Paul was under house arrest in Rome because Jewish opposition forced him to appeal to Caesar, after which he was brought to Rome as a Roman prisoner.
Les Feldick teaches that after Israel made its final rejection of Paul and his message, Paul had to appeal to the Roman authorities, who came to his rescue. Paul had already spent a year and a half in prison in Caesarea, and in Rome he was not put in a dungeon but was kept under house arrest. From this house arrest he wrote the prison epistles while Roman soldiers guarded him.
Acts 28:16 — This verse records that Paul was allowed to dwell by himself with a soldier keeping him, which is the scriptural description of his house arrest in Rome.
Acts 28:17 — Paul explains to the Jewish leaders in Rome that he was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
Acts 28:18-19 — Paul states that the Romans would have released him but the Jews spoke against his release, so he was constrained to appeal to Caesar.
Acts 28:30 — This verse confirms Paul remained under house arrest for two whole years in his own hired house.
In Acts 28:16, after Paul arrived in Rome with the other prisoners, he was permitted to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. This is the biblical description of his house arrest. In Acts 28:17, Paul told the chief of the Jews in Rome, "Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans." Paul went on to explain in Acts 28:18-19 that the Romans, after examining him, would have let him go because there was no cause of death in him. But when the Jews spoke against it, he was constrained to appeal unto Caesar, not because he had any accusation against his nation. Acts 28:30 then records, "And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him."
Les Feldick ties Paul's house arrest to Israel's ongoing rejection of her Messiah. He explains that Paul made his final move to the nation of Israel, but the people made their final decree to be rid of him and his message, so he had to appeal to the Roman authorities. Paul went to Jerusalem and got into trouble with the Jews, and he ended up under house arrest and protective custody with the Romans before spending a year and a half in prison in Caesarea. Les describes Paul's time in Rome as house arrest, not a dungeon. Paul had Roman soldiers guarding him, and Les is confident that many of those soldiers, after their tour of duty in Paul's presence, left as believers and spread the gospel through the Roman Empire. From this house arrest Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, which is why they are called the prison epistles.
Les says that after Israel rejected Paul and his message, Paul had to appeal to the Roman authorities, who came to his rescue. Paul went to Jerusalem, got into trouble with the Jews, and was placed under house arrest and protective custody by the Romans. He then spent a year and a half in prison in Caesarea before he appealed to Rome and was put on a ship bound for Rome.
Les describes Paul's situation as house arrest, not a dungeon. Acts 28:16 says Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him, and Acts 28:30 says he dwelt two whole years in his own hired house. During that time Roman soldiers guarded Paul in rotation, and Les believes that nearly all of them left as believers after spending time in Paul's presence.
Les says that from Rome, while under house arrest, Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, which is why they are called the prison epistles. He notes that this was about four years after Paul wrote Romans, and that Paul wrote more the following year while still under house arrest. Les also emphasizes that Paul's ministry to his guards helped carry the plan of salvation throughout the Roman Empire.
Appeal to Rome
Les teaches that after Israel made its final rejection of Paul and his message, Paul had to appeal to the Roman authorities, who came to his rescue before he was shipped to Rome.
Ministry to Roman Guards
Les teaches that during Paul's two or three years of house arrest, Roman soldiers rotated in and out of guarding him, and many left as believers, spreading the gospel throughout the empire.
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But there's only one way of approach, and that's through the work of the cross. And so this Philippian jailer had a full comprehension of that, because that's why I'm convinced that he must have heard Paul and Silas the afternoon before they were thrown into prison. Well now they want to get rid of Paul and send him out of town, and what does he say? No way. No, no. You can't do that.
Trouble in Jerusalem and Caesarea
Les teaches that Paul got into trouble with the Jews in Jerusalem, was placed under house arrest and protective custody by the Romans, and then spent a year and a half in Caesarea while Rome decided what to do with him.
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Many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death, they actually killed those Jewish believers as being heretics, they were off scouring of Judaism, and they put them to death, and Paul takes responsibility for it.
Guards and Caesar's Household
Les repeats that Paul had Roman soldiers as constant guards during house arrest and that these guards went on to serve throughout the empire, even entering Caesar's palace.
Prison Epistles
Les teaches that from Rome under house arrest Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, which is why they are called the prison epistles; it was not a dungeon, but a house arrest.
Why Paul's Gospel to Gentiles Is Different From Peter's
And God was just pouring out all of the things that now will come from the apostles' pen in these epistles, all except, of course, the prison epistles, which we feel are also a further revelation, probably while he was in prison at Caesarea. But now he says in verse 18, I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. That's two weeks. But other of the apostles saw I none.
Acts 28:16: And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.
This shows the actual living arrangement of Paul's house arrest in Rome.
Acts 28:17: And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
Paul explains to the Jewish leaders that he was handed over to Rome from Jerusalem.
Acts 28:18: Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.
The Romans found no capital offense in Paul's case.
Acts 28:19: But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.
This is the legal reason Paul was taken to Rome: the Jews spoke against his release, forcing his appeal to Caesar.
Acts 28:30: And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him.
This confirms the house arrest arrangement and its duration.
Les Feldick says Paul was under house arrest in Rome for two or three years. Acts 28:30 confirms that he dwelt two whole years in his own hired house.
No. Les explains that Paul was literally in prison, but it was not a dungeon; it was a house arrest. Acts 28:16 says he was allowed to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.
Les teaches that after Israel's final rejection of Paul's message, Paul had to appeal to the Roman authorities. In Acts 28:19, Paul says he was constrained to appeal to Caesar because the Jews spoke against his release.
Watch the Teaching: Paul's Gospel of Grace: From Acts to Romans Explained