Exegesis of Acts 28:17-28

Acts 28:17-28 takes place after Paul is put under house arrest in Rome. Before this, the

Romans had rescued him from an angry Jewish mob who accused Paul of being a criminal. After

a series of accusations, Paul appealed to Caesar and was found innocent. Nonetheless, Paul was

eventually put under house arrest in Rome where he quickly got into contact with the local

Jewish community with the purpose of meeting them so that he could preach the Gospel. The

Jews that visit Paul will come wanting to be informed by Paul regarding his view on Christianity.

Like all the Jewish communities that Paul has dealt with, however, the majority of them will

come to reject Paul message and be divided by the ones who rejected it, and the few who

accepted it. After an evening of Paul trying to convince the Jews to no avail, he will end by

quoting an insightful passage from Isaiah that clearly condemns the Jews for rejecting what is

obviously God’s will. The quote also subtly states that the Gospel message is not exclusive, but

is inclusive to anyone who is willing to hear and understand God’s salvific message. Paul

recognizes that Jews as a whole will continually reject Christ, despite being shown that God’s is

obvious, but the Gentiles as a whole accept Christ.

17
After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered,

he said to them, “Brothers, though I had 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.

Paul’s usual strategy when he goes to a new area starts by him immediately contacting

the local Jewish community. Rome had a substantial Jewish community at this time, so Paul

would not have a difficult time to get into contact with them. In this case, however, Paul cannot
go out into town to find them, and instead must invite the local Jewish leaders to his home where

Rome keeps him under house arrest. The exact identities of these “local Jewish Leaders” is

unclear, but may simply be a coalition of the ruling elders from the synagogues in Rome (Polhill

539). When Paul starts speaking to them he addresses them as “brothers” in order to establish the

common ground between them, that is that Paul still considers himself a Jew, and that their

inheritance is rooted in Christ (Kistemaker 958). He often uses this form of address whenever he

gets into contact with a new Jewish community (2:29; 3:17; 7:2; 13:26, 38; 22:1; 23:1, 6) (Wall

360). Paul then begins to introduce himself and explain to the Jewish leaders the predicament he

was in, and how it is that he ended up as a prisoner of Rome under house arrest. He repeats

watch he has said before, in other circumstances, that he is had done nothing against the Jews,

and that he was innocent, though the authorities in Jerusalem accused him of being a criminal.

He is very careful to explain what happened in a way that does not seem accusational to the

Jewish leaders. He does this by telling them that he was “handed over to the Romans, leaving out

that he was actually rescued by the Romans from an angry Jewish mob that was trying to kill

Paul (Bruce 505; Polhill 539).

18
When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for

the death penalty in my case. 19  But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to

Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation.

Paul continues to explain his innocence to the local Jewish leaders. He explains that the

Roman authorities also examined his case and found him to be innocent of any crime deserving

death, proving that he is not in his predicament because he deserved the death penalty (Wall

360). The Jewish object in Jerusalem caused Paul to appeal to Caesar. Paul then explain to the

Jewish leaders, that although it was the Jewish objection that drove Paul to appeal to Caesar, he
harbored no anger toward them, and even continues to identify himself as a Jew while he

explains all this.

20
For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of

the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.”

Paul ends his short introduction by stating his motivations for summoning the local

Jewish leaders, that is to share with them “the hope of Israel.” He also says that this sharing is

the reason that he is in his predicament. The local Jewish leaders, if they are feigning ignorance,

may already understand what Paul means by “the hope of Israel” (Kistemaker 959). Paul does

not harbor any anger towards the Jewish leader either in Rome or Jerusalem, because even

though it is their fault that he is kept under house arrest, it was Paul devotion to the cause of

spreading the Message that ultimately brought him to Rome (Bruce 505). Paul also makes it clear

that, despite there being no grudge, the source of contention between him and the Jewish leaders

is the Jews’ problem with understanding their heritage in the hope of Israel. This “hope of Israel”

is used in other places in Acts (23:6; 24:15; 26:6-7) as a symbol that Jesus Christ is the Messiah

that has come as a fulfillment of God’s promises and prophecies for Israel (Wall 360). What Paul

does in the church and on his missions in not exclusive to the Gentiles, but is “thoroughly Jewish

in nature” (360).

21
And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the

brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you.

The Jewish leaders respond to what Paul said, seemingly without showing any hostility

towards him. They claim to have not received any letter or communication from the Judean

synagogues about Paul or Christianity. This seems unlikely, yet perhaps travel conditions in the
winter made it impossible to for any letters to have reach the Roman synagogues (Polhill 540).

The Jewish leaders also could have actually had knowledge of Paul, but simply refused to take

any sort of initiative in objecting him without having discussed it first with the Judean

synagogues, especially against someone that had appealed to Caesar (Bruce 506). Yet their

statements about not having received any communication from Judea about Paul may still be

accurate, even if they are feigning ignorance, since they would have likely known about Paul and

his activities even without word from Judea (Kistemaker 960).

22
But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that

everywhere it is spoken against.”

While the local Jewish leaders may not have any knowledge of Paul, they do know about

Christianity, which they address as “this sect.” It is strange that they are ignorant of Christianity

when the Christian church in Rome was already starting to form, and the Gospel had certainly

been introduced to the Jewish community in Rome well before Paul’s imprisonment (Bruce 506;

Polhill 540). Therefore, the local Jewish community may be keeping themselves deliberately

ignorant of Christianity, especially since the information that they do claim to have is very

unfavorable. The local Jewish leaders could also have certainly had much knowledge about

Christianity but chose not to, especially if they also feigned ignorance about knowledge of Paul.

It could also be that after the edict of Claudius caused a dispute with the Jewish synagogues, the

Jewish community of Rome decided to keep themselves at a far social and political distance

from the Christian church (Polhill 540). However, no matter what the relationship is between the

Jewish and Christian community in Rome, the local Jewish leader want to hear about Paul’s

perspective and knowledge. According to Wall, this request from the local Jewish leaders is an
instance of a pattern of prophetic ministry in Luke’s narrative where the first visit of Jews results

in a response to their request of wanting to “hear from you what your views are” (361).

23
When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers.

From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to

convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.

After having their initial conversation with Paul, the local Jewish leave his home with a

plan to arrive again later so that they could hear about Paul’s views on Christianity. The care

taken my Paul here is clear, since Paul and the Jewish leader set a specific date to meet again,

and since Paul spends as much time as possible with them as he tries to convince them by

thoroughly explaining his views. Paul ultimately ends the session by “testifying to the kingdom

of God,” which is the promise that God would restore Israel (Wall 361). Paul then goes on to

explain that it is through Jesus that the kingdom of God will be realized. Paul even testifies that

Jesus, from who the kingdom will be realized, is attested to by “both the Law of Moses and from

the Prophets.” According to Polhill, there are considerable similarities between this accounts,

and the one of Paul in Antioch. One similarity is that here, just as in Antioch, the Jews visited

him once for an introduction, then came again in much larger number for a second meeting

(Polhill 541). The difference here is that there are no Gentiles in this second meeting, only Jews.

We do not know exactly what Paul said, or the exact texts that he used, but they were no doubt

familiar to his Jewish guests. We can also presume what Paul said based off his other, similar

interactions such as the ones in Antioch and Ephesus (Kistemaker 961). It is also likely that the

second meeting did not solely consist of Paul informing the Jews of his thoughts, but that both

parties passionately argued and debated concerning everything Paul said, including his claims of

innocence despite the Jewish objection in Judea (Bruce 507-508).

24
And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved.

This is the typical response from the Jew that Paul preaches to during his ministry; a few

of the Jews believing, while the majority does not believe. If this were not the last the last

chapter of Paul’s account in Acts, then we could expect to later see Gentiles being very receptive

to the Gospel, according to the pattern that Paul has seen during his ministry. That a majority of

the Jews did not accept what Paul said does not mean that his preaching was a failure in Rome,

but simply that some of the Jew heard what Paul said and became believers (Wall 361). Polhill

suggests that it is possible for some of the Jews to have been “convinced” only because they

found Paul’s arguments valid, but did not make a commitment to Christ, but he admits that this is

unlikely because of the pervasive pattern in Paul’s ministry of a division between the Jews when

some come to believe, and the rest refuse to believe (Polhill 542).

25
And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The

Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

Once again, the pattern of Jewish division continues to be emphasized after hearing what

Paul had to say. The Jews continued to argue among themselves as the division worsened. Much

of this disagreement came from Paul’s final comment, which is not about Jesus and the kingdom,

but about the Jews themselves and their reject of the Gospel (Polhill 542). Paul mentions the

Holy Spirit to add emphasis to the truthfulness of the prophets divinely inspired words (543).

Polhill also notes that this is where Paul begins to distance himself from his Jewish guest, saying

“your” forefathers, when before, he had address them as “brothers” (543).

26
“‘Go to this people, and say,

“You will indeed hear but never understand,

     and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
27 
For this people's heart has grown dull,

     and with their ears they can barely hear,

     and their eyes they have closed;

lest they should see with their eyes

     and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

     and turn, and I would heal them.’

Paul’s quote from Isaiah sums up the response to Paul’s ministry up to this point, that

though his ministry is divinely ordained, it will result in the Jews being blind and deaf to the

Gospel and to the coming of the Kingdom of God (Bruce 508). Paul quotes the Isaiah 6:9-10

verbatim from the Septuagint text, which differs in some ways from the Hebrew text, but those

differences only serve to further illustrate Paul’s point (Polhill 543). Isaiah uses the image of the

“organs of perception” to illustrate the Jews are, despite sensing the Message, not acting on

God’s will (543). Their hearts, eyes, and ears are all perceiving God’s will in the form of the

Gospels, but they do not accept it, and eventually come to actively reject it. Though some

scholars see this quote as being a sign from Paul that he will no longer continue his mission to

Israel, this is excessive (Wall 361). All that Paul says here describes what he has seen from his

personal experience of interacting with a divided Israel (362). This quote also reflects the

prophecy given by Simeon at the time of Jesus’s birth, when he says that the birth of the Lord

will divide Israel (Luke 2:34).

The Septuagint changes the wording of the Hebrew into something that better illustrate

Paul’s point. In the Septuagint, Isaiah 6:9-10 is rendered differently by making all the verbs that
describe Israel into aorist indicative verbs, rather than the imperative verbs found in the Hebrew

text. Imperative verbs would render the text as such: Make this people’s heart grow dull…make

their ears hard of hearing…close their eyes. Wall explains that the rhetorical effect of the verbs

in the Septuagint is to state what is already wrong with Israel, in contrast with a prediction or

order of future failure (362).

28
Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they

will listen.”

Paul closes his speech by telling the Jews that where they have failed, the Gentiles have

succeeded. Through Paul, the Jews have heard with their ears but have not understood, just as the

passage from Isaiah predicted. Gentiles throughout Paul’s ministry have been much more

receptive to the Gospel than the Jews, which is why Paul declare to his Jewish guest that the

Gospel has been sent for them, because unlike the Jews, the Gentiles will hear and understand.

This does not mean that Paul will no longer continue to preach to the Jews, though many

scholars think that this is the case (Polhill 544). Throughout his ministry, Paul had a vision for

the restoration of all Israel, with every Jewish person coming to believe in the coming of the

Kingdom of God through Christ. As such, there is no reason to believe that he would stop now,

especially since he has not been very unsuccessful in his mission to the Jews. Even in within the

synagogues that persecuted Paul there were still Jews that chose to believe and follow Jesus

(544). Although Paul’s ending of his Jewish mission is not definitive, his recognition of the

Jewish rejection of the Gospel is. Luke is making it very clear to the writer that the Jewish

people as a whole would not come to accept the Gospel. They continually reject Jesus, and will

likely continue to reject Him (545). This Jewish rejection of the Gospel is the third time in Acts

that such a rejection in mentioned, forming a Lukan triad (see 13:46-47; 18:5-6) (Wall 363). The
significance of this is debated. Wall then notes that such an interpretation is missing the point.

While Jews as a whole have rejected the Gospel, many Jews have still come to believe in Jesus.

And while Gentiles as a whole are much more receptive to the Gospel, even they often reject

Jesus (363). With this in mind, there is no reason to think that Paul is giving up on his mission to

the Jews, but rather simply stating what he has seen so far from his experiences. Despite the

Jewish rejection, Paul does seem to end a positive note, by proclaiming that the Gentiles are

saved because of their faith, but also that the Gospel is still inclusive to the Jews should they

decide to believe in Christ (Kistemaker 964).

Throughout his ministry, Paul has tried over and over to convince the Jews to follow

Christ and be faithful to God’s will. Despite his efforts, a pattern existed in his ministry where

the Jews would listen to his message curiously, and then ultimately come to reject his message of

Christ and the Kingdom of God. The Gentiles, on the other hand, have been much more

receptive of the Gospel than the Jews have. Paul recognizes this, and stated it with a climactic

quote from Isaiah. This by no means indicates that Paul is deciding to give up his ministry for the

Jews, but it does mean that he recognizes the widespread Jewish rejection of the Gospel. The

most important message from Paul’s Isaiah quote, however, is that the Gospel is completely

inclusive. Should any Jews, or the Jews as a whole have decided to turn and accept the salvation

of Christ and the coming of the Kingdom of God, then they would, and still can be accepted into

the Kingdom of God.

 Works Cited

Bruce, F. F. “The Book of Acts.” New International Commentary on the New Testament,
Eerdmans, 1988, Grand Rapids, pp. 504-511

Kistemaker, Simon J. “Acts.” New Testament Commentary, Baker, 1990, Grand Rapids, pp. 957-
969.

Polhill, John B. “Acts.” The New American Commentary, v. 26, Broadman, 1992, Nashville, pp.
538-548.

Wall, Robert W. “Acts of the Apostles.” New Interpreter’s Bible, v. 10, Abington Press, 2002,
Nashville, pp. 359-368.