Acts 28:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.

NIV: The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged.

NASB: And from there the brothers and sisters, when they heard about us, came as far as the Market of Appius and the Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

CSB: Now the brothers and sisters from there had heard the news about us and had come to meet us as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

NLT: The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.

KJV: And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.

NKJV: And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus are on the last leg of a very arduous journey to Rome. Their ship landed at Puteoli where the trio met other Christ-followers who invited them to stay. A week later, they finished their journey (Acts 28:11–14).

The Forum of Appius was a small town about 40 miles, or 64 kilometers, south of Rome. Three Taverns is about a quarter that to the north. Paul had not yet been to Rome, but the church was already well established (Romans 1:8). In AD 49, the emperor drove out the large settlement of Jews from the city. Shortly after, Paul met two of these Jews, Priscilla and Aquila, in Corinth (Acts 18:2). By the time Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, about three years before his arrival, Priscilla and Aquila had returned to Rome (Romans 16:3–4), undoubtedly either starting or building up the church there. It's also likely some of the Jews who heard Peter's message at Pentecost returned to share Jesus' offer of salvation with their friends and families (Acts 2:10–11).

Paul will face a somewhat different response from the Roman Jews who do not follow Jesus. Despite his careful explanation of how Jesus fulfills the law of Moses and the prophecies found in Jewish Scriptures, only a few will accept his argument and recognize Jesus as their Messiah. Paul will, once again, turn his focus to the Gentiles. He'll spend two years under house arrest in a private apartment, preaching to visitors and writing Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (Acts 28:16–31).

Acts 28:11–16 records the final steps of Paul's arduous journey to Rome. He, Aristarchus, and Luke survived a fierce tempest and a shipwreck before spending three months in the care of the people of Malta (Acts 27:1—28:10). Now Paul and his friends board another ship that takes them to Puteoli, Italy. There, Christ-followers provide a warm welcome. As they walk toward Rome, more believers meet them and give them encouragement for the last few miles. Paul spends two years in Rome, under house arrest, but free to teach anyone who will listen about Jesus (Acts 28:30–31).

Acts 28 records Paul's three-month stay on the island of Malta and two-year house arrest in Rome. On Malta, God empowers Paul to perform healing miracles which endear him to the locals. Once he reaches the shores of Italy, many other believers accompany him on his last leg to Rome. In Rome, he finds the Jews just as accepting of Jesus as elsewhere; some believe, but many don't. Paul reaffirms his mission to the Gentiles and spends his time preaching while under house arrest.

Acts 28 is the end of Luke's story of the witness of Jesus' story (Acts 1:8). After his wrongful imprisonment in Caesarea Maritima, Paul appealed his case to Caesar (Acts 25:1–12). He, Aristarchus, and Luke survived a raging winter storm before finally reaching Rome (Acts 27). Again under house arrest, Paul is able to share Jesus' offer of forgiveness with any who wish to visit. While there, he writes the letters Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. After two years, Paul is released; tradition says he takes one more evangelistic tour before being arrested and eventually martyred around AD 67.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.