Acts 28:30-31 He [Paul] lived there for two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
The phrase "without hindrance" interests me here. My first instinct is that Paul taught about the Lord Jesus Christ and didn't teach in a way that put any hindrances before people coming to believe. He taught them about a God of grace and mercy and love, that wouldn't build up any hindrances. He taught them of a God who moves beyond the Law to the Gospel. Without hindrance. That's the way people should be taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. But then another thought struck me: maybe grammatically what's being said is that Paul taught without hindrance - as in, there was no hindrance to his teaching. Nobody tried to hinder him from teaching for the entire two years he was there. Interesting.
It becomes more interesting if you read the context: the "there" where Paul was for two whole years preaching without hindrance about Jesus Christ was in Rome. And he wasn't in Rome as a guest. He was in Rome as a prisoner, brought to have a hearing before the emperor. Obviously the Roman judicial system moved slowly, if he was there for two whole years waiting and had time to preach. But it's intriguing for me to think of a prisoner preaching without any hindrance to his preaching. It reminds me that God finds a way to get God's work done no matter what kinds of hindrances we try to build. They put Paul in chains: he taught without hindrance. Amazing grace!
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us tomorrow (Wednesday) evening for our final Midweek Advent service: dinner at 6:15 and service at 7. We'll hear from the angel who was left out of all the fun on the first Christmas Eve.
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