Paul for Rome

One long straight road wey dem pave with stone. One prisoner dey waka with im guard. And there, from di other side, one small crowd of strangers dey wave, dey run come meet am. Dem don waka very far just to talk: welcome.

Paul journey no small at all. E sail from Judea as prisoner wey dey go di emperor court. One terrible storm scatter di ship near di island of Malta, and everybody wey dey inside swim or float reach shore. Dem spend three months for di island. Now time don reach to finish di journey. Dem enter one ship from Alexandria wey spend di cold season for Malta, one ship wey get di sign of di twin gods Castor and Pollux for im front. Dem stop three days for Syracuse, for Sicily, then for Rhegium. Wind blow from south, and di next day dem reach Puteoli, di big harbour of Italy.

For Puteoli, Paul find fellow believers, and dem invite am make e stay one week. Then di group start di road to Rome. But di news run reach before dem. Di believers for Rome hear say Paul dey come, and dem comot to meet am. Some reach as far as one market town wey dem call di Forum of Appius. Others wait for one place wey dem call di Three Taverns. Paul don write dem one long letter many years before, say e dey long to see dem. Now dem dey here, face to face. Luke tell us wetin happen for Paul heart. When Paul see dem, e thank God, and e take courage.

For Rome, dem allow Paul to live by imself, with one soldier wey dey guard am. After three days, e invite di leaders of di Jewish community make dem come visit. E explain say e no do anything against im people or dem customs, but dem hand am over to di Romans. Na because of di hope of Israel I carry dis chain, e tell dem. Dem talk say dem no receive any letter about am from Judea. But dem go like hear wetin e think. About dis new group, dem talk, we know say everywhere people dey talk against am. So dem fix one day, and plenty people come where e dey stay. From morning reach evening, Paul explain di kingdom of God, dey try convince dem about Jesus from di law of Moses and di prophets.

Some believe. Others no gree believe. As dem begin comot, still dey argue among demself, Paul quote di words wey di Holy Spirit talk through di prophet Isaiah, about people wey dey hear but dem no understand, and dem dey see but dem no perceive. And e tell dem say God don send im salvation to di Gentiles, and dem go listen. Then Luke end im whole book with one picture of open doors. Paul stay two full years for di house wey e rent, and e welcome everybody wey come meet am, e dey preach di kingdom of God, and e dey teach di things about di Lord Jesus Christ, with full boldness, and nobody stop am.

Di Forum of Appius and di Three Taverns na real stopping places for di Appian Way, di big Roman road wey run go south from di capital. Di orator Cicero mention both of dem for im letters, one hundred years before Paul. Di Forum of Appius dey about forty-three Roman miles from Rome, and di Three Taverns about thirty-three. Some of dat believers waka pass one full day journey to greet one prisoner wey dem never meet before.

Paul for Rome. You go find am for Acts chapter twenty-eight, verse eleven to thirty-one. One prisoner wey take courage from friends for road, and then spend two years dey welcome everybody wey pass im door. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Who you fit go out of your way to welcome and encourage, di way di believers for Rome welcome Paul?