lord, the Head of the church, His mystical and corporate body. He teaches and acts in that corporate body.
This shows that He is living, just as He lived two thousand years ago. That is why the book of Acts has no ending. It stops abruptly. Why? Because the book of Acts is continuing to be written even today.
When we read the life of the church, the body of Christ, one thing we learn is that our Lord is living. He is living today. He is as much alive as He was two thousand years ago. He is still teaching and still working in and through His church.
The second lesson is this: He said, “I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
It is very evident when you read the book of Acts that, when the Lord is building His church, all the gates of Hades are opened. You find persecution, tribulation, suffering, afflictions of all kinds, temptations, and attacks.
Yet the gates of Hades shall not prevail against the church. The church is triumphant. It is a suffering church, but it is a church that overcomes, just like our Lord. He suffered while He was on earth before He entered into His glory.
We thank the Lord that He is building His church. No matter how His church suffers, His church always comes out triumphant. That encourages us.
Brothers and sisters, we need to go through many tribulations to enter into the kingdom of God. Do not think that we can have a smooth sailing through this world, because we are living in an alien world, and the ruler of this world is the usurper, Satan.
If we are faithful to the Lord, we will be attacked, misunderstood, persecuted, and will suffer. But this is something we should expect. It is not something strange, as Peter wrote in his epistle.
We do not consider it strange, because after suffering there will be glory. The Lord will surely build His church. That is the second lesson.
The third lesson is that there is no perfect church on this earth. Thank God, there are some churches that are healthier, and there are some churches that are quite sick.
But we know one thing: in spite of all the problems and difficulties the church has to experience and go through, the grace of God is always sufficient.
He is able to use problems, troubles, difficulties, and crises to bring us into the fullness of Himself.
Brothers and sisters, if we have a very smooth sailing, we will not be able to learn many precious things. We will not be able to come into fullness. One way to come into fullness is that we have to be challenged.
There have to be problems. There has to be the work of the enemy, the work of the flesh, and all kinds of things trying to destroy the church. But God allows these things so that we may learn the supremacy and the all-sufficiency of Christ and of His grace.
Brothers and sisters, the Bride will be made ready. That is something of which we have assurance.
The fourth lesson is that, in going through the book of Acts, we find the footsteps of the flock.
Where can we find the Lord? In the Song of Solomon, the virgin had a heart after the Lord. Because she sought the Lord so earnestly, she was misunderstood by her brothers. They thought she was lazy, and they put her to work in too many activities.
To such an extent, she felt that her own spiritual condition had suffered. So she cried out to the Lord, “Tell me, O Thou whom my soul loveth, where Thou feedest Thy flock, where Thou makest it to rest at noon.”
The Lord said, “Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock.”
Brothers and sisters, we believe that from the beginning of the church to the end of the church age, there are the footsteps of the flock.
It is very striking when you read the Song of Solomon. The virgin cries out concerning the Shepherd’s flock in the singular. Yet in the world, in Christianity, there are many shepherds and many flocks. “This is my flock; that is my flock.” This confuses us.
But thank God, there is the flock—the Lord’s flock—only one. In John 10, the Lord said, “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.”
The Jewish fold was one fold, and the Gentile fold was another fold, but that is not the flock. The Lord brings Jews and Gentiles out of the folds and makes them one flock under one Shepherd.
Brothers and sisters, we have one Shepherd, and there is one flock. This is the flock that follows the Shepherd wherever He goes. Therefore, its footsteps are the footsteps of the Shepherd. By following the footsteps of the flock, you will find the Shepherd.
Brothers and sisters, the book of Acts shows us the footsteps of the flock. May the Lord help us.
Let us pray.
Dear Lord, we thank Thee for allowing us to fellowship on the life of the body of Christ, the church.
Lord, we do see what Thou dost want to teach us. May these lessons not be snatched away by the enemy. Lord, by Thy Spirit, wilt Thou register them in our hearts and make them a reality to us.
May we, by Thy grace, overcome all the pitfalls, and may we also be built up together according to Thy will.
Lord, our only desire is that we may be able to express Thyself through Thy church today. We ask in Thy precious name.