November 25, 2012
Lesson: Acts 28:23-31
Golden Text: “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it” (Acts 28:28).
I. INTRODUCTION.The book of Acts is a book of miracles, but it is not until the final chapter that one realizes that the biggest miracle in the book is the spread of the gospel.Acts begins in Jerusalem with about 120 people.Through the leading of the Holy Spirit and the ministry of the church and leaders like Peter and Paul, the gospel spread throughout the Roman world (see Romans 10:18).In Acts chapter 28 from which our lesson comes,we find Paul preaching the gospel in Rome.When Paul arrived in Rome as a prisoner, he could have chosen to remain silent because things had not worked out as he had envisioned.Instead, he chose to faithfully proclaim the gospel.
II. PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL (Acts 28:23-24). The background for our lesson occurs when Paul and his companions finally arrived in Rome. When they arrived, the centurion turned over most of the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but he allowed Paul to live by himself with one soldier guarding him (see Acts 28:11-16). Of course Paul was in Rome to present his legal case to the emperor, but he used it as an opportunity to preach the gospel. He preached as he normally did, to the Jew first. After being in Rome for only three days, Paul gathered the most prominent Roman Jews together and told them about his situation (see Acts 28:17-20). Those Jewish leaders then told Paul that they hadn’t received any letters from Judea concerning him nor had anyone who came to Rome spoke of his situation. However, they did want to hear more from Paul so they set a day when they would come back to meet with him again (see Acts 28:21-22).
A. Paul’s teaching (Acts 28:23). Now this verse says “And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.” After the Roman Jewish leaders met earlier with Paul, they agreed to meet with him again. When the day that they agreed upon arrived “there came many to him into his lodging.” The term “many” here indicates that more came to this meeting than the one before. To this group of Jews, Paul “expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.” In other words, Paul explained to them the Kingdom of God, teaching them about Jesus using the Scriptures: the Law of Moses, (the first five books of the Bible) and also the books of prophecy which were the two major divisions of the Jewish Scriptures. In other words, Paul used the entire Old Testament to present Jesus. He began his teaching in the morning and continued until the evening. Most of these Jews didn’t believe the Messiah had come. That’s why Paul had to spend time “persuading them concerning Jesus.” The idea of persuading them does not imply that he succeeded, but that he tried extremely hard to do so.
B.The Jews’ response (Acts 28:24). As a result of Paul’s teaching we are told “And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.”This time Paul’s teaching didn’t result in violence as it had on other occasions when he spoke.However, the results were mixed:“some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.” This seems to indicate that some of his listeners saw some logic in Paul’s message and tended to agree with him, but had not really come to a conclusion. But others who “believed not” rejected Paul’s version of Jewish history which centered on Jesus. They didn’t show the violent hostility to Paul that was shown at Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, or Lystra (see Acts 13:45-50; 14:2, 19), but sadly they couldn’t bring themselves to accept God’s grace and turn away from their legalism.
III. THE APPLICATION OF THE WORD (Acts 28:25-28)
A. Spiritual dullness of the Jews (Acts 28:25-27).
1. (vs. 25). This verse then says “And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers.” At the end of this session, Paul’s visitors, not being able to agree even among themselves decided to leave. What had been a debate with Paul now turned into a division among these Jews. It was all caused by the gospel message. Jesus predicted this would happen when He said that He didn’t come to bring peace but a sword, putting even family members against each other (see Matthew 10:34-38: Luke 12:51-53). Before everyone left, Paul sadly gave them one last parting word taken from Isaiah’s prophecy. He was really saying, before you leave please hear this “Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers.” This is how he began his last words to this group which is the meaning of the phrase “after Paul had spoken one word.” Of course “one word” is plural referring to everything Paul was about to say to his departing visitors. He was about to repeat the words Isaiah intended for these Jews’ forefathers of long ago. Paul didn’t hesitate to apply the same message to these spiritual dull Jewish descendents.
2. (vs. 26). Paul continued to quote Isaiah’s prophecy as God spoke to Isaiah “Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive.” This passage that Paul began to quote is from Isaiah 6:9-10. God was instructing Isaiah to tell an unbelieving and disobedient people that “hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive.” God was saying that even though Israel heard His Word clearly, and saw the spiritual importance of it, they chose not to understand it. The Apostle Paul was applying this same idea to the Jews who were leaving and not accepting the gospel message he shared with them.
3. (vs. 27). As Paul continued to quote Isaiah’s prophecy, he said “For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” In other words, their “heart” or entire inner being is “waxed gross” or has become fat and stupid. In addition, the Jews’ “ears are dull of hearing” or they don’t listen or pay attention and “their eyes have they closed” meaning that their eyes were shut to seeing how God wanted them to behave. Paul and Isaiah were both stressing the willfulness of unbelief and disobedience of God’s people. This is evident in the words “lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” In their innermost being, the Jews knew that God wanted them to see truth, to understand what they heard, to return to Him, and then to be spiritually healed. However, they were so persistently hardened against God that they were no longer willing or able to respond properly.
B. Reception by the Gentiles (Acts 28:28). After demonstrating how the present Jews who were rejecting God’s Word were no different from their forefathers, Paul now declares “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.” Paul gave these Roman Jews one last declaration that “the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.” The word “sent” here is in the past tense indicating that the gospel had already gone to the Gentiles. For about thirty years already, the gospel had been presented to the Gentiles even though it was first offered to the Jews. But now, according to Paul, the gospel would no longer be given “to the Jew first” (see Romans 1:16) as was his normal method of presenting the gospel. For sure, individual Jews could still be saved, but the time of dealing with Israel as a separate entity from Gentiles had come to an end throughout the remainder of the church age.The Gentiles would be offered the message of redemption free of any connection with the Jews, and according to the last part of this verse “they will hear it.” In other words, Gentile hearers would eagerly listen to and accept the gospel for themselves. Of course, believing Jews are included, but they would be part of “a remnant according to the election of grace” (see Romans 11:5).They will be received into Christ’s body on the same level as Gentiles (see Ephesians 2:13-16).
IV. SEQUEL TO THE MEETING (Acts 28:29-31)
A. The sequel for the Jews (Acts 28:29). Luke now writes “And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.” When Paul finished giving his last words to these Roman Jews, they left his rented house, but we are told that they “had great reasoning among themselves.” This verse is almost a repeat of verse 25. Regarding the message that Paul shared with them about Jesus they even disagreed among themselves, which is the meaning of the phrase “had great reasoning among themselves.”
B. The sequel for the Jews (Acts 28:30-31).
1. (vs. 30).This verse says “And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him.”Here we are told at least two things. First, Paul was treated quite leniently by the Roman government. He was “in his own hired house.” Paul was allowed to stay in his own rented house and not in a prison.The phrase “and received all that came in unto him” indicates that he could visit freely with anyone who came to see him but he was not able to leave his residence. Second, Paul was in this situation for two years.Luke probably gave us this information because at this point he was completing his writings of Acts.We must remember that the book of Acts is not about the life of Paul. It’s about the spread of the gospel and Luke has clearly presented that.
2. (vs. 31). Our final verse says that while a prisoner in Rome, Paul was “Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.” As noted in the previous verse, the Roman authorities allowed Paul to meet with anyone who came to him and made the most of those opportunities continuing to preach about the kingdom of God and teaching how Jesus Christ is the center of that kingdom.Paul was able to witness “with all confidence, no man forbidding him.” He took advantage of the freedom he still had as a Roman citizen. Paul’s commitment to the gospel showed that he practiced what he preached. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul encouraged him to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season (see II Timothy 4:2). By committing himself to Christ, Paul was able to turn a series of obstacles into opportunities to spread the faith. Now it’s our turn to do the same.
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