ACTS 28: PAUL IN ROME

Visiting Rome was the Fulfillment of God’s Plan for him. After God had appeared to Saul on the Damascus Road and he was blinded by the light from heaven, Jesus appeared also to Ananias in Damascus and commanded him to visit Saul in Damascus and be his agent to restore Saul’s sight. When Ananias showed reluctance to go, because of Saul’s reputation, Jesus assured him with these words:

Acts 9:15-16 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and [before] kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

These words of prediction take on meaning after you have read the rest of Luke’s narrative in Acts. We have seen repeatedly how much suffering Paul underwent. And of the threefold target audience before whom he must bear witness, the first and third (Gentiles and people of Israel) are seen in all his ministry from chapter 9 to the end of the book, and the second (kings) is fulfilled in Paul’s witness to Herod Agrippa (ch 25-26) and anticipated in his upcoming trial in Rome before Caesar, which Luke sees no need to include in Acts.

So Paul’s visit to Rome is already entailed in the prediction to Ananias of his witness to “kings”. If Ananias told Paul of the words of his vision of Jesus, which we do not know, Paul might himself have had this visit to Rome as part of his life-program.

But the earliest we have some inkling of Paul’s plan to visit is while he was in Ephesus contemplating a third missionary trip through Macedonia and Greece. About this Luke wrote:

Acts 19:21 After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.”

In the midst of his Greek travels, while he was in Corinth before setting out for Jerusalem, Paul wrote a letter to the churches in Rome. At the end of that letter he wrote these words:

Rom. 15:20-28 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. … 22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions [Greece, Asia Minor, Syria and Israel], and since I have been longing for many years to see you, 24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. …… 28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way.

That this visit was indeed God’s plan, and not just Paul’s ambition is shown by the words of Jesus to Paul in Jerusalem:

Acts 23:11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

And again when he was aboard the ship sailing for Rome and in danger of sinking:

Acts 27:24 [Jesus] said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’

While Luke thus makes it clear in several predictions he records that Paul must stand before Caesar, it was not part of his plan to describe that trial. Instead, his plan throughout not only Acts, but also his Gospel, of which Acts is merely the second part, was to show God’s faithfulness to his promises to send his salvation to his people and to the ends of the earth. This plan Luke summarized in Acts 1:7-8. Right before he ascended to heaven (ch. 1) he commissioned his believers and gave us our task while we wait for the full manifestation of the kingdom at his Second Coming. It is to be witnesses to him in Jerusalem, in Judea, Samaria and to the farthest parts of the Earth. Thinking in Roman terms, Paul probably thought of Spain as one of the farthest parts of the Roman World. But in Luke’s telling, the climax is the arrival of Paul in the center of the Roman World, the Eternal City, where people going to the farthest parts of the then known world would be available to witness to.

11-16 Arrival at Rome

Acts 28:11-16 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14 There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

Luke is brief in his covering of the last part of Paul’s route from Caesarea to Rome. The main point in this section is the hospitality of Christians in southern Italy and in Rome. He receives a warm welcome from the believers.

And once in Rome, Paul is not incarcerated in a prison cell, not even kept together with other prisoners, but is allowed to live in his own private, rented quarters under guard by a single Roman soldier who was chained to him. This accommodation was spacious and offered the chance to entertain large gatherings of Christian friends and persons interested in hearing Paul speak about Jesus and the Kingdom of God.

16 In the circumstances of Paul’s detention in Rome under “lightened custody”, probably because of the extreme weakness of the case against him in the official Roman transcripts (litterae dimissoriae) of the trials before Felix and Festus, he had unrestricted access to visitors. We also learn from Luke that he was in a large rental house or apartment with room to entertain large numbers of visitors. (For this all see Rapske, Paul in Roman Custody, 177-189).

17-22 First Meeting with Jewish Leaders

Acts 28:17-22 Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. 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. 18 They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. 19 But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—not that I had any charge to bring against my own people. 20 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.” 21 They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of the brothers who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.

Why does Paul seek as his first act upon arriving to speak specifically with Jewish leaders? In part it conforms to his regular pattern upon arriving in a new city: to visit the synagogue on the first Sabbath and to witness to “the Jew first”. Possibly this reflects what he means in Romans 1:16; 2:9-10.

But there may also be a practical reason that has to do with his upcoming trial before Nero. Had letters from the chief priests in Jerusalem reached these influential Roman Jews, giving their false accusations against him, the latter might use their wealth and influence in high places in Rome to turn the trial against Paul. It was vital that Paul make his defense first before them.

Although all English translations begin Paul’s words with the address “my brothers”, the Greek text begins with the word “I” (ego), signaling that Paul’s intention is a personal defense to these influential Jews, who “through their contacts in the imperial court and … their money, … could, if they desired, support the charges against him” (NIV Comm).

“The fact that Luke does not find it necessary to tell us [about Paul’s trial before Caesar] is a most important clue as to how we should read the conclusion of his work: the point is not the fate of Paul, but the fidelity of God. So when Paul arrives in Rome his first step is to invite the Jewish leaders to his presence. In his initial meeting with them, Paul makes clear not only his innocence of any charges worthy of death, but more importantly, his complete lack of animus against Judaism. He has not come as one bearing "a charge against my nation" (28:19). Indeed, his desire to speak at length with them has nothing to do with his own fate but with his message, which concerns "the hope of Israel" (28:20). Even after his repeated rejections by his fellow Jews which caused him to turn to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-47;18:6), even after their seeking to kill him in Jerusalem by treachery (Acts 23:12-15), and cooptation of the Roman system (25:1-5), Paul still seeks out his own people. The reason is not his personal heroism but God 's fidelity to the promises. They have still another chance to respond.

17-20 Paul’s opening words to his Jewish visitors confidently report that the attempts by hostile Jews in Jerusalem to convict him of a crime under Roman law were completely unsuccessful because there was no substance to their charges. In saying this, he refers to the Jews with the Greek term laos which in contradistinction to the noun ethnos emphasized the holy character of Israel as the chosen people. The “customs of our ancestors” included not only OT law but also the traditions agreed upon by all branches of Judaism (remember my comments on Paul’s use of the terms “customs” and “controversies” in my posting "Ch. 25:23 - 26:32 Paul before Agrippa" comment on Acts 26:3). His preaching about the resurrection offended Sadducees, but violated no true Jewish custom. Sadducees did not exist outside of Palestine; so all of Paul’s Roman audience would be Pharisaic in nature.

So confident is he, that he claims (v. 19) he could have successfully brought counter-suit against the Jerusalem leaders on grounds of malicious prosecution.

What he may have had in mind was what Ferguson speaks of:
“As a safeguard against abuse of the system of delatio [‘denunciation, accusation’], the law provided for calumnia [‘false accusation, malicious charge’], by which a person bringing a false charge was subject to the same punishment he sought against the accused” (Ferguson, Backgrounds 65).

This principle of law is as old as the Code of Hammurabi, laws 1 and 2. Law 1 reads: “If a man accuses another man and charges him with homicide but cannot bring proof against him, his accuser shall be killed.”

This confident assertion of Paul’s was not mere unsupported bravado, but could be supported by the written evidence of the Roman trial transcripts and the litterae dimissoriae sent by Festus to Nero, copies of which may well have been in Paul’s possession as he spoke (so correctly Rapske, 184-185).

The “they” (v. 18) who had “examined” Paul were, of course, Felix and Festus. Agrippa was merely consulted by Festus in order to see if one so familiar with Jewish law could discern anything in the evidence against Paul that could be formulated into a believable charge of breach of Roman law. Here for the first time we hear that “the death penalty” was even an option. One cannot see under Roman law an offense worthy of the death penalty attributable to Paul. But under Jewish law, if he indeed had brought Gentiles into the Jerusalem temple, the Roman court would have recognized the legitimacy of the Jewish sentence of death.

V. 19 anticipates their question “Why then are you here awaiting trial?” The “objection” of the Jews took the form of requesting that Festus — as a “favor” — change the venue of trial from Caesarea to Jerusalem, where the Jews hoped to ambush and kill Paul. Because a change of venue of his trial from Caesarea to Jerusalem would have unjustly hindered his chance of a fair trial, even by Festus, Paul was “compelled” to appeal for trial in Rome. But, he reassures them, he is not here to lodge a countersuit against the Jerusalem leaders, although he could if he wished.

In verse 20 he completes the answer to “Why then are you here?” The answer “because of the hope of Israel” alludes to the Messianic Hope. There was no other “hope” known to Israel. It is significant that at this time, although Zealots and sicarii might trust in military conflict against the Roman occupying army, most of them tried to find a leader who had some claim to be the Messiah. This shows that beneath the this-wordly trust in arms, there was a tacit acknowledgment that only the Messiah sent from God could give them hope.

Behind all the camouflage of false charges against Paul he knows is only one real objection: that he fearlessly proclaims among Jews and Gentiles alike that Jesus of Nazareth, whom the leader rejected and condemned to death at Roman hands, was the risen and exalted Messiah and Son of God. But by merely alluding to this as “the hope of Israel” he hopes to arouse their curiosity and lead into a fruitful and lengthy discourse on the gospel.

In this opening address Paul also shows that his predominantly Gentile mission has not in any way blunted his passionate zeal to share the gospel with his own people, whom he still loves and has hopes for (see also Romans 9-11). He calls them “brothers” (17), refers to “(our) people” and the customs of “our fathers”.

23-28 Second Meeting with Jewish Leaders and Others

In the first meeting, with the smaller group of the most influential Jewish leaders, Paul had been assured that no letters concerning his case had been sent by the chief priests, and that the influential Jews of Rome would not intervene to jeopardize his case there. but they had told him that they had heard many bad things about "this sect", meaning the followers of Jesus. In the second much longer meeting, therefore, Paul sought to present the argument for the Messiahship of Jesus in the strongest terms possible, arguing from Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Jesus.

Acts 28:23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement:

“The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: 26 “‘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.’ 28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”

The effort Paul expends in that second conference is extraordinary: from morning to evening he argues the case for Jesus. As we would expect, he bases his appeal on "the Law and the Prophets" (28:23). The response is mixed. Some of the Jewish leaders are positively inclined, some are disbelieving (28:24).

If you think that in verses 25-28 Paul is here finally turning from the Jews and declaring them hopeless, think again! If you think he is here rejecting his own Jewish identity, you are also wrong. The harsh warning he delivers here is a quote from Isaiah 6. It was God’s words to a Jewish prophet Isaiah at his commissioning to minister to a hard-hearted people, not to give up on them, but to warn them. Paul speaks here as a Jewish prophet would, with a compassionate heart. His warning is not intended to banish them from God’s mercy in Jesus, but to sternly warn them that they can do that for themselves. There is every reason to believe that Paul continued to witness to his fellow Jews for the rest of his life, as in fact Isaiah, to whom God had originally addressed these words, did. Isaiah had responded to this discouraging view of his hard-hearted Israelite audience by asking "How long [will this attitude persist]?" To which god had answered: until their cities are laid waste and they are carried away to distant lands. It is striking that pretty much the same fate awaited the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. Not many years later the Romans would destroy Jerusalem and its temple and carry many Jews prisoner to other lands in dispersion.

Paul's firm expectation was that God would eventually lift the blindness from their eyes as a nation, even as Jesus had indicated in his tearful warnings to Jerusalem.

And so, in Luke’s vision, as in Paul’s also, as reflected in Romans 9-11, there is no final rejection of Israel, only a severe warning to her not to continue to harden her heart to the gospel of the Messiah. As Paul writes in Romans,

Rom. 11:25-25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob”.

Israel’s “hardening” or blindness is not total ("in part"), for there will always be some who believe throughout history. And this blindness is temporary, for once “the full number of the Gentiles has come in”, God will turn again to his ancient people and open their eyes as a nation, resulting in a blessing on the world that will be unprecedented. Luke does not need to refer to God's intention to some day lift the blindness of Israel here, since he has already done so by recording his his Gospel the words of Jesus to that effect:

Luke 13:34-35 [Jesus said:] “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’’”

Luke 19:41-44 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Luke 21:24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Luke ends his account of God’s dealings with Israel through Jesus and the Apostles on this note of severe and stern warning, but also on a note of ultimate hope.

30-31 Final view of Paul

Acts 28:30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

“The final sight Luke gives us of Paul is, in this reading, entirely satisfactory. Absolutely nothing hinges on the success or failure of Paul's defense before Caesar, for Luke 's apologetic has not been concerned primarily with Paul's safety or even the legitimacy of the Christian religion within the empire. What Luke was defending he has successfully concluded: God 's fidelity to his people and to his own word. And that point concluded, the ending of Acts is truly an opening to the continuing life of the messianic people, as it continues to preach the kingdom and teach the things concerning Jesus both boldly and with out hindrance, knowing now that although increasingly Gentile in its growth, its roots are deep within the story of people to whom God 's prophets have unfailingly been sent” (Johnson, 476).