Acts 18:12

King James Version (KJV)

And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

When Gallio was the deputy of Achaia - The Romans comprehended, under the name of Achaia, all that part of Greece which lay between Thessaly and the southernmost coasts of Peloponnesus. Pausanias, in Attic. vii. 16, says that the Romans were accustomed to send a governor into that country, and that they called him the governor of Achaia, not of Greece; because the Achaeans, when they subdued Greece, were the leaders in all the Grecian affairs see also Suetonius, in his life of Claudius, cap. xxv., and Dio Cassius, lx. 24. Edit. Reimari.

Deputy - Ανθυπατευοντος, serving the office of Ανθυπατος, or deputy: see the note on Acts 13:7.

Gallio - This deputy, or proconsul, was eldest brother to the celebrated Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the stoic philosopher, preceptor of Nero, and who is so well known among the learned by his works. The name of Gallio, was at first Marcus Annaeus Novatus; but, having been adopted in the family of Gallio, he took the name of Lucius Junius Gallio. He, and Annaeus Mela his brother, father of the poet Lucan, shared in the disgrace of their brother Seneca; and by this tyrant, Nero, whose early years were so promising, the three brothers were put to death; see Tacitus, Annal. lib. xv. 70, and xvi. 17. It was to this Gallio that Seneca dedicates his book De Ira. Seneca describes him as a man of the most amiable mind and manners: "Quem nemo non parum amat, etiam qui amare plus non potent; nemo mortalium uni tam dulcis est, quam hic omnibus: cum interim tanta naturalis boni vis est, uti artem simulationemque non redoleat:" vide Senec. Praefat. ad Natural. Quaest. 4. He was of the sweetest disposition, affable to all, and beloved by every man.

Statius, Sylvar. lib. ii. 7. ver. 30, Ode on the Birthday of Lucan, says not a little in his favor, in a very few words: -

Lucanum potes imputare terris;

Hoc plus quam Senecam dedisse mundo,

Aut dulcem generasse Gallionem.

You may consider nature as having made greater efforts in producing Lucan, than it has done in producing Seneca, or even the amiable Gallio.

And brought him to the judgment seat - They had no power to punish any person in the Roman provinces, and therefore were obliged to bring their complaint before the Roman governor. The powers that be are ordained of God. Had the Jews possessed the power here, Paul had been put to death!

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Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

And Gallio - After the Romans had conquered Greece they reduced it to two provinces, Macedonia and Achaia, which were each governed by a proconsul. Gallio was the brother of the celebrated philosopher Seneca, and was made proconsul of Achaia in 53 a.d. His proper name was Marcus Annaeus Novatus, but, having been adopted into the family of Gallio, a rhetorician, he took his name. He is mentioned by ancient writers as having been of a remarkably mild and amiable disposition. His brother Seneca (“Praef. Quest.” Nat. 4) describes him as being of the most lovely temper: “No mortal,” says he, “was ever so mild to anyone as he was to all: and in him there was such a natural power of goodness, that there was no semblance of art or dissimulation.”

Was the deputy - See this word explained in the notes on Acts 13:7. It means here proconsul.

Of Achaia - This word, in its largest sense, comprehended the whole of Greece. Achaia proper, however, was a province of which Corinth was the capital. It embraced that part of Greece lying between Thessaly and the southern part of the Peloponnesus.

The Jews made insurrection - Excited a tumult, as they had in Philippi, Antioch, etc.

And brought him to the judgment seat - The tribunal of Gallio; probably intending to arraign him as a disturber of the peace.

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Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary

Paul was about to show that he did not teach men to worship God contrary to law; but the judge would not allow the Jews to complain to him of what was not within his office. It was right in Gallio that he left the Jews to themselves in matters relating to their religion, but yet would not let them, under pretence of that, persecute another. But it was wrong to speak slightly of a law and religion which he might have known to be of God, and which he ought to have acquainted himself with. In what way God is to be worshipped, whether Jesus be the Messiah, and whether the gospel be a Divine revelation, are not questions of words and names, they are questions of vast importance. Gallio spoke as if he boasted of his ignorance of the Scriptures, as if the law of God was beneath his notice. Gallio cared for none of these things. If he cared not for the affronts of bad men, it was commendable; but if he concerned not himself for the abuses done to good men, his indifference was carried too far. And those who see and hear of the sufferings of God's people, and have no feeling with them, or care for them, who do not pity and pray for them, are of the same spirit as Gallio, who cared for none of these things.

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SDA Bible Commentary (limited)
Volume 1-7

12. Gallio. His full name originally was Marcus Annaeus Novatus, but upon being adopted by a wealthy Roman named Lucius Junius Gallio, he was thereafter known as Junius Annaeus Gallio. He was the brother of the Stoic philosopher Seneca, the tutor of Nero. Seneca dedicated to his brother, the proconsul, two treatises, on “Anger” and the “Blessed Life.” Gallio was probably proconsul of Achaia sometime between a.d. 51 and 53 (see p. 98). After he retired from Achaia in consequence of an attack of fever (Seneca Epistles civ. 1), he returned to Rome. At first he enjoyed the favor of Nero, but eventually fell under the tyrant’s displeasure and, according to one tradition, was executed by him. Another tradition represents him as anticipating his fate by suicide. Tacitus, however, speaks of him only as “dismayed by the death of his brother Seneca” and pleading with Nero for his life (Annals xv. 73; Loeb ed., Tacitus, vol. 4, p. 333).

Deputy. Rather, “proconsul” (see on ch. 13:7). Here also Luke shows his characteristic accuracy in the use of official titles. Under Tiberius, Achaia, which included the whole of Greece south of the province of Macedonia, had been an imperial province, and was therefore governed by a procurator. But about a.d. 44 it had once more been made a senatorial province by Claudius, as it no longer needed direct military control (Tacitus Annals i. 76; Suetonius Lives of the Caesars v. 25. 3). Hence at the time of Paul’s visit it once more was ruled by a proconsul.

Jews made insurrection. Rather, “rose up.” The word “insurrection” has acquired, since the KJV was translated, the special meaning of a revolt of subjects against their rulers. This is not what took place here. The Jews evidently hoped that by appearing in a body against Paul, they could obtain the apostle’s expulsion from the city.

Judgment seat. It was customary for the Roman governors of provinces to hold court in the agora, or forum, that is, the market place, on certain fixed days (see on ch. 19:38), so that anyone might appeal to them to have his grievances satisfied. The Jews apparently took advantage of such an occasion. But to Gallio they would appear 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 had likely heard there of the troubles over “Chrestus” (see on ch. 18:2) and would consider that this was a quarrel about the same matter. See illustrations facing pp. 448, 449.

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Ellen G. White
The Acts of the Apostles, 253

The Jewish religion was under the protection of the Roman power, and the accusers of Paul thought that if they could fasten upon him the charge of violating the laws of their religion, he would probably be delivered to them for trial and sentence. They hoped thus to compass his death. But Gallio was a man of integrity, and he refused to become the dupe of the jealous, intriguing Jews. Disgusted with their bigotry and self-righteousness, he would take no notice of the charge. As Paul prepared to speak in self-defense, Gallio told him that it was not necessary. Then turning to the angry accusers, he said, “If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: but if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. And he drave them from the judgment seat.” AA 253.1

Both Jews and Greeks had waited eagerly for Gallio's decision; and his immediate dismissal of the case, as one that had no bearing upon the public interest, was the signal for the Jews to retire, baffled and angry. The proconsul's decided course opened the eyes of the clamorous crowd who had been abetting the Jews. For the first time during Paul's labors in Europe, the mob turned to his side; under the very eye of the proconsul, and without interference from him, they violently beset the most prominent accusers of the apostle. “All the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.” Thus Christianity obtained a signal victory. AA 253.2

“Paul after this tarried there yet a good while.” If the apostle had at this time been compelled to leave Corinth, the converts to the faith of Jesus would have been placed in a perilous position. The Jews would have endeavored to follow up the advantage gained, even to the extermination of Christianity in that region. AA 254.1

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Cross References

the deputy

Achaia