The Three Unwise Monkeys

You have no doubt heard of the three wise monkeys; Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. This ancient Japanese proverb refers to someone who turns a blind eye and chooses to not listen to evil, not look at evil, and not speak what is evil.

But in the case of our passage today the Jews are acting unwise in that they refuse to hear the salvation of God, they refuse to see the Salvation of God and now the Salvation of God will be primarily spoken to the Gentiles.

The Jews refused to listen. (vs. 26-27)

The rejection of the Gospel.

There is little doubt that the statements that Paul makes about the Jews is not all inclusive, but that the Jews as a whole, mainly their leadership have rejected their Messiah. Acts however indicates that even some of the Jewish leaders believed on Christ. So it is not a wholesale rejection from all Jews but an indictment primarily upon Israel and particularly her leaders.

It is not because of the Gentiles that Paul is in chain but because of “the hope of Israel” in verse 20. The Jews rejected Christ as their Messiah and Paul goes at length to prove to them that He is the Messiah whom they crucified and whom God raised up from the dead.

THE HOPE OF ISRAEL IS THE RESURRECTED CHRIST. Pauls says in 23:6 it is with respect to tghe hope of the Resurrection that I am on trial.

Philippians 1:13 ESV

so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

Song: O Christ Our Hope Our Hearts Desire

Come, Thou long expected Jesus Born to set Thy people free; From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in Thee. Israel's strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art; Dear desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart.

It is with respect to this that Paul is in chains. Chained 24/7 to a Roman guard.

Jew’s from Jerusalem

Jew’s from Rome

The rejection of the Gospel foretold.

This passage here is quoted or alluded to at atleast 6 times in the NT. (Matt 13:14, John 12:40, Romans 11:8, Mark 4:12, Luke 8:10) Sometimes is indicates that Israel shut their own eyes, and stopped thier own ears and other times the text indicates that it was God who did it.

This OT quote is cited from Isaiah 6:9-10. This was no doubt a shot across the bow.

John 12:40 ESV

“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”

Romans 11:7–8 ESV

What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”

Acts 4:10 ESV

let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.

Acts 4:27–28 ESV

for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

Acts 13:46–47 ESV

And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

The tension between the hardening of the the heart by God, and thier hardening thier own hearts.

Acts 3:17–18 ESV

“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.

Matthew 23:37 ESV

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

Nothing can stop the gospel, no storm, no snake, no threat of death, no chain.

The Gentiles will listen.

The people from Malta honored them.

There is no doubt that Luke makes mention that these men from the Island of Malta were barbarians that is they were uncivilized non Greeks. They no doubt were superstitious just like most people in this time, and believed that Paul escaped justice from the Sea but not from the Serpent. It is interesting that they thought that justice was enacted by nature. The seas were especially dangerous, and the boat that they boarded Luke mentions the twin brothers who were carved as figureheads, they were the children of Zeus and Leda, protectors of sailors and travelers at sea.

We as believers ought to work to be at peace with men as much as possible. To bless those around us, even those who reject our message.

Though this is often times not the case it ought to be our aim. We as believers will be misunderstood and misrepresented, but for our part let their objections be in regards to Christ and not our actions. Let them take issue with Christ, and not His people.

There is no doubt that these people were healed by the will of the Father and not the hand of Paul. He was just the instrument. In verse 8 theses people were healed only after Paul had prayed.

Thought there is little to no indication that these “barbarians” placed their faith in Christ, there is no doubt that Paul during the 3 months he spent here preached the gospel to them. Irrespective of this Luke is emphasizing the fact that these natives gave honor to the God whom Paul served and whom healed them through the hand of Paul.

The Romans wished to set Paul free.

Seemed to be sympathetic to Paul and at times even the message of the gospel. Rome at least up to this point had no intention of convicting Paul, in fact the text indicates in vs 18 that they had every desire to release him. It was only because of the persistence of the Jews that Paul had to appeal to Caesar in the first place.

People have pondered and speculated whether Luke knew the outcome of Paul’s inevitable trial. No doubt that he did for he indicates that he was there 2 years preaching and teaching freely the gospel to all who would hear. This is not an account of the life of Paul this is an account of the early church and the spread of the gospel to all the world.

Christ dealt the dealt blow at the cross. The enemy which is death has been stripped and beaten with her own weapon. Christ dealt a death blow to death itself. Christ cut the head of the serpent through Paul in Rome, and the world. Though no doubt Paul’s death would lead to widespread persecution of believers through out the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The Serpent eventually would bite the church and yet she would shake him off into the fire.

Though the enemy is defeated there is still much ground to be gained. Time and time again when Israel was defeating the nations to take the land the kings would be slaughtered, and the death blow dealt but the people still had to take the land and remove the inhabitants.

So Christ has pave the way for the gospel.

“Paul at Rome, the apex of the gospel, the end of Acts.… It began at Jerusalem; it finishes at Rome. Here, O church, thou hast thy pattern; it is for thee to preserve it and to guard the deposit.”

J. A. Bengel

Jude 3 ESV

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.