Gallio assumed the governorship of Greece around A.D. 51 and Luke has used the correct technical term to describe the office of Gallio, Roman governor. Greece is literally “Achaia” (18.27; 19.21), the Roman province that included the most important part of Greece. In the Roman system a governor was an “appointed ruler”; in some languages the equivalent is “an appointed big chief.” But the passive expression was made is difficult to render in many languages; therefore, one may say, “the Roman authorities caused Gallio to be ruler of Greece.”

Got together is actually an adverb (see 1.14) which must be taken closely with the verb seized. The verb which the Good News Translation has translated seized appears only here in the New Testament. It appears in some other translations as “made an attack” (Revised Standard Version, see Phillips) and “set upon” (New English Bible); and so the entire phrase got together, seized is translated “made a united attack upon” (Revised Standard Version), “banded together to attack” (Phillips), and “set upon in a body” (New English Bible).

Took him into court may be translated in some languages as “caused him to go before the governor (or ruler) to be judged.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .