Acts 28:31 ³¹preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness without hindrance.

Verse 31 serves as a concise conclusion that encapsulates the entire purpose of the book. Paul embodied the mission of the church Jesus gave in 1:8: to witness to the kingdom of God and the good news about Jesus. Luke did not need to write anymore because he had successfully shown that the followers of Jesus were faithful, and that the gospel was universal and available to all who would listen, from the least to the greatest.

Paul’s message remained consistent and encompassed the two key themes of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.  Verse 31 is a fitting end to both books. Jesus’ primary message as recorded in the Gospel of Luke was about the kingdom of God. After Jesus’ ascension, the church continued to preach the kingdom, but the message was changed to focus on the King of the kingdom. Preaching (kērussōn) refers to proclaiming the message of God’s plan of salvation, particularly in the context of evangelism. Teaching (didaskōn) is related to discipleship and helping people grow in their faith. The two ideas are closely related and probably should not be distinguished too much.

Luke gives the full title of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the focus of Paul’s preaching and teaching. Paul exemplified boldness (parrēsias) in his proclamation of the good news. His courage came from three sources: first, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, who came upon the believers in chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost and continued to give courage to believers throughout Acts; second, his faith and conviction in the truth of the gospel; and third, his obedience to the calling Jesus gave him. Thus, the divine/human synergism (working together) of God and Paul led to a successful ministry wherever Paul went. The same three ingredients are available to all believers, though our calls may not be as specific, far-reaching, influential, or challenging as what Paul had.

The New Testament does not tell us how or when Paul died. The last we hear of him is under house arrest in this passage or awaiting trial and possible execution in 2 Timothy 4. According to Ignatius of Antioch (c. AD 110), Paul was eventually martyred (Praise to the Ephesians XII).

There are two major theories of what happened to Paul after Acts 28. One is that he was eventually freed and went on to evangelize in Spain. He was once again arrested, taken to Rome, tried, and martyred.  Clement of Rome (c. AD 96) wrote of Paul: “Seven times he wore fetters, he was exiled, he was stoned, he was a herald both in the east and in the west, he gained the noble renown of his faith, he taught righteousness throughout the whole world and, having reached the limit of the west, he bore testimony before the rulers, and so departed from the world and was taken up into the holy place—the greatest example of endurance” (1 Clement 5:1-7). Based on this unclear statement from Clement, the theory is that Paul was able to carry out his plans to visit Spain (Romans 15:24, 28). Writing in the fourth century, both Eusebius and Jerome report that Paul was released from his Roman imprisonment. This would have meant that he had the opportunity to go to Spain. Note, however, that this reference is almost three hundred years later.

A significant problem with this theory is that there is no evidence to suggest that Paul was ever released from Roman imprisonment. Nero was notoriously cruel and be­came increasingly paranoid as time passed. It is unlikely Paul received a quick hearing and release. In AD 64, Emperor Nero made Christians scapegoats for a major fire in Rome. This launched a period of intense and official persecution of the church. It was during this time that tradition says both Paul and Peter were martyred around AD 64-68. It would seem highly plausible that Paul was never released from his Roman imprisonment of Acts 28 and was eventually martyred. Few details survive as to exactly how and when Paul was martyred. One tradition indicates that he was beheaded on the Ostian Way at a place called the Aquae Salviae. Throughout Christian history, Paul’s tomb was thought to have been on the Vatican Hill under the basilica built by Constantine in 324, now under the altar of the Church of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls (Tre Fontane). In 2002, archeologists found a sarcophagus under a large marble slab inscribed, “Paulo Apostolo Mart.” In 2009, carbon dating of human bone fragments determined their date to be the first century. Pope Benedict XVI officially confirmed the place as Paul’s tomb.

Paul’s time under house arrest in Rome allowed him the opportunity to share the gospel without hindrance. God was working through him in spite of confinement. It is highly likely that Paul wrote several of his most influential letters while under Roman imprisonment, such as Philippians, Philemon, the Pastoral Epistles, and possibly other letters.

Thus, the book of Acts ends with an example for Theophilus and all readers of how the mission Jesus gave in 1:8 had spread even as far as Rome. We are inspired to join this mission and follow in the footsteps of early witnesses, such as Peter, Stephen, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, and Paul, among many other faithful early believers, to go out in boldness even when the challenges seem insurmountable. God is faithful and will see us through.