We conclude our study of the book of Acts today and, Lord willing, we hope to continue on through all the books of the New Testament beginning tomorrow. The Apostle Paul is at Rome, being held under guard (literally connected to a guard day and night by a long chain) in his own private house,. While there he preaches the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles.
"Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. 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. They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 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.'" (Acts 28:17-20) Paul is saying, "The authorities of Rome would have set me free, but I had enemies from among my own people waiting to kill me. Nevertheless, I am not here to bring charges against my own people, but to bring my case before Emperor Nero so that the highest court in the land may declare me innocent. Then it will be a crime against Rome to perpetrate a crime against me. I have done nothing wrong. I am chained today for preaching that the hope of Israel---the Messiah---is Jesus of Nazareth."
"They replied, 'We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.'" (Acts 28:21-22) Paul's enemies from Judea have sent nothing ahead of him to Rome because they know their case against him is unwinnable. They have not bothered to pursue him there. According to ancient church tradition and the writings of several ancient historians, Paul will be executed under the reign of Nero sometime after Nero's vicious persecution of Christians breaks out in 64 AD but before Nero's death in 68 AD. Paul will not die because any of his countrymen are successful in bringing charges against him. He will die an innocent man at the hands of a king so wicked that his persecution of the Christians can only be compared to Adolf Hitler's persecution of the Jews.
The Jewish leaders at Rome convene to hear Paul speak. "They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe." (Acts 28:23-24)
Paul is frustrated with the refusal of most of the religious leaders to be open-minded about the predictions the prophets made of a suffering Messiah. "They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: 'The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when He said through Isaiah the prophet: 'Go to this people and say, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving." 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.'" (Acts 28:25-27) Paul's listeners are offended when he compares their hard-heartedness to the hard-heartedness of the people of Isaiah's day. Isaiah urged the people of his day to repent or else Babylon would come and defeat them, but the leadership of the nation didn't listen to him. The men at Paul's house can't believe he is comparing their refusal to believe his testimony about Christ to the refusal of the people of Isaiah's day to turn from idolatry.
"Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!" (Acts 28:28-29) Paul, a Jewish man, loves the Jews with his whole heart. He even said once that he would be willing to give up his own salvation if it meant all his people would be saved. (Romans 9:3) He desperately wants to see his countrymen come to Christ, so we must always keep in mind that every time he has announced in any city that he will now take the gospel to the Gentiles, it is because the Jewish leaders have rejected his message. It is not because Paul, or God, has rejected the Jewish people. God will never reject His chosen people! Paul never rejected them either. He's only rejecting the attitude of the self-righteous elite who are unwilling to consider any view that might challenge their authority over the people. If they bow their knees to Christ, they risk being disowned by unbelieving family members, being ostracized by the influential men and women of the city, and losing the positions that mean so much to them. They count the cost of following Christ and conclude that Christ is not worth it.
"For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ---with all boldness and without hindrance!" (Acts 28:30-31) Luke tells us that Paul shared the gospel with all who came to see him. He turned no one away. Most of the religious leaders in the community may have rejected his message, but other Jewish men and women were interested in hearing it. A great number of Gentiles also came to hear the gospel. Because he is under Roman guard, no one but Rome has the authority to stop Paul from running a church in his house, and Rome couldn't care less about peaceful religious assemblies taking place in a private dwelling. Though he is chained for the two years he waits for his case to come before Nero, Paul has more freedom to preach the gospel than he's ever had before. This is why God chose to send Paul to Rome as a prisoner rather than as a free man. As a free man the apostle would still have been in danger of conspiracies against his life. He would never have known at what moment he might be ambushed along the roadway or when assassins might break in during the night and kill him in his own bed. But because he is in Roman custody no one can touch him.
The gospel prospers at Rome because Paul is a prisoner, more than it could ever have prospered if he were a free man. His audience is more captive than he is, for each Roman soldier who spends several hours of the day or night chained to him hears the gospel. News of the gospel message spreads far and wide. Paul's boldness to preach about Christ even while in chains emboldens other believers to preach in the name of Christ. God knew exactly what He was doing when He sent Paul to Rome as a prisoner, and Paul understands this now, for while he is a prisoner he pens these words of Philippians 1:12-14: "Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear."
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