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Introduction
One of the important themes of the Book of Acts is that Luke is demonstrating that the Gospel being preached by the apostles did not cause any threat to the power of Rome. For this reason, it is often suggested that Luke wrote the book in connection with Paul's appeal to the Emperor. Throughout the book the main opposition to the apostles came from unbelieving Jews. There are also a number of examples where various Roman officials were favourable towards Paul, and were even helpful to him. This page gives example of when this happened.
Opposition from the Jews
Throughout the Book of Acts, the growth in the church is countered by opposition from the Jews. It is never the Roman authorities who feel threatened and react against the gospel, but the Jewish authorities of temple and synagogues.
In the gospels, the Sanhedrin led by the Sadducean chief priest forced Pilate to condemn Jesus and have him crucified. In Acts also, it is the Jews who are the fiercest enemies of the gospel. They continually sought the condemnation of the apostles by the Roman authorities.
Stephen
Members of the synagogues of Freedmen, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, Cilicians and Asians, rose up against Stephen, had him falsely accused, brought before the Sanhedrin and stoned him (6:8-8:1). "A great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem and its members were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria" (8:1).
Damascus
The Jews sought to kill the newly converted Saul, who had been proclaiming in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God (9:19-25). Saul escaped to Jerusalem, where the Hellenists, Greek speaking Jews of the dispersion, opposed him and sought to kill him (9:26-29).
Pisidian Antioch
Paul's word was well received in the synagogue on the first Sabbath, but on the second Sabbath, "the whole city gathered together to hear the word of God", but the Jews "were filled with jealousy and contradicted what was spoken by Paul and reviled him" (13:44-45). In consequence, the good news was offered to the Gentiles and many believed, "and the word of the Lord spread throughout all the region", but the Jews incited opposition "and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district" (13:48-50).
Iconium
In the synagogue in Iconium, "a great company believed, both Jews and Greeks. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren". And "an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with all their rulers (from the synagogue) to molest and stone them" (14:1-5).
Lystra
A lame man was healed, convincing the local people that the gods had come down among them in the likeness of men. Paul and Barnabas only just managed to restrain them to making sacrifices to them. "But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the people, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead" (14:8-19).
Thessalonica
For three weeks, Paul argued in the synagogue, "that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead". In consequence some Jews and Greeks were persuaded and joined the apostles (17:1-4). "But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked fellows of the rabble, they gathered a crowd, set the city in uproar and attacked the house of Jason (the host of the apostles) to bring the apostles out to the people. When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities", and accused them of inciting rebellion against Rome (17:5-9).
Beroea
The Jews here were more noble then in Thessalonica, they received the word, examined the scriptures and many believed (17:10-12). But when the Jews of Thessalonica heard of this response, they came to Beroea and stirred up and incited the crowds against the apostles (17:13).
Corinth
Paul testified to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus and they opposed and reviled him. However, Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with all his household, and many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptised (18:1-11). When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal (18:12). Fortunately, Gallio refused to be drawn into a Jewish controversy, and the Jews vented their anger on Sosthenes, who was either a Christian or a sympathiser (18:14-17).
Jerusalem
The Jews stirred up the crowd and accused Paul of teaching against the people, the law and the temple, of defiling the holy place. They put him in the hands of the Roman authorities, setting the chain of events in motion which finally brought him to Rome (21:27-36).
The Book of Acts records the steady advance of the gospel in the Gentile communities in the Roman empire, it also records its progressive rejection by the Jewish nation to which it was first sent.
The authorities commended
One of the things in Luke's mind when he wrote Acts, was to show that Christianity was not a threat to Roman law and order. He did this by quoting the testimonies and describing the helpfulness of Roman imperial authorities.
Cyprus
The Roman proconsul was impressed when Paul rebuked and blinded the magician and believed the gospel (13:7,12).
Philippi
Paul and Silas were arrested and badly treated by the magistrates, who later released them with apologies for illegally beating and imprisoning Roman citizens (16:16-40).
Thessalonica
When accused by the Jews before the city authorities of turning the world upside down and acting against Caesar by claiming that Jesus was King (a very serious charge), the Politarchs took security (of good behaviour) from Jason and the rest and let them go (Acts 17:1-9).
Corinth
When Gallio became proconsul of Achaia in AD 51, the Jews attacked Paul and brought him before Gallio, when he was seated on his tribunal. They accused Paul of persuading men to worship God contrary to the law. Gallio recognised that their charges did not constitute an infringement of Roman law, but were matters of Jewish theology. He refused to listen to them and drove them from the tribunal. Even when Sosthenes was seized and beaten in front of the tribunal, Gallio refused to take sides (18:12-17).
Ephesus
When the vested interests of the artisans and silversmiths were threatened, Paul found himself in the middle of a riot. The disciples restrained him from going among the hostile crowd assembled in the amphitheatre, which seated 25,000 people. The Asiarchs were the chief citizens and foremost men of the Asian cities, from whom the high priests of the Rome and Emperor cult were selected. They were friendly toward Paul, indicating that the authorities did not regard Christianity as a threat and were not hostile to it. The town clerk finally subdued the crowd by reminding them that the Roman authorities would not tolerate such disorderly proceedings, saying that Paul and the disciples were not sacrilegious or blasphemers of the goddess Artemis.
Jerusalem
The intervention by the Roman tribune with centurions and soldiers prevented Paul's enemies from killing him (Acts 21:27-36).
When the tribune heard about a plot to kill Paul, they sent him under escort to the Governor Felix in Caesarea, with an accompanying letter, saying, "I found that he was accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment" (Acts 23:29). Tertullus presented three accusations against Paul. The first was that he was a trouble-maker, fermenting sedition among the Jews throughout the Roman world. This was the most important charge to the Romans. The second was that he was a ringleader of the sect of Nazarenes, and the third was that he had been caught trying to profane the temple (24:1-9).
Paul showed that his accusers would find it hard to prove the charges, saying that it was the resurrection that was the real reason for his trial that day (24:10-21). Felix, who had an accurate knowledge of the gospel, did not pursue the political implications of the charge, but decided to place him under house arrest until the Tribune Claudius Lysias came to Jerusalem (24:22-23). Claudius Lysias had already said that he had nothing against Paul (23:29).
Felix was succeeded by Festus. The Jews urged him to try Paul in Jerusalem, but Festus refused in favour of Caesarea (25:1-5), where serious charges they could not prove were brought against him (25:6-7). Paul's defence was that he had neither offended against the Jews, or against the temple or against Caesar. Festus offered Paul a trial in Jerusalem to keep the Jews happy, so Paul could be tried in the city where the offenses were said to have happened (25:9).
Paul had not offended the Jews and it was up to Caesar's tribunal to decide whether he had committed any capital offence. He exercised his right as a Roman citizen to appeal to the Emperor (25:10-12).
Festus took the opportunity of the visit of Agrippa II for someone else to hear Paul's case. Festus' introduction was, "I found that he had done nothing deserving death ... he himself appealed to the emperor ... but I have nothing definite to write to my Lord (Caesar) about. Therefore I brought him before you ... that after we have examined him, I may have something to write, for it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him" (25:23-27).
Paul gave the account of his conversion and witnessed to Jesus, until Festus could stand it no longer, accusing Paul of being mad (26:1-24). Paul turned to Agrippa, who knew what had happened to Jesus in Jerusalem and also believed in the prophets (26:26-29). Agrippa could confirm all Paul had spoken, "when they had withdrawn, they said, 'this man is doing nothing to deserve death of imprisonment'. Agrippa said to Festus, 'This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar'".
The final and unanimous verdict again declared Paul to be innocent of any crime against Rome. Acts ends with Paul in Rome under house arrest, but free to pursue his missionary calling, preaching the gospel for two years with no hindrance from the authorities (who must have known what was going on in Paul's house). The message of the Kingdom had reached the heart of the empire.
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