 |  |
Before we go further it may be will to exhibit the structure of this section, which is as
follows:
Acts 28: 23-31.
The Dispensational Landmark.
A | a | 23. Chief of the Jews come to Paul's lodging. The day.
b | 23. Paul "expounded" the Kingdom of God.
c | 23. Persuading concerning Jesus.
d | 23. Out of the law and prophets.
e | 23. From morning till evening.
B | f | 24, 25. They agreed not among themselves.
g | 24, 25. They departed.
C | h | 25. The word of the Holy Ghost.
i | 26. GO unto this people.
j | 26. Hear . . . . . not understand.
D | 28: 27. / k1 | l1 | Hearts waxed gross.
/
m | Ears dull.
/
n | Eyes closed.
Isa. /
k2 |
n | Eyes see.
6: 10 \
m | Ears heard.
\
l1 | Hearts understand.
\ k3 | l2 | Be converted.
\ k4 | l3 | I should heal them.
C | h | 28. The salvation of God.
i | 28. SENT unto the Gentiles.
j | 28. They will hear it.
B |
g | 29. The Jews departed.
f | 29. Great reasoning among themselves.
A | a | 30. All come to Paul's hired house. The two years.
b | 31. Paul "preaches" the Kingdom of God.
c | 31. "Teaches" concerning Lord Jesus Christ.
d | 31. With all confidence. No reference to O.T.
e | 31. Unhindered.
We draw attention to the way in which this last section of the Acts is a unity, and to
the fact that if we detach its last two verses, not only is the perfect correspondence of the
structure ruined, but, more seriously still, the intentional contrast between what took
place among the Jews in Paul's lodging on one day, and what took place in Paul's hired
house during two years, together with the double reference to the Jews "departure" and
their "agreeing not" and "reasoning among themselves", are lost.
Then we have the word of the "Holy Ghost" balanced by the salvation of "God", the
one associated with the verb "Go", the other with the verb "Send"; the one connected
with "this people", i.e., the Jews, the other with "The Gentiles". The effect of the one
was that though the Jew "heard" he did not understand; the effect of the other that the