After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island – it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they travelled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

ACTS 28:11–16

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Today concludes our series looking at Paul’s protracted journey from Caesarea to Rome through the eyes of our persecuted family.

After a turbulent two weeks at sea, three months on Malta, and a week with friends in the port of Puteoli, Paul arrives in the city he has long had his sights on. Whilst the details of any appeal before Caesar are unknown, we know that Paul spent two years under house arrest in Rome, during which time he ‘proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ – with all boldness and without hindrance!’ (v31)

This is why Paul wanted to go to Rome: to take the gospel to the hub of the Roman empire, a place of hugely strategic importance for its wider proclamation.

But it required monumental stubbornness, a desire to persevere despite seemingly insurmountable and endless challenges. At so many junctures, Paul could have given up. Remember, he didn’t have to go to Rome to have his case heard, and a storm and shipwreck would be enough to put anyone off getting on a ship again! And knowing Paul, three months on Malta would likely have tested his patience. But he had a calling from God – one he was unflinching in pursuing.

It’s here that Paul reminds me of Xuan* from Vietnam, who has a relentless passion to share her faith, despite efforts by the local authorities to stop her, including taking away her livestock, putting her family’s livelihood at risk.

‘They warned me to stop evangelising, but they cannot stop me,’ she says. ‘They cannot stop the gospel from being shared. However, I only evangelise in secret. Many of the Christians in my village became believers because I was stubborn.’ How good is that? People encountered Jesus because she was stubborn – just like Paul!

What does Rome look like to you? What’s the passion or calling that you feel God has given you but requires perseverance – or stubbornness! – to reach? It could be a business idea, a project involving a particular activity and group of people, or it could be a desire to tell people in your workplace about Jesus.

Whatever it is, have a stubborn refusal to give up. ‘I do this because I love them,’ says Xuan. ‘I will not forsake my mission, my calling. Even if the authorities catch me, I will let them do everything they can to stop me.’

*Name changed for security reasons

Tim Bechervaise
Tim Bechervaise is a copywriter for Open Doors UK & Ireland and a freelance writer.

What steps can you take this week to pursue your Rome? Ask the Holy Spirit to give you perseverance amidst challenges.