Question 25: Why does Paul call for the chief of the Jews when he is in Rome?

given the distinctive content of paul's epistle to the romans can you explain why paul called for the chief of the jews upon his arrival in rome also why are the recipients of the epistle of romans not mentioned in acts 28 so good question let's start by just understanding some things about the book of romans so romans chapter 1 romans chapter 1 and we'll look at verse 7. romans 1 verse 7. to all that be in rome beloved of god called to be saints so what we see in verse 7 is that romans was written to the saints in rome that shouldn't be surprising but notice something in verse 13 verse 13. now i would not have you ignorant brethren that oftentimes i purposed to come unto you but was let hitherto in other words he was hindered he was prevented that i might have some fruit among you also even as among other gentiles so when paul says that he might have some fruit among you also even as among other gentiles it obviously means that the people he's writing to the romans are gentiles because he talks about other gentiles so we understand that romans is written to the saints in rome and we understand that they're predominantly gentiles we also understand that romans was written in acts chapter 20 verse 3 that's the time when paul wrote it so now look with me at acts 28 acts chapter 28 and notice verse 16 and when we came to rome this is when paul first arrives in rome at the end of the book of acts the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard but paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him verse 17. and it came to pass that after three days paul called the chief of the jews together so that's interesting in acts 20 verse 3 paul writes to the romans and it's very clear that the romans are pre the roman saints are predominantly jews because romans 1 13 tells you that what happens in acts 28 though is the first thing that paul does when he arrives in rome is he doesn't call for the saints to come see him what he calls for is he calls for the chief of the jews to come see him that's why the listener asked the question so why is that why did he do that to understand why that is let's back up for a minute and look with me at matthew chapter 10. we need to get a little bit of background matthew chapter 10 verse 5. these twelve jesus sent forth and commanded them saying go not into the way of the gentiles and into any city the samaritans enter ye not but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of israel when the twelve are sent out by the lord jesus christ in other words when we look during the lord's earthly ministry and we see the twelve being sent out they are sent to the lost sheep of the house of israel and the lord specifically says do not go to the gentiles contrast that with romans 11. so get romans chapter 11 romans 11 verse 13 romans 11 verse 13 for i speak to you gentiles inasmuch as i am the apostle of the gentiles i magnify mine office so paul is described as the apostle of the gentiles but just so we're clear that title does not mean that paul never spoke to anyone else paul is given the title the apostle the gentiles for the following reason peter was specifically told along with the rest of the 12 do not go to the gentiles so he was not supposed to go to the gentiles at all paul was called the apostle of the gentiles because he was specifically sent to the gentiles but do not conclude from that that paul never spoke to jews because he clearly did so look with me if you would at romans chapter 1 verse 16. romans 1 verse 16 for i am not ashamed of the gospel of christ for it is the power of god unto salvation notice to the jew first and also to the greek when paul describes the gospel of christ that he preached he specifically says that he went to the jew in fact he says to the jew first so let's make sure we understand this paul is the apostle of the gentiles he was sent to gentiles but don't be confused paul did not preach only to gentiles he clearly preached to jews also let me show you um something then if you would get get with me romans chapter 10. romans chapter 10. what we need to understand before we go further is this when paul says to the jew first what exactly does he mean does he mean for example that the jews had a superior position in the body of christ let's consider that romans chapter 10 12 verse 12 romans 10 12 for there is no difference between the jew and the greek for the same lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him get with me colossians chapter 3 colossians chapter 3 colossians 3 10 and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him verse 11 where there is neither greek nor jew circumcision nor uncircumcision barbarian scythian bond nor free but christ is all and in all in the new man in the body of christ is there a difference between jew and greek there's not look with me then at galatians chapter 3. galatians chapter 3 verse 27 for as many of you as have been baptized into christ have put on christ verse 28 there is neither jew nor greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in christ jesus so what we saw there in romans 10 what we saw in colossians 3 what we saw in galatians 3 is that in the body of christ there's no difference between jew and greek the jew does not have an advantage the jew does not have a superior position but then what does romans 1 16 mean paul said for i am not ashamed of the gospel of christ for it is the power of god unto salvation to the jew first well what does it mean to the jew first if jew and gentile are the same in the body of christ get with me acts 17. i think that acts 17 will help explain this to us acts chapter 17. let's start in verse 1. in acts 17 we're going to look at the time when paul was in thessalonica acts 17 1. now when they had passed through amphipolis and apollonia they came to thessalonica where was a synagogue of the jews so when paul travels to thessalonica scripture notes that there was a synagogue there notice verse 2 and paul as his manner was went in unto them and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures when paul went into the synagogue in thessalonica was that out of character was that unusual was that rare or was that paul's customary practice well obviously it was his customary practice because verse 2 says as his manner was when paul would go to a new city what's the first thing he would do he would go to the synagogue verse 3 opening and alleging that christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this jesus whom i preach unto you is christ when paul would go into the synagogues when he first arrived in a city what he would do is he would preach to them jesus christ because they needed to understand who jesus christ was they needed to understand that the son of god who had been prophesied in the old testament had indeed come and had died for their sins so that's why paul went in to the synagogues first now what i'll suggest to you is this there is a reason that paul had to go to the jew first and it's simply this for the previous 2000 years there was a difference between jew and greek israel was god's chosen people israel was given the covenants of promise now we know that in the book of acts israel will fall and diminish and as a result of israel's fallen diminishing they will be the same as gentiles there will be no difference but paul needed to go to the synagogues he needed to go to the jews first to tell them about christ and to tell them about the change in circumstances so let me give you an earthly example if i could what happens in the business world when someone's position changes in other words let's maybe their position is being eliminated hopefully not but sometimes that happens sometimes the responsibilities of their position are changing well when that happens should management talk to all of that person's co-workers first and say hey have you heard about what's happening to him or should management talk first to the individual who's impacted well obviously the right thing to do is you have a direct conversation first with the people who are impacted well did the dispensation of grace impact israel yes it did because they fell they diminished from the prior position of blessing that they had so paul to effectuate god's will god had to tell israel there's been a change your position in time past has changed and while paul did that he also told them the solution which was jesus is the christ he's the son of god so you can see there's a reason that paul went to the jew first notice with me acts chapter 18 acts chapter 18. in acts 17 we were in thessalonica in acts 18 we're in corinth acts 18 verse 1. after these things paul departed from athens and came to corinth go to verse 4 and he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath and persuaded the jews and greeks so in corinth paul behaves very similar to what he did in thessalonica he goes into the synagogue and he reasons with the jews on multiple sabbath days verse 5 and when silas and timotheus were come from macedonia paul was pressed in the spirit and testified to the jews that jesus was christ he's telling them that jesus of nazareth was the christ the messiah the son of god that had long been prophesied notice verse 6 and when they opposed themselves and blasphemed in other words paul tells them jesus was the son of god he's the messiah that was promised what they should have done is they should have said hallelujah god's promise has been fulfilled we will now believe on jesus christ but verse 6 says they didn't do that what they did is they opposed themselves when you reject the truth do you hurt the person that you're hearing it from you don't hurt the person you're hearing it from you hurt yourself because it's a harm to your own soul now notice what happens and when they had opposed themselves and blasphemed he shook his raiment and said unto them your blood be upon your own heads i am clean from henceforth i will go unto the gentiles so paul had fulfilled his responsibility he went to the jew first he told them that jesus was the christ when they rejected it when they opposed themselves he said i'm clean your blood be upon your own head it's not my responsibility and i'm going to go to the gentiles he went to the jew first when the jews rejected it he then went to the gentiles get with me acts 13 acts chapter 13. in acts 13 we're going to be in antioch in passinia verse 14. but when they departed from perga they came to antioch impersidia and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day you can see this pattern is very clear in the book of acts when paul goes into a city he goes to the synagogue first verse 15 and after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them saying ye men and brethren if ye have any word of exhortation for the people say on in other words it was an opportunity for people that had a word of expert exhortation to stand up and share it notice verse 16 then paul stood up and beckoning with his hand said men of israel and ye that fear god give audience so paul takes advantage of this opportunity to tell israel about the christ skip down to verse 42 and when the jews were gone out of the synagogue the gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath paul had first spoken to the jews then the gentiles wanted to hear it and you'll notice that's what paul's going to do verse 43 now when the congregation was broken up many of the jews and religious proselytes followed paul and barnabas who speaking to them persuaded them to continue in the grace of god verse 44 and the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of god verse 45 but when the jews saw the multitudes they were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by paul contradicting and blaspheming notice what paul says in verse 46 then paul and barnabas waxed bold and said it was necessary that the word of god should first have been spoken to you let's just pause there it was necessary that at first be spoken to them because they were god's chosen people and god couldn't just ghost on them he couldn't just say i'm not talking to you i'm not telling you what's going on that's inconsistent with how god does things god wanted paul to speak to israel first it was necessary that paul do that now notice what happens but seeing ye put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life now by the way that's what happens when someone rejects the gospel when you reject the gospel you judge yourself unworthy of everlasting life please do not make that mistake lo we turn to the gentiles so now go with me to acts 28 what we've seen again and again and again is paul went to the jew first because that's what he needed to do based upon the historical precedent we saw that that was his manner so now let's try to understand acts 28 verse 16. and when we came to rome the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard but paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him so in acts 28 what we fully expect is we expect paul to go into a synagogue because that's what acts 17 and acts 13 and acts 18 would suggest but he doesn't do that why doesn't he do that well for the simple reason he's a prisoner he's stuck in his own house so since paul can't go to the synagogue what does he do verse 17 and it came to pass that after three days paul called the chief of the jews together since paul can't go to the synagogue he will have the jews come to him so he summons them to come see him at the house that he's staying at verse 20 for this cause therefore have i called for you to see you and to speak with you because that for the hope of israel i am bound with this chain obviously paul's hope is that they will believe on the lord jesus christ verse 23 and when they had appointed him a day there came many to him into his lodging they came to his lodging because paul was obviously bound to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of god persuading them concerning jesus just as he did in the prior passages we looked at look at verse 24 and some believed the things which were spoken and some believed not if there's ever a verse about ministry that's the verse you know what happens when you preach the gospel you know what happens when you teach the word of god some believe and some don't and that's just how it is people get to choose verse 25 and when they agreed not among themselves they departed after that paul had spoken one word well spake the holy ghost by isaias the prophet unto our fathers verse 26 saying go unto this people and say hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and not perceive for the heart of this people is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and should be converted and i should heal them so paul went to the jew first in rome and how did the majority of the jews respond their heart was waxed gross they rejected it they wouldn't receive his preaching so notice acts 28 28 and the acts 28 28 i would suggest to you is the conclusion it's the fitting conclusion of the book of acts it is the pronouncement that paul's ministry to israel that was necessary based upon historical precedent has been fulfilled verse 28 be it known therefore unto you that the salvation of god is sent unto the gentiles and that they will hear it paul fulfilled his responsibility to the jews now he's going to gentiles notice verse 29 and when he had said these words the jews departed and had great reasoning among themselves and paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house noticed this and received all that came in unto him so paul is in his own hired house for two years and he's able to receive people you can decide for yourself but my belief is romans chapter 1 when paul wrote to the saints at rome romans 1 13 they were gentiles what i think happened is when paul's in his own hired house for two years and so he can't go to meet with the saints i think the saints come to meet with him and so he teaches them out of his own house verse 31 preaching the kingdom of god and teaching those things which concern the lord jesus christ with all confidence no man forbidding him so hopefully that gives you some clarity on how to think about the writing of the book of romans and who it's addressed to and how to reconcile that with what paul does in acts chapter 28 when he is in rome

Channel: Columbus Bible Church

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Keywords: grace, dispensation, dispensational, dispensationalism, rightdivide, rightlydivide, biblestudy, kingjames, kingjamesbible, apostlepaul, bible, rightdivision, midacts, paulinetruth, mid-acts, pauline, mystery, rightly divide, bible study, king james, king james bible, apostle paul, pauline truth

Id: 4Q25wX8Ckqw

Length: 22min 18sec (1338 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 08 2021