Preaching and Teaching the Kingdom of God in Christ

Acts 28:17-31

Paul's Ministry at Rome

17 And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: "Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, 18 who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death. 19 But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. 20 For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain."

21 Then they said to him, "We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere."

23 So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. 25 So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, 26 saying,

'Go to this people and say:
"Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand;
And seeing you will see, and not perceive;

27 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them."'

28 "Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!" 29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.

30 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.

Paul was called to be a witness of the grace of God and His kingdom in Christ to his own people, the Jews, but mostly to the nations of non-Jews because his own people had turned deaf ears and covered eyes to God’s word long ago as especially seen in their downward spiral in the book of the Judges.  Though he was trained as a Pharisee in the religion of his people, his hometown was among the Gentiles of the Roman Empire and its culture, so he knew the customs and ways of both.  He understood the depths of the Old Testament scriptures and could relate to the pagan ways of the world through the lens of God’s word to reach them with the truth of the Christ whom the Jews had rejected as a people.  Paul had started his ministry by preaching and teaching these truths to demonstrate Jesus as the Christ to the sons of Abraham through Jacob known as Israel, but then moved to focus more on the other promised children of Abraham of like faith (Genesis 17:5, 22:18, Romans 4:16-17, Galatians 3:6-7) in hearing and believing God’s word (Galatians 3:8-9) instead of fighting and disputing against the truth revealed by the acts of the Spirit in and through Paul and the other apostles and instructed disciples record in this book.  In Rome Paul reasoned with the fellow Jews there about how he lived for and taught of Christ which confession is the hope of Israel that led Paul bound with chains through the opposition he faced until he appealed to Caesar for a hearing according to God’s plan that guided his steps and circumstances to arrive and speak before them in the capital of the Roman Empire.  The hearers had not heard the gospel yet, only rumors of opposition by other Jews against the Way (Acts 9:2, 19:9, 24:14) which he himself had also previously opposed vigorously and zealously.  He explained further and they listened to a point to understand this Way described by Paul as the promise of the fathers by God from the beginning, likely all the way back to Genesis 3:15 where the promise of the Messiah who is the Christ was given.  Paul persuaded them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets as Jesus Himself had done to the first disciples on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection (Luke 24:26-27).  The listeners did not really hear and receive Christ through the gospel preached and taught and argued over words and religion instead until Paul realized the truth of the prophecies from Isaiah 6:9-10, Jeremiah 5:21, and Ezekiel 12:2 that predicted their hard hearts and inert senses unable and unwilling to face the truth of God’s word and their need for repentance and faith to receive Jesus Christ as the Lord who alone is their Savior.  Because they turned away from God’s word, the apostle turned from them to those of the world with this message of transformative hope of the good news of forgiveness of sin and a new creation in Him.  God honored that and kept Paul in a Roman house free to preach and teach the kingdom of God in Christ without opposition.  He who honors Him (1 Samuel 2:30) is honored by God.  May we likewise honor our Lord in teaching and preaching these words of life by the enabling acts of the Spirit of God as well.  Grace and peace.