Acts 28:31 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Preaching the kingdom of God,— In consequence of St. Paul's sermons and instructions, many converts were doubtless made under divine grace; and this confinement, which seemed to have so discouraging an aspect, was on the whole a means of promoting the gospel. Many of his retired hours were also employed in corresponding with the Christian churches, and writing several of those excellent epistles, which have proved so great a blessing to the most distant ages. The Epistle to the Ephesians, to the Colossians, andPhilippians, as well as that to Philemon, were written from Rome during this imprisonment; and that to the Hebrews, as there is reason to believe, in or quickly after it; but as for the second to Timothy, it appears to be of a later date. It seems highly probable, that about the end of the two years here spoken of, St. Paul was set at liberty. Some have questioned, whether he ever returned into the east again; which yet from Philemon, Philemon 1:22 and Hebrews 13:23 he seems to have expected. Clemens Romanus (Epist. 1: ad Cor. cap. 5:) expressly tells us, that he preached in the west, and that to its utmost bounds; which must at least include Spain, whither he intended to go. Romans 15:24-25. Theodoret adds, that he went to the islands of the sea; and elsewhere he numbers Gaul, that is, France, and Britain, among the disciples of the tent-maker. But in what order he visited these places, (if hedid at all visit the last-mentioned place,) or how long he remained in any of them, cannot be determined. We are told, however, that about the year of Christ 65, or 67, he returned to Rome. Chrysostom tells us, that he here converted one of Nero's concubines, which so incensed that cruel prince, that he put him to death; probably after an imprisonment, in which the second Epistle to Timothy was written. It seems to have been universally agreed among all ancient writers who mention his death, that he was beheaded at Aquae Salviae, three miles from Rome; for being free of that city, he could not be crucified. It is said, (and there can be no doubt of it,) that this glorious confessor gave his head to the fatal stroke with the utmost cheerfulness; and that he was buried in the Via Ostensis, two miles from Rome, where Constantine the Great erected a church to his memory, in the year 318, which was successively repaired and beautified by Theodosius the Great, and the empress Placidia. But his most glorious monument remains in those his immortal writings, which, with the assistance of God's grace, we now proceed to consider.