Latest / Off The Kirb Ministries / Jesus Christ Was Right and No One Can Explain Paul's Timeline

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Jesus Christ Was Right and No One Can Explain Paul's Timeline · Off The Kirb Ministries

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There is one man in history who made Caesar Nero, the most evil
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Antichrist, go insane. He wears a lot of different
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hats. He's an inmate, he's a tent
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maker. He's an author of huge parts of
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the Bible. He's someone who could not stand
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Christians and yet ended up becoming a Christian himself.
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But his main objective was very focused.
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It was to travel across earth and preach Jesus Christ
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everywhere. This man was exposing magicians,
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planting churches, and confronting some of the most
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powerful Roman rulers until the only, only thing they could do
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was to silence him. You cannot ignore this man, even
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if you are skeptical about faith.
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Why? Because he literally turned the
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world upside down and made the most feared man that ever lived,
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Nero, go crazy. And we're about to prove it to
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you. So allow me to introduce to you
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the Apostle Paul and the life that no one can explain.
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It's 5AD and we're in a very busy city called Tarsus where
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the Apostle Paul is about to be born.
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Saul, which was his first name was a bit unusual.
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He was an Israelite but at the same time he was a Roman citizen
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which was like having a permanent VIP pass and you'll
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see later he used it to his advantage in heated situations.
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Now take a look at this. This is known as Saint Paul's
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well in Tarsus and it's a 38 metre deep Roman era well that
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still provides fresh water where many believe Saul's family home
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likely stood. It's also worth noting that
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Tarsus was famous for making tent cloth out of goat hair,
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which explains why the Bible people says that Paul worked as
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a tent maker to pay for his travels.
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OK, let's sweep across to 18 AD on our timeline where we find
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Paul is now a teenager and he's moved from his family home in
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Tarsus to the big city of Jerusalem to attend what would
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be like the Harvard of his time, the school of Gamalio.
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Who was this guy? Well, Gamalio was a legendary
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teacher in the Jewish community, known for being wise and fair.
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Have you ever heard of the Southern Steps before?
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I hadn't, but they were located at the Temple in Jerusalem and
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it was a massive stone staircase where teachers like Gamaliel
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often sat to give lessons. And I can promise you this.
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It was here where Paul learned how to be a brilliant debater, a
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skill he would later use to convince and disarm kings and
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governors, including the infamous Caesar Nero.
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Let's meander along to around the time of 31 AD, Saul was at
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the top of his game as a Pharisee.
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If you didn't know, these were a group of religious leaders who
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are like the ultimate rule followers of the day.
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In his own writings, specifically in the book of
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Philippians 3 verse five, he proudly lists his credentials.
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He was born into the tribe of Benjamin and he was so dedicated
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to Jewish law that he followed it perfectly.
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During this time he likely wore a phylactery, a small leather
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box containing scripture. This would have gone on his
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forehead or on his arm, a tradition the archaeologists
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have actually confirmed by finding 2000 year old leather
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fragments in the caves near the Dead Sea.
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Interestingly, the word Pharisee actually comes from a word
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meaning set apart. Saul and his friends believed
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that they had to stay separate from anything they thought was
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impure so that they could be holy.
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And the fact he mentioned he was from the tribe of Benjamin is
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also pretty significant because this was the same tribe as the
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very first king of Israel, King Saul, which is likely why his
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parents gave him that name. Dot over to 32AD with me,
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because here we'll see. A young and fiery soul stood on
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the outskirts of Jerusalem, watching with cold approval as a
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crowd turned on a Christian preacher called Stephen.
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Although Saul didn't do the dealings himself, he held the
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coats of the men who did, acting as an official witness to the
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very first Christian who paid the ultimate price for Jesus.
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It was a brutal, unforgettable moment where Stephen even prayed
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for the very men doing this evil.
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A scene that must have seared itself into Saul memory.
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Sadly, this is the place where it all took place.
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The Lions Gate, also known as Saint Stephen's Gate.
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That is where tradition states it was the starting points and
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then it LED down into the Kidron Valley where the final moments
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took place. By the way, these weren't just
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small pebbles. The limestone rocks scattered
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across Jerusalem's hills were heavy lethal chunks.
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And I almost hesitate to show you this, but in 415, ADA priest
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claimed to uncover Stephen's tomb.
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Now again, we can't be certain that this is truly where it is,
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but there is a very old monastery church which is built
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over the supposed site where Stephen was laid to rest.
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OK, let's trace our timeline to 33 AD.
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During this time, Saul became the most feared opponent of the
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early believers, launching a relentless campaign to shut down
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their movement by raiding homes and dragging people off to
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prison. Even though he was acting out of
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a place of deep belief, thinking that he was protecting his
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faith, he was effectively working as an enforcer for the
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higher authorities, hunting down anyone who followed the
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teachings of Jesus Christ. History shows us that these
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raids often happened in the crowded, narrow streets of
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Jerusalem's upper city, where archaeologists have uncovered
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grandstone mansions belonging to the wealthy families who would
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have authorized Saul's mission. But then everything changes for
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Saul in 34 AD. Here he was walking down a dusty
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road to Damascus, where a light brighter than the midday sun
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suddenly knocked him to the ground.
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It left him blind whilst he was at the same same time hearing a
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voice calling his name and asking why are you oppressing
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me? Do you know who this was?
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It was the resurrected Christ himself, appearing to Saul in a
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moment that was so powerful that it left him not only blind, but
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completely transformed. He went from being an enemy to
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being a follower of Christ. His friends led him by hand into
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the city, where he stayed on a major thoroughfare the
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archaeologists still call the street called Straight.
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It's a massive 1500 meters, the long road that was the Main
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Street of ancient Damascus. Guys, can I be a little bit
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honest with you? Until I researched this, I had
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no idea that there was 2 Ananiases in the Bible.
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Yes, there's the famous one with his wife Sapphira who really
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messed up. But then there's one who Saul
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stayed with who was actually a really loyal disciple in
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Damascus. You can actually visit his house
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today and it's named, surprise surprise, the House of Ananias.
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If you do decide to go there, you'll see an underground storm
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home room where the faithful disciple who helped Saul regain
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his sight is said to have lived. After his dramatic turn around,
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Saul didn't go back to Jerusalem immediately.
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Instead, between the years 34 and 37 AD, he travelled S into
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Arabia. Historians think he likely spent
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time in the lost city of Petra, a city carved entirely into pink
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sandstone cliffs. And this place was a huge hub
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for trading spices and silk. But over to you.
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What do you think he spent his time doing whilst he was there?
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Many think he probably used his skills as a leather worker to
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make tents to survive, all the while spending these three years
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thinking deeply about theology and the word of God, before
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eventually returning to Damascus to begin his new mission.
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It's 37 AD and whether you like it or not, Saul's bold new
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message about Jesus made him some very powerful enemies.
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And so he found himself trapped in Damascus with guards watching
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every game to try and catch him. Imagine this scenario.
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Paul is in a scene that looks like it's straight out of a spy
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movie. His friends have snuck him into
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a house built inside of a massive city wall, and then they
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help him escape by lowering him out of a window outside in a
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large Wicker basket under the cover of night.
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Did you see my Biblical walls video where I told you about
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this and how you can still see the Bab Kissan which is a gate
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in the ancient Roman wall of Damascus where a Chapel now
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stands to remember this very daring incident.
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Once Saul was safe, he travelled to Jerusalem in 38 AD for a high
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stakes meeting with Peter, the leader of the apostles, and
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James, the brother of Jesus. This was a massive deal because
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just a few years earlier Saul had been the biggest enemy of
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the church. After only 15 days, it was too
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dangerous for him to stay, so his new friends rushed him to
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the port of Caesarea and sent him back home to Tarsus.
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OK, it's essential you remember that for the next eight years
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between the years 38 AD and 46 AD, Saul, as we've just
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mentioned, was living in Tarsus in what historians often call
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his silent years. Now whilst we don't have a diary
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of what he did, we do know that it was likely he was sharpening
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his tools for ministry and working as a tent maker using
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the famous goat hair cloth that Tarsus was known for.
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All right, we now pick up the story in 46 AD as Barnabas has
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travelled about 80 to 100 miles from Antioch to Tarsus.
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Why? Because he was looking for Saul.
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He knew that the growing church needed a brilliant leader to
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help the new believers and Saul of Tarsus was going to be that
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man. Have you ever thought about this
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before though? Because once in Tarsus, Barnabas
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would have had to navigate a bustling city of around 300,000
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people searching through its grand streets and markets to
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find Saul. Then in 47 AD, Saul and Barnabas
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arrived in the massive city of Antioch.
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While staying there, a prophet named Agabus gave them a
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chilling warning that a massive hunger was going to fill the
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whole world. So to help the believers in
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Antioch, they collected money and sent Saul and Barnabas on a
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rescue mission to bring aid to the people in Jerusalem.
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Now look closely here because archaeologists have found
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ancient Roman Anona coins from this era that show the Roman
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goddess Anona. Who, by the way, was the
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personification of grain supply and so by putting her on the
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coin with sheaves of corn, it was supposed to show the
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emperor's role in trying to provide food during these
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difficult years of lack. Shall we surge over to 48 AD?
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This is where Saul and Barnabas set off on an epic adventure
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sailing from the busy port of Seleucia to the sun drenched
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island of Cyprus. Some of you are probably like
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me, and you want to know when it was that Saul started being
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referred to as Paul because he didn't immediately drop the name
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after his conversion to Christianity.
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Like for instance Simon being called Peter instantly by Jesus.
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In fact, in the book of Acts, the apostles continue to refer
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to him as Saul for many years afterwards and it's really only
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found around this time in 48 AD that we see a definitive change.
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But why? Well, Saul likely had both names
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from birth because of his jewel identity as a Jew from the tribe
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of Benjamin and also his identity as a Roman citizen.
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So Saul, his Jewish name has a Hebrew meaning that means asked
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for and Paul is Latin meaning small or little which would have
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functioned quite well in the gentile non Jewish world.
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I am curious though, do you think that he embraced the name
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small or Paul as an expression of humility to prove to the
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world that Christ really must increase and he must decrease
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Because after all, it sounded a lot more humble than being named
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after a king of Israel. After hiking across the whole
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island, our friends have arrived at a place called Paphos where
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things get very dramatic. Initially, everything was going
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well. They met a Roman governor named
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Sergius Paulus. He was an intelligent man who
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actually wanted to hear more about Jesus and the Gospel.
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But here's the catch. He had a man in his court, a
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Jewish sorcerer and a false prophet called Bar Jesus, who
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really was a troublemaker. This magician tried to turn the
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governor away from the message. Paul, filled with the Holy
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Spirit, publicly rebuked this magician for twisting the truth.
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He declared that Bar Jesus would be temporarily struck blind
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immediately. The man couldn't see and he had
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to be LED around by the hand. When the governor saw this
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happen, he was astonished, and he believed the message about
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Jesus Christ. Hey, this next part's a little
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bit important, so you might just want to catch it.
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After sailing N to the mainland, they arrived in Perga, where the
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mission hit a major bump in the road.
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Young John Mark decided he'd had enough and he decided to head
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home, back to Jerusalem. So Paul and Barnabas pushed on
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without him. But then trouble knocked on the
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door again. In Lystra.
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Paul had just healed a man who couldn't walk, and the local
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crowds went wild thinking that Paul and Barnabas were actually
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the Greek gods Hermes and Zeus in human form.
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However, the mood changed instantly when the schemers
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arrived. The crowd turned into a mob and
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went for Paul, dragging him outside the city and leaving him
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in such a state that everyone thought it was over.
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Then, in an incredible moment of bravery and most likely through
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divine intervention, Paul stood back up.
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He brushed the dust off himself and he walked right back into
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the city to continue preaching. Let's soar along to 49 AD on our
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timeline as Christianity has faced a huge make it or break it
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moment. The church had sent for Paul and
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Barnabas, and so they raced back to Jerusalem for a high stakes
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meeting known as the Jerusalem Council.
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Some people are arguing that new believers had to follow follow
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every single old Jewish rule. But Paul stood his ground,
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insisting that faith in Jesus was for everyone, no matter what
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your background was. OK, before you hear about Paul's
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most embarrassing moment as a Christian pastor, I just want to
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take one moment to address a question that you might be
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asking, just like they were asking in the Jerusalem Council.
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And it's this Do we just forget about the Old Testament rules?
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Well, the answer is no, but there is a problem.
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None of us can keep them. The Bible says is that no one is
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justified by the works of the law.
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The law was a schoolmaster. It showed us our weakness, our
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frailty, our inadequacy, and it showed us that the only one who
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could keep it perfectly is Jesus Christ.
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So how are we saved? Well, it's through faith.
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That's why the Bible says the just shall live by faith.
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When Jesus went to the cross it was all about our sin.
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All of it, all the rubbish, all the junk, past, present and
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future. It was laid on him.
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And that's why Jesus says come for all things are now ready.
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There is nothing you and I have to do.
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We just have to come empty handed.
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Put our faith in Christ and he will do the rest.
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I was so taken aback the first time I heard this story.
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So here they are. They're in Antioch again and
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they're planning their next big trip.
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But then something happens. They have a massive falling out.
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Paul and Barnabas have an argument over John Mark.
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Barnabas wanted to give his cousin a second chance, but
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Paul, who remembered how John Mark had quit and left last
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minute, he decided, and there's no way I can take him.
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And it led to a sharp contention that actually split the team in
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two. This was a very tense meeting,
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but something wonderful came from it.
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It meant that instead of having one mission team in God's
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Providence, there were now 2, leading to an expanded reach and
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more souls hearing the gospel. So Barnabas and John Mark set
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sail for the island of Cyprus, whilst Paul chose a new partner
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named Silas. All right, it's 50AD.
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Paul and Silas are hiking back in the rugged mountains of Asia
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Minor until they reach the dusty town of Lystra, where Paul met a
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brilliant teenager named Timothy, who was so well
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respected by local believers that they invited him to join
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the team as his prodigy. The team then felt a mysterious
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nudge from the Holy Spirit to keep moving, eventually arriving
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at the busy coastal city of Troas.
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One night while staying in the city, Paul had a gripping vision
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of a Macedonian man standing across the sea, waving his hands
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and pleading. Come over and help us.
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I know this doesn't sound like a massive deal, but it was
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actually really huge. It was Agps moment for the early
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church because it meant they were about to cross from Asia
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into Europe for the very first time.
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Moving along to 5180, the Apostle Paul is by the Zykactus
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River in northern Greece, where he met a lady called Lydia, a
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successful businesswoman who dealt with expensive purple dye
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fabrics. And you know what's crazy?
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Archaeologists have even found inscriptions in Philippi
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mentioning purple dyers from her country, proving just how
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accurate biblical history truly is.
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But the adventure took a dark turn in the city's marketplace
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after Paul cast a demon out of an unnamed woman who was
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providing her boss's much financial gain through her
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fortune telling because she was operating under the spiritual
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realm. So what did they do?
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They got Paul and Silas dragged away into a dark subterranean
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prison. It's around midnight in this
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prison and whilst they're praying and they're singing, a
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sudden earthquake shook the building so much that the doors
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flung open and their chains came loose.
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The prison guard, thinking the prisoners had escaped and
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fearing what would happen to him, was about to do something
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very stupid, but Paul called out that everyone was still there.
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The Philippian jailer was stunned and asked what must I do
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to be saved? And the answer was so simple.
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Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, you and
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your household. And so they did.
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He and his household became believers that very night.
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Not long after, Paul reached the massive Roman metropolis of
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Thessalonica. Whilst he was preaching in the
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synagogue there, Paul's message caused such a stir that he had
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to flee under the cover of night to Berea.
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Berea was a quieter town where the residents were famous for
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double checking everything that the preacher said against their
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own scriptural scrolls. That's why it's important for us
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as Christians to be Bereans, that we test whatever the
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preacher might say, even me, by the word of God.
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Right Between his escape from Berea and his arrival in
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Corinth, Paul was now effectively on the run and he
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was waiting for his friends in Athens.
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But you don't need me to tell you this.
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He didn't just spend his time sightseeing, his heart was
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provoked by the thousands of idols everywhere.
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It's quite fascinating to remember too that they have
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found that ancient Athens was literally a forest of statues,
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including the massive 30 foot tall bronze Athena promachos
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whose spear tip gleamed so brightly it could be seen by
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sailors miles out at sea. Now the local philosophers of
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the city got wind of what Paul was all about, so invited him to
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the Areopagus, also known as Mars Hill.
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While standing on this slippery limestone rock, Paul didn't yell
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at them. Instead, he used their unknown
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God as a bridge to explain that the true Creator doesn't live in
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handmade temples like the Parthenon, which was towering
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above him, but that God had revealed himself through the
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resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some people laughed at him, but
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a few, including a man named Dionysus, believed right then
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and there and started a fire of faith in the heart of Greek
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philosophy. Between 54 and 50 55 AD, whilst
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Paul was establishing the church in Ephesus, a massive political
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conundrum hit Rome. The Emperor Claudius died
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suddenly, allegedly by eating tampered with mushrooms given to
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him by his wife, a crepina. What's for dinner tonight, Emma?
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This cleared the way for her 16 year old son Nero to become the
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new master of the empire. Nero, as you know, was a very
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evil man and also the same man who many believe in the Bible is
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going to be the man of lawlessness who has prophesied.
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And you can actually see uncovered coins from the first
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five years of Nero's reign, some even showing his mother a
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graphena right next to him, highlighting just how much she
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pulled the strings during his early days as emperor.
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Back in Ephesus, Paul wasn't just preaching.
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He was challenging the city's entire way of life.
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He spent two entire years teaching in the lecture hall of
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Tyrannus. And the Bible says that the
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message was so powerful that extraordinary miracles happened.
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Even clothes that touch Paul were used to heal the sick.
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But this Christian revival hit the local economy hard.
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Ephesus was the home of the temple Artemis, one of the seven
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wonders of the ancient world. And a silversmith named
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Demetrius was furious. Because no.
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No one was buying his silver goddess statues anymore because
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they were all converting to Christianity.
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The tension boiled over into a massive riot.
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A shouting mob dragged Paul's friends into the Great Theatre
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of Ephesus. This was a colossal stone arena
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that could hold 25,000 people. If you visit the ruins today,
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you can stand on the very stage where the crowd chanted Great is
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Artemaeus for two hours straight.
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Let's zoom in on 56 AD. Paul was on a mission fuelled by
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the Holy Spirit, racing through Macedonia and Greece,
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encouraging the local churches. After a quick detour back N to
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avoid a plot against his life, he ended up in Troas.
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Historians have discovered that houses there were often called
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insulas. They were cramped, multi Storey
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apartment buildings where the working class lived.
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It was likely in one of these hot, smoky third floor rooms
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that a teenager named Uticus, whose name ironically means
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lucky, nodded off during Paul's midnight sermon and fell out of
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one of the windows to his death. What happens next is a powerful
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reminder of God's victory over death.
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Paul rushed down, embraced the boy, and God miraculously
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restored his life, proving that the gospel isn't just about
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words, it's also about power too.
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OK, but on a lighter note, have you ever fallen asleep in a
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sermon? Hopefully no one's nodding off
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at this point. So if you are awake and you are
21:37
enjoying this video, please do subscribe for more ad free Bible
21:41
documentaries. In 57 AD, Paul arrived arrived
21:44
in Jerusalem, a city simmering with tension.
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So he was participating in a purification ritual at the
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temple when a riot ignited after he was falsely accused of
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bringing a Greek into the sacred inner 'cause this wasn't just a
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religious rule. Archaeologists have discovered
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the temple warning inscription, which is a stone tablet that
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explicitly warned foreigners they would face death if they
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crossed into the restricted area.
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The mob dragged Paul out, but Roman soldiers saw the chaos
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from their high towers and rushed down the stone stairs to
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rescue him. As they prepared to scourge him
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to get a confession, Paul dropped a legal bombshell.
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He was a Roman citizen. Do you remember how I told you?
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In those days, being a citizen was like having a protective
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shield. Under Roman law, it was a crime
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to beat one of their people without a trial.
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So the centurions immediately backed off, realizing that they
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had nearly committed something pretty bad under their laws.
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The next day, Paul stood before the Sanhedrin, the powerful
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Jewish council. He cleverly divided the group by
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mentioning the resurrection of the dead, causing such a massive
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argument between the Pharisees and Sadducees that the Roman
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commander had to snatch him away again for his own safety.
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That night in the dark barracks of the fortress, Paul received a
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miraculous visit from Jesus, who encouraged him by saying that he
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would soon bear witness for him in Rome.
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But a deadly plot was brewing. 40 men vowed not to eat or drink
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until they had got Paul out of the picture.
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Fortunately, Paul's nephew had heard the plan and warned the
23:19
Romans. So to keep him safe, the
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commander ordered a massive military escort, 200 soldiers,
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70 horsemen and 200 Spearman to whisk Paul away in the middle of
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the night to see Zaria. The mission was successful.
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He was delivered safely to the Praetorium, the grand palace of
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Governor Felix, where the next league battle for the gospel
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would begin. When the Apostle Paul stood
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before the Governor Felix, he had to defend himself against a
23:45
group of leaders who claimed he was a troublemaker, causing
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riots. Paul stayed calm and explained
23:51
that he hadn't done anything wrong, he was simply there to
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worship God and share his belief that Jesus had risen from the
23:58
dead. Felix, who was a pretty corrupt
24:00
leader, decided to keep Paul in a sort of easy prison where his
24:04
friends could visit him. But things got really
24:06
interesting when Felix and his wife later asked that Paul would
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explain to him his faith. In private, Paul spoke to Felix
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and his wife about Christ, reasoning with them about
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righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgement.
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This actually made Felix tremble with fear because he knew he
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wasn't a very good person. Which, news flash, is a wake up
24:28
call for you and I? None of us have done enough good
24:30
works to get into heaven and that's why we need Jesus Christ
24:34
to transfer His goodness, His perfect track righteousness into
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our our accounts. And by the way, this transaction
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happens the very moment you believe on His name.
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Anyway, instead of Felix repenting or letting Paul go, he
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got nervous and sent him away saying you would listen more to
24:51
him when it was convenient. This led to Paul being left in
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prison for two whole years, mostly because he was hoping
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that Paul would offer him some kind of bribe to get out.
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That brings us to our arrival in the year 59 AD on our timeline,
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and the Apostle Paul's case has reached a major turning point
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where he stood before the new governor Festus, because the
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Jewish leaders still wanted him gone, Festus suggesting moving
25:17
the trial to Jerusalem. Knowing this was a trap, Paul
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used his legal right as a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar,
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which meant he had to be sent to Rome for the emperor himself to
25:28
hear the case. Before leaving, though, he gave
25:30
a powerful speech to King Agrippa the Second, who was so
25:33
impressed that he famously said that Paul had almost persuaded
25:37
him to become a Christian. Paul's journey to Rome was
25:39
anything but easy. He was put on a ship and he
25:42
sailed to Myra. That's modern day Turkey for you
25:44
and I, where he was moved to a large Alexandrian grain ship.
25:48
The sailors struggled against the wind to reach the island of
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Crete, and even though Paul had warned the crew that sailing
25:54
further was dangerous, they ignored him and got caught in a
25:58
massive, terrifying storm called a northeaster.
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For two weeks, the ship was tossed around in total darkness
26:05
until it finally crashed and was destroyed near the island of
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Malta. Quite remarkably, every single
26:12
person on board survived by swimming to shore or grabbing
26:15
pieces of broken ship. But after the shipwreck, Paul
26:17
and the others did wash up onto this island of Malta, where the
26:20
locals showed them unusual kindness by building a massive
26:24
bonfire to help them dry off from the cold rain.
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Are you imagining this right now?
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Because as Paul was helping out by tossing bundles of sticks
26:32
into the fire, the heat woke up a venomous Viper that had been
26:35
hiding inside. The snake lunged out and latched
26:39
onto Paul's hand, hanging there whilst the Islanders watched in
26:42
horror. These locals immediately thought
26:44
that Paul was some kind of criminal, and between themselves
26:47
they whispered that even though he had survived the sea, the
26:50
goddess of justice was still punishing him with this fatal
26:54
snake bite. Everyone held their breath
26:56
waiting for the obvious to happen, but Paul simply shook
27:00
the snake off into the fire and went back to work as if nothing
27:03
had ever happened. When everyone saw that he didn't
27:06
need to slow down, the locals were so shocked that they
27:09
flipped their opinion and decided that Paul must be some
27:12
kind of God. Meanwhile, this miracle opened
27:14
doors for Paul to meet the Islanders top official Publius,
27:18
whose father was dying before their eyes.
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Paul prayed and healed him, which led to the people from all
27:24
over the island coming to Paul for help.
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Feast your eyes on this though. Divers have found Roman era
27:31
anchors in the waters around Malta, including one famous lead
27:34
anchor discovered near Salina Bay that might just have
27:38
belonged to a ship just like Paul's.
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Fast forward to 60 AD, Paulus finally arrived in Rome, marking
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a major milestone in his journey.
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Even though he was a prisoner, his status as a Roman citizen
27:51
granted him a unique privilege. Instead of a dungeon, he was
27:54
allowed to live in a private rented house on the House
27:57
arrest. But guys, it wasn't exactly
27:59
luxury because he was always chained to a Roman soldier.
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And one does wonder, did that Roman soldier become a
28:06
Christian? Because I can be sure of one
28:07
thing. He heard the gospel one or two
28:09
times or more. Just three days after arriving,
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Paul called for the local Jewish leaders so that he could explain
28:16
his situation, telling them that he had done nothing wrong,
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nothing against their people, but he was forced to appeal to
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the emperor because of the opposition in Jerusalem.
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The Jewish leaders were curious because they they hadn't heard
28:27
anything bad about Paul yet, so they set a date to listen to him
28:31
on that day. From morning until evening.
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Paul used the ancient scriptures to explain that Jesus was the
28:38
long-awaited Messiah. While some were convinced,
28:42
others were not and this LED Paul to declare quite boldly
28:46
that the message of God's salvation would now be sent to
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the non Jewish people, the Gentiles who would on the other
28:53
hand listen. So here's the part we all want
28:56
to know What's the deal with Cesar, Nero and Paul?
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Christian tradition and early historical accounts, such as
29:03
those by Eusebus and Lactinaeus, describe a dramatic shift in
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Emperor Nero's character that seemed to align with his
29:11
rejection of the Gospel that was presented by the Apostle Paul
29:15
during the first five years of his reign.
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Nero was considered a golden ruler who followed the guidance
29:20
of his tutor Seneca. And so Nero actually, quite
29:24
rather astonishingly, granted Paula a degree of leniency
29:28
during his first Roman imprisonment.
29:30
However, as Paul's influence spread, even reaching members of
29:34
the imperial household, Nero's disposition changed rapidly and,
29:38
to put it kindly, the cords of his mind unhinged.
29:42
According to the interpretation of Eusebus, Nero's descent into
29:46
what many described as insanity or monstrous cruelty was all
29:51
started by his final rejection of the gospel.
29:54
And also he made a decision to scapegoat Christians for the
29:58
great fire of Rome in 64 AD. But we're going to come back to
30:02
that in a minute. It sounds almost unbelievable to
30:04
us, but after his release in 62 AD, Paul did not slow down.
30:09
He likely set off on what many call his fourth missionary
30:12
journey. The Bible doesn't give us a day
30:15
by day diary of this time, but in his letters to Timothy and
30:18
Titus, he mentions visiting places like Crete, Ephesus and
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Miletus. However, whilst Paul was
30:25
travelling, things in Rome were getting very intense.
30:29
In 64 AD, this massive fire broke out near the Circus
30:33
Maximus which was the giant chariot racing stadium.
30:36
And this fire, it raged for 9 days, destroying most of the
30:40
city. Now to stop the rumours that he,
30:42
Nero had started the fire to make room for his new palace,
30:46
the Golden House, Emperor Nero pointed the finger at
30:50
Christians. This sparked A terrifying time
30:53
of hatred towards Christians, and according to the Roman
30:57
historian Tattacus, Nero turned the death of Christians into a
31:01
cruel show, even using them as human torches to light up his
31:05
garden at night. Around this same time on our
31:08
timeline, between 63 and 64 AD, another famous figure arrived in
31:13
Rome, the Jewish historian Josephus.
31:16
Interestingly, Josephus got help from Nero's wife who was known
31:20
to be very sympathetic to the Jewish people, so much so that
31:24
Josephus even called her a God fearing woman.
31:28
Now whilst Josephus was successful in his mission, the
31:31
tension between the Roman Empire and both Christians and Jews was
31:36
reaching a boiling point. By 66 AD, the world was changing
31:40
rapidly and dangerously. Paul was arrested for a second
31:44
time, but this time it was very different from his rented house
31:48
stay. Instead of a comfortable room,
31:50
he was likely thrown into the Telilian Prison, a dark,
31:54
freezing stone dungeon in the heart of Rome.
31:57
In his final letter, Second Timothy, Paul wrote about being
32:00
cold and lonely, asking his friend Timothy to bring a cloak
32:05
and his scrolls. This was no longer a
32:07
misunderstanding over riots under Nero's reign.
32:10
Being a leader of Christians had now become a crime that deserved
32:14
death, and Nero was about to have his way.
32:17
However, as Paul sat in that dungeon, the Rome woman world
32:21
was exploding into chaos. You and I were still in 66 AD
32:25
when the Great Jewish Revolt began in Judea.
32:27
The Jewish people tied of heavy taxes and Roman disrespect for
32:31
their temple. They rose up in a massive
32:34
rebellion. However, whilst Paul was waiting
32:37
for his death sentence date a young general named Vaspacion
32:41
and his son Titus, who would later both become emperors.
32:44
By the way, they were sent by Nero to crush the revolt.
32:48
This was just the beginning of the the end of the city of
32:51
Jerusalem and its temple. And then it happened.
32:54
We can't say for sure, but sometime between 66 and 67 AD,
32:59
Paul was taken to a place called Trey Fountain.
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Because he was a Roman citizen, he was spared the slower, more
33:06
public death Nero used for others.
33:08
Instead, he had the same quick end that another man of God,
33:12
John the Baptist, also went through.
33:15
Even though Paul's story stops here, history didn't stop.
33:19
Just a year or so after Pauls death, Neros reign collapsed.
33:23
He became so unpopular that the Senate declared him a Public
33:26
Enemy. And in just a year or two later,
33:29
68 AD, he, like Paul, stepped into eternity.
33:33
But we can be sure of one thing. They would have been greeted
33:36
very differently by God. But if you thought that stirred
33:39
the parts, wait until you hear this.
33:42
We can say for certainty that the Apostle Paul is no longer
33:45
alive, but the same cannot be said about the Apostle John.
33:49
In fact, there are a whole heap of people who believe that John
33:53
is still alive on earth today. If you want to know why people
33:57
believe that, and you want to know what all of the commotion
33:59
is about, you better watch this video right here.