Acts 28:20 “For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”
When Paul arrived in Rome as a prisoner, he was allowed considerable liberty, so he “called the chief of the Jews together” (Acts 28:17) to explain to them why he was a prisoner there. In explaining his imprisonment, he told them “that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain”. He used a phrase that he knew these men would recognize, “the hope of Israel”! Jeremiah used this phrase to exhort and encourage the Children of Israel in their distress, pointing their minds toward the Messiah, “the hope of Israel”. He exclaims, “O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble” (Jeremiah 14:8) and “O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed” (Jeremiah 17:13)! So, in a somewhat coded way, Paul told the Jewish leaders in Rome that He was in chains because He preached and taught Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah. So, a day was appointed for him to explain these things to them. When he did, “some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not” (Acts 28:24). It is the same today, some believe, and some will not believe; nevertheless, we should not become discouraged, but we should follow Paul’s example, no matter how severe our trials become, we should humbly and lovingly keep right on declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ as clearly and powerfully as the Spirit of God will enable us to!