Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 18]
criminal, from \rh•idiourgos\ (\rh•idios\, easy, \ergon\, work),
one who does a thing with ease, adroitly, a "slick citizen."
{Reason would that I should bear with you} (\kata logon an
aneschom•n hum•n\). Literally, "according to reason I should have
put up with you (or held myself back from you)." This condition
is the second class (determined as unfulfilled) and means that
the Jews had no case against Paul in a Roman court. The verb in
the conclusion (\aneschom•n\) is second aorist middle indicative
and means with the ablative \hum•n\ "I should have held myself
back (direct middle) from you (ablative). The use of \an\ makes
the form of the condition plain.
18:15 {Questions} (\z•t•mata\). Plural, contemptuous, "a parcel
of questions" (Knowling). {About words} (\peri logou\). Word,
singular, talk, not deed or fact (\ergon, factum\). {And names}
(\kai onomat•n\). As to whether "Jesus" should also be called
"Christ" or "Messiah." The Jews, Gallio knew, split hairs over
words and names. {And your own law} (\kai nomou tou kath' hum•s\)
Literally, "And law that according to you." Gallio had not been
caught in the trap set for him. What they had said concerned
Jewish law, not Roman law at all. {Look to it yourselves}
(\opsesthe autoi\). The volitive future middle indicative of
\hora•\ often used (cf. Mt 27:4) where an imperative could be
employed (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 874). The use of \autoi\
(yourselves) turns it all over to them. {I am not minded} (\ou
boulomai\). I am not willing, I do not wish. An absolute refusal
to allow a religious question to be brought before a Roman civil
court. This decision of Gallio does not establish Christianity in
preference to Judaism. It simply means that the case was plainly
that Christianity was a form of Judaism and as such was not
opposed to Roman law. This decision opened the door for Paul's
preaching all over the Roman Empire. Later Paul himself argues
(Ro 9-11) that in fact Christianity is the true, the spiritual
Judaism.
18:16 {He drave them} (\ap•lasen autous\). First aorist active
indicative of \apelaun•\, old word, but here alone in the N.T.
The Jews were stunned by this sudden blow from the mild proconsul
and wanted to linger to argue the case further, but they had to
go.
18:17 {They all laid hold on Sosthenes} (\epilabomenoi pantes
S•sthen•n\). See 16:19; 17:19 for the same form. Here is
violent hostile reaction against their leader who had failed so
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