Background to Paul’s message in Rome
After his third missionary Journey Paul went to Jerusalem. There he was arrested at the Temple and falsely accused of bringing Trophimus a gentile into the temple (Acts 21:29). He was sent to Caesarea because of the plot to kill him if he was taken to Jerusalem. In Caesarea Paul stood before Governor Felix and was in prison there for two years until the end of Felix term and the installation of a new Governor Festus.
When he was before Festus Paul appealed to Caesar to keep from being killed. Paul also stood before King Agrippa and then was sent on to Rome. An angel told Paul “You will stand before Caesar yet.”
Paul was sent as a prisoner along with 276 prisoners total to sail for Rome. Along the way Paul was shipwrecked for three months on the island of Malta.
When Paul finally got to Rome, he was able to live by himself with a soldier to guard him. Three days later Paul called together the Jewish leaders in Rome and addressed them. When Paul spoke to the Jews not only was a Roman soldier guarding him, but Paul was wearing a prisoner’s chain.
Paul’s message in Rome (part 1)
Just three days after he arrived in Rome, he called the Jews to his home where the soldier was guarding him. There he gave a message to the Jews. Paul normally would go to the Synagogue first, but in this case, he called the Synagogue leaders and members to his home.
Paul gave the Jewish leaders of Rome the background of how and why he was in prison. He addressed the Jews as his brothers and explained to them that he did nothing against the Jewish people or the customs of their ancestors. He explained that he was arrested and handed over to the Romans. He was found not guilty of any crime deserving death and they wanted to release Paul. The Jews objected so he made his appeal to Caesar.
He told them that in Jerusalem he did not bring any charges before the Romans against those Jews who falsely accused him. That is the reason that he wanted to talk with the Jewish leaders of Rome. He told the Jews that he was in chains because of the hope of Israel. There is a lot behind this phrase, “the hope of Israel”. When they return in larger numbers and he speaks to them again he will unpack this from morning to evening.
Results of Paul’s message in Rome (part 1)
There does not seem to be the strong reaction to Paul when the Jewish leaders met with him, as compared to when he spoke before the Jewish leaders of Jerusalem. They listened to Paul and explained that they had not received any letters from Judea regarding Paul. What they were familiar with was Christianity which the Jewish leaders who came to visit Paul called “this sect”.
Paul’s message (part 2)
The second part of Paul’s message is just a few verses, but we find out it was about a ten-hour message to persuade them about Jesus. This time they returned to hear Paul in his house in large numbers. He went through the whole of the scriptures. He was telling them about the kingdom of God from the law of Moses and the prophets from morning to evening.
When we read the law of Moses and the prophets that we are talking about all the books of Moses. Paul would have explained clearly about the original sin to the call of Abraham. Most likely what Paul said was much of what he had already written in the book of Romans relating the Old Testament to Christ, the Jews, and the Law.
Those who Paul was speaking to already believed in all the books of Moses and the Prophets. They also had an expectation of the coming Messiah. Even the disciples that Jesus called to himself had a different idea of what the Messiah would be.
They expected an earthly ruler like King David who would be the leader of a powerful kingdom. Paul explained to them from morning to evening what the kingdom of God really is. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
Paul tried to persuade them about Jesus. Even before King Agrippa Paul tried to persuade the King to become a Christian (Acts 26:28). He explained everything about Jesus Christ to the large group of Jews from morning till evening.
Results of Paul’s message (part 2)
Some of these Jewish leaders were convinced that Paul was right. He convinced them that Jesus is the Messiah the hope of Israel. But not all were convinced, and they disagreed among themselves. When Paul made his final statement, they began to leave.
“The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors 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.”
27 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!”
This point that the Messiah is for the Gentiles as well as the Jews is what had caused such an uproar since Jesus the Messiah came. When Jesus preached his first sermon and claimed to be the Messiah, they accepted him and all spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips (Luke 4:22). Then when Jesus showed them from the Law of Moses and the prophets that the Messiah was for gentiles, they became furious and tried to kill him (Luke 4:28-19).
In Jerusalem thousands of Jewish leaders, like those who came to hear Paul, had believed this same message, and became followers of Christ (Acts 21:20). It is very possible those were convinced from what Paul taught them regarding the Messiah also became followers of Christ.
Conclusion of Paul’s message
We must be ready to share Christ as Paul did. What Paul did to share about Jesus from the law of Moses and the prophets we today call sharing “Creation to Christ”. We need to be familiar with scriptures so that we can share the message of Christ including our sin problem and why we need a saviour.
With just a little freedom for Paul this opened the door wide for ministry. We see how Paul used his time. He was two years in his own rented quarters. In these two years he, wrote letters, prayed night and day, poured into his church leaders and witnessed to the Jews and the Gentiles. (Acts 28:30-31).
Paul told us his life purpose in one of the letters he wrote soon after he spoke to these Jewish leaders in Rome with a soldier guarding him and a chain on him.
“Jesus is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. (Colossians 1:28-29)
Those who heard Paul share about Jesus from morning to evening were faced with how they would respond. We also must ask ourselves what we will do about our sin that separates us from God. We can read the book that Paul recently wrote before he met the Jewish leaders, the book of Romans to get an idea of what Paul talked about from morning to evening. This book that Paul wrote just before meeting was the influence that launched the protestant reformation fifteen hundred years later.
God’s plan is salvation through Christ. Jesus died, the just for the unjust to bring us back to God. We must put ourselves in the same position as the Jewish leaders and examine what the Scriptures say about Christ and respond. The Jewish leaders who heard Paul were very divided on their response. Still to this day there is a division of how people respond to Christ. Paul himself violently opposed Jesus and his followers until the Lord Jesus met him on the Damascus Road.
Are we convinced that Jesus is the Christ, or do we refuse to believe? We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us we can never be good enough by our own efforts and good works to pay the penalty for our sin.
