The book of Acts closes with Paul being under house arrest. He would be there under these conditions for some two years. He would enjoy freedom again but then finally be locked up in a Roman prison while he waited for his death. We are first introduced to Paul (then called Saul) back in Acts 7 at the execution of Stephen by Jewish people. He stood by as Stephen was stoned and then moved to act on his own in the same hateful way. Luke simply tells us that Saul made havoc of the church (Acts 8:3).
Years later on the road to Damascus he was confronted with Jesus whom he had been persecuting by persecuting the church (Acts 9:5). Saul was led to Damascus where he was converted to Christ (Acts 22:16). His conversion IN Damascus occurred after three days of fasting and prayer that did not remove one single sin from his life. He was told to to be immersed (in water) to wash away his sins. He obeyed and his sins were washed away. Salvation cannot occur (removal of sins) before one is baptized. It is in the act of obeying the command of Jesus and thereby being immersed that one’s sins are washed away. In Acts 2:38, it is the REMISSION of sins and in Acts 3:19, it is the BLOTTING OUT of sins. Same gospel preached everywhere. Paul did what those in Acts 2 and Acts 3 did.
One part of what we often call the beatitudes is those who are the peacemakers are the ones called the children of God (Matt. 5:9). Jesus on the matter of judging taught that if you have a board in your eye, you cannot see clearly to help your brother with the sawdust in his eye (Matt. 7:3). By understanding the principle we would not preach peace to someone if we were not in possession of peace ourselves. Peace from God comes as a result of justification (Rom. 5:1). When we find peace from God because we have been justified then we can preach peace to others that they can find the same peace through Jesus the Christ.
At the close of the book of Revelation we are told who it is that preaches peace to a world lost in sin. It is the Spirit of God through the truth He has revealed that says through that truth, “come” (Rev. 22:17). It is the bride that is the church of Christ which says, “come” (Rev. 21:2;9). The one who has understood the message and obeyed it can now say, “come”. All of this combined together means that if I obey the gospel I then have my eyesight cleared up from the darkness of sin and I can see clearly to help others find that same sight. Therefore blessed are the peacemakers for they are the children of God.
Paul (Saul), from his conversion, began a life of zeal dedicated to convincing as many people as he could, to find the peach offered by Jesus the Son of God. Paul had a long and difficult journey that included much suffering (2 Cor. 11:24-28). A summation of his life and belief system is found in his words in Philippians 3. He counted everything he had lost as being worth it for him to gain the knowledge of the Lord (Phil. 3:8). At the end of the verse he states, “….do count them but dung, that I may win Christ”. His travels over the Roman empire covered so much ground from city to city. He had so many opportunities to tell men of Jesus the Christ who offers peace to all who come to Him. Yet at the close of the book of Acts he is under house arrest and limited as to whom he can speak with about Jesus. Paul received all that came to him (Acts 28:30).
During those two years of house arrest he preached the kingdom of God and the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. We find the same words spoken by Philip in Samaria (Acts 8:12). Philip was in Samaria because Saul (Paul) made havoc of the church (Acts 8:3). If he could change then so could any of us. From time to time we all need to look to our own hearts. We are not under house arrest, so how many do we want to teach about Jesus and finding peace?