Unhindered

Acts 28:31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!

Much is made of the restrictions many are feeling placed on what we say be certain segments of our society. The cry “free speech” is heard from all angles, some crying for it, and some wanting to place further restrictions on what can be said. On the freedom side, there has always been a restriction on calling out “fire” in a crowded movie theater. There have always been restrictions.

But where the line is drawn between what is acceptable and allowed has shifted over the years. I remember when any curse word was not allowed to be broadcast over the airwaves. Now a person can say just about any nasty word and do it with impunity. Standards have changed.

In many parts of the world the name of Jesus and the preaching of the Good News is not allowed. To even share with a friend the truth contained in the New Testament will lead to your imprisonment and often death. There is no free speech.

What I find interesting about our text today is this. Paul is imprisoned, under house arrest, with some freedoms. And all this restriction on his movements has not changed his ability to share the Gospel. He continues to proclaim the freedom that is found in Jesus.

The last word of the text of the book of Acts is the word “unhindered,” translated by the NIV as “without hindrance.” What a way to end a book that has highlighted the efforts by those opposing Jesus’ message. Every attempt to stop the spread of this message has failed. Even imprisoning one of the chief spokespersons doesn’t work.

Unhindered. Can we do any less today! We have freedoms to share from the comfort of our homes the message of Jesus around the world. We can partner with other believers to continue the spread of the message. We can help pay for the translation of the Scriptures into new languages. We can help pay for the education of pastors and evangelists. Nothing can stop us.