Acts 28:17-28

Rome was a law and order society. Having conquered so many neighboring nations, they were always on guard against rebellion and civil unrest. They allowed the people of the conquered nations lots of freedom in religious matters and even in local governance. However, at the first sign of civil unrest the Roman military would crack down hard.

In AD 49, unrest among the members of the Jewish community resulted in the Emperor Claudius expelling all non-citizen Jews from Rome. Historians believe the unrest involved debates about Jesus. The expulsion forced leaders among the Jesus movement along with the most vocal opposition to leave.

When Claudius died in AD 54, Nero replaced him and allowed the Jews to return to Rome. Upon their return, both Christian and anti-Christian Jews were careful to avoid interacting with each other in situations that might lead to conflict. For this reason, when Paul arrived in Rome, the Jewish leadership did not have a clear understanding of what the Christian Jews believed and why they believed it.

Three days after he arrived in Rome, Paul met with the local Jewish leaders. He wanted to assure them that he was not there to cause them problems. He was not going to charge them with any misconduct. He explained that he had not committed any crimes and was still keeping the customs of their Jewish ancestors. The local leaders respected his training as a Pharisee and his knowledge of scripture. They asked him to explain this new sect centered on Jesus.

Paul spent a whole day talking to them about the kingdom of God, and explaining how Christ fulfilled the law and the prophets. Some believed and others did not. At this point, as was his custom, Paul turned the focus of his ministry to the gentiles.

In Rome, the Jewish opposition did not turn violent. Respect for Roman authority made the difference. No earthly authority is perfect, but authority is necessary. Christians recognize earthly authority, but for us, God is always the final authority.