Acts 28:16–31

Original Meaning

A Rented Home in Rome (28:16)

ONCE PAUL ARRIVED in Rome he was “allowed to live by himself,” which means he must have rented a house (see v. 30). He had a soldier to guard him, and Paul was probably chained to him by the wrist. This soldier would be relieved every four hours or so. As a result, Paul and the gospel became a talking point among the members of the palace guard (Phil. 1:13). The environment was not ideal, but it was adequate for Paul to have a bold and unhindered witness in Rome for two years (Acts 28:30–31).

Bridging Contexts

THOUGH ACTS COMES to an abrupt end, Luke’s conclusion is a summary of the whole book, with the gospel being taken to both Jew and Gentile. Does the Holy Spirit want to communicate to us through this conclusion something about what we should be doing with the gospel? Lloyd Ogilvie thinks so: “The abrupt ending leaves us with the challenge and opportunity to allow the Spirit to write the next chapter in the Book of Acts today in and through us!”9

The tragedy of Jewish unbelief. Of the different things Paul did after arriving in Rome, the one thing that Luke focused on most was his witness to the Jews (28:16–29). Luke does not mention the witness to the palace guard as a result of Paul’s imprisonment and the encouragement that the brothers received as a result (see Phil. 1:12–14). The Gentile Luke seems to have chosen at the close of this book to report on Jewish evangelization because that was an important theme to him. While Paul gave up on specific Jews in his ministry when they became obstinate, he never gave up on the race as such.10 He lived with a constant ache in his heart over their unbelief (Rom. 9:1–3) and kept trying to do what he could to bring them to Christ.

Paul used a familiar text (Isa. 6:9–10) to explain Jewish resistance to the gospel (Acts 28:26–27; cf. Mark 4:12 for the reaction of some to Jesus’ teaching through parables). In his exposition on Jewish unbelief in Romans, Paul used two Old Testament texts (Deut. 29:4; Isa. 29:10) to convey a similar idea (Rom. 11:8). That verse implies that God gave a spirit of stupor, which caused the Jews to resist the gospel. In keeping with a general principle elaborated in Romans 1:18–32, the hardness of the heart of the Jews is God’s punishment for their rebellion against him. Paul confirms the direction of their decision to oppose God by hardening their hearts so that they could not see and understand the light of the gospel. Yet in Romans Paul also says that when the Jews see the blessings of God coming to the Gentiles, they will be provoked to jealousy and turn to God (Rom. 11:11–16). In other words, Gentile Christians have a vital part in the process leading to the conversion of Jewish people.

To Luke, then, Jewish evangelism was an important theme. While he wants us to understand the phenomenon of their rejection of the gospel, he does not want us to give up evangelizing them. He closes Acts by presenting this challenge. In the light of that, we should have sorrow over the Jewish rejection of the gospel (Rom. 9:1–3), and every Christian should desire to see Jews accept Christ. We too should be saying with Paul, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved” (Rom. 10:1).

Evangelism basics. After a somewhat detailed description of Paul’s attempts at building bridges with and evangelizing the Jewish community in Rome, Luke closes his two-volume work with two short verses that give us a picture of how evangelism happens (vv. 30–31). This is an appropriate way for Luke to end his book, for, as we said above, this was the great activity that formed its agenda, beginning with the Great Commission (1:8). The gospel was taken to Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth. Now it has come to the most politically powerful city in the world. There too evangelism takes place.

It is helpful for us as well to close this commentary by gleaning from these two verses what it means to evangelize. They tell us some things about the type of person who is effective in evangelism and about the message and the methods used. Pervading this whole passage is the theme of the priority of evangelism for the Christian.

Contemporary Significance

JEWISH EVANGELISM TODAY. We must never forget Paul’s affirmation of his passion for mission: Salvation was “first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Rom. 1:16). However, as the founder of Jews for Jesus, Moishe Rosen, said at the Lausanne II Congress in Manila in 1989, the Jewish people are among the most gospel-resistant people in the world. The report of that congress gives reasons for this: “Folk memories of the horrors of the Middle Ages die hard: to many Jewish people, the name of Christ invokes only the remembrance of state persecution; the cross only the image of the sword, and the very word mission, only the experience of coercive proselytization.”11 Unlike in Paul’s day, the Christian evangelist should go to the Jews with an attitude of repentance for what Christians have done to them in the past.12

Not everyone in the church agrees on the need for Jewish evangelism. Some oppose it, saying that since we have so many things in common with the Jews, we should be cooperating with them in common causes and dialoguing with them rather that seeking to convert them to Christ.13 Missiologist Gerald Anderson writes: “It is ironic that whereas the first major controversy in the primitive church was whether anyone other than Jews should be discipled, today the controversy is just the opposite—whether Jews themselves should be discipled.”14

Even some who hold a high view of Scripture waver on this issue on the grounds that God has two separate covenants, one for the Jews and one for Christians. While we affirm that the Bible speaks of a special place given to the nation of Israel, we also affirm with Anderson that “God’s covenant with Israel was fulfilled by Jesus, who proclaimed, ‘I have come not to destroy but to fulfill’ (Matt. 5:17, anticipated in Jer. 31:31–33).”15

In the book of Acts one of the burning issues was whether Gentiles needed to become Jews when they became Christians. I think today one of the important points that needs stressing is that Jews do not have to become Gentiles when they become Christians.16 Much progress has been made on this in recent years with the emergence of the phenomenon of messianic or fulfilled Jews and of messianic synagogues. The church should always be reflecting on how best to fulfill the task of Jewish evangelism.17

Conclusion: evangelism basics. The description of Paul’s evangelism in verses 30–31 shows us various factors that go to make an effective evangelistic process and that are as relevant today as they were in the first century.

People under God’s sovereignty have confidence to evangelize. Acts affirms the sovereignty of God in the various situations Christians faced: in the first persecution of believers, which resulted in a prayer that reflected on sovereignty (4:24–30); in the scattering of believers that became the scattering of the seed of the gospel as refugees were transformed into missionaries (8:1, 4); in the mysterious way in which Paul was brought to Rome (chs. 27–28). Evangelism thrives under the shadow of sovereignty. We know that God is marching on with his agenda, even through what humans consider tragedies, and we may join in the stream of God’s sovereignty by being active in his agenda. To one who lives under sovereignty, success is obedience to God. That is, even though Paul was bound to a chain in Rome, he was a success.

With his confidence in God’s sovereignty, Paul carried on with his ministry as if nothing had happened! In Rome he probably continued his tentmaking, wrote his four great Prison Letters (including Ephesians, “the Quintessence of Paulinism”18), and carried on his openhearted ministry as he welcomed all who came to him (v. 30). The palace guards ended up talking about Christ, and the other Christians were “encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly” (Phil. 1:13–14). Thus Paul affirmed: “What has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” (1:12).

The depth and effectiveness of Paul’s ministry was greatly enhanced by this mingling of deprivation, sovereignty, and obedience. This has been so throughout the history of the church. It is well-known that suffering is often the context out of which great creativity emerges.19 When you add to that the operation of the sovereign God, who can turn tragedies into triumphs, you realize that deprivation is not something to fear but an occasion for God to express his glory.

Next to the Bible probably the best-selling Christian book in history has been John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan (1628–88) spent a total of twelve years in prison. He was arrested a year after his second marriage. When he went to prison, he left his young wife to look after the four children from his first marriage. In prison he went through downcast times, but he did not give up on life. In order to support his wife and children he made and sold hundreds of long-tagged thread laces for riding boots and other footwear. In the first six years of his imprisonment he wrote nine books. During his second imprisonment of six years he published only two books, possibly because he was working on his greatest work, Pilgrim’s Progress.

He wrote to people outside who sought his counsel after reading his books. He conducted worship services for others in the prison (and sometimes was given leave from the prison to secretly conduct services outside too!). He shaped the rail of his prison stool into a flute, carefully hollowing the wood and using his candle flame to burn the small holes in the barrel. He would play the flute when the jailer was not around and would hurriedly put it back when he came to find out what the strange noise was!20 Buoyed by the vision of God’s sovereignty, Bunyan made the best of his situation in prison.

Though we belong to the triumphant kingdom of the Lord of the universe, we may sometimes feel as if we are living under circumstances of defeat. The witness of Acts should encourage us to see obedience to God as the ultimate success and triumph in life. Some churches in the West that were once powerful in national life are gradually losing their power and political clout. I see Christians bemoaning this fact and responding sometimes aggressively against this loss of earthly power. Perhaps they should not be worried, for great spiritual power is often unleashed from environments of great deprivation. Paul’s (and Bunyan’s) imprisonment shows us that the greatest activities of life can be successfully carried out in such situations.

The message is about the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ. Luke summarizes the message preached as being about “the kingdom of God and . . . the Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 31). This too has much to tell us today. The kingdom of God has been a neglected topic among evangelicals in this century. But mission theologian Arthur Glasser, after tracing various emphases that characterized evangelical mission theology in the postwar era, states that the reaffirming of the kingdom of God was the most significant trend.21 Preaching about the kingdom of God presents the greater purpose of God rather than just what God can do to an individual. It affirms that God is working out his purposes through the vicissitudes of history and that his plan will finally be accomplished, with his kingdom ruling the world. We ask people to join in this great march forward with the Lord of the universe. In this world, where people are wracked by the fear of demons, enemies, economic reversals, and failure, this is liberating news.

If the truth of the kingdom were added to our evangelistic preaching, our evangelism would yield much stronger Christians. In today’s evangelism we tend to focus on how Jesus meets our personal needs. This topic is, of course, appropriate. But sooner or later Christians are going to find that God does not meet some needs they consider to be urgent. At such times they may be are tempted to stray from Christ and seek help elsewhere. But if the grand picture of the kingdom is firmly rooted in their minds, they will never forsake the Lord of the universe for a smaller, less powerful deity or force.

Also necessary to evangelistic preaching is a focus on Jesus. Again we do not only tell what he can do for us in connection with our present needs. We also describe who he is and what he has done and is doing in the world. We must emphasize the Jesus as preached in Acts. Such a portrayal of Christ will leave us feeling secure, confident, and complete.

The method is to be open to people and to preach and to teach. We noted how Paul opened his home and welcomed all who came to him (v. 30; cf. 20:20, 31). Elsewhere we called this the openhearted approach to ministry.22 If we are to truly identify with those whom we are trying to reach, we must open our lives to them as Paul did.

In such situations, Paul preached and taught (v. 31). Preaching (kerysso) refers to a proclamation of the message that appeals primarily to the will of the individual. In teaching (didasko) the emphasis is more on challenging the mind. Often in Acts evangelism is described as teaching (5:21, 25, 28). Especially when evangelizing people who do not have a Christian worldview, teaching is important in order for them to understand what Christians are saying and thus make an intelligent decision. However impressed they may be by our oratory in preaching, they will interpret our message by sending its words through the grid of their own worldview. They may make a decision in response to our invitation, but they have not understood the gospel.

The evangelistic discussions that Paul had with his audiences23 undoubtedly helped the truth of the gospel sink into their minds. Two days before writing this I spoke at a YFC evangelistic camp. About 70 percent of the youth in the audience were Buddhist, Hindu, or Muslim. I spoke on who Jesus is, explaining things that the Gospels said about him. The speakers before me had spoken on creation, the Fall, and the affects of sin on personal life and relationships. After my talk we had a seventy-five-minute discussion about what Christians believe. Much of what happened up to that time had been teaching truths about Christianity through talks and discussions. When an evangelist spoke the night after I had spoken, many people were ready to commit their lives to Christ. Though this was an evangelistic camp, the teaching was as critical as the preaching.

Since a majority of the people in the West today have rejected Christianity, their worldview too is not Christian. Therefore witnesses in the post-Christian West face the same challenge that we in so-called non-Christian countries do. A key to effective evangelism in both these environments is teaching people what Christians believe and being sensitive to their reactions. Teaching does not have to be boring! I have heard people say of some Christian communicators that they are teachers, not preachers. But what they really meant was that they were boring speakers. Teachers must use a wide variety of means to attract and keep the attention of the audience.

The priority of evangelism. Luke’s decision to close his book with a report of ongoing evangelism reminds us that evangelism is the passion that ignites our activity. God has acted decisively in Christ to save the human race. Herein lies the ultimate answer to the problems of the human race. If we love this world as God does, we will want to tell it of this liberating good news. This business will consume our passion to the day we die.

Original Meaning

Paul and the Jews in Rome (28:17–28)

LUKE DOES NOT refer anymore to Paul’s relations with the Roman Christians. Instead, he concludes his book by describing Paul’s attempts at witnessing to the Jewish community and by giving a summary of his other evangelistic activity. These have been key themes in Acts. Paul first called the Jewish leaders to meet him (v. 17), which was the correct protocol in communities that had a strong sense of solidarity. He explained to them the circumstances of his coming to Rome, climaxing with the statement, “It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain” (v. 20b).

The leaders replied that they had not received any letters from Judea concerning Paul (v. 21). This is surprising, considering the urgency with which the Judean leaders hounded Paul while he was there. Also surprising is the fact that the Jewish leaders said that they did not know much about Christianity in spite of a Christian community in Rome (v. 22). Haenchen uses these two facts and the fact that Luke does not talk much of the Christian church in Rome to discount the historicity of this passage.1

The first point can be explained in two different ways. Perhaps a letter or representative had been sent but was delayed because of the complexities of winter travel.2 Equally plausible is that the leaders in Judea did not think that they had much of a chance of success in Rome after failing in Judea, where the Roman leaders were eager to do them favors (24:27; 25:3, 9). They may have preferred to let the case go by default, especially since Roman law was severe on unsuccessful prosecutors.3 Gempf explains the relative ignorance of the Jews about Christianity on the grounds that the Jews had been expelled for a time in A.D. 49 (Paul arrived in Rome in 60). “In the interim, the church would have become predominantly gentile in make-up, and the recently returned Jewish community may have had no contact with them in this big city.”4

We see a familiar sequence in verses 23–28. The Jews showed an interest in Christianity and a meeting was arranged (v. 23a). Paul tried “to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets” (v. 23b). The familiar word peitho (“persuade, convince”) appears twice in these verses (vv. 23–24). Some are convinced, “but others would not believe” (v. 24). Those who rejected the message had stubborn hearts that did not want to believe. The result of that meeting was unpleasant for Paul (v. 25). There isn’t much new here. Luke underscores the tragedy of Jewish rejection of the gospel. What is new is Paul’s use of a familiar text (Isa. 6:9–10) about hardened hearts to explain Jewish resistance to the gospel (vv. 26–27).