Acts 28:17-22 17And it happened, after three days, he called together those who were leading Jews. And when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers Men, having nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, 18who, after examining me, they wanted to release me on account that there was nothing worthy of death in my case. 19But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no charge to bring against my nation. 20For 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 bound with this chain.” 21And they said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers coming here reported or spoken any evil about you. 22But we desire to hear from you what you think, for about this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”
Once Paul arrived in the city of Rome, he wasted no time in sharing the gospel. As was his practice, he began with his own people, the Jews, those who had a similar theological foundation and accepted the same set of sacred writings. Jews had migrated even as far away as the capital city of the Empire. There were likely synagogues located in the large city. Paul invited the leaders of these synagogues or those who were influential to come hear what he had to say. He received two different reactions from the Jews. These verses record the first response, which was positive and curious about what he preached.
The Jewish leaders may have been curious why Paul was a prisoner, so Paul began by defending his innocence. He gave a brief summary of the situation. No doubt, what he actually said was much longer in explanation and may have included many more details of his story. What Luke records are the essential key points that support the whole narrative of Acts and Paul’s part in it. Verse 17 summarizes his encounter in the temple in Jerusalem and his transfer to Caesarea for trial with Felix (chapters 21-24). Verse 18 summarizes his second defense under Festus (chapters 25-26). Verse 19 summarizes how the Romans could not find anything worthy of death, with the assumption that this was the outcome the Jews wanted for him (23:29; 25:25; 26:31-32). The conclusion was that Paul was innocent before both Romans and Jews.
Having claimed his innocence, Paul moved on to set the stage for sharing the gospel with the Jewish leaders. Having gained personal credibility and relieving any fears or doubts about why he was a prisoner helped give credibility to his words. The real reason for his chains was for the hope of Israel, which, he would go on to proclaim, was Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah.
The Jews’ response was both ignorance of the events in Jerusalem and curiosity about what Paul had to say. They had no communication of these events from Jerusalem, which is surprising, since Paul’s situation had become such a significant issue that the chief priests and other key leaders had traveled twice to Caesarea for Paul’s trials. If such a word had reached Rome, it would have been much more difficult for Paul to speak to the Jewish leaders, who likely would have been resistant or antagonistic towards him. They had also heard about the Christian sect and were curious about it.
They made two curious observations about the Christian sect in Rome. One is that it was known everywhere. The believers in Rome had been faithful witnesses to the gospel. Paul listed many of them by name in chapter 16 in his letter to the Romans. However, knowledge of the Christians was partial and incorrect because apparently, they did not have a good reputation, at least among the Jews. The leaders who came to Paul wanted to know more so they could make their own judgment. The door was wide open for Paul to share the gospel. God had prepared both Paul and the Jews for a divine encounter. Both needed to be responsive to God’s leading so the seeds could grow and bear fruit.