KJV Acts 28:30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
I should have known about the ending of the Acts of the Apostles, because the most active and fearless evangelist was Paul himself. Most people do not pay as much attention to all of Acts, and it is easy to forget the quiet ending, even though we assume he was executed - the how and the where are not known. Who would want to highlight the death of that unique and restless apostle?
The shocking ending - no finale - reminded me again - of Paul having a "parsonage" for two years because of his Roman citizenship. He had peaceful access to those who wanted to visit the apostle and share his communications.
Now we get to the Effective part.
God managed the Mediterranean Sea, long before the Roman Empire and other civilizations amounted to much. What better place for the evangelists to use ships and highways to take the Great Commission to everyone!
Look at the setting of Ephesus, and its well known place in the Mediterranean. Paul did not just drop by, but stayed to establish the Christian Church there, two and one half years. That gave him and the growing number of believers a great opportunity to communicate with so many people from "all over the world" because of the Mediterranean.
So many books and maps highlight Ephesus alone that it is worthwhile to measure the distance, joy, and anguish of those early years.
