Acts 28:17-31 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Acts 28:17-31. Let’s go!
Acts 28:17-20 (NIV)
17 Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.
18 They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.
19 But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar–not that I had any charge to bring against my own people.
20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
On verses 17-20: Having received so much opposition in the past from certain Jews in the various cities where Paul had gone, Paul decides to take the initiative to reach out to the Jewish leaders in Rome and explain to them plainly where he is coming from. His hope was to avoid misunderstanding based on possible rumours and hearsay.
Acts 28:21-28 (NIV)
21 They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of the brothers who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you.
22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”
23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.
24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.
25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
26 “‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
27 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
On verses 21-28: Here Paul does in Rome what he has been doing in so many cities prior: he tries to show his fellow Jews that the Old Testament law of Moses and the prophets are pointing to Jesus Christ. As verse 24 says, some were convinced and came to faith in Jesus. Others’ hearts were hard and did not believe. Paul ends his day long discourse with the Jews in Rome by quoting Isaiah 6:9-10, the same passage that Jesus quoted in Matthew 13:14-15. He also tells the Jews in Rome that the Gentiles are receiving and listening to this message.
What I love is Paul’s persistence. No matter how many difficulties, opposition, rejection and setbacks Paul faced in every city he went to, Paul would not stop proclaiming Jesus Christ. Beyond his giftedness, it was Paul’s persistence and his perseverance that made Paul such an incredible leader.
In the same way, I pray that no matter how much difficulty, setbacks or rejection you face, may you never give up following Jesus, proclaiming His hope, and living out His calling on your life. You will bear everlasting fruit and make heaven smile if you do not give up.
Acts 28:30-31 (NIV)
29
30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.
31 Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
On verses 30-31: Here in the last verses of the book of Acts we find Paul staying in his own rented house, probably under Roman house arrest, and for two whole years he is preaching and teaching boldly and without hindrance (i.e. without legal restrictions) about God’s kingdom and about the Lord Jesus Christ (v30). Scholars believe that it was during this time that Paul also wrote his “prison epistles”, which are found in Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon.
And that’s where the book of Acts ends. We never get to read about Paul standing trial before Caesar in Rome. Did Paul later on travel, as some scholars believe, to Macedonia (including Philippi), Achaia (including Corinth) and Asia (including Ephesus) and other places? It is widely believed that Paul would later be placed in a Roman dungeon and executed by beheading under the orders of Emperor Nero. But we never read about these events in Acts.
Why such an abrupt ending to the book of Acts, especially when it all seemed to anticipate Paul’s trial in Rome? One theory is that Luke was writing the book of Acts at about the exact point in time when his book ended, so there was nothing more to tell because nothing else had happened yet. Another theory is that Luke had already fulfilled what he set out to do, which is to end with Paul continuing to proclaim Jesus in Rome. For a variety of reasons, I tend to favour the first theory, but the fact is that we just aren’t sure why Luke ended the book of Acts so abruptly.
Also, what happened to verse 29? According to some manuscripts, verse 29 says, “After he said this, the Jews left, arguing vigorously among themselves.” It is easy to imagine that this did happen, that the Jews who listened to Paul probably left arguing amongst themselves about what they heard. However, because some of the earliest manuscripts do not contain this sentence, scholars have typically agreed that verse 29 should be left blank – thus the empty verse 29.
Speaking of 29, though the book of Acts ends with chapter 28, the story of Christ’s church continues today through us. By God’s grace, it could be said that we the church today get to be part of the 29th chapter of Acts. Just as the book of Acts is filled with stories of God moving powerfully when Christ followers move in faith, hope, and love, let’s do the same today. Wherever we are, may we proclaim Jesus Christ with that same faith, hope, and courageous love. For Jesus is not only the hope of Israel (v20); He is the hope of our world. So by the power of God’s Spirit working in us, let’s make history in Jesus’ name and be the church He made us to be.
That brings our look at the book of Acts to a close. I thoroughly enjoyed going through this book with you. What were some of the most important lessons you learned from the book of Acts? For me, lessons that stick out include:
– how God’s family is for people of every nation and every ethnicity;
– how God determines the times and places He wants us to live in because He has a unique destiny for us to fulfil. Every part of a background was intentionally planned by God for a greater purpose;
– how Paul never gave up on God’s calling on his life despite all the setbacks and difficulties he faced, and we shouldn’t either;
– how God’s church is unstoppable.
Lord Jesus, thank You for every lesson we could learn from the book of Acts. Thank You for showing us through this book what Your church was like when it was first born, and documenting for us their stories to teach us and inspire us today. Like Paul, may we not stop proclaiming You and Your kingdom to our generation, for You are the hope of our world. Please continue to build Your unstoppable church through us. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
