“I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted and so I could explain to you that I am bound with this chain because I believe that the hope of Israel—the Messiah—has already come.”
They replied, “We have had no letters from Judea or reports against you from anyone who has come here. But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about this movement is that it is denounced everywhere.”
So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul’s lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe. And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul:
“The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, ‘Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.”
Acts 28:20-28
Before we move on to the other issues you raised with your collective questions, I would like to look at Paul’s quote from Isaiah in conjunction with the following reader questions:
- Why do these Jews have exactly the same reaction as all the other Jews? It is like it is a national trait.
- Were the words Luke finished with quoted as Paul said to the Jews in Rome or were they a general summary of all the Jewish responses?
The quote from Isaiah is taken straight from Isaiah:-
‘Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’
Isaiah 6:9-10
The two reader’s questions above came from two different people. But together they hit the nail on the head. Yes these indeed were Paul’s words to the Jewish leaders in Rome, when they met for the full day from morning until evening. But the curious thing is that these same words could have been lifted out of the letter that Paul wrote to the church in Rome, when he dealt with the fact that seemingly the Jews had not been included in the grand statement of Romans 8:38-39 which reads as follows:
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39
Which then leaves Paul with the thought expanded over the next three chapters of Romans – But what about my people the Jews? Are they separated from God or not? It seems indeed they are! Yet is that true?
No wonder Paul keeps the connection going with the Jewish people at every opportunity through the Book of Acts. Yes he had been called to the Gentiles, but he so often appears to use his call to the Gentiles as a foil to make the Jews jealous that their hope in the Messiah and a Saviour has been offered to all nations and they have missed out. Don’t you miss out.
As Paul states in Romans 9:30-32:-
What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place.But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded.Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path.
Simply they stumbled over the stumbling stone of Christ, the Messiah! Many have and many do still. That’s why Christ is called the stumbling stone. Put in today’s terms – if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Bottom line: why reject this free offer from God before you have even checked it out?
Romans 9:30-32
Let me explain as simply as I can. God is offering reconciliation and redemption to any and all people on earth. It is a free gift. You don’t have to do anything to receive it except to receive it. You can’t earn it. The moment you think you have to do something to deserve your salvation you have missed the point. Being made right with God so you don’t have to fear Him does not require you to perform a whole lot of religious activities. God simply offers you a relationship with Him without strings attached because He loves you. Anything you do after that is because you love Him. If someone offered you something for free and you spent the rest of your life trying to pay them back, do you see the implications of your actions? First of all, you can’t pay them back. Secondly, in attempting to pay them you are subtlely rejecting their offer to give it to you for free. If you keep on trying to pay them back then you continually make light of their generosity each time you insist on paying for it. To the point where it begins to grate.
Does that help you understand God’s grace now? There is something within the heart of human kind that wants to insist on doing it ourselves. Even though we can’t earn our salvation; we still want to think we can. In so doing we throw God’s free gift back in His face.
That was at the heart of the Jewish response. They were the chosen people, it is true. But taking that fact and abusing it by thinking that somehow they had privilege and were not like other people is also an offence to God. This Christmas it is my hope that for perhaps the first time you might catch a glimpse of the fact that you and the Jews are in the same boat. Simply put, don’t allow the Jewish reaction to become yours. God is offering you a right relationship with Him and through your trust in Him to save you, He offers you life as He meant life to be.
Just accept His free gift and spend the rest of your life falling in love with Him for all He has done for you.
This would be a good time of the year to resolve this age old issue for yourself.
Go to church, talk with God and settle things between you and Him.
The G.O.S.P.E.L – God offering sinful people eternal life.
Anon
B.I.B.L.E – Be informed before leaving earth.
Anon
Why would you reject an offer like that?
Ian Vail
Why would you spend the rest of your life trying to repay Him the debt you think you owe when He has pronounced it “paid in full”?
Ian Vail
Just accept His free gift and spend the rest of your life falling in love with Him for all He has done for you.
Ian Vail
Give yourself the best present you could ever give yourself this Christmas. Accept God’s offer of salvation and eternal life through the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Ian Vail
We will deal with your remaining questions in following Gems:
- You said the use of “we” stops Ian, does that mean that Luke has now left Paul on his own?
- How does Luke know what was said if he didn’t stay with Paul? It doesn’t mention Luke in the final verses.
- Why doesn’t Luke give us a summary of what happened to Paul after that?
- Did Paul convert the guard with him?
- Why does the story just stop where it does?
- It seems like it doesn’t have an end. Like it is an anti-climax. What is going on Ian?
- Does Luke bring the Book of Acts to the end with a whimper?
- Does Luke’s ending just fizzle out?.
- The story has been leading up to appearing before Caesar.
- So why is that missed out? Did Paul ever appear before Caesar?