Acts 28:23

there came many--"considerable numbers" into his lodging--The word denotes one's place of stay as a guest (Plm 1:22), not "his own hired house," mentioned in Act 28:30. Some Christian friends--possibly Aquila and Priscilla, who had returned to Rome (Rom 16:3), would be glad to receive him, though he would soon find himself more at liberty in a house of his own. to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God--opening up the great spiritual principles of that kingdom in opposition to the contracted and secular views of it entertained by the Jews. persuading them concerning Jesus--as the ordained and predicted Head of that kingdom. out of the law . . . and the prophets--drawing his materials and arguments from a source mutually acknowledged. from morning till evening--"Who would not wish to have been present?" exclaims BENGEL; but virtually we are present while listening to those Epistles which he dictated from his prison at Rome, and to his other epistolary expositions of Christian truth against the Jews.

We have here a short account of a long conference which Paul had with the Jews at Rome about the Christian religion. Though they were so far prejudiced against it, because it was every where spoken against, as to call it a sect, yet they were willing to give it a hearing, which was more than the Jews at Jerusalem would do. It is probable that these Jews at Rome, being men of larger acquaintance with the world and more general conversation, were more free in their enquiries than the bigoted Jews at Jerusalem were, and would not answer this matter before they heard it. I. We are here told how Paul managed this conference in defence of the Christian religion. The Jews appointed the time, a day was set for this dispute, that all parties concerned might have sufficient notice, Act 28:23. Those Jews seemed well disposed to receive conviction, and yet it did not prove that they all were so. Now when the day came, 1. There were many got together to Paul. Though he was a prisoner and could not come out to them, yet they were willing to come to him to his lodging. And the confinement he was now under, if duly considered, instead of prejudicing them against his doctrine, ought to confirm it to them; for it was a sign not only that he believed it, but that he thought it worth suffering for. One would visit such a man as Paul in his prison rather than not have instruction from him. And he made room for them in his lodging, not fearing to give offence to the government, so that he might do good to them. 2. He was very large and full in his discourse with them, seeking their conviction more than his own vindication. (1.) He expounded, or explained, the kingdom of God to them, - showed them the nature of that kingdom and the glorious purposes and designs of it, that it is heavenly and…

28:23 Paul explained how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament hopes for the Kingdom of God, the master theme of Jesus’ own preaching (Mark 1:14-15; see Matt 4:12-17; Luke 4:14-21, 43). Referring to the Scriptures, Paul presented the case for Jesus as the promised Messiah.