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Paul Addresses the Jewish Community in Rome

17 After three days[a] Paul[b] called the local Jewish leaders[c] together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers,[d] although I had done[e] nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors,[f] from Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans.[g] 18 When[h] they had heard my case,[i] they wanted to release me,[j] because there was no basis for a death sentence[k] against me. 19 But when the Jews objected,[l] I was forced to appeal to Caesar[m]—not that I had some charge to bring[n] against my own people.[o] 20 So for this reason I have asked to see you and speak with you, for I am bound with this chain because of the hope of Israel.”[p] 21 They replied,[q] “We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there[r] and reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we would like to hear from you what you think, for regarding this sect we know[s] that people[t] everywhere speak against[u] it.”

23 They set[v] a day to meet with him,[w] and they came to him where he was staying[x] in even greater numbers.[y] From morning until evening he explained things[z] to them,[aa] testifying[ab] about the kingdom of God[ac] and trying to convince[ad] them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets. 24 Some were convinced[ae] by what he said,[af] but others refused[ag] to believe. 25 So they began to leave,[ah] unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors[ai] through the prophet Isaiah 26 when he said,

Go to this people and say,
You will keep on hearing,[aj] but will never understand,
and you will keep on looking,[ak] but will never perceive.
27 For the heart of this people has become dull,[al]
and their ears are hard of hearing,[am]
and they have closed their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn,[an] and I would heal them.”’[ao]

28 “Therefore be advised[ap] that this salvation from God[aq] has been sent to the Gentiles;[ar] they[as] will listen!”[at]

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 28:17 tn Grk “It happened that after three days.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  2. Acts 28:17 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  3. Acts 28:17 tn L&N 33.309 has “‘after three days, he called the local Jewish leaders together’ Ac 28:17.”
  4. Acts 28:17 tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.
  5. Acts 28:17 tn The participle ποιήσας (poiēsas) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.
  6. Acts 28:17 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”sn I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. Once again Paul claimed to be faithful to the Jewish people and to the God of Israel.
  7. Acts 28:17 tn Grk “into the hands of the Romans,” but this is redundant when παρεδόθην (paredothēn) has been translated “handed over.”
  8. Acts 28:18 tn Grk “who when.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) has been replaced by the personal pronoun (“they”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.
  9. Acts 28:18 tn Or “had questioned me”; or “had examined me.” BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 2 states, “to conduct a judicial hearing, hear a case, question.”
  10. Acts 28:18 sn They wanted to release me. See Acts 25:23-27.
  11. Acts 28:18 tn Grk “no basis for death,” but in this context a sentence of death is clearly indicated.
  12. Acts 28:19 tn That is, objected to my release.
  13. Acts 28:19 tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
  14. Acts 28:19 tn BDAG 533 s.v. κατηγορέω 1 states, “nearly always as legal t.t.: bring charges in court.” L&N 33.427 states for κατηγορέω, “to bring serious charges or accusations against someone, with the possible connotation of a legal or court context—‘to accuse, to bring charges.’”
  15. Acts 28:19 tn Or “my own nation.”
  16. Acts 28:20 sn The hope of Israel. A reference to Israel’s messianic hope. Paul’s preaching was in continuity with this Jewish hope (Acts 1:3; 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25).
  17. Acts 28:21 tn Grk “they said to him.”
  18. Acts 28:21 tn Or “arrived”; Grk “come” (“from there” is implied). Grk “coming.” The participle παραγενόμενος (paragenomenos) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  19. Acts 28:22 tn Grk “regarding this sect it is known to us.” The passive construction “it is known to us” has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation.
  20. Acts 28:22 tn Grk “that everywhere it is spoken against.” To simplify the translation the passive construction “it is spoken against” has been converted to an active one with the subject “people” supplied.
  21. Acts 28:22 tn On the term translated “speak against,” see BDAG 89 s.v. ἀντιλέγω 1.
  22. Acts 28:23 tn Grk “Having set.” The participle ταξάμενοι (taxamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  23. Acts 28:23 tn Grk “Having set a day with him”; the words “to meet” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
  24. Acts 28:23 tn Or “came to him in his rented quarters.”
  25. Acts 28:23 tn BDAG 848 s.v. πολύς 1.b.β.ב states, “(even) more πλείονες in even greater numbers Ac 28:23.”
  26. Acts 28:23 tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
  27. Acts 28:23 tn Grk “to whom he explained.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.
  28. Acts 28:23 tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “to make a solemn declaration about the truth of someth. testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…Gods kingdom 28:23.”
  29. Acts 28:23 sn Testifying about the kingdom of God. The topic is important. Paul’s preaching was about the rule of God and his promise in Jesus. Paul’s text was the Jewish scriptures. This is yet another summary of the message like that in 18:28. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching (along with Paul’s teaching here) has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself. See also Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21; Acts 1:3.
  30. Acts 28:23 tn Or “persuade.”
  31. Acts 28:24 tn Or “persuaded.”
  32. Acts 28:24 tn Grk “by the things spoken.”
  33. Acts 28:24 sn Some were convinced…but others refused to believe. Once again the gospel caused division among Jews, as in earlier chapters of Acts (13:46; 18:6).
  34. Acts 28:25 tn The imperfect verb ἀπελύοντο (apeluonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
  35. Acts 28:25 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
  36. Acts 28:26 tn Grk “you will hear with hearing” (an idiom).
  37. Acts 28:26 tn Or “seeing”; Grk “you will look by looking” (an idiom).
  38. Acts 28:27 tn Or “insensitive.”sn The heart of this people has become dull. The charge from Isaiah is like Stephen’s against the Jews of Jerusalem (Acts 7:51-53). They were a hard-hearted and disobedient people.
  39. Acts 28:27 tn Grk “they hear heavily with their ears” (an idiom for slow comprehension).
  40. Acts 28:27 sn Note how the failure to respond to the message of the gospel is seen as a failure to turn.
  41. Acts 28:27 sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10.
  42. Acts 28:28 tn Grk “Therefore let it be known to you.”
  43. Acts 28:28 tn Or “of God.”
  44. Acts 28:28 sn The term Gentiles is in emphatic position in the Greek text of this clause. Once again there is the pattern: Jewish rejection of the gospel leads to an emphasis on Gentile inclusion (Acts 13:44-47).
  45. Acts 28:28 tn Grk “they also.”
  46. Acts 28:28 tc Some later mss include 28:29: “When he had said these things, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.” Verse 29 is lacking in P74vid א A B E Ψ 048 33 81 1175 1739 2464 and a number of versions. They are included (with a few minor variations) in M it and some versions. This verse is almost certainly not a part of the original text of Acts, as it lacks the best credentials. The present translation follows NA28 in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

Paul meets Jewish leaders in Rome

17 Three days later, Paul called the Jewish leaders together. When they gathered, he said, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I’m a prisoner from Jerusalem. They handed me over to the Romans, 18 who intended to release me after they examined me, because they couldn’t find any reason for putting me to death. 19 When the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar. Don’t think I appealed to Caesar because I had any reason to bring charges against my nation. 20 This is why I asked to see you and speak with you: it’s because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”

21 They responded, “We haven’t received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of our brothers come and reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we think it’s important to hear what you think, for we know that people everywhere are speaking against this faction.”

23 On the day scheduled for this purpose, many people came to the place where he was staying. From morning until evening, he explained and testified concerning God’s kingdom and tried to convince them about Jesus through appealing to the Law from Moses and the Prophets. 24 Some were persuaded by what he said, but others refused to believe. 25 They disagreed with each other and were starting to leave when Paul made one more statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke correctly when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet,

26 Go to this people and say:
You will hear, to be sure, but never understand;
    and you will certainly see but never recognize what you are seeing.
27 This people’s senses have become calloused,
    and they’ve become hard of hearing,
    and they’ve shut their eyes
        so that they won’t see with their eyes
        or hear with their ears
        or understand with their minds,
            and change their hearts and lives that I may heal them.[a]

28 “Therefore, be certain of this: God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles. They will listen!”[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 28:27 Isa 6:9-10
  2. Acts 28:28 Critical editions of the Gk New Testament do not include 28:29 After he said this, the Jews left, debating among themselves.