Chapter
Verse

Acts 18:17

ESV And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.
NIV Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.
NASB But they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. And yet Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.
CSB And they all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal, but none of these things mattered to Gallio.
NLT The crowd then grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid no attention.
KJV Then 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.
NKJV Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.

What does Acts 18:17 mean?

It's rare for Paul to spend much time in the cities and towns where he plants churches. Corinth is different. Not only does God tell him to stay, He also tells him he would not come to harm. God has chosen to save many people in Corinth and Paul needs time to reach them. In fact, Paul winds up staying a year and a half (Acts 18:9–11).

Paul is used to local Jews and Gentiles driving him out of town, beating him, and even stoning him (Acts 13:45–51; 14:5–7, 19). But then synagogue leadership brings him before the proconsul Gallio, charging him with encouraging the worship of a foreign god. Gallio judges that the issue is one of religion, not civil law, and dismisses the charges (Acts 18:12–16).

When the Jews in the synagogue drove Paul out, after several weeks of showing Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, the synagogue ruler Crispus followed him (Acts 18:8). Sosthenes is apparently Crispus' replacement and the head of the group that brings Paul to trial. It's unclear who "they all" are—presumably Gallio's guards who want to make sure the Jews understand not to waste the proconsul's time.

In Paul's introduction to his letter to the Corinthian church, he writes, "Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes" (1 Corinthians 1:1). There's no way we can know for certain, but it appears the Jewish synagogue leader so irritated with Paul that he brought him before a Roman court eventually becomes a Christ-follower. If so, there's no doubt Paul thought his tense encounter with Gallio was well worth it.
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