PAUL’S QUOTING ISA. 6,
DISPUTING SANHEDRIN IN ROME
Paul’s Quoting Isa. 6,
Disputing Sanhedrin
In Rome
JAN LILLEBY
This article will be a study of what exactly Is. 6 says, comparing it with Paul’s quotation as he disputed with the Sanhedrin counsel at Rome, seen in Acts 28:25-28.
We shall be using the mental idea of a magnifying glass…focusing on a few details.
Such eventual details can often bring to light all the elements of important Bible truth in a passage. You will see what I mean by this, as we get to it.
Historians hold that there were eleven synagogues in Rome at that time, thus the Sanhedrin must have been represented by at least eleven Chief Rabbis. Since their only temple was in Jerusalem, there was no priesthood abroad; only the Jewish teachers and scribes.
Acts 28:25-29, NASB, on this dispute which did not end well for Israel,
“25 And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers,
26 saying, 'GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, "YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
27 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM."'
28 "Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen."
29 [When he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.]”
Is. 6:9, 10, NASB, equaling verses 26 and 27 in Acts 28,
“9 He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.'
10 "Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed."
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JEWS AND GENTILES
Acts 28 and Is. 6 are really displaying the difference between the two parties: Jews and Gentiles.
That particular difference is seen by noticing what Paul said to the Sanhedrin in Acts 28:27, an excerpt….”and they have closed their eyes…”
Before saying ‘eyes’ – Paul mentioned their ears: “…with their ears, they scarcely hear…”
These two body organs, - the ears and the eyes, was told of the Jews, and they were held by God as unbelievers by that fact. They had SHUT OFF their ears, for one, and secondly, - they had also SHUT their eyes. Thus their understanding of the fact that Jesus was their God sent Messiah king was hidden to them, and they rejected Jesus Christ.
The actual meaning behind the fact that they had shut their eyes, was the fact that they – even if Jesus and the apostles worked miracles and wonders among them - they did not take heed to this. They dismissed such super-natural signs as something not done by God, but by the devil. They held Jesus as a false prophet and a sorcerer and magician. We know that from the Gospel stories as the Pharisees and Scribes opposed Jesus in public. The Babylonian Talmud says the very same things, and even added another lie: Jesus was a bastard son of Mary having intercourse with a Roman centurion.
They dismissed Paul’s message to them in Rome, as he laid out for them how it was that Jesus died and rose again, and took upon Him the sins of Israel. What we may call the Gospel of the Kingdom of God on earth. It was based on the Messianic promise of the kingdom told their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Paul used the following line in Acts 13:32, 38, 39, NASB,
“32 "And we preach to you the good news (Gospel) of the promise made to the fathers,
38 "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren *, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,
39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.”
THE JEWS WERE GRANTED TO HEAR AND TO SEE
Here we are at the main point I am promoting, namely the fact that Paul, in Acts 28:28 pointed to the Gentiles as such a group which would HEAR the Gospel (thus receiving it), but NOT SEEING, like it was with the Jews.
The Jews were granted to see signs: Miracles and wonders, great healings and casting out of demons. Acts 5 and Acts 19 testify of this greatly.
But for us Gentiles, Paul laid it out, Acts 28:28, NASB,
"Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen."
Paul prophesied of us Gentiles as a group of prospective believers, which would LISTEN to the Gospel, thus also receiving it and come to faith in Jesus Christ.
History confirms Paul’s prophecy as true and fulfilled!
As opposed to Jewry, at large, this in our time can be held as just a small MINORITY regarding faith in Jesus. They would NOT hear, nor would they SEE. They rejected Jesus on a total basis.
PAUL KNEW THAT MIRACLE SIGNS WERE FOR ISRAEL
AND NOT FOR THE GENTILES
Had miracle signs been for Gentiles also, then he would have told the Sanhedrin that the Gospel was sent to the Gentiles, and they would listen and they WOULD SEE.
Paul, using the gift of tongues as an example, wrote on this subject in 1 Cor. 14:21,22, NASB,
“21 In the Law it is written, "BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME," says the Lord.
22 So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe.”
But we can, true to the Bible, add that indeed these miracle signs were several, as told in Mark 16:17, 18, NASB,
“17 These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;
18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover *."
These wonders and miracle signs are what we meet as we open the Book of Acts, learning of the apostles of Christ.
They were sent to Israel, the twelve, and Paul later on (44-45 CE) was sent out to the synagogues in the Empire abroad, see Acts 13 and on. Acts 9:15 tells of his early future mission abroad, which Jesus had revealed to Ananias in Damascus.
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