Believers and Unbelievers (Acts 28:24-28)
Scripture: Acts 28:24-28
Today’s Word
24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet: 26 “‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” 27 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ 28“Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
Background
Three days after arriving in Rome, Paul invited the Jewish leaders, and they returned with even more people to his residence. From morning until evening, Paul testified about the kingdom of God, explaining that Jesus was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament scriptures. However, after this long day of preaching, the audience’s response was divided. Some believed, while others rejected the message.
As they were leaving, Paul gave them a final message by quoting Isaiah 6:9-10. This passage, which Jesus also used (Matthew 13:14-15), describes the spiritual condition of those who hear the gospel but close their hearts to it. Paul shows that gospel rejection wasn’t a new phenomenon but something already prophesied since Isaiah’s time.
Most importantly, verse 28 reveals that despite the Jews’ rejection, God’s salvation plan wouldn’t stop but would now be proclaimed to the Gentiles, who would listen. This represents the climax of Acts’ central theme: the gospel spreading “from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.”
Key Terms Made Simple
- Disagreed among themselves: When people, after hearing the same message, have different responses—some believing and some not believing.
- Heart has become calloused: A state where one’s heart becomes hardened and unresponsive to God’s word, like hands that have developed thick calluses and lost sensitivity.
- Turn and I would heal them: Not just physical healing, but the restoration of relationship with God and spiritual wholeness.
- Gentiles: All nations other than the Jewish people. While Jews of that time thought they alone were God’s people, the gospel was meant for all nations.
Key Expressions to Notice
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“Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe” (v.24)
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“You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving” (v.26)
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“They will listen!” (v.28)
Main Points of the Text
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Divided Responses to the Gospel (v.24)
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Warning Against Spiritual Dullness (vv.25-27)
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Proclamation of Gospel Expansion (v.28)
Applying to My Life
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Examining My Response to the Word
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Keeping My Heart Open
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Continuing the Mission Despite Rejection
Think About It
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Why do some people believe while others reject the same message? Is it a difference in intellectual capacity or in heart attitude?
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Could Isaiah’s prophesied state of “ever hearing but never understanding” apply to the modern church and my own faith life? How might it manifest?
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What was the basis for Paul’s confidence in saying “they will listen”? What does this confidence mean for our gospel proclamation today?
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