I. Paul’s first meeting with the Jews (Acts 28:17-22)
A. Paul’s message to the Jews.
- Paul had done nothing against the Jews.
- The Romans found no capital charge against Paul.
- Paul appealed to Caesar, but not to bring a charge against the Jews.
B. The Jewish leaders’ response.
- The Jews in Rome did not receive word of Paul’s legal issues.
- The Jews desire to hear Paul’s theology.
II. Paul’s second meeting with the Jews (Acts 28:23-29)
A. Paul uses the Old Testament to show that Jesus is the Messiah.
B. Some Jews were convinced by what Paul taught, but others did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
C. Paul states that the Jews’ response is a fulfillment of Isaiah 6.
III. Isaiah 6 (Matt. 13:10-17; Mark 4:10-12; Luke 8:9-10; John 12:37-41)
A. Isaiah is given a vision of the Lord on His throne and of angelic creatures singing praises of His holiness (v. 1-3).
B. Isaiah recognizes he is unworthy in the presence of God (v. 4-5).
C. God provides a way to purify Isaiah and prepare him for service (v. 6-7).
D. God needs someone to send to deliver His message, Isaiah volunteers (v. 8).
E. God’s message sent through Isaiah will not be used to bring repentance, but will harden the hearts of the proud that are rejecting God (v. 9-10).
F. Isaiah must be faithful to deliver God’s message until Israel has been purified (v. 11-13).
IV. Conclusion (Acts 28:30-31). Paul had the freedom to boldly proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ through this imprisonment.
V. Application. As Spirit-empowered messengers, we should:
A. Be urgent (Acts 28:17).
B. Be discerning with our approach (Acts 28:17-20).
C. Be grounded in Scripture (Acts 28:23).
D. Be ready for rejection (Acts 28:25-29).
E. Be humble (Acts 28:26-27).
F. Be confident (Acts 28:30-31).