Luke-Acts session 23: From Jerusalem to the Ends of the Earth (Acts 24–28)

What this episode covers

This is the final episode of the Luke-Acts series, focusing on Paul’s journey to Rome at the end of the book of Acts. While imprisoned by Roman governors, Paul is repeatedly put on trial before he is finally sent to Rome to face Caesar himself. This move thrusts our wandering Jewish preacher into the very heart of the empire to represent Messiah’s kingdom before the most powerful man on earth at that time. Along the way, we encounter several questions worth highlighting as we wrap up this epic journey: How does Paul respond to the allegations brought against him? Does the end of Acts imply that the capital for Messiah’s people has moved from Jerusalem to Rome? Is Acts 28 God’s final rejection of the Jewish people? Why does the ending of Acts seem so anticlimactic, and what does this tell us about Luke’s purpose in writing this two-volume work? As we will see, these chapters reverberate with themes of Israel’s restoration and the Torah’s ongoing validity. This demonstrates that Luke-Acts stands in continuity with the rest of the Scriptures in affirming God’s people, God’s plan, and God’s precepts. Watch a video of this session below, or use the player at the top of this page to listen to just the audio. For a list of all the sessions in this series, click here. You can also check out our YouTube channel or subscribe to the Segullah audio teachings podcast.