Paul Meets With Jews in Rome

The people Paul called together after being three days in Rome were leading Jews in Rome. He spoke with them to get them acquainted with how he was there as a prisoner and speak with them about the "hope of Israel".

This class focuses on the narrative unity of Luke/Acts which helps explain why Paul went first to Jews who were not Christian. From the beginning of Luke onward, there is the theme of hope for Israel through Messianic salvation.

At issue was why, if Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, was he rejected by the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem. Paul suffered rejection as well since that same leadership brought the charges against Paul and wanted him dead. Paul made clear to these Jews in Rome what had happened and that he was not guilty of the charges brought against him by the Sanhedrin.

He had not spoken against Moses and the temple. His claim was that Jesus Christ was the hope of Israel. We cite Zacharias in Luke 1 to show how there is a foreshadowing of the gospel being salvation for some and rejection on the part of others. At the time Paul spoke to these Jews in Rome, Christianity was considered a "sect of the Jews."