Jewish evangelism

“After three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying to them, ‘Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was handed over to the Romans as a prisoner from Jerusalem. And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there were no grounds for putting me to death.’” (1) “After three days.” (a) Paul immediately began dialogue with the Jews. (b) At that time, Rome had a significant Jewish population (estimated between 10,000 to 50,000). (c) He gathered the Jewish leaders in his own house, likely because he was unable to go to the synagogue himself. Before inviting them, he must have ensured that they were not hostile toward him. If they had been like the Jews in Jerusalem, it could have been a dangerous situation. (2) Paul had a purpose in inviting the Jews. (a) He wanted to preach the gospel to the Jews first. This was the principle Paul followed in evangelism. (b) He intended to explain why he had come to Rome. By taking the initiative, he sought to clarify matters before any misunderstandings could arise. “But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation…” (1) Acts 27:17-20 is a summary of the events recorded in Acts 22-26. Although it was a long narrative, Luke concisely presents the key points. (2) The following are the key points. (a) Although I have not broken the Law, I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans in Jerusalem. (b) The Romans investigated me and found me innocent, intending to release me. (c) However, the Jews opposed my release, so I was forced to appeal to Caesar. (d) I did not intend to accuse my fellow Jews. (e) I am in these chains for the hope of Israel. “They said to him, ‘We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor has any of the brothers come here…’” The Jews in Rome were not well informed about Paul. The fact that the Jews in Rome had not heard much about Paul is miraculous, since the Jews of Jerusalem and Rome frequently interacted. It is possible that they had intentionally avoided discussing “this Way”. The evangelistic principle that Paul followed is still relevant today: first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles. Let us continue to pray for the salvation of the Jewish people.