28:12-16
Roman soldiers were able to requisition transport and supplies at no cost, so they continued the journey on a grain ship from Alexandria three months later, when the weather conditions allowed safe passage once more. The “twin brothers” were Castor and Pollux, believed to bring protection in storms. Syracuse was Sicily's leading city. We get more sailing details. Verse 14 again shows the freedom that Paul was given. The journey from Puteoli to Rome was about 100 miles. News of Paul’s impending arrival reached Rome and believers came out to meet him while he was still far off. Clearly Paul was known about in Rome. Once they arrived in Rome Paul was handed over. As he had not actually committed any crime, and had not been charged with such by the Romans, he was kept under some form of light house arrest.
28:17-20
Three days later Paul met with the Jewish leaders. The Jewish community in Rome was a fairly disparate group, with several autonomous synagogues. Now, at the human level, Paul was in Rome because of the trouble caused by the Jews. Indeed, throughout his ministry Jews had caused problems for him, often violent in nature. One might have thought that he would have had enough of them! However, Paul was a Jew himself, and as Romans 9-11 shows, he firmly believed and fervently desired that the Jews be saved. So he gives them another chance. Paul explained to them what happened in Jerusalem and why he was now in Rome. He finishes by declaring that the message he proclaims is actually the “hope of Israel”. The gospel today is still the only true hope of Israel. Only when Israel recognises Jesus as her Messiah and her own need of salvation will true peace, Shalom, come to Israel.
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