I love the incident by the fire. The serpent provides great insight into human opinions of justice. First, Paul's a murderer who escaped the sea, but justice prevailed as he was bitten by a poisonous snake. Then, when he didn't die, they thought he was a god. The speed of their condemnation is equaled by the speed of their deification! They cannot figure him out!
Without email, I wonder how they sent word to the saints. Seems they were very well networked. And it proved to be encouraging, literally they took courage from one another.
Even in Rome there is disagreement and conflict which results in rejection by the Jews and life for the Gentiles -- just like the epistle to the Romans (Romans 1:15-16). He preached the kingdom of God and taught concerning Jesus. Interesting that the summary of his message is so much like the message of Jesus!
The end of this book seems, to some degree, unfinished. Yet the end is highly significant. The Isaiah quotation represents a Spirit-empowered model of ministry that will mark the church's future. And the last word is unhindered! After all this the message of the kingdom went out unhindered. Yeah!
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