Act 18:15, 25:19 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 15. Of words . A dispute about words ; for such he would regard all their controversies about religion to be. And names . Probably he had heard something of the nature of the controversy, and understood it to be a dispute about names ; i.e., whether Jesus was to be called the Messiah or not. To him this would appear as a matter pertaining to the Jews alone, and to be ranked with their other disputes arising from the difference of sect and name. Of your law . A question respecting the proper interpretation of the law, or the rites and ceremonies which it commanded. The Jews had many such disputes, and Gallio did not regard them as coming under his cognizance as a magistrate. Look ye to it . Judge this among yourselves; settle the difficulty as you can. Comp. . For I will be no judge , etc. I do not regard such questions as pertaining to my office, or deem myself called on to settle them. (++) "words and names" "Doctrines" (c) "look ye to it"

Acts 18:15

Verse 15. Of words. A dispute about words; for such he would regard all their controversies about religion to be.

And names. Probably he had heard something of the nature of the controversy, and understood it to be a dispute about names; i.e., whether Jesus was to be called the Messiah or not. To him this would appear as a matter pertaining to the Jews alone, and to be ranked with their other disputes arising from the difference of sect and name.

Of your law. A question respecting the proper interpretation of the law, or the rites and ceremonies which it commanded. The Jews had many such disputes, and Gallio did not regard them as coming under his cognizance as a magistrate.

Look ye to it. Judge this among yourselves; settle the difficulty as you can. Comp. Jn 18:31.

For I will be no judge, etc. I do not regard such questions as pertaining to my office, or deem myself called on to settle them.

(++) "words and names" "Doctrines" (c) "look ye to it" Jn 18:31, Acts 23:29, 22:11,19

Acts 25:19

Verse 19. But had certain questions. Certain inquiries, or litigated and disputed subjects; certain points of dispute in which they differed. ζητηματατινα.

Of their own superstition. δεισιδαιμονιας.

This word properly denotes the worship or fear of demons; but was applied by the Greeks and Romans to the worship of their gods. It is the same word which is used in Acts 17:22, where it is used in a good sense. Acts 17:22. There are two reasons for thinking that Festus used the word here in a good sense, and not in the sense in which we use the word superstition.

(1.) It was the word by which the worship of the Greeks and Romans, and therefore of Festus himself, was denoted, and he would naturally use it in a similar sense in applying it to the Jews. He would wish simply to describe their worship in such language as he was accustomed to use when speaking of religion.

(2.) He knew that Agrippa was a Jew. Festus would not probably speak of the religion of his royal guest as superstition, but would speak of it with respect. He meant, therefore, to say simply that they had certain inquiries about their own religion; but accused him of no crime against the Roman laws.

And of one Jesus, which was dead. Gr., "Of one dead Jesus." It is evident that Festus had no belief that Jesus had been raised up; and in this he would expect that Agrippa would concur with him. Paul had admitted that Jesus had been put to death; but he maintained that he had been raised from the dead. As Festus did not believe this, he spoke of it with the utmost contempt. "They had a dispute about one dead Jesus, whom Paul affirmed to be alive." In this manner a Roman magistrate could speak of the glorious truth of the Christian religion; and this shows the spirit with which the great mass of philosophers and statesmen regarded its doctrines.