Acts 18:12

ἀνθυπάτου ὄντος with אABD.

12. Γαλλίωνος δὲ�, but when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia. We come now to an episode in marked contrast to the repose and quiet spoken of just before. St Luke here gives Gallio his correct title, which is a great mark of the fidelity of his narrative. Achaia was a Roman province. Such provinces belonged either to the Senate or to the Emperor. When they were senatorial the governor was styled Proconsul. Now Achaia had been a senatorial province under Augustus, but under Tiberius became an imperial province for a time. Subsequently after A.D. 44 under Claudius (Suet. Claud, xxv.), which is the reign in which these events in St Paul’s life occurred, it was once more made senatorial and so had a proconsul at this period for its governor. This Gallio was the brother of the famous philosopher Seneca, who was tutor, and for a time minister, of the Emperor Nero. Originally Gallio was called Marcus Annæus Novatus, and took the name of Gallio from the orator Lucius Junius Gallio, by whom he was adopted. The character of Gallio as described by his Roman contemporaries is that of a most bright, popular and affectionate man. He is spoken of as ‘sweet Gallio,’ and Seneca declares that ‘those who love him to the utmost, don’t love him enough.’

κατεπέστησαν ὁμοθυμαδόν, they rose up with one accord. The Jews probably hoped to avail themselves of the inexperience of a newly arrived proconsul. For this reason they came in a body and sought to have Paul expelled from the city.

καὶ ἤγαγον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα, and brought him to the judgement seat. In Gallio’s eyes they would seem to be a company of Jews accusing one of their own race of some erroneous teaching. If he had only lately come from Rome, he would be likely to have heard there of the troubles about ‘Christus’ (see above on Acts 18:2), and he would consider that he had come into the midst of a quarrel about the same matter.