What is the meaning of Acts 28:24? Some of them - Luke reports that when Paul shared the gospel in Rome, “Some of them were convinced.” This continues a pattern seen earlier: in Thessalonica “some of them were persuaded” (Acts 17:4), and in Berea “many of them believed” (Acts 17:12). - The wording highlights individual responsibility. Each listener had the freedom—and the calling—to respond personally, just as Joshua once said, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). - God never leaves Himself without a witness. Even in hard-hearted settings, He draws some to repentance, fulfilling His promise that His word “will not return to Me empty” (Isaiah 55:11). were convinced - The conviction described is not vague interest but settled assurance. Paul “fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ” (Romans 15:19), presenting clear evidence from “the Law of Moses and the Prophets” (Acts 28:23). - Faith comes through persuasion: “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). - Conviction here rests on fact, not feeling. Paul marshaled Scripture and eyewitness testimony—mirroring Jesus’ post-resurrection method: “He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). by what he said - Paul’s words were saturated with Scripture: “explaining and declaring the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus” (Acts 28:23). - His message was Christ-centered, echoing his earlier declaration, “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). - The Spirit partners with the spoken word: “Our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:5). but others - Mixed responses are normal. In Pisidian Antioch, “the Jews were filled with jealousy” (Acts 13:45), while Gentiles rejoiced. At the Areopagus, “some mocked, but others said, ‘We will hear you again’” (Acts 17:32). - The presence of unbelief does not signal failure; it confirms the divided reactions Jesus predicted: “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). refused to believe - The issue is moral, not intellectual. They “refused” (literally, were unpersuaded), echoing the pattern: “The Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves” (Luke 7:30). - Persistent unbelief hardens the heart: “Though He had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him” (John 12:37). - Such refusal fulfills prophecy Paul immediately cites: “Go to this people and say, ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding’” (Acts 28:26, quoting Isaiah 6:9-10). Yet even judgment underscores God’s justice, for He “desires all people to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4) and judges only those who “took pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:12). summary Acts 28:24 captures the timeless divide the gospel creates. Paul’s clear, Scripture-filled proclamation convinced some, demonstrating God’s saving power. Others consciously shut the door of faith, revealing the danger of hardened hearts. The verse reminds us that every presentation of Jesus calls for a response—and that God remains faithful both to save those who believe and to judge the persistent unbeliever, vindicating the truth of His word. |
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