Acts 18:12

12 But when Gallio became the Roman governor of Achaia, the unbelieving Jews made a concerted attack on Sha'ul and took him to court,

Acts 18:12 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 18:12

And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia
This province, which was now become a Roman one, Pliny the younger ^F17 calls true and mere Greece; it went by the name of Aegialus ^F18, and now it is called Livadia: it has on the north the country of Thessaly, and on the west the river Acheloo, or Aracheo, on the east the Aegean sea, and on the south Peloponnesus, or the Morea. Gallio, who was now deputy of it, was brother to L. Annaeus Seneca, the famous philosopher, who was preceptor to Nero; his name at first was M. Annaeus Novatus, but being adopted by L. Junius Gallio, he took the name of the family. According to his brother's account of him {s}, he was a very modest man, of a sweet disposition, and greatly beloved; and Statius ^F20 calls him Dulcem Gallionem, "the sweet Gallio", mild and gentle in his speech, as Quintilian says. Seneca

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 makes mention of him as being in Achaia; and whilst he was deputy there he had a fever, when as soon as it took him he went aboard a ship, crying, that it was not the disease of the body, but of the place.

The Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul;
being provoked that so many of their people, as well as of the Gentiles, were converted by him to the Christian religion, and were baptized:

and brought him to the judgment seat;
of Gallio, the deputy, to be tried and judged by him.

F17 L. 8. Ep. 24.
F18 Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 4. c. 5. Pausanias, l. 7. p. 396.
F19 Praefat. ad. l. 4. Nat. Quaest.
F20 Sylvarum, l. 2. Sylv. 7.
F21 Ep. 104.

Acts 18:12 In-Context

10 because I am with you. No one will succeed in harming you, for I have many people in this city."

11 So Sha'ul stayed there for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

12 But when Gallio became the Roman governor of Achaia, the unbelieving Jews made a concerted attack on Sha'ul and took him to court,

13 saying, "This man is trying to persuade people to worship God in ways that violate the Torah."

14 Sha'ul was just about to open his mouth, when Gallio said to the Jews, "Listen, you Jews, if this were a case of inflicted injury or a serious crime, I could reasonably be expected to hear you out patiently.