Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
it known.
Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Acts 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Acts 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
the salvation.
Psalm 98:2,3 The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen…
Isaiah 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
Isaiah 52:10 The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
sent.
Acts 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Acts 13:46,47 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles…
Acts 14:27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.
that God’s salvation
The term "God's salvation" refers to the deliverance and redemption offered through Jesus Christ. This salvation is a central theme throughout the New Testament, emphasizing that it is initiated and accomplished by God. In the context of Acts, salvation is not limited to a particular ethnic group but is available to all who believe. This reflects the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, such as Isaiah 49:6, which speaks of salvation reaching the ends of the earth.
has been sent to the Gentiles,
This statement marks a pivotal moment in the early Christian movement, highlighting the shift from a predominantly Jewish audience to a broader Gentile mission. The inclusion of the Gentiles was always part of God's redemptive plan, as seen in the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:3) and the prophetic writings (Isaiah 42:6). Paul's ministry, as described in Acts, consistently demonstrates this outreach to the Gentiles, fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
and they will listen!”
The assurance that the Gentiles "will listen" contrasts with the rejection by many of the Jewish people. This reflects the openness and receptivity of the Gentile audience to the gospel message, as seen in various accounts throughout Acts (e.g., Acts 10 with Cornelius, Acts 13:48). The statement underscores the sovereignty of God in the spread of the gospel and the fulfillment of His purposes, as well as the responsiveness of those who are called to faith.
Paul is speaking to the unbelieving Jewish leaders in Rome, urging them to take notice of a decisive turning point.
• Acts 28:23-24 shows many of them still “disbelieving and disagreeing,” fulfilling Isaiah 6:9-10 (quoted in Acts 28:26-27).
• His “be advised” underscores personal responsibility: they have heard the gospel firsthand, just as Hebrews 2:3 warns, “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”.
• The phrase carries pastoral urgency similar to Luke 13:3: “unless you repent, you too will all perish”.
• “Therefore” links their hardened response to a divinely ordained consequence.
• Romans 11:20 reminds, “They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith”. The transition is logical and moral: refusal opens the door for others.
• It echoes Jesus’ words in Matthew 21:43: “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit”.
• The focus is “God’s” rescue plan, not a human invention. Ephesians 2:8 affirms it is “the gift of God”.
• Salvation centers on Christ alone—Acts 4:12 declares, “There is salvation in no one else”.
• Paul’s message aligns with John 3:16, showing divine initiative and universal scope.
• “Has been sent” signals a completed mission: the gospel already travels beyond Jerusalem (Acts 1:8).
• It carries apostolic authority; Romans 10:15 asks, “How can they preach unless they are sent?”.
• The perfect tense highlights permanence: once dispatched, the gospel’s advance cannot be reversed (Isaiah 55:11).
• This fulfills the ancient promise of Isaiah 49:6, cited earlier in Acts 13:47.
• Acts repeatedly marks this shift—Cornelius (Acts 10), Antioch (Acts 11), and the first missionary journey (Acts 13-14).
• Romans 1:16 proclaims the gospel is “first to the Jew, and also to the Greek”; inclusion of Gentiles never nullifies God’s covenant with Israel (Romans 11:1-2).
• Paul expresses confidence, not speculation. Past experience in Iconium, Lystra, Philippi, and Corinth proved Gentile receptivity.
• Jesus anticipated this in John 10:16: “I have other sheep that are not of this fold… they will listen to My voice”.
• Revelation 7:9 looks ahead to “a great multitude from every nation”, confirming that Gentile responsiveness is prophetic certainty.
• Yet the statement also challenges Jewish hearers: if outsiders listen, why not you? (Romans 11:14).
Acts 28:28 marks a watershed. Because many of Paul’s fellow Jews rejected the gospel, he announces that God’s salvation—anchored in Christ—has now reached the Gentiles, who will indeed receive it. The verse affirms divine initiative, human responsibility, and the unstoppable spread of the gospel to all peoples, while still leaving the door open for anyone who will heed the message.
(28) Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God . . .--The better MSS. give "this salvation," the demonstrative adjective having the same force as in "the words of this life," in Acts 5:20. The Apostle points, as it were, to that definite method of deliverance (the Greek gives the concrete neuter form, as in Luke 2:30; Luke 3:6, and not the feminine abstract) which he had proclaimed to them. The words remind us of those which had been spoken under like circumstances at Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:46). We can, in some measure, enter into the feelings which filled the Apostle's mind, through what we read in Romans 9-11,--the bitter pain at the rejection of Israel, relieved by a far-off hope of their restoration, the acceptance of God's ways as unsearchable and past finding out.Verse 28. - This salvation for the salvation, A.V. and T.R.; they will also hear for and that they will hear it, A.V. The A.V. gives the sense better than the R.V. This salvation; τὸ σωτήριον. This form, instead of the more common σωτηρία, is found in Luke 2:30; Luke 3:6; and Ephesians 6:17. The Gentiles (see Acts 13:46; Acts 18:6; Acts 22:26; Acts 26:17, 20, 23). But even at Rome the apostle of the Gentiles was faithful to the rule, "To the Jew first."