‘The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”’ (Acts 23:11 ESV)

Paul testified one last time before the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, but their hearts continued to be hardened. After being arrested by the Roman authorities, he heard Christ’s call to be encouraged and to set his sights on Rome. It seems that Paul’s final assignment was to testify of Jesus to those in authority in Rome. Paul had planted churches throughout Asia Minor and Greece, but his final mission was to represent Christ before the world’s greatest political leader, namely Caesar. If one viewed history only through a 1st-century lens, it would seem that Paul’s mission was a failure. Sure, he appeared before Caesar, but it ended with Paul’s execution. However, by the 3rd century, the Roman empire, including its emperor, had embraced Christianity.