During the time of Jesus Christ, the Romans had expanded their empire from Europe into a good portion of Asia and also north Africa.
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Rome was one of several places mentioned at the time of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-11:
1. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
2. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
4. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
6. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
7. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?
8. Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?
9. Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10. Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome
11. (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!"
Since it was the heart of their Empire, the apostle Paul was determined to take his message to the emperor in Rome.
Rome had a few other references in the book of Acts.
Acts 18:1-4:
1. After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
2. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them,
3. and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.
4. Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
Paul spread the good news throughout Asia Minor, converting Jews and Greeks to "the Way" (Jesus). Acts 19:20-22:
20. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
21. After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. "After I have been there," he said, "I must visit Rome also."
22. He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.
Paul before the Sanhedrin - Acts 23:11:
11. The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."
The same religious groups that had Jesus crucified were very unhappy with Paul for proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah. Acts 25:24-25:
24. Festus said: "King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.
25. I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome.
Paul sails for Rome - Acts 27:1-12
Arrival at Rome - Acts 28:11-16
Paul preaches at Rome under guard - Acts 28:17-31
Acts 28:14-16:
14. There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.
15. The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged.
16. When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
The New International Version had one last mention of Rome in 2 Timothy 1:16-18:
16. May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.
17. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me.
18. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.
The remaining instances of "Rome" occurred in the King James version, including 2 Timothy 4:22:
22. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen. The second epistle unto Timotheus, ordained the first bishop of the church of the Ephesians, was written from Rome, when Paul was brought before Nero the second time.
Galatians 6:18: "To the Galatians written from Rome."
Ephesians 6:24: "To the Ephesians written from Rome, by Tychicus."
Colossians 4:18: "Written from Rome to Colossians by Tychicus and Onesimus."
Philippians 4:23: "To the Philippians written from Rome, by Epaphroditus."
Philemon 1:25: "Written from Rome to Philemon, by Onesimus a servant."
