A Study of Acts: Gallio Refuses to Rule Against Paul
Acts 18:12-17; 1 Corinthians 1:1 - Are you indifferent to the story of Jesus?
“But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; but if there are questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” And he drove them away from the judgment seat. And they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.”
Acts 18:12-17 NASB1995
Paul at some point during his tenure in Corinth is grabbed and dragged before the Roman Proconsul for the region of Achaia. The Jews accuse him of “persuading men to worship God contrary to the law”. So who was Gallio? This person provides a great link showing the accuracy of the writings of Luke (he understood what a proconsul was and knew who Gallio was) and the timeframe in question. Here is the biography of Gallio from the secular source Wikipedia.org (links and references go back to Wikipedia):
Lucius Junius Gallio Annaeanus or Gallio (Greek: Γαλλιων, Galliōn; c. 5 BC – c. AD 65) was a Roman senator and brother of the writer Seneca. He is best known for dismissing an accusation brought against Paul the Apostle in Corinth.
Gallio (originally named Lucius Annaeus Novatus), the son of the rhetorician Seneca the Elder and the elder brother of Seneca the Younger, was born in Corduba (Cordova) c. 5 BC. He was adopted by Lucius Junius Gallio, a rhetorician of some repute, from whom he took the name of Junius Gallio. His brother Seneca, who dedicated to him the treatises De Ira and De Vita Beata, speaks of the charm of his disposition, also alluded to by the poet Statius (Silvae, ii.7, 32). It is probable that he was banished to Corsica with his brother, and that they returned together to Rome when Agrippina selected Seneca to be tutor to Nero. Towards the close of the reign of Claudius, Gallio was proconsul of the newly constituted senatorial province of Achaea, but seems to have been compelled by ill-health to resign the post within a few years.[1] He was referred to by Claudius as "my friend and proconsul" in the Delphi Inscription, around 52.
Gallio was a suffect or replacement consul in the mid-50s,[2] and Cassius Dio records that he introduced Nero's performances.[3] Not long after the death of his brother, Seneca, Gallio (according to Tacitus, Ann. 15.73) was attacked in the Senate by Salienus Clemens, who accused him of being a "parricide and public enemy", though the Senate unanimously appealed to Salienus not to profit "from public misfortunes to satisfy a private animosity".[4] He did not survive this reprieve long. When his second brother, Annaeus Mela, opened his veins after being accused of involvement in a conspiracy (Tacitus, Ann. 16.17), Gallio seems to have committed suicide, perhaps under instruction in 65 AD.[5]
According to the Acts of the Apostles, when Gallio was proconsul of Achaea, Paul the Apostle was brought in front of him by the Jews of Corinth with the accusation of having violated Mosaic Law. This action was presumably headed by Sosthenes, a ruler of the local synagogue. Gallio, however, was indifferent towards religious disputes between the Jews and Jewish Christians; therefore, he dismissed the charges against Paul (denegatio actionis) and had both him and the Jews removed from the Court. As this was being done, Sosthenes was beaten, but Gallio did not intervene (Acts 18:12-17).
Gallio's tenure can be fairly accurately dated to between AD 51–52.[6] Therefore, the events of Acts 18 can be dated to this period. This is significant because it is the most accurately known date in the life of Paul.[7]
This is an interesting story about this man. The fact that he was proconsul in Achaea from AD 51-52 dates Paul’s time in Corinth during this Second Missionary Journey pretty accurately! The Jews are trying to get Gallio to rule on Christianity as an illicit religion per Roman law, not Mosaic Law (they’ve already tried that stance with Paul numerous times in various places). If the proconsul rules in their favor, then that could be used as justification to ban Paul’s preaching and not allow open worship by Christian believers at least in Achaea and possibly across the Roman Empire.
But the Lord promised Paul that no man would harm him in the city. Before Paul can even speak, Gallio says to the Jews that if it were a matter of wrong or a vicious crime it would be reasonable for him to “put up with them” but if these are questions about their words and names and their own laws it was up to them to figure it out themselves. Gallio will not make a ruling. John MacArthur has an interesting take on this from a sermon quoted in Precept Austin:
They were talking about Roman law, because they were trying to get this Roman to convict Paul of a crime. Christianity officially was viewed as a sect of Judaism. The Romans saw it as a sect of Judaism, therefore, it came under what the Romans called religio licita, ("approved religion"). The Romans had a category called "permitted religions." Although they believed in emperor worship, they had category of permitted religions. Judaism was one of the permitted ones and Christianity was seen as a sect of Judaism. What these Jews were trying to do was to get Gallio to acknowledge that Paul's brand of religion was not religio licita but religio illicita, and that it should be excluded, because it was not Judaism. They wanted to convict him. Gallio was no dumbbell. He was cool, and I'm sure he'd heard Paul preach. He knew enough about the Jewish religion assuredly to know that the Jews had this and that and the other kind of standard, and they believed in a Messiah, and they were looking for their Messiah. All that Paul was announcing was that Jesus is that Messiah. Therefore, Gallio could see that Paul's brand of Christianity was, in fact, just a form of Judaism in his own mind. (Sermon)
Gallio sends the Jews and believing Gentiles away from the judgment seat, but before they can leave, they take out their anger on Sosthenes, the current leader of the synagogue and began beating him. The translation I use says that “they all” began this action, but other translations note that the Greeks are the ones who beat on the Jewish Sosthenes. Gallio was not interested in this malarkey. It is speculated that Sosthenes replaced Crispus, who of course became a Christian. It is also thought that Sosthenes later became a Christian himself, because the name is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:1 by Paul:
“Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,”
1 Corinthians 1:1 NASB1995
This ruling by Gallio is remarkable, showing an astute recognition of the rights of religion at this early timeframe. As we know from history, Rome changes its tune on Christianity when Nero comes to power in AD 64, but there is a period of relative peace for the Gospel story to be spread. Gallio does not display any interest whatsoever in the teachings of Paul, however, but only in getting these belligerents out of his sight. He doesn’t even react when they assault their leader.
This was good commentary by Jack Arnold on Precept Austin about Gallio:
“..was a great humanitarian but he was lost, showing no interest whatsoever in Christ. Gallio did not care. He thought religion to be irrelevant, so he went through life a rejecter of Christ even though he was one of the great men of his time. How sad! A brilliant, sensitive governor who was totally insensitive to spiritual issues. Are you like Gallio? Are you indifferent to spiritual realities? Are you unconcerned about the eternal destiny of your soul? Do you not care whether you go to heaven or hell? Gallio did not even bother to inquire into Christianity? Are you like Gallio?"
There are at least three sides in the debate over the truth of the Gospels in our world: Those who are firmly convicted in their belief, those who actively rage at and despise the Word of God, and those who don’t care one way or the other. That last group is probably the largest and may even include people who perfunctorily attend church and go through the motions. They do it because their families expect it or it has become a tradition, but do they think about eternity? Eternity with Him must be set in our hearts.
My next devotional examines Acts 18:18-22 - Paul leaves to return to Syria.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Please keep me from ever being indifferent to my salvation and the gift of eternal life through You! Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Wikipedia was accessed on 12/14/2024 to review the biography of Gallio.
Precept Austin was accessed on 12/14/2024 to review commentary for Acts 18:12-17.