When we think about the Apostle Paul’s time in Rome, we don’t really know that much. The book of Acts ends letting us know that Paul was living in his own rented house with a soldier to guard him.
Additionally, we are told: “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Acts 28:30-31
Perhaps his rented house might have been something like this …
Perhaps it was down a street like this …
We can discover clues about the two years Paul was under house arrest by reading the letters Paul wrote.
In the letter Paul wrote to Philemon, regarding his dear friend and “son” Onesimus, there is a list of names of people who send greetings at the end of the letter. “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.” – Philemon 1:23-24
Paul had a ministry team with him in Rome! This is significant. I never realized before how significant this was.
I don’t think I have ever heard a sermon preached on the fact that Paul had a ministry team with him in Rome. He wasn’t just there by himself in his rented house, teaching whoever wound up coming to see him.
Paul’s ministry was similar to Jesus’s ministry when he was on the earth. Jesus specifically chose 12 disciples who traveled with him and did ministry together with him. Jesus mentored these 12 ministry partners. Jesus taught and instructed these 12 ministry partners … so that they, in turn, could do ministry just like him. Jesus sent these 12 ministry partners out 2-by-2 to do ministry in teams.
When Jesus was on the earth, he was fully God, yet he was confined by the restrictions of a human body. He got tired. He needed to rest. He did not have the physical strength to handle all the ministry needs, of all the people, all the time, everywhere.
Hence a team of ministry partners.
This is what we see the Apostle Paul doing. Paul was just one person. He alone could not handle all the ministry needs, of all the people, all the time, everywhere. God had commissioned Paul to take the good news about Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. This was a huge assignment! Paul could not do it all by himself.
Hence, a team of ministry partners. Just like the example Jesus himself set.
As we read through the book of Acts, we see Paul traveling with a ministry team. Sometimes we are given the names of the team members. Such as in Acts 20:2-5 …
“He [Paul] arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months. Because the Jews made a pot against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. These men went on ahead and waited for us a Troas.” – Acts 20:2-5
And just like Jesus sent his disciples out 2-by-2 to do ministry in teams, so also the Apostle Paul did the same thing. We see an example of this in Acts 19:21-22 …
“After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia [today’s Peloponnesian Peninsula]. ‘After I have been there,’ he said, ‘I must visit Rome also.’ He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.” – Acts 19:21-22
So … who were the ministry partners who were with Paul in Rome??
And in what way were they helping him accomplish the work of the ministry??
“Our dear friend Luke, the doctor.” – Colossians 4:14
Luke is mentioned as sending greetings at the end of Paul’s letter to Philemon, as well as at the end of Paul’s letter to the church in Colosse. Luke, the doctor, was there with Paul in Rome.
Luke accompanied Paul on the long arduous sea voyage from Caesarea to Rome. Luke experienced the shipwreck along with everyone else on board the ship. Luke washed ashore on the island of Malta along with everyone else from the ship.
Luke was there as a faithful friend to Paul through it all, finally arriving in Rome in the spring of AD 60.
Not only that, Luke had also spent time traveling with Paul during Paul’s second missionary journey. It seems Luke joined Paul’s ministry team in Troy, as they sailed over into Macedonia. In Acts 16:11 the language changes from “third person” (they) to “first person” – we.
Luke was in Philippi, just like Timothy, when the slave girl (possessed by an evil spirit) kept following them around day after day after day shouting: “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” – Acts 16:17
Luke was there, just like Timothy, when Paul cast the evil spirit out of the slave girl. (Acts 16:18)
Luke was there, just like Timothy, when Paul was seized, beaten, and thrown in prison.
When Paul and Silas were singing in the prison of Philippi at midnight, and the earthquake shook the prison and their chains were released … Luke was also in the city of Philippi that night. Luke felt the earthquake too!
When the Philippian jailer came to faith in Jesus Christ, and a church was formed at Lydia’s house … Luke was there.
After these events, it seems Luke stayed in Philippi. The language of Acts reverts back to “third person” (they). So evidently Luke did not continue on with Paul, Silas, Timothy, and the ministry team to the next cities.
Several years later Luke once again joined the team as Paul was on his way back to Jerusalem after his third missionary journey. The language of Acts lets us know Luke was in Philippi when he joined up with Paul:
“These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas [Troy]. But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.” – Acts 20:5-6
So … what is significant about Luke being part of Paul’s ministry team?
In what way did Luke help Paul accomplish the work of the ministry?? Even in Rome?
Luke was a doctor. Therefore, his importance on the ministry team is obvious. By the time Paul made the long arduous journey to Rome he was an aging man. He had already suffered many beatings. He had suffered many hardships. No doubt Paul had an array of medical concerns and complications. Luke was not only a good friend to Paul, but he was also his personal physician.
This right here was a huge help in accomplishing the work of the ministry.
Not only was Luke a doctor, he was also a historian and biographer. It is because of Luke’s historical documentation that we have a detailed account of the events which happened during Paul’s missionary journeys.
It is because of Luke’s historical documentation that we have a detailed account of the events which happened in Jerusalem and surrounding area after Jesus ascended back to Heaven, and how the early Church came into being.
This right here was a huge help in accomplishing the work of the ministry!
Perhaps you might not think you have any qualifications for accomplishing the work of the ministry.
You don’t have to be a pastor. You don’t have to be an evangelist. You don’t have to be a Bible teacher.
All you have to be is who God made you to be. There is something special about who you are that only you can do to accomplish the work of the ministry. Luke was not a pastor. Luke was not an evangelist. Luke was not a teacher.
Luke was simply who God made him to be. Luke was the best doctor he could be. Luke was the best historian and biographer he could be. And because of that … we have two books of our Bible today! The book of Luke. And the book of Acts.
Who you are is exactly who God wants you to be. And God has a special task for you to do … as you too help to accomplish the work of the ministry.
