The Book of Acts

Paul in Rome (28:11-31)

Sermon Forty-five in the Series

Jim Bordwine, ThD

Introduction

Our study of Acts comes to a close today as we look at the remainder of chapter 28. This is an extraordinary book. It is filled with information about how the early Christians viewed themselves, how they came to understand significant implications of Pentecost, and how they developed a view towards the rest of the world. This book, as we know, is also largely about the experiences of one man, the apostle Paul. For several weeks, we have been studying his travels. Most recently, we examined Luke's record of Paul's time in Caesarea and his subsequent voyage to Rome.

In the last sermon, I noted that Paul was committed to the care of a soldier named Julius. It is believed that this man was a member of Nero's bodyguard and was charged with transporting prisoners from various parts of the Empire to Rome. Paul was taken on board a ship designed primarily to move supplies up and down the coastline. Luke indicates that the travel by sea was hindered considerably by contrary winds. Therefore, the progress to Rome was more time-consuming than normal.

In light of the pending danger, Luke says that Paul “admonished” the travelers about the extreme danger they would face if they continued the journey at that time. It appeared that Paul was respected by the soldiers guarding him; nevertheless, Luke writes that Julius was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship that the voyage should be continued.

Eventually, a fierce wind arose and the ship was out of control for a period of time. As the situation grew increasingly dangerous and desperate, the crew began dumping cargo and tackle in an attempt to lighten the ship. This, of course, made the ship ride higher in the water and, therefore, less likely to run aground. This storm continued for two weeks, according to Luke's record. It was so intense that the men saw neither the sun nor stars for many days.

All of this information tells us that this was a vicious storm and the men onboard were doing everything they could to avoid disaster. Eventually, Luke wrote, they all began to abandon hope of surviving this ordeal. At one point, Paul stepped forward to offer advice and hope. Paul promised that although the ship would be lost, there would be no loss of life. Things were bad and the ship would be destroyed, but at least no one would die-according to Paul. Paul's confidence, of course, was well-founded. He revealed that he had been visited by an angel of God who exhorted him not to be afraid and reminded Paul that he must stand before Caesar.

This promise from Paul, while welcomed by the other men, did put him in an unusual position. He was promising ultimate safety to men who were, at that moment, without hope; they were men who had assessed their circumstance and concluded that they were going to perish-all signs pointed to that end. But Paul, standing before them in the midst of the storm, promised them that they would survive. God would see them all through the storm, even though the ship, as stated, would be lost.

As this ordeal continued, the soldiers realized that, in spite of the extraordinary circumstances, they still were charged with guarding the prisoners who were part of this company. Therefore, to avoid the risk of some prisoners escaping by swimming away from the ship, the soldiers decided it would be best to execute them all. The centurion's regard for Paul, however, resulted in him issuing an order that the prisoners not be put to death. Luke then reported that all the passengers made it safely to shore on the island of Malta.

This is where we pick up the rest of the story. For the remainder of chapter 28, we will consider Paul's Circumstances in the City of Rome (vv. 11-22), Paul's Testimony to the Jews (vv. 23-29), and Paul's Last Days (vv. 30, 31).

01. Paul's Circumstances in the City (vv. 11-22)

Luke writes that after three months, Paul and the others left Malta on an Alexandrian ship. When they finally reached their destination, Paul was greeted by Christian brethren, some of whom accompanied him during part of the final leg of his journey to the city of Rome (vv. 11-15). Once Paul reached the city, Luke writes that he was allowed to stay by himself, in private quarters, we presume (v. 16). Julius, the Roman soldier who has been with Paul since he left Caesarea, was staying with the apostle.

Then we read:

17 After three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying to them, “Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18 And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death. 19 But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation. 20 For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.” 21 They said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.”

Very soon after settling into his quarters in Rome, Paul arranged a meeting with certain leaders of the Jewish community (v. 17). It is interesting to see that Paul still desires to speak to his countrymen about what God did in Christ Jesus. He genuinely wants them to understand that the hope which they held, the hope of a Messiah, has been fulfilled. In this speech to these Jewish leaders, Paul emphasizes first his innocence. He clearly is a prisoner of the Empire, yet the apostle tells the Jews that he had done nothing against “our people or the customs of our fathers.” Paul sees himself as an obedient Jew, not as a rebel who has cast off the Law in favor of some heretofore unknown religious extremism. Although he was not guilty of any crimes against his people or even the customs of Israel, Paul goes on to say, he was delivered as a prisoner into the hands of the Romans. Paul is underscoring the injustice done to him in the hope that these Jews in Rome will give him a fair hearing.

Paul next mentions his examination before the Roman authorities-we remember that he was questioned by Felix, Festus and Herod. He rightly states the conclusion reached during his trial before the Roman governors: “they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death.” (v. 18) Twice now, Paul has declared his innocence-he is innocent of violating Jewish law and practice, and his innocence was confirmed during examinations before Roman courts. But, Paul, adds, the findings of the Roman courts mattered little to the Jews who were seeking his life. Those Jews, without justification, Paul implies, objected to his release.

The objection must have been substantial enough to prevent his release even when the Romans found him guiltless. This evidently is the point Paul is making to these Jews in Rome because he adds that he was “forced to appeal to Caesar.” Paul means that it was obvious back in Caesarea that the Jews were out for blood and they were vocal enough and forceful enough to give the Roman officials cause for delaying his release in spite of the fact that he was found innocent in their courts. Paul's solution, as we know, was to exercise his right as a Roman citizen to appear before Caesar himself (v. 19). This, Paul explains, is why he, as a Jew, is in Rome under house arrest.

The apostle hopes, as I indicated, to convince these Jews that he is not a law-breaker or a rebel against their religion. He wants them to understand that he has been persecuted for preaching that the promise of God has come (cf. v. 20). All Paul had to do was refer to “the hope of Israel,” as he does in this passage, and the Jews knew what he meant. From the time of Moses, this phrase represented the nation's anticipation of a coming Messiah. Paul is, once again, announcing that the Messiah has come. So far, however, he has only encountered a stubborn unwillingness to believe that God has kept His word to the people of Israel.

Interestingly, the Jews here in Rome respond that they knew nothing about Paul: “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you.” (v. 21) It appears that the Jews who were so bitterly opposed to Paul in the region of Judea had not managed or had chosen not to contact the Jews in Rome. Perhaps this is because they did not know exactly where Paul was. It would have been easy to lose track of him once he departed Caesarea for Rome. The Jews in Judea might have heard that the ship on which Paul was traveling was lost and assumed that he was dead. There's no way to know for sure why the incredible determination to destroy Paul, which existed in Jerusalem and Caesarea, has not manifested itself here in Rome. All we know for sure is that Paul has, to a degree, an unbiased audience before him at the moment.

For now, these Jewish leaders are interested in what Paul is reporting to them and express a desire to hear more about his views (v. 22). They do, however, make a curious statement: “for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.” Perhaps Paul said more than Luke reports, but something caused the Jewish leaders to connect Paul with “the sect,” by which is meant the Christians. Clearly, the existence of the Church was well-known and one of the leading beliefs of the Church was well-known, namely, that Jesus was the Messiah promised to Israel.

All of this sets the context for a more official appearance of Paul before the Jews in Rome.

02. Paul's Testimony to the Jews (vv. 23-29)

23 When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. 24 Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe. 25 And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, 26 saying, 'GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, “YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; 27 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.” 28 Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen.” 29 When he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.

A day was appointed on which Paul would speak to the Jews about his beliefs. When this day arrived, Luke says that the Jews came to Paul “in large numbers,” meaning, of course, that a sizeable crowd gathered at Paul's location (v. 23). Enough time had passed, evidently, for word to be passed around in the Jewish community. Paul, therefore, has this significant number of Jews gathered before him when he begins “solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God” and about Jesus Christ. Luke notes that Paul, as was typical, argues from the Law of Moses and the Prophets, meaning the Scriptures of the Jews. He was using various references from the Old Testament which described the promise of a Messiah, the character of the Messiah, and other facts about the Messiah, and contending that Jesus the Nazarene was that Messiah. This presentation went on, uninterrupted, it seems, “from morning until evening.”

We can imagine that there were questions asked during this prolonged presentation, but Paul was allowed to continue teaching. No attempt was made to silence him, which must have been quite refreshing and encouraging to the apostle. In addition to being allowed to speak at length, Paul was also gratified, I'm sure, by the fact that some of the Jews “were being persuaded,” as Luke puts it (v. 24). The word translated “persuaded” (peitho) is interesting. It's a term that means “to induce one by words to believe.” This is a plain confirmation of the effectiveness of Paul's reasoning from the Scriptures. Some of the Jews present were listening and Paul's use of the Scriptures resulted in their being convinced that he spoke the truth. Others, however, Luke adds, “would not believe.” Here, Luke uses a Greek tense which could be translated as “continued to disbelieve,” the idea being that they came to Paul in a state of unbelief and they refused to believe in spite of his words.

The differing reactions to Paul's words resulted, not surprisingly, in disagreement among the Jews (v. 25). Before they left, however, Paul quoted from the prophet Isaiah and the passage he selected was a stern warning to those Jews who were, on this day, remaining steadfast in their unbelief:

“GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, 'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; 27 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.'” (vv. 26, 27)

This passage comes from Isa. 6. It is the same passage quoted by the Savior when He was asked why He spoke to the people in parables. When Jesus used these verses, they were a stinging indictment of the hardheartedness and faithlessness of the Jews; these verses represent the most disturbing kind of condemnation. These verses constitute a prediction of judgment on the part of the prophet. God spoke these words in response to the acts of covenant unfaithfulness and they served as a warning of what would one day come to pass in an ultimate sense. By the time Jesus came, the judgment of God was upon the Jews and they were confirmed in their spiritual blindness. Their sin resulted in God sealing them up, as it were, in that sin. This is the very condition, by the way, which the apostle describes in 2 Cor. 3:14-16. There he speaks of a spiritual veil which keeps the Jews from believing the gospel and the veil exists as a result of the hardening of their minds against the truth.

The incredible resistance which Paul has experienced as he preached to the Jews is explained by this passage. They were under judgment because of their history of covenant unfaithfulness. Their disdain for the truth hardened them even to the point that they did not recognize the Messiah when He came. As a people then, even though some believed here and there, the Jews of Paul's day refused to believe and determined to remain in rebellion against the truth.

The fact that this is exactly what was happening is borne out in the quote from Isaiah. Notice the texts says “otherwise they might see… and hear… and understand” and be healed. If the Jews were not determined to reject God's instructions, that same instruction would give them sight and understanding and they would be led to repentance and restoration. But, the apostle adds, since you insist on continuing in rebellion, “this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen.” (v. 28) This is the sad message Paul has been taking from city to city. Now in this last city where he will end his ministry and life, he must make the same announcement to the Jews. God will bring the Gentiles into communion with Himself and they will receive the salvation which the Jews reject.

What resulted from this encounter-how many Jews believed the gospel, for example-we cannot know. Luke only says that the Jews continued to argue among themselves as they left Paul's presence (v. 29).

03. Paul's Last Days (vv. 30, 31)

30 And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.

We know that the apostle has lived a very hard existence up to this point of his life. It is comforting to read, therefore, that his last couple of years were spent in relatively peaceful circumstances-until, of course, Nero executes Paul during his wicked rant against the Church. Paul had an impressive amount of freedom, it seems, when you consider that he remained a prisoner of the Romans to the end.

Luke writes that Paul's activities were carried on “with all openness, unhindered.” The term rendered “openness” (parrhesia) means “freedom in speaking, without concealment.” And the other term, “unhindered” (akolutos), means “freely.” He was free to have guests, free to carry on his teaching and preaching as God allowed opportunity. This is, I believe, a most fitting conclusion to the ministry of the apostle Paul. He lived out his days doing what he was called to do, doing what he long to do-speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Application

I saw many applications in these closing verses of Acts. In fact, I saw seven applications. I will, however, keep these applications relatively brief. First, I want to point to Paul as an example of a man who remained true to his calling in spite of incredible opposition and all kinds of distraction-and I don't mean simply the everyday issues we all face in this life. Paul was opposed by bitter enemies and he was distracted by plots against his life. Yet he remained true to his calling. He is, therefore, as I just said, an example to you. He is, in particular, an example to the men of this congregation. He is an example of a man who knew what God wanted him to do and who, therefore, did it.

Paul's example will be useful to you if you first find out what God wants you to do. Do you, as a man-probably a husband and father-know what God wants you to do? Do you know the basic duties of being a husband to your wife, a father to your children and a head to your household? That is your calling. You are not called to be an apostle, you are not called to make lots of money, you are called to faithfulness. You goal is to be a faithful husband and father, meaning that your goal is to fill those roles as God instructs. Are you pursuing that calling? Are you seeking to better equip yourself in that calling as time goes by?

Second, there is an application to be made from the reaction Paul routinely received from the Jews. This last passage was no exception. Throughout Paul's ministry, the Jews manifested a strong suspicion against his teaching. They heard the apostle speaking of a new development, which was the arrival of the Messiah, and that made them nervous and angry. They had not come up with this development on their own, so they viewed Paul with considerable distrust when he tried to convince them that a major change had taken place in God's plan of redemption-it was a predicted change and a wonderful development, but it was a significant departure from what the Jews had come to expect. They had come to expect that they were the center of God's universe and Paul brought the news that God had something much greater in mind than being known by a single nation on the earth.

The lesson here has to do with what I think is a common tendency among people and that is the tendency to view all new developments with suspicion. But here is the truth we need to keep in mind: change does not necessarily mean an erosion of conviction; sometimes it means progress in understanding. So, for example, as a congregation like ours ages, we have to be on guard that we don't get so set in our ways that we automatically view all new ideas or all new suggestions with such suspicion that change never occurs or with such suspicion that we stifle ourselves when it comes to gaining a greater understanding of the faith. Of course I'm not suggesting that we entertain innovation for the sake of innovation and I'm certainly not speaking against the vital role of tradition in the life of a congregation; but I am suggesting that every congregation has to be careful about becoming so sure of itself that it cannot grow in its understanding of what is most pleasing to God and what is most edifying to the body.

Third, Paul's testimony to the Jews reminds us of how the Roman officials gave way to the will of the Jews even when Paul was found innocent in their courts. There is a reminder here that we always have to be careful about bending unnecessarily or too quickly to an influence we may encounter in this life. Paul was not released even though the Romans found him innocent. This happened because the Jews were allowed to exercise unwarranted influence on the Roman officials. Had the officials been objective and had they judged the matters before them without regard for the pressure being exerted by the Jews, Paul would have been set free.

The lesson, then, is that it is always wise to consider precisely what you are being asked to do, and it is wise to consider precisely why you are being asked to do it. It is also wise to consider the validity of the influence or the opinion that you are facing. Sometimes, that influence or opinion will be correct and will be a welcomed source of wisdom. But sometimes that influence or opinion will be wrong and, in spite of the pressure that accompanies it, you may simply have to refuse to bend. This is a scenario we all face regularly as we seek to live our Christian lives. The key, of course, is to do your best to know what the Scripture teaches so that you can maintain a clear perspective.

Fourth, there is a lesson, I think, in the way Paul addressed the Jews on this occasion. Luke says that he made use of the Law of Moses and the Prophets as he reasoned with the Jews. Paul spoke from the Scriptures. He understood that it was the Word of God and only the Word of God that mattered. This is how God's people make their arguments and express their convictions-they appeal to the Word of God. And if you cannot appeal to the Word of God, then you should re-examine your opinions and convictions. And, on top of that, if someone else does make a case based on the Word of God, then you should be humble enough to listen and, perhaps, be instructed. If the matter under consideration is spoken of in the Word, then it is the Word and the Word alone to which we turn.

Fifth, there is a lesson to be taken from that passage Paul quoted from the prophecy of Isaiah. There is great spiritual danger, of course, in hardening the heart against the truth of God's Word. This means, I believe, that the opposite is also true, namely, that there is great benefit in having a heart open to the Word of God. In fact, I would say that this is how we should be characterized as God's people. We should have tender, teachable hearts so that we are always ready to be instructed, no matter what the issue. This is something for which we should pray-we should pray that God will give us teachable hearts so that His Spirit can work in us that which is pleasing to Him.

Sixth, the taking of the gospel to the Gentiles in the face of the Jews' refusal to believe illustrates just how little God's plans depend on human beings. As I've said before, the Jews could not conceive of God's activity in this world not centering on them. But if the ministry of Paul teaches anything, it teaches that God's plans do not depend on any group of people. And, by way of application, therefore, we need to realize that God's plans do not stand or fall based upon us. It may be painful to hear, but God does not need any of us to accomplish His purposes. When we start thinking that He does, then we are in trouble. For this congregation, this means that each of us should be grateful that we are included in what God is doing here in Vancouver, but we should not think this work is ours or that it depends on us. This is a truth pastors have to be reminded of often and, I would suspect, it's a truth everyone needs to hear on occasion.

The seventh application is an observation about the end of Paul's life. The way his life ends is a reminder that we are not on this earth to be comfortable; we are on this earth to serve God. The evidence that Nero executed the apostle Paul is convincing. We might consider this and think that it was not a fit ending for a life like that of the apostle Paul, a life given to service, a life given completely to the cause of Christ. But Paul existed to be used by God as God saw fit. The apostle understood this and we should, too. We are not owed a comfortable life even if we manage to walk rightly before God for most of our years. Instead of grumbling at our trials, we should marvel at God's goodness and provision. We are servants of the Most High God and we should delight in the fact that He is willing to let us know Him and willing to use us even in minor ways in this life.

Conclusion

The book of Acts records the initial developments in this world as news about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ began to be preached. And here we are, over 2000 years later, still bound by and still declaring that same good news. Praise the Lord! Let's give thanks to God for His plan of redemption as we come to the Table.