Why did Paul say he was "bound with this chain" in Acts 28:20? Setting the Scene • Acts 28 records Paul under house arrest in Rome after surviving the shipwreck of Acts 27. • He has appealed to Caesar (Acts 25:11–12), so the Roman legal process keeps him in custody. • According to Acts 28:16, “Paul was permitted to stay by himself, with a soldier to guard him,” meaning he is literally chained to that soldier. The Immediate Reason for the Chain Acts 28:20: “For this reason I have called to see you and speak with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” • “Hope of Israel” = the long-promised Messiah and the resurrection (cf. Acts 23:6; 26:6–8). • Jewish leaders in Jerusalem accused Paul of heresy and insurrection (Acts 24:5–6), forcing him to appeal to Caesar. • Rome keeps him chained so he cannot flee while awaiting trial. A Literal Chain with Spiritual Significance • House-arrest chains were short fetters linking prisoner to soldier (cf. Acts 12:6). • Paul alludes to the same chain elsewhere: – Ephesians 6:20, “For which I am an ambassador in chains.” – 2 Timothy 2:9, “I suffer hardship to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained!” • The physical restraint highlights the unstoppable spread of the gospel. Why God Allowed the Chain • Fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy that Paul would “carry My name before Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). • Provides a captive audience—literally—for soldiers (Philippians 1:13). • Positions Paul to write Scripture (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon). • Demonstrates that suffering can advance the kingdom (Philippians 1:12). Connecting “Hope of Israel” with the Gospel • “Hope” = resurrection (Acts 23:6) and messianic salvation (Acts 13:32–33). • Isaiah 11:1–10 promised a root of Jesse; Jeremiah 23:5–6 promised a righteous Branch—fulfilled in Jesus. • Because Paul preached that Jesus rose, Jews sought his death; Rome kept him chained, yet God kept His promise (Acts 26:22–23). Lessons for Today • Chains do not cancel calling; they often clarify it. • Faithfulness to the gospel will provoke opposition, yet advances God’s plan (John 15:20). • Like Paul, believers may face unjust constraints but can trust Christ’s sovereignty (Romans 8:28). |
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