Commentary - Acts 28:17-22

Bird's-eye view

In this final section of Acts, the Apostle Paul, having finally arrived in Rome, immediately sets about his life's mission: to preach the gospel to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Under house arrest, he doesn't wait for an audience to come to him; he summons the leaders of the Roman Jewish community. This is not merely a courtesy call. It is a formal, strategic address, an apologetic for his own situation and, more importantly, for the gospel itself. Paul presents his case with pastoral wisdom and forensic skill. He is not an enemy of his people, he has not violated their customs, and his appeal to Caesar was a defensive necessity, not an attack on his nation. The central point of his defense is that his entire predicament, the very chains he wears, is on account of "the hope of Israel." He is arguing that Christianity is not a novel heresy, but the true and faithful fulfillment of everything the Old Testament promised. The response of the Jewish leaders is cautious and noncommittal, but it sets the stage for the book's climactic scene of gospel proclamation in the heart of the empire.

Luke is showing us the unstoppable advance of the gospel. It has moved from Jerusalem, through Judea and Samaria, to the uttermost parts of the earth, and now it has arrived at the center of world power. And the first thing it does is seek out the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Paul's chains are not a sign of defeat but a badge of honor, a testament to the fact that the promises made to Abraham, David, and the prophets have found their "Yes" in Jesus Christ. This passage is a masterful summary of Paul's entire ministry: faithful to his kinsmen, innocent before the civil magistrate, and shackled for the sake of the Messiah, the true hope of the world.

Outline

Context In Acts

Acts 28 is the culmination of the entire book. The gospel, which began as a Spirit-empowered proclamation in Jerusalem in Acts 2, has now, through persecution, missionary journeys, and divine providence, reached the imperial capital. The journey itself, detailed in chapter 27, was a testament to God's sovereignty, with Paul emerging as the de facto leader on a storm-tossed ship. His arrival in Rome is not as a tourist or a free missionary, but as a prisoner for Christ. This passage immediately follows his arrival and reception by the Roman believers. Before he settles into his two-year ministry from his rented quarters, his first order of business is to address the official Jewish leadership. This is consistent with Paul's pattern throughout Acts: he always takes the gospel to the synagogue first (Acts 13:5, 14; 14:1; 17:1-2, 10; 18:4). This scene, therefore, is the final instance of that pattern, and it serves as a crucial bridge to the book's conclusion, where Paul, having been largely rejected by the Jews, formally declares that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles.

Key Issues

An Ambassador in Chains

It is crucial that we understand Paul's posture here. He is a prisoner, yes, but he is not acting like a defeated man. He takes the initiative. He calls the leading men to him. He is, as he would later write from this same imprisonment, an "ambassador in chains" (Eph 6:20). An ambassador represents the authority of the king who sent him, and his message is not diminished by his personal circumstances. In fact, Paul's chains amplify his message. They are visible proof of the conflict between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of men. They are a testament to the high cost of his allegiance to King Jesus.

Paul's address is a model of Christian apologetics. It is courteous, firm, and relentlessly focused on the gospel. He is not there to complain about his mistreatment or to vent his frustrations. He is there to clarify his position, remove any false reports, and present the truth. He knows that rumors and slander travel faster than the truth, and so he preemptively sets the record straight. His goal is not simply his own vindication, but the persuasion of his hearers for the sake of the gospel. He is a master strategist, and his opening move in Rome is to establish a beachhead for the truth within the Jewish community.

Verse by Verse Commentary

17 And it happened that after three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying 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 wastes no time. After just three days to get his bearings, he acts. He doesn't wait for them to hear garbled reports; he seizes the initiative and summons the leading men. These would be the elders and rulers of the various synagogues in Rome. His opening address is both respectful and direct. He calls them "Brothers," affirming their shared heritage. His defense is twofold: he has done nothing against the Jewish people (the nation) or their customs (the Mosaic law as practiced). This is a flat denial of the charges of sedition and apostasy that had dogged him. He wants to make it clear from the outset that the conflict is not about him being anti-Jewish. Rather, he was unjustly handed over by his own countrymen in Jerusalem to a pagan power, a shameful act in itself.

18 And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death.

Here Paul leverages the verdict of the Roman authorities. The Romans, the pagan occupiers, the ones with no theological stake in the matter, had repeatedly found him innocent. Lysias, Felix, Festus, and Agrippa all concluded that he was not guilty of any capital crime. He is pointing out the profound irony of his situation: the Gentile courts could see his innocence, but his own people were baying for his blood. This was meant to show the Roman Jews that the case against him was baseless and driven by malice, not by any legitimate breach of either Jewish or Roman law.

19 But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation.

This is a crucial clarification. Why is he in Rome? Because the Judean Jews, in their irrational opposition, left him no choice. The appeal to Caesar was not an offensive move, but a defensive one. It was the only legal recourse left to him to save his life from ambush and to secure a fair hearing, which he knew he could not get in Jerusalem. He is very careful to add that in making this appeal, he was not bringing a counter-charge against the Jewish nation. He is not in Rome as a prosecutor of his own people. This is a magnanimous and strategic statement. He is not trying to burn bridges, but to build them. He still sees himself as part of the nation of Israel and does not want to be cast in the role of an accuser.

20 For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.”

This is the heart of his entire speech, the theological linchpin. He boils the entire complex legal and political conflict down to one central issue: the hope of Israel. His chains are not the result of a political miscalculation or a criminal act. He is a prisoner because he believes, preaches, and embodies the fulfillment of Israel's hope. What is this hope? It is the sum total of all the Old Testament promises: the promise of a Messiah, a Son of David who would sit on the throne forever; the promise of the resurrection from the dead; the promise of a new covenant; the promise of the forgiveness of sins and the restoration of all things. Paul is declaring that Jesus of Nazareth is that Messiah, that His resurrection is the firstfruits of the great resurrection, and that faith in Him is the only way for Israel to realize its long-cherished hope. He is not preaching a new religion; he is announcing that the old one has reached its glorious climax.

21 And they said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brothers come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you.

The response of the Jewish leaders is interesting. They claim ignorance. No official letters of condemnation have arrived from the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, and no traveling brothers have brought any negative verbal reports. This could be true; perhaps the accusers in Judea, knowing their case was weak, did not bother to send a delegation to Rome. Or, this could be a bit of diplomatic maneuvering on the part of the Roman Jews. They might be feigning neutrality to see which way the wind blows. Either way, it provides Paul with a clean slate. He is not having to fight against a pre-existing smear campaign in this city.

22 But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.”

While they claim no specific knowledge about Paul, they are not ignorant of Christianity. They refer to it as "this sect." The word used here, hairesis, is where we get our word heresy, but at this stage it simply meant a party or a school of thought, like the sect of the Sadducees or the sect of the Pharisees. What they do know is its reputation: it is spoken against everywhere. From Judea to Asia Minor to Greece, this new movement was a cause of controversy, division, and opposition. Their statement is an open invitation. They are essentially saying, "We have not heard the case against you personally, but we know your movement is universally controversial. We are willing to hear your side of the story directly." This sets the stage for Paul's great gospel presentation that follows, giving him the very opportunity he sought.

Application

Paul's conduct in Rome provides us with a robust model for Christian engagement with a skeptical or hostile world. First, he demonstrates a profound love for his own people, even those who had persecuted him. He does not write them off. He seeks them out, addresses them respectfully as "brothers," and makes the gospel his first appeal to them. We must never allow the opposition of others to curdle our love for them or extinguish our desire for their salvation.

Second, Paul understood the importance of clear, honest communication. He did not let lies and misrepresentations fester. He addressed the charges against him head-on, not with angry rhetoric, but with a calm presentation of the facts. We have a duty to defend the truth and to maintain a good conscience before God and man, giving a reason for the hope that is in us with gentleness and respect.

Third, and most importantly, Paul knew how to keep the main thing the main thing. He brilliantly reframed his entire legal struggle as a theological one. This was not about Paul; it was about the hope of Israel. It was about Jesus. In all our apologetics, in all our controversies, in all our trials, we must learn to do the same. We must show the world that our chains, our struggles, our strange beliefs, are all on account of Jesus Christ, the true hope not just of Israel, but of all nations. The gospel is always the central issue. And like Paul, we must be eager to proclaim it, whether in freedom or in chains, knowing that the word of God is not bound.