1. PAUL'S FIRST INTERVIEW WITH THE JEWS.

Acts 28:17-22.

(17) And it came to pass, that after three days he called together those that were the chief of the Jews: and when they were come together, he said unto them, I, brethren, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, yet was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans: (18) who, when they had examined me, desired to set me at liberty, because there was no cause of death in me. (19) But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had aught whereof to accuse my nation. (20) For this cause therefore did I entreat you to see and to speak with me: for because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. (21) And they said unto him, We neither received letters from Judaea concerning thee, nor did any of the brethren come hither and report or speak any harm of thee. (22) But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.

Paul was now in Rome. His desire was granted, his prayer answered, the Lord's promise fulfilled. " I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." After being in Rome but three days he called together the chief of the Jews. There were seven Jewish synagogues in Rome, and Paul called together the elders in each one of them. Everywhere the Gospel went the leaders of the nation were not forgotten. Paul again appealed to his own countrymen. He claimed to be still a Jew. There was nothing little about Paul. No matter what others might do against him he was too big to allow the same spirit to take hold of his life. "Christianity is Judaism perfected and glorified." He explained to these people why he was in Rome as a prisoner. He had, in no way, done anything that was against the people or the things taught by the Law and Prophets. " When I was examined the judges would have given me my liberty, but the Jews spake against it and it became necessary to make my appeal unto Caesar. Not in any sense that I had anything against my nation. And now for this very purpose I have called you; I am here in bonds, not because I have violated the teaching of the Law and the Prophets, but because my teaching has been that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, and the hope of Israel which is cleared up by the Law. And because I set forth this hope I am here in bonds." The Jews then said unto him that they had no information from Judea, either by letter or from brethren who had come from Jerusalem to Rome. Therefore they had heard nothing evil against him. However, they had heard a great deal concerning the sect that he represented. (The word " sect " here is the same as " heresy." Its meaning is really " party." It means the breaking up of the Jews into another party.) These Roman Jews certainly knew something about Christianity, for there was a Christian church at Rome and Jewish Christians among the disciples. It is a good thing to belong to the right party. " The sect must be everywhere spoken against if ever it is to rule the world. What great truth is there that has not had to fight its way as Paul had to fight his? This sect was everywhere spoken against, and they are still speaking against it. This sect has Jesus Christ for its Leader, its Captain, and you want to be sure to belong to Him, and not to some organization that represents Him afar off."

QUESTIONS.

• When did Paul call the chief of the Jews together?

• What statement did he make to them? Why had he appealed to Caesar?

• Why was he made a prisoner?

  Because he preached Jesus as the Hope of Israel.

• What statement did the Jews make in reply?

• What desire did they express?

• To what sect did they allude and who was the Leader of that sect?

2. PAUL PREACHING TO THE JEWS.

Acts 28:23-27.

(23) And when they had appointed him a day, they came to him into his lodging in great number; to whom he expounded the matter, testifying the kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning till evening. (24) And some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. (25) And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Spirit through Isaiah the prophet unto your fathers, (26) saying, (Isa. 6:9, 10) Go thou unto this people, and say, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive:

(27) For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should turn again, and I should heal them.

Before closing their former interview they had arranged for a time when all could meet and Paul could deliver them a sermon on the sect that was spoken against. Quite a company met him at his lodging, and he preached them an expository sermon, basing his arguments upon the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament. This was a meeting that lasted all day. What a wonderful message must have come from his lips as he unfolded the prophetic testimony gathered through the entire Old Testament, concerning the Messiah, the Hope of the Jewish nation! The Apostle Paul had told them that because he had preached that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the hope of the Jewish nation, therefore he was in bonds. His entire message was the truth set forth in the Scriptures, as presented to him by the Holy Spirit.

The results here are the same as before when he preached. Some believed and others rejected the Messiah as the Hope of the nation. Here the same opportunity was given to the Jews, but they turned away from him who was offering it. After speaking these warning words to the Jews that were before him, quoting this same truth uttered by the Holy Spirit, through Isaiah, he followed the same course he had in Corinth and Ephesus, leaving the Jews to their fate and proclaiming to the Gentiles the Gospel of Grace.

QUESTIONS.

• Where did the Jews meet so he might speak to them? Meaning of "expounded and testified"?

  He reasoned out of the Scriptures and explained and set forth the truth as God made it known to him. He bore witness from his own experience of the revelations God made to him.

• What scripture did he use to exalt Jesus?

  The Law of Moses and the Prophets. These were common grounds. All believed them.

• How long did he continue the discourse?

• How was this sermon received by the Jews?

• From what book did he quote?

  He quoted from Isa. 6:9. These Jews would not obey the truth. By so doing they hardened their own hearts and blinded their own eyes. It was less than ten years later that Jerusalem and the temple were wholly destroyed and the Jews became a scattered nation and therefore really no longer a nation.

3. PAUL TURNING TO THE GENTILES.

Acts 28:28-31.

(28) Be it known therefore unto you, that this salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles: they will also hear. (Some ancient authorities insert ver. 29, And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, having much disputing among themselves.)

(30) And he abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto him, (31) preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, none forbidding him.

It is indeed sad when people close their eyes to the light, harden their hearts, and thus prepare themselves for God's judgment to fall upon them. The Apostle, with this sad feeling in his heart, realizing the condition of his own countrymen, the people whom he loved, uttered this farewell: "Be it known therefore unto you, that this salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles." The same passage that Paul used had been used by Jesus to the unbelieving Jews at Galilee (Matt. 13:14). The Apostle John, in speaking of the unbelief of these same people, who had heard Jesus in Jerusalem, quoted the same words (John 12:40). This same Gospel, started on its mission to the Gentiles, is still preached. Are the Gentiles, as a people, receiving this Gospel, or will they by their neglect and indifference bring judgment upon themselves, and will God take the truth away from them as He did from the Jews?

The Jews must have had a great meeting after they left Paul, but it was a meeting that was of little value and was of no help to themselves or to anyone else.

The penman is about to bring his book to a close, by simply informing us that for two whole years Paul dwelt in his own hired house, and had many visitors during that period. Great liberty was granted to him in the preaching of the Gospel, magnifying the Lord Jesus Christ, and at no time during these two years did anyone interfere or hinder him in the missionary work for which he had been sent to Rome.

We began in the study of our book, at Jerusalem. We are now in Rome. It is a continuous, progressive history of the church of Jesus Christ. It contains the Acts of Christ, the Spirit of God, the opposition of Satan. The book closes, but the history of the church moves forward.

In the studying of Paul's writings we learn much of what has been accomplished during these two years and what may have taken place providing Paul was released from his first imprisonment. The following chapter will give information concerning a further history of Paul as gleaned from the study of his letters.

QUESTIONS.

• Give Paul's reasons for going to the Gentiles.

  The Jews rejected the Gospel, so he now turns to the Gentiles who are ready to receive it

• What did the Jews do?

• Where did Paul dwell while in Rome?

• How long did he remain there?

• What did he do during this period?

During two years, mentioned by Luke (Acts 28:30), Paul had liberty to do constant missionary work. It would appear to us to be quite a hindrance, but he made full use of his opportunities. He was during the two years chained to some soldier, and was expected to be at his own hired house. Many came to him during the two years to hear him teach the Bible. It was during this time that he wrote letters to different churches. It is not advisable to go into detail concerning the letters he wrote, as that will be treated in another book which is to appear for further study.

1. Onesimus, a runaway slave from Colosse, visited Paul at Rome and heard him preach. He was converted, and Paul felt he needed his services and sympathy, but would not influence him to be untrue to his master. Only by consent of his owner would Paul keep him. Paul wrote a letter to Philemon, and sent the letter with Onesimus when he returned to his owner. The letter he carried was to secure his proper treatment on return to his master. It is a letter full of interest and worthy of careful study. It contains but twenty-five verses.

2. In the same town, Colosse, from which Onesimus had come, was a growing Christian church. Paul was visited by Epaphras while in Rome. For some reason he also was made a prisoner, and reported to Paul some very serious hindrances to the growth and prosperity of said church. Paul, in order to correct these difficulties, wrote this letter to the Colossian church and sent it by Tychicus.

3. The bearer of the epistle to the Colossian church was a member of the church at Ephesus and, having an opportunity to send by the same hand, Paul wrote the Ephesian letter. The two letters sent by Tychicus are very similar in thought and style, showing that they were written about the same time.

The three letters, from careful study, show that they were written soon after Paul's imprisonment, as he seems very hopeful of soon being released. In the Philippian letter that same hope is not expressed; it must have been written at a time when almost all hope of being released had failed. The church at Philippi had sent him contributions by the hands of Epaphroditus. When he had delivered the contribution to Paul, he was taken seriously ill, which was reported to the Philippian church. This church was deeply concerned about his recovery. Just as soon as he had recovered sufficiently, Paul wrote a letter to said church, which was sent by the hands of Epaphroditus.

There are many good Bible students who hold that Paul was released from his first imprisonment, after which he did considerable missionary work, visiting a number of churches and writing some valuable letters to different churches. This seems to us to be most in keeping with the work done and history furnished us by Paul in his letters. Believing this to be most in harmony with the spirit of his work, we proceed to give a very brief statement of each letter.

After Paul's release, in company with Timothy, he visited the Ephesian church. Timothy had been with Paul at Rome. When the time came to leave, Paul thought it prudent to have Timothy remain (1 Tim. 1:3), to do specific work in that church. It was while with the church at Philippi that he found it impossible to visit just then the Ephesian church, so he wrote the first letter to Timothy, about A. D. 63.

Paul had been, for some time, in Macedonia and went from there to Crete, where he did some missionary work. After returning to Asia Minor, he wrote the' Titus letter and sent it to him, giving instruction for the Cretan churches. This was about A. D. 64.

The last letter written by Paul was after his second imprisonment and just before his execution by Nero. It is a letter full of encouragement to Timothy, and will always be read as Paul's last words. This may have been written about A. D. 67.