Paul Continues His Ministry to the Gentiles

Tom:

This is our Understanding the Scriptures segment, we are in the Book of Acts, actually we are going to complete, the Lord willing, and if we don’t get sidetracked we’re going to complete the Book of Acts today.So, Acts 28, and we’re going to pick up with verse 28.“Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.”Of course, Paul has just been speaking to some leaders of the Jews in Rome where he is a prisoner, but he has kind of a house arrest thing, he has some liberties there, and he invited the Jewish leaders to come in and hear what he had to say.

Dave:

And they rejected it—well, some received it and some did not.Now Tom, without taking too much time, I’ve got to be careful here—be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, why? And they will hear—wow! That just stabbed them in the heart.No, we’re Jews, it’s only for us!This was the attitude of the disciples, Peter’s attitude, and the apostles.But it’s all through the Bible, right?

Tom:

The prophets said—

Dave:

I just quoted it earlier, Romans Chapter 1, Paul says he’s an apostle separated unto the gospel of God—how do we know?What is it—which he promised before by his prophets and the Holy Scriptures.First Corinthians 15, Paul says, “This is the gospel that I preach, by which you are saved, that you believe wherein you stand, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures—was buried, rose again the third day according to the scriptures!Now, as for the Gentiles believing this?Wow!Jesus said, God into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.And I’m not going to take the time, but Tom; we can go through all the scriptures.Isaiah, it’s fantastic!Psalm 22, where it is describing the crucifixion.It says, this will be known in all the world, all the world will remember!This was always in their own prophets.Let me just read—I want to read just one verse.I can quote it but I want to make sure that I’m not wrong.I want to go to Malachi chapter 1, and verse 11, I love this verse. Well, God is telling the Jews—you have blown it.I am not going to accept your sacrifices.You offer me something that isn’t any good, its lame or it’s blind, and that’s what you offer me, a lamb out of the flock.

Tom:

And of course, this is the last Book of the Old Testament, is it not?

Dave:

Right and God says, Look, I’ve had enough of your sacrifices.Listen to what he says, Verse 11—well, let me read Verse 10:I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles.Wow!What did they think of that?It’s all through the scriptures, so now Paul is simply telling the Jews what their own prophets have said over and over and over.But he has to say be it known unto you, because this is going to the Gentiles and they will hear exactly what the prophets have said, this is not something new.Now Tom, I’ve mentioned it a couple of times, I’ll take it once again.There are those hyper dispensationalists, whatever you want to call them, and they say, you see, this marked the end of the gospel to the Jews, and now it’s going to the Gentiles.But as we’ve mentioned—go back to Acts 13, the very first missionary journey that Paul and Barnabas went on together—they take the gospel to the Jews, and then when the Jews reject it Paul says, we’re going to the Gentiles.They do that in every city, the gospel is to the Jew first, and then to the Greek, Romans:1:16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
See All....All right? So he is saying nothing new in Rome, nothing different, and you can’t say this is the end of an era, okay.He’s only doing in Rome what he did elsewhere.

Tom:

And of course, we have again the response of the Jews in Verse:“And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.”I’m sure there were some who said, Wait a minute, the prophets, wasn’t there something about this?

Dave:

Tom, probably a very small minority of them did, but they had great reasoning among themselves.This was very troubling because one of the Psalms says:God says to the Jews, The gods of the nations are idols, but you worship the true God.And they say, yes, of course, of course, it’s only for us, we’re the ones and they follow false gods, it could only be for Jews.But it isn’t it wasn’t, and it’s all through the Bible.But we have Jews today who really believe this; it is still only for them.Well, they depart, and have great reasoning among themselves.“And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him.That was a privilege from the Lord to allow him to have his own quarters.

Tom:

And Dave, there is in Rome, this is the capitol of the world basically at the time, and it’s amazing—not amazing because this is God ordaining this, but he places Paul in a place where the gospel can be exposed throughout the world.

Dave:

Yeah, people can take it everywhere.So, he received all that came in unto him.He apparently didn’t have any restrictions, he had freedom, and you can be sure that Paul is preaching the gospel to everybody.And we know that Caesar’s household became believers.

Tom:

That’s what it says, verse 31:“Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.”

Dave:

So, in one of his epistles he says and they of Caesar’s household greet you.So, he’s the prisoner of Jesus Christ, and this same preaching the kingdom of God is a bit of a concern because some people say, Well, that’s the gospel of the kingdom, how come we don’t preach the gospel of the kingdom?Well, the gospel of the kingdom is Christ has paid the penalty for your sins, and now you are invited to be in his family, become a child of God.And he’s Lord, King of my life I crown thee now, thine shall the glory be, we sing.And it’s nothing strange that he would preach the kingdom of God.The kingdom of God; one day He will rule over all this universe.Well, can’t He do that now, isn’t God sovereign, isn’t He in charge? People say that all the time.Well, He’s still on the throne, He’s in charge, as though nothing happens that He doesn’t want to happen?No, that’s Calvinism, I’m sorry to mention it again.Are we going to blame all the evil in this world, all the rape and murder and crime?Oh, I guess that’s God’s doing—well, He’s in charge, isn’t He, isn’t He in control, better rethink that idea.No, God is not controlling this world—well, 1 John Chapter 5 tells us, the whole world lies in the evil one.We sing—well, we used to sing, He’s got the whole wide world in his hands.No, Satan’s got the whole world in his hands.He’s called the God of this world, but God can intervene at any time, and He watches over His own.But the kingdom one day, and it won’t even be the millennial reign because there will be rebellion that ends with a war, ends with an uprising against Christ.It’s hard to believe!The kingdom that Paul is talking about is the eternal kingdom, and I can prove that very quickly, we’ve got a couple of minutes left here.Well, where does it say—Jesus said except a man be born again he cannot even see; much less enter into the kingdom of God.There will be a lot of unborn-again people in the millennium.The Bible says—well, Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 says:Behold, I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep—and so forth—but we will all be changed.Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.Well, there will be a lot of flesh and blood people in the millennium, but not in the eternal state.His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.Well, but the millennium ends, how does it end?Well, Isaiah:9:7Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
See All...—of his kingdom and peace there will be no end.Well, there’s an end to the millennium and it ends with a war.So, the kingdom Paul is talking about and we are looking forward to, which we have already entered through the new birth, we’ve been born again through faith in Christ, we have come into this kingdom and we’re experiencing in our heart and in our lives as He reigns over us.But one day it will be the entire universe, and there will never be another rebellion again.

Tom:

Dave that concludes our privilege to take our audience through the Book of

Acts, and we would encourage, you know, when you finish a book, hey, start over again, now, go through it by yourself.

Dave:

That phrase, Tom, “no man forbidding him” that’s kind of interesting because he was going to be martyred.But at this moment, God who is in control, who does have his way but not in every heart, he would not allow anyone to forbid Him.Paul had an amazing liberty at this time.