Acts 28:19 kjv
But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.
Acts 28:19 nkjv
But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation.
Acts 28:19 niv
The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people.
Acts 28:19 esv
But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar ? though I had no charge to bring against my nation.
Acts 28:19 nlt
But when the Jewish leaders protested the decision, I felt it necessary to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no desire to press charges against my own people.
Acts 28 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 9:15 | "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel." | Paul chosen to testify before rulers. |
| Acts 23:11 | "Take courage, for as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." | God's direct plan for Paul to preach in Rome. |
| Acts 19:21 | "Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit that he would pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, 'After I have been there, I must also see Rome.'" | Paul's prior desire to go to Rome. |
| Mt 10:18 | "and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles." | Jesus' prophecy of His disciples testifying before authorities. |
| Lk 21:12-13 | "But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness." | Trials serve as opportunities for gospel witness. |
| Rom 9:1-5 | "I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh." | Paul's deep, enduring love and anguish for Israel. |
| Rom 10:1 | "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved." | Paul's fervent prayer for the salvation of his nation. |
| Acts 21:39 | "But Paul said, 'I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city, and I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.'" | Paul affirms his strong Jewish identity. |
| Acts 22:3 | "'I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers...'" | Paul's strict Jewish upbringing and heritage. |
| Phil 3:4-6 | "if anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more... as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless." | Paul's impeccable Jewish credentials. |
| Acts 13:45 | "But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him." | Early example of Jewish opposition to Paul's message. |
| Acts 14:2 | "But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers." | Jewish instigation of Gentile opposition. |
| Acts 17:5 | "But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked fellows of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd." | Jewish opposition inciting violence and unrest. |
| Acts 18:12 | "But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal." | Legal action initiated by Jews against Paul. |
| Acts 21:27 | "When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him..." | False accusations and mob violence from Jews. |
| Acts 23:12-15 | "When it was day, some of the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul... Then they came to the chief priests and the elders and said, 'We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.'" | Jewish plot to assassinate Paul in Jerusalem. |
| Acts 25:3 | "asking Festus to send him to Jerusalem, planning to kill him on the way." | Ongoing Jewish assassination plot, seeking Paul's transfer. |
| Acts 16:37-39 | "But Paul said to them, 'They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.'" | Paul asserts his Roman citizenship for legal protection. |
| Acts 22:25-29 | "But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, 'Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?'" | Paul's strategic use of Roman citizenship to prevent unjust punishment. |
| 1 Cor 9:16 | "For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting, for necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" | Paul's divine compulsion in ministry (analogous to the legal compulsion here). |
| 2 Cor 5:14 | "For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;" | Love of Christ as a driving, compelling force in ministry. |
| Gen 50:20 | "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." | God's sovereignty over human evil to accomplish good. |
| Rom 8:28 | "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." | God orchestrates all circumstances for His ultimate good. |
| Isa 1:17 | "learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause." | Prophetic call for the administration of justice. |
Acts 28 verses
Acts 28 19 Meaning
Acts 28:19 details Paul's compelled appeal to Caesar, necessitated by the relentless opposition from Jewish leaders in Judea. Faced with ongoing plots and legal maneuvering aimed at his life, Paul, as a Roman citizen, exercised his inherent right to have his case judged by the highest Roman authority. He was careful to clarify that his motivation for this extraordinary step was not to bring a legal accusation against his own Jewish people but solely to ensure a just hearing for himself and to protect his divinely appointed mission from their schemes.
Acts 28 19 Context
Acts chapter 28 concludes Luke's narrative, chronicling Paul's arrival in Rome after years of trials, imprisonments, and a dramatic shipwreck. Upon his arrival in the capital, Paul, though under house arrest, promptly summoned the leading men of the local Jewish community. He did so not to initiate confrontation, but to present his case directly and honestly, preempting any potential misinformation that might have reached them from Jerusalem. Acts 28:19 forms part of Paul's introductory explanation to these Roman Jews, where he recounts the events that led to his appeal to Caesar. This was crucial for him to demonstrate his innocence, to underscore that his actions were forced by circumstance rather than malice, and to clear any suspicion that he was betraying his ancestral faith or people, a charge often leveled against him. He clarifies that his legal maneuver was purely defensive, to avoid being condemned by those seeking his demise, rather than an offensive action to indict his nation.
Acts 28 19 Word analysis
But when the Jews objected (Ἀντιλεγόντων δέ τῶν Ἰουδαίων - Antilegontōn de tōn Ioudaiōn):
- Ἀντιλεγόντων (Antilegontōn): A present active participle meaning "to speak against," "to contradict," "to dispute," or "to gainsay." Its present tense denotes ongoing or persistent opposition, reflecting the continued and relentless hostility Paul faced from the Jewish authorities, particularly those from Jerusalem. This was not merely verbal dissent but often translated into plots against his life and legal persecution.
- δὲ (de): This conjunction, typically meaning "but" or "and," introduces a contrast. Here, it contrasts Paul's earlier assertion of loyalty to his nation (Acts 28:17) with the subsequent action (his appeal) which was directly caused by his countrymen's antagonism.
- τῶν Ἰουδαίων (tōn Ioudaiōn): Refers specifically to the Jewish leaders and factions in Judea who initiated the accusations and plots against Paul, not necessarily all Jewish people universally. This distinction is vital, as Paul maintained a deep love for his entire nation.
I was compelled (ἠναγκάσθην - ēnagkasthēn):
- This is the aorist passive indicative form of anagkazō, meaning "to force," "to compel," "to necessitate." The passive voice underscores that this was not a voluntary choice by Paul but a course of action he was forced into. The severe plots against his life (Acts 23:12-15), combined with Governor Festus's proposal to send him back to Jerusalem where a death trap awaited him (Acts 25:9), made the appeal an unavoidable and essential step for his survival and to continue his God-given mission.
to appeal to Caesar (ἐπικαλέσασθαι Καίσαρα - epikalesasthai Kaisara):
- ἐπικαλέσασθαι (epikalesasthai): An aorist middle infinitive meaning "to call upon," "to invoke," or "to appeal to." This phrase refers to the provocatio ad Caesarem, the legal right of a Roman citizen to appeal his case to the emperor's highest court, circumventing lower judicial bodies. Paul's strategic use of this right ensured a legal and potentially safer trial.
- Καίσαρα (Kaisara): Refers to the Roman Emperor Nero, who ruled during this period (54-68 AD). Appealing directly to Caesar was a profound step that removed Paul's fate from the hostile jurisdiction of local Jewish or provincial Roman authorities, redirecting it to the heart of Roman power. This facilitated God's purpose for Paul to witness in Rome.
not that I had any charge to bring against my nation (οὐχ ὡς ἔχων τι κατηγορεῖν τοῦ ἔθνους μου - ouch hōs echōn ti katēgorein tou ethnous mou):
- οὐχ ὡς (ouch hōs): A negative construction conveying "not as though," or "not because." This vital phrase clarifies Paul's pure motivation, refuting any interpretation that his appeal was an act of retaliation or an attempt to formally accuse his people before the Roman state.
- ἔχων τι κατηγορεῖν (echōn ti katēgorein): Literally, "having anything to accuse." Katēgorein means "to accuse" or "to bring charges against." Paul unequivocally states that despite suffering grievous injustice at the hands of some of his countrymen, his intent was not to condemn or incriminate the Jewish nation as a whole.
- τοῦ ἔθνους μου (tou ethnous mou): "My nation" or "my people." This demonstrates Paul's enduring loyalty and identification with his Jewish heritage, even when experiencing severe persecution from its representatives. His deep love for Israel, as evident throughout his epistles (e.g., Romans 9-11), prevents him from harboring resentment or seeking their condemnation.
Acts 28 19 Bonus section
Paul's journey to Rome, initiated by his appeal to Caesar, is a powerful demonstration of divine providence. What appeared to be a legal predicament orchestrated by Paul's enemies ultimately served as God's means to fulfill His specific word that Paul "must also testify in Rome" (Acts 23:11). The plots against his life, while perilous, forced Paul onto a path that not only brought him safely to the heart of the Roman Empire but also enabled him to bear witness directly to imperial authorities and establish the Gospel within Caesar's very household (Phil 4:22). This situation vividly portrays how God works through adverse circumstances, using the schemes of adversaries to advance His own immutable plan for the spread of the Good News.
Acts 28 19 Commentary
Acts 28:19 highlights the crucial intersection of human malice, Roman law, and divine purpose in Paul's journey. His appeal to Caesar was not a chosen strategy to reach Rome but a defensive act, forced by the unceasing, lethal opposition of some Jewish leaders who relentlessly sought his life. This "compulsion" underscores that Paul acted out of necessity to preserve his life and his God-given mission, not out of animosity. His subsequent clarification, that he had no intent to accuse his "nation," is profoundly significant. It affirms Paul's consistent love for his Jewish heritage and people, demonstrating that even amidst grave persecution, his heart remained committed to their salvation, devoid of vindictiveness or betrayal. This legal maneuver, while arising from adversity, ultimately served God's sovereign plan to bring the gospel to the imperial capital, manifesting God's ability to use human intentions—both good and evil—for His ultimate glory and the spread of His Kingdom.