Page 136 - Acts Student Textbook

them. He hoped also, no doubt, to get an opportunity to teach. His approach in every city had been
to attempt first to teach the local Jewish population; but in this case they had to come to him since
he could not go to the synagogue. So, three days after his arrival, he called the Jews to him to tell
them his side of the story. He affirmed repeatedly that he had done nothing to hurt the people or to
violate Jewish customs. Yet he was given to the Romans as a prisoner. Further, he affirmed that the
Romans, on examining his case and hearing the Jews’ accusations, found nothing in him worthy of
death. However, when the Jews pressed charges against him, he had appealed to Caesar for his own
defense. Here Uttly makes an interesting observation, on Luke’s use of the Phrase, "the Jews
objected" (28:19). Uttly says, “This phraseology seems strange spoken to Jewish leaders in Rome.
Luke uses Ioudaios (Jews) in two senses: (1) Nationality – 2:5,11; 9:22; 10:22,28; 11:19; 13:56; 14:1;
16:1,3,20; 17:1; 17:10,17; 18:2,4,5,19; 19:10,17,34; 20:21; 21:21,39; 22:3,12; 24:5,9; 24:24,27;
25:8,9,24; 20:7; 28:17; (2) Those that had eyewitness knowledge of the last week of Jesus' life – 2:15;
10:39 He also used it in different evaluations: (1) In a negative sense – 9:23; 12:3,11; 13:45,50;
14:2,4,5,19; 17:5,13; 18:12,14,28; 19:13,14,33; 20:3,19; 21:11,27; 22:30; 23:12,20,27; 24:19;
25:2,7,10,15; 26:2,21; 28:19; (2) in a positive sense – 13:43; 14:1; 18:2,24; 21:20. Possibly the best
text in Acts which shows the different connotations of this term is 14:1-2.
95

So Paul had called for these Jewish leaders, he said, because he
wanted to talk to them about the situation, and let them know
that it was because of the hope of Israel he had been
imprisoned. What he believed and taught was the fulfillment of
the Jewish hopes. He was not an enemy of his nation nor doing
anything that would hurt them, but rather that would fulfill
their goals. Yet for this he had been imprisoned because of the
Jews themselves.

What did the Roman Jewish leaders want to hear from Paul
and what was the outcome? (28:21, 24)

These leaders responded that they had heard nothing about Paul’s case from the Jews in Jerusalem,
neither by letter nor by any evil report. However, they were interested in hearing Paul’s views
because they knew Jews everywhere spoke against this “sect.” Jesus had predicted His people would
be spoken against. We have seen it happen repeatedly throughout Acts. Here these Jews admitted
the message was spoken against.

Paul and the Jewish leaders chose a day when many of them could come to Paul’s lodging and hear
what he had to say. He spent the day, from morning till evening, explaining and testifying to them
about the kingdom of God, using the Law and prophets as the basis of his evidence. The result was
that some believed the message and some disbelieved. This is almost always the result the gospel
produces. It separates those who have good hearts from those who do not. Here Uttly says, “This
reflects the mystery of the gospel. Why some believe and some do not is the mystery of a sovereign
God and human free will.” This happened repeatedly as a result of the preaching recorded in Acts.
96
Even the best of teachers, such as Paul and Jesus, never converted everyone they taught. The same
will be true today. When the truth has been clearly taught in love, we should not blame the teacher
when people are not converted. People are responsible to investigate and accept the message with
an honest heart or reject it.

95 Uttly, (28:19).
96 Ibid, (28:24).
135