The last words of the book of Acts in the Greek are “boldly and without hindrance.” This is a good theme to leave the book of Acts, that Paul preached the gospel boldly and without hindrance.
To speak “boldly” (παρρησία) is to have freedom to speak, perhaps even fearless speech. “Boldness” is a characteristic of apostolic preaching in the first part of Acts. The Sanhedrin saw that Peter and John spoke boldly (4:13), and the Jerusalem church prayed that God would continue to give them boldness (4:29); when they were filled with the Holy Spirit they did in fact speak with boldness (4:31).
But the word also has the nuance of confidence, knowing that you are speaking the truth; that you know the right answer, etc. In Acts 2:29 Peter makes an argument based on Scripture that Jesus is the Messiah, he says this “with confidence.” This is the confidence which I began with – knowing that something is certainly true gives you a confidence and boldness which a “guess” does not. Paul can speak from his house arrest with confidence because he knows the gospel he proclaims is the truth.
“Without hindrance” (ἀκωλύτως) indicates that there were no groups that stood in his way, as Paul had to deal with earlier in the book. Sometimes this rare word is used in legal contexts (P.Oxy 502, Ant. 12.104, 16.41, for example). The word might be used to describe some legal constraint, you cannot do want you want to because of a legal ruling (think of a restraining order in contemporary culture).
If we read the whole book of Acts, we might see quite a bit of “restraining” going on, things hinder the progress of the Gospel from the very beginning of Paul’s ministry. Jews in Asia Minor actively work against him on the first missionary journey, attack him publicly and stone him at Lystra, and continue to harass him when he returns to Jerusalem in the late 50s.
While Rome does not actively hinder Paul’s mission, he was in Roman custody several times in the book: at Philippi, nearly so at Thessalonica, he was arrested in Corinth, and was likely under arrest at some point in Ephesus, he cause a riot there as well. When he finally returned to Jerusalem he was taken into protective custody by Rome, but held for two years in Caesarea before being shipped to Rome, where he is under house arrest (at his own expense) for two years.
We might also add a kind of spiritual hindrance to this list as well. For example, Paul was forced to leave Thessalonica and was unable to return to the city, although he wanted to. In 1 Thess 3:18 he says that “Satan blocked our way,” literally “Satan tore up the road” so that Paul could not return and finish his work in the city. What happens in Corinth and Ephesus can also be taken as spiritual warfare, Satan was actively hindering Paul’s mission.
The book ends by telling us nothing is restraining the gospel. Paul is not hindered in the least by his imprisonment and there is nothing Rome can do to stop the gospel from going “to the ends of the earth.”
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Thanks for the posts.
John
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging and commented:
Amen and Amen!
Thanks for your insight. I wonder if Paul is referring to doing everything he could convince the Jews of the gospel, but since they would not have it, he was legally free (unhindered) to focus on the Gentiles as God asked of him.
PS, I believe 1 Thes 2:18 would be the correct reference for being hindered by Satan.
Paul’s journey is told throughout the book of Acts and we can see his boldness on full display in times of persecution or the fear of it. We also see this boldness in Peter and the other apostles before Paul’s conversion experience. The same for them, we saw their boldness most on display in the threat of death, injury, or imprisonment. The phrase “without hinderance” is twofold, both physical hinderance and spiritual hinderance. Paul’s imprisonment and experience in house arrest was a physical hinderance but even despite this, the Gospel message still prevailed. This speaks to the power of God more than anything else. The biggest intention in these prosecution and imprisonment to the apostles was to hinder and stop the spreading of their message, but in reality, nothing can stop what God has already made a way for. The death of Jesus is a prime example. They thought they had bested this teacher by putting him to death, but it is exactly what he intended and he rose from the dead three days later fulfilling prophecy and making the Gospel even more “dangerous”. For Paul, he wrote some of his letters to the churches from prison. We have that evidence now that is able to further the Kingdom more than the Romans could have ever imagined.
I love this last statement by Paul- for me it totally encapsulates what he was all about as a man but more importantly as a man of God and follower of Christ. The words “boldly and without hindrance” are just absolute gold, and honestly, Paul lived this way every moment when he shared the gospel. He truly appeared to live a fearless life for the Lord. I believe Acts 16 when he and Silas are in prison illustrates this so well. He is being beaten facing death and is in prison, yet he is singing songs of praise with the prisoners and even ends up leading the jailer to Christ. If that were me in that situation, I would be afraid for my life, let alone being brave enough to sing praise songs with the prisoners. In this situation and so many others, Paul doesn’t let his circumstances define his situation, he lets Christ lead him. And that’s a game-changer. In the end, it’s told to us that nothing is restraining the gospel. I feel like in today’s church, we seem to have too many excuses and self-inflicted “restraints.” We need to be looking to Paul as a great example of an excuse-free Christian life well-lived.
This is my first time reading through the book of Acts from start to finish. I found myself so deeply involved in the Gospel narrative, and constantly wondering what was going to happen next or who would be saved. I find it interesting that throughout the whole book of Acts, Paul is faced with opposition wherever he goes. This opposition may have been small (Acts 16:6), or large (Acts 27), but it did not stop him from sharing the Word of God. Instead, God starts to use Paul as an instrument to reveal truth to the Gentiles. In every city he resides, he teaches first to the Jews, and after being denied, he turns to the Gentiles (Long, 2019). In the final chapter of Acts, Paul addresses this fact once and for all stating that salvation has been given to Gentiles because they have learned to listen to the word of God, unlike the Jews who hear but do not understand, and see but do not perceive (Acts 28:26). Although Luke records this final address to the people of Rome in the book of Acts, it does not mean that he stopped ministering to Jews altogether for his final two years in Rome (Polhill, 2008, p. 2338).
The last line of Acts takes me to another line we encounter in the gospels. In Matthew 16, Jesus says “the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church.” Here we see that nothing shall hinder the gospel. The purpose of the church is to spread the gospel, so if the gospel shall not be hindered, it makes sense that the church should not be either. Paul’s preaching journey throughout the Book of Acts is a great example of this, as his ministry is still successful and the gospel is still spread whether he is in prison, free, etc. This is because God is not confined by a box. His will being accomplished is not based on human circumstance, and it is important for us to remember this in our own ministry. Things may not always look ideal or how we imagined them and they may not always be smooth sailing (no pun intended), but we can still trust in the Word of the Lord that His will for the gospel will prevail. This indeed is a blessed assurance.
Another example of the unhindered boldness of Paul is during his arrest in Philippi. Paul and Silas sing hymns and praise God despite the fact that they are in chains (16:25). This kind of spiritual transcendence (If I can call it that. Or is that term too loaded with connotations from other religions?) appears throughout the book of Acts and is the main theme. The Holy Spirit works in ways that go beyond the physical. The “treasure held in jars of clay” is “all surpassing”. It even goes beyond Paul or any one person. The final remarks of the book of Acts are not in regard to Paul’s situation in Rome, but to the spread of the Gospel.
Like we talked about in class today, the last words of the book of Acts; “boldly and without hindrance” (28:31) is a succinct way to summarize the book of Acts. Paul certainly was bold in his teaching of the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike despite the many oppositions he faced. This pertains to the apostles as well, like Peter and John in Acts 4:13 (Long, para. 2). They were not only confident in their boldness, but they made sure that all knew that it was through God they were able to do miraculous works. Such as, when Paul and Barnabas were thought to be Zeus and Hermes in Acts 14, they adamantly replied that it was the power of God who did such things. Likewise, Paul made a statement of faith in Acts 27 that it was God that was going to save everyone on the ship. Furthermore, opposition was faced in a variety of ways through the book of Acts, although at varying levels. Paul is a prime example of being bold in the face of such opposition. Since Paul’s conversion in Acts, he does not hesitate to do exactly as he is told by God, and he is obedient in all circumstances. Nothing hinders him, even throughout the opposition. The blog says, “Paul is not hindered in the least by his imprisonment and there is nothing Rome can do to stop the gospel from going ‘to the ends of the earth.'” (Long, para. 8). It shows that the boldness of Paul’s faith transcends his circumstances, and that he is without hindrance, and ready to die for his faith.
I like the emphasis on the fact that this world “boldly” “has the nuance of confidence”– Paul is not merely arrogant, nor is he cocky, but rather he is speaking with the knowledge that he is speaking the truth, that God is on his side (Long blog). Paul is not saying “I guess” or “I think.” If he were, then I think we would see his boldness wane, we would see him change his mind, when he is imprisoned or beaten. Rather, he doubles down–he continues to speak the truth even when it seems like execution is right around the corner.
I also think it’s interesting to look into more of what “without hindrance” means. We may read that and say “does this mean Paul was untouchable? That he did not experience hardship? I thought be was in prison?” The Gospel is not hindered, even when Paul *physically* might be hindered. For the two years mentioned briefly in Acts 28:31, Paul is still under guard. He has “his own quarters,” but is still being guarded–and yet he shared “the gospel with *all* who came to him,” including both Jews and Gentiles (Polhill, p. 2145). Even though Paul was not kept in some dank, dark prison like we may imagine, he was not fully free–in many ways we might consider him “hindered.” And yet the Gospel is not hindered. Paul used this time not only to preach the Gospel to any who would listen, but it was also “during his Roman imprisonment that he wrote the letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon” (Polhill, p. 2145). Although Paul is physically restrained, he “is not hindered in the least by his imprisonment and there is nothing Rome can do to stop the gospel from going “to the ends of the earth” (Long blog).
Paul’s way of preaching “boldly and without hindrance” should serve as an example for us living in the current century. Sometimes it may feel as though we are not at not able to freely talk about Jesus and the Gospel without people getting offended – even at the mere fact that we call ourselves Christians too. However, as mentioned in the blog, the theme of the book of Acts shows how the Gospel can be shared bodily despite the interference of others. We see the stories of Peter and Stephen, how one died for sharing the Gospel boldly and the other was used to reach the Gentiles so the Gospel could be shared boldly to all people. Long also makes a great point that all these people used by God were confident in what they spoke because they knew it to be true (par. 5), even if it meant they may die or spend years detained. Even then, Paul demonstrates too that even through his detention God still used him in a way which he continued to boldly share and further the Gospel through his letters to the different churches (Polhill, 2145). Therefore if we also know of the truth of the Gospel then we too should not fear or be timid but rather boldly share it.
When God called Paul to minister to the Jews and Gentiles, there was no limit to how God led him to minister. Paul was arrested numerous times, took multiple missionary trips, encouraged churches in many different countries, and ultimately led the modern-day church in how to approach mission work.
Throughout Paul’s ministry, he definitely spoke boldly. He did not show fear as he spoke truth to those who needed to hear it. This can be seen throughout Acts, as well as in his letters to the churches. I think his bold speech can really be seen in scenes in Scripture when Paul is speaking in front of people who are against him.
Even though people did physically try to hinder Paul’s ministry of spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles, he was never actually hindered. God continued to use Paul even when times got hard. As you mentioned in this blog, Paul was arrested many times and in many different places/situations.
It is amazing how when God promises for something to happen, he makes everything work out. I think that truth is especially evident in Paul’s Ministry. Against all odds, God still worked through Paul’s life, knowledge and testimony to share the Gospel, which is life saving and changing, to the world.
Nothing will hinder the Gospel is a phrase that is underrated. This phrase shows the power of God and wraps up Paul’s ministry as he faced so many trials along the way but nothing could stop him from spreading the good news. The emphasis on the fact that the book of Acts wraps up with bold and without hindrance wraps up our purpose on Earth. No matter what we do and no matter what we go through we can always spread the word of God. This task needs to be met with confidence and also with great wisdom! The blog post hits on the nail when Acts 2:29 tells us that Peter says things with confidence. This means we must study to show ourselves approved unto God and we need to rightly divide the word of truth which will lead to speaking boldly. This hindrance will always be present and we must push on toward the goal to spread the Gospel. Jesus and Paul lay this out as perfect examples that we must follow. Will you be hindered? What motivates you to push on?
Immediately after reading this blog post and Acts 28, I had two initial thoughts. First off, the word “hinderance” is something I always defined as not being able to do my work because something is blocking my way through. I see it exactly like this in Acts and as Long brought up, in 1 Thessalonians 3:18 when Satan attacked in spiritual warfare and tore up the road they were going to walk through. We are able to compare this with our lives now, which leads me to my second thought: the idea of preaching the Gospel boldly and without hindrance. Sometimes I forget to pray for help through my spiritual warfare battles, that isn’t always on our pray lists: to preach the Gospel without hinderance. Of course, we need to take this Scripture in the context of the time period of Luke writing Acts, but because I believe it was a command to Christians, it is definitely something we need to keep in mind. So, to end a pretty significant book of the Bible and chapter of Paul’s life, of course Luke would end it in a command so that nothing would ever come close to hindering the Gospel.
Throughout the whole book of Acts, Paul faced numerous obstacles, including physical imprisonment, harassment, and spiritual opposition. However, he continues to preach the gospel with confidence and without restraint, which makes him an example for how we should think when witnessing or doing ministry. The term “boldly” not just refers to courage but a deep conviction in the truth of the gospel and a fearless proclamation of faith. Paul preached with confidence, because he had extreme faith and trust that what he was saying was true. Even while under house arrest in Rome, he preached without fear, which is very inspirational. “Without hindrance” implies that even though he experienced trials, Paul was able to continue spreading the gospel unhindered, demonstrating that no force, whether legal, physical, or spiritual, can ultimately stop God’s sovereign plan.
In my opinion, the closing message of Acts is powerful because it highlights the triumph of faith and divine purpose over adversity. Even though there were many challenges Paul faced throughout his ministry, the gospel’s progress remained unstoppable. I think it is important to note that even in the face of personal trials, truth and purpose have a way of persisting, and the message of hope and salvation cannot be thwarted.
As Long (para. 4) notes, it is interesting that Luke mentions that Paul preached the gospel “without hindrance” (28:31). For most of Paul’s missionary travels he encounters plenty of hindrances including Jews who do not approve of his message and the Roman empire which took him into custody multiple times (paras. 5-7). Yet one of the things that I have noticed throughout the whole book of acts is that often these “hindrances” actually lead to the gospel spreading at a greater rate. Luke seems to want to end on a positive note as he finishes writing Acts, but this does not disregard the fact that many of the hard things that Paul endured were things that contributed to him being a better witness for the gospel. Polhill mentions that even when Paul was imprisoned, something that was definitely a hinder, God used that time for Paul to write the letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (p. 2145). After the book of Acts ends Paul is imprisoned several more times and Polhill says this is likely when he wrote the letters to Titus, and Timothy, including 2 Timothy which he may have written while awaiting execution. Clearly, hindrances to the gospel were only temporary and did not hinder the work Paul was doing in the long run, in fact those hindrances actually aided the spread of the gospel. The fact that Paul was also a Pharisee who persecuted Christians heavily before becoming a follower of Jesus and was himself a hindrance to the gospel adds further meaning to this idea that God uses evil and persecution to further his plans.
I find that these last words with which Luke ends the book of Acts is a good summary to how the Gospel message had traveled through the world itself in the book: In “boldness and without hinderance” (Acts 28:31). In no moment did Paul shy away from the Truth, and in many instances, he used scripture itself to support that of which he was proclaiming. This is not an act we should take lightly, for it is in this boldness that we read about the many lives that were reached for Christ; this serves as a model for us today as we work towards evangelizing. There is no shame, guilt, or worry that is accompanying Paul here, and we likewise should not carry any of that if we truly believe in the Gospel. This also means that if we are to carry the message of the truth in confidence, we must be aware of that of which can hinder our ability to do so, such as that of Biblical ignorance, embarrassment, and replacement (Long, 2019). Finally, it is quite powerful to consider that the gospel message did in fact spread without hinderance. Sure, there were times that could have been considered as delays or obstacles in the spreading of the Gospel, but God’s will in its ability to reach the ends of the Earth was never truly detained. Even today, people try to hinder it, but it finds a way to reach even those who seem to often have no hope of hearing it.
The book of Acts has become one of my favorites after this class. I love how it takes the Gospel and places it up against some of the most learned minds of the world. Peter and John in Acts 4 take the Gospel and put it up against the Jewish Council. They are described as uneducated and common men (Acts 4:13) but the word boldness is still used to describe them as the preach to the Council. Paul then takes this same Gospel to the Jews as well but also to the Gentiles. He goes to Athens and speaks before another Council, this time in a completely Gentile setting and one that did not have any Jewish faith or learning and the Gospel still prevailed in winning some to Christ. Paul then takes the Gospel to Rome where he continues to preach in boldness. Throughout the book of Acts, Luke illustrates how the Spirit is working in the lives of both ordinary and learned people to accomplish His purposes of taking the Gospel to the whole world and how it stands on its own against every school of thought it faces. In addition to being empowered by the Holy Spirit, Paul knew that he could speak the Gospel boldly because he knew that it was from God; he knew that it was through Jesus the world had been made, and therefore everything aligns with Him and His will. Likewise, Peter and John had seen and felt Jesus’ saving grace and forgiveness in their lives and could speak with the boldness that comes with the empowering of the Holy Spirit. The boldness and lack of hindrance in the last sentence of Acts reiterates Luke’s central theme of showing how the Spirit is responsible for everything that happens to advance the Gospel in this book. Although there may have been hindrance in the lives of the Apostles, these hindrances had now lasting power in the grand scheme of the narrative further demonstrating that the kingdom of God “is not of this world” (John 18:36, ESV)
The Book of Acts powerfully demonstrates that nothing can hinder the gospel of Jesus Christ. From the moment of Pentecost in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, the message of salvation began spreading with unstoppable force. Despite intense persecution, imprisonment, and opposition, the early church continued to grow as the apostles boldly proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus. One clear example is seen in Acts 4, when Peter and John were arrested for preaching. Instead of backing down, they declared, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). The threats of the authorities could not silence their testimony. Again in Acts 5 the apostles rejoiced for being considered worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ and never stopped teaching and proclaiming the gospel. The stoning of Stephen in Acts 7 led to a wave of persecution. The enemy’s attempt to crush the church only caused the gospel to spread wider. Perhaps most striking is Paul’s missionary journey. Though he faced shipwrecks, beatings, and imprisonment, Paul continued to preach boldly. In Acts 28, he ends up in Rome preaching with all boldness and without hindrance. Acts makes it clear: God’s Word cannot be chained. The gospel will go forward, through every obstacle, by the power of the Holy Spirit and the faithfulness of God’s people.
Throughout the whole book of Acts the theme bold is prominent, they courageously spread the gospel even through opposition. I think that the last words of Acts being “bold without hindrance” is an amazing way to end this book of encouragement. Freedom to speak or fearless speech is something that has allowed the gospels to continue to spread so far. I know I struggle with fearless speech sometimes, I get nervous sometimes when I share my faith or God’s word. Sometimes I just don’t say anything at all because I am too nervous that I will say the wrong thing or something. The post then goes on to talk about how the word relates to confidence, knowing you are speaking the truth. Back in Acts 2 when Peter stands up on the day of Pentecost, he speaks with confidence, he explains the story of Jesus, His life, death and resurrection. His certainty of truth comes from his first hand knowledge as well as the fulfillment of scripture. Which then gives him the boldness to proclaim the message fearlessly. His confidence in the truth of the gospel allows him to speak boldly and confidently. This can be an encouragement for many believers, allowing them to confidently share the gospel.
In Acts 28, the book ends with the powerful message that Paul preached the gospel “boldly and without hindrance” (Acts 28:31). This highlights that, no matter what challenges Paul faced, the message of Jesus couldn’t be stopped. The word παρρησία means that Paul spoke with confidence and freedom, knowing the gospel he preached was the truth. He wasn’t just brave in his words; he was certain about the message he was sharing. This boldness is a key feature of the early church, seen in Peter and John’s fearless speeches and in the prayers of the believers in Jerusalem (Acts 4:13, 4:29-31).The phrase ἀκωλύτως shows that despite many obstacles, nothing could stop Paul from spreading the gospel. Throughout Acts, Paul faced resistance, including attacks, arrests, and even imprisonment. Yet, even when he was under house arrest in Rome, he continued to share the gospel. The word ἀκωλύτως suggests that nothing, whether legal, physical, or spiritual—could keep the message of Jesus from moving forward. The ending of Acts reminds us that, even when Paul was facing difficult situations, God’s message couldn’t be stopped. There were times when Paul was blocked or hindered, but in the end, the gospel continued to spread. Paul’s mission to share Jesus with the world couldn’t be held back, showing that God’s plan will always succeed, no matter the obstacles.
I found this blog post quite interesting, especially with the Greek meaning of the words in the last verse of Acts. The idea that Luke is legitimately claiming the entire book is truthful and he is confident in that is very amazing and reminds me of the start of Acts and of Luke where he addresses Theophilus. “it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you” (Luke 1: 3). But the next verse reaffirms this claim to “confidence”: “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” I’m not sure if the Greek word is the same for the two separate passages, but this is pinpoint Luke writing, using repetition of words or stories to emphasize a message. Luke believes the things he writes in his Gospel are for certain. Acts 1 speaks of “many proofs,” which is another way to be certain and to confidently believe that what you’re speaking of is the truth. “Without hindrance” does summarize Acts well too. The Holy Spirit’s deity makes him all powerful, so any obstacle that may have prevented the Gospel to go a certain direction was taken down as seen fit by the Holy Spirit. Of course, as we have read about all semester, there were many challenges Paul faced while attempting to spread the Gospel. And this verse cannot be interpreted to mean that people today can spread the message without any problems, as there are some. For example, in Christian Mission, we watched a video depicting missionaries reaching out to a backwards tribe, being killed in an ambush. However, the wives of those who lost their lives eventually learned their native language and converted them. To me, this is a prime example of Acts 28:31 – showing that the Holy Spirit will always lead you to be able to spread the Gospel, even with challenges and obstacles.
Paul is an example to Christians of perseverance, trusting the Lord, and having faith in Him. Throughout the book of Acts, Paul is faced with numerous challenges both through legal, physical, and spiritual hinderances. However, even though these challenges sought to hinder Paul’s mission to preach the Word of God, it did not stop him from doing so. Throughout his imprisonment in the cities mentioned in the article, he spoke the truth of the Word and by the end of Acts he can speak boldly of it without interference. Polhill (1992) suggests that the Romans did not put obstacles in the way of his testimony of the gospel. Paul put his faith and trust in the Lord during times of uncertainty such as being attacked, harassed, or attempted stoning. He put his faith and trust in the power of the Lord to complete his mission.
I think this really speaks to the takeaway from Paul’s life and ministry. I think that we often get so upset when things to go according to plan. However, Paul really just used whatever situation he was in as a way to further the kingdom. I think that this is what we can take away from Acts also. There are going to be roadblocks along the way but there is not a single situation that God can’t show up. The correction and encouragement to the churches were sent out in letters during this time of Paul being in Rome. There is much to worry about in this world but not being able to share the gospel with others shouldn’t be one of them. Even in the darkest of times there is always space and time to share Jesus with someone else. What is interesting to me is what Polhill (2008) states this also by saying, “In God’s sovereignty, Paul’s time in prison was not wasted” (p.2145). This is a testament to what we need to recognize in our lives. We may not be in prison, but we are going to deal with times where we feel like we simply can’t be used by God in our pain and sorrow. But as Paul’s life shows, this is not true.
Paul is bold and confident in his speeches, proclaiming Jesus as Christ and Messiah as he travels. He was able to do so because he knew, as a matter of fact, that this was the truth. He witnessed the power and might of Jesus and understood this from a personal perspective. It is interesting to see how nothing can stop the plan of God, as He has full authority over all circumstances and situations. Even when things seem difficult or uncertain, God is still in control. God used Paul, a man who was persecuting the followers of Jesus and was in direct opposition to Christianity. However, God radically transformed his life as he began to endure persecution for Christ’s sake. The Jews actively fought against Paul, which resulted in him being taken into protective custody and placed under house arrest. Despite this, he did not remain silent. When Paul was arrested, he still had the freedom to preach, support the churches, and bring people to Christ. Ultimately, nothing can stand in the way of God or His plan for the spread of the gospel.
The end of Acts is so powerful to read because it shows that even though Paul was under house arrest, the Gospel was being preached (Acts 28:31). Polhill states “He “preached boldly” to them97 in the power of the Holy Spirit—”without hindrance” (Polhill, 1992). The word for “boldly” in Greek means speaking with freedom and fearlessness. It also means having confidence and only speaking because you know for sure that what you are saying is true. Paul wasn’t just guessing or making predictions about Jesus, he truly knew the message about Jesus was real. That gave him the courage to keep preaching, even while under house arrest. The phrase “without hindrance” is even more important when we remember all the persecutions Paul faced. Throughout Acts, Paul wasattacked, arrested, and chased from city to city. He had been hurt by angry mobs and authority members, thrown into prison, and delayed on his missions for years. At the end of the book, Luke reminds us that nothing can stop the Gospel. Even though Paul is technically a prisoner in Rome, he is freely preaching about Jesus to everyone who will listen. There are no legal charges stopping him. Rome, the biggest empire in the world at that time, could not stop the message of Jesus and Christianity from spreading. The Gospel is powerful and will reach “the ends of the earth,” just as Jesus promised us in Acts 1:8. At the end of the day, we are all a part of God’s unstoppable mission of spreading his word.
I appreciate that there was this idea that nothing will hinder the Gospel. We understand that there are many things that can seem like they hinder us from presenting the gospel, but I believe that in all truth there is always a payback for the gospel that is sent out. The word that is sent out will not return void. When the Gospel is preached, there will be an effect no matter how soon after or how much later: it will take root. I really appreciate the last words about the boldness and without hindrance of the gospel because we need to go out with the boldness of Paul and preach the gospel to others as boldly as people did in the ancient world. I do not think we take this call as serious as we should.
” With boldness and without hindrance” I find the book of Acts, where Paul preaches the gospel boldly and without hindrance, seems to be living out a picture to be an example to others. When God called Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul himself was a persecutor of Christians, but after he became a disciple of God, he did not let anything stop him. I love the way the book of Acts ends because, in the beginning, they faced many difficulties and troubles, but until the end, they stood firm for God, proclaiming the gospel of salvation.