Acts 16 21

Acts 16:21 kjv

And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

Acts 16:21 nkjv

and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe."

Acts 16:21 niv

by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."

Acts 16:21 esv

They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice."

Acts 16:21 nlt

"They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice."

Acts 16 verses

Acts 16 21 Meaning

Acts 16:21 records the specific charge leveled against Paul and Silas in Philippi: they were accused of promoting practices and beliefs, referred to as "customs," that were legally prohibited for Roman citizens to accept or observe. This accusation leveraged their status as a Roman colony and the citizens' presumed duty to uphold Roman law and traditions, thereby framing the Christian message as an illicit and subversive influence directly threatening the Roman way of life and established social order.

Acts 16 21 Context

The immediate context places Paul and Silas in Philippi, a significant Roman colony in Macedonia, during Paul's second missionary journey. They had encountered a slave girl possessed by a spirit of divination, who generated considerable profit for her owners through fortune-telling. When Paul, moved by compassion and spiritual discernment, commanded the spirit to leave her in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 16:16-18), the girl was freed, and her owners lost their lucrative income. Infuriated by this, the owners seized Paul and Silas, dragging them before the city magistrates (praetors) in the marketplace. Their accusation was calculated to inflame the authorities: it was not a private grievance or even a religious one, but a public charge of social disruption and legal transgression. Philippi's strong identity as a Roman colony meant its citizens took pride in their Roman status, laws, and customs. The phrase "being Romans" in the accusation was a potent appeal to civic duty and patriotism, framing the apostles' actions as an anti-Roman threat to established order and tradition.

Acts 16 21 Word analysis

• and teach (καὶ διδάσκουσιν - kai didaskousin): "Didaskousin" is in the present tense, emphasizing that Paul and Silas were actively and continuously teaching or proclaiming. This implies a perceived ongoing disruption rather than an isolated incident. The accusation centers on their role as instructors of new, unwelcome doctrines.

• customs (ἔθη - ethē): This Greek term refers to established practices, traditions, and laws, encompassing both social norms and religious observances. In a Roman colony, ethē carried a strong association with the mos maiorum (the customs of ancestors) – deeply revered Roman traditions that formed the backbone of their societal and legal identity. The accusers framed the Christian message not just as foreign, but as undermining these foundational Roman customs.

• that are not lawful (ἃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν - ha ouk exestin): "Ouk exestin" is a legal declaration, meaning "it is not permitted," "it is unlawful," or "it is not right." This explicitly invokes Roman law, turning a religious dispute into a criminal charge of defying state ordinances. It asserts that the activities of Paul and Silas were in direct contravention of the established legal framework for Romans.

• for us (ἡμῖν - hēmin): The plural pronoun "us" collectivizes the charge, identifying the accusers with all Roman citizens of Philippi. It underscores that the apostles' teaching was a perceived threat not just to individuals but to the corporate Roman identity and societal fabric of the colony, implying shared duty and shared vulnerability.

• to accept or practice (παραδέχεσθαι ἢ ποιεῖν - paradechesthai ē poiein): "Paradechesthai" means "to receive, admit, embrace (a teaching or custom)," while "poiein" means "to do, observe, carry out (a custom or rite)." This dual expression comprehensively covers both the intellectual acceptance of beliefs and the active observance of practices. It highlights that the Christian message, in its totality of faith and life, was seen as incompatible and forbidden for those "being Romans."

• being Romans (Ῥωμαίοις οὖσιν - Rhōmaiois ousin): This is a pivotal phrase. "Rhōmaiois" explicitly identifies the people of Philippi as Romans. As a Roman colony, its residents possessed varying degrees of Roman citizenship and pride, requiring strict adherence to Roman law and cultural loyalty. By stating "being Romans," the accusers sought to evoke strong patriotic sentiment and prejudice, positioning the Christian faith as a seditious, un-Roman, and potentially treasonous movement.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "teach customs that are not lawful": This phrase succinctly combines the act of propagation ("teach") with the content ("customs") and its perceived illegality ("not lawful"). It encapsulates the charge that the gospel was not merely a novel belief but an illegal system of foreign practices imposed upon Roman citizens, thus a threat to state-sanctioned religion and order.
  • "for us to accept or practice, being Romans": This clause precisely links the forbidden nature of the customs to their civic identity. It argues that due to their status as Romans, they were legally bound to reject both the beliefs and the practices of the Christian message. This was a powerful appeal to the magistrates' duty to protect Roman law, tradition, and the prestige of the Roman name from perceived foreign contamination.

Acts 16 21 Bonus section

• The term religio licita (a permitted religion) referred to approved cults in the Roman Empire, which included Judaism under certain conditions. The accusation against Paul and Silas implies Christianity was being presented as a new, unauthorized, and thus religio illicita (an illicit religion). This placed Christians in a precarious legal position, open to persecution on charges of disturbing public order rather than purely religious grounds.
• This verse provides early insight into the Roman strategy of dealing with emerging groups by accusing them of introducing foreign superstitions or rituals that undermined the state and its deities. This legal precedent would continue to be used against Christians for centuries, eventually leading to widespread official persecution.
• The accusers in Philippi made no distinction between the teachings of Paul and typical Jewish practices. For them, any novel custom that appeared Jewish or non-Roman, especially if aggressively proselytizing, was suspect. This reflects the broader Roman attitude of tolerance for established foreign cults within their communities but often suspicion or suppression of new ones, particularly those seen as disruptive.

Acts 16 21 Commentary

Acts 16:21 represents the Roman Empire's earliest recorded official confrontation with the burgeoning Christian movement in Europe. The charge itself was skillfully crafted: not an explicit theological or even direct anti-Jewish accusation, but a legal and socio-political one – promoting "unlawful customs" to "Romans." In a proudly Roman colony like Philippi, such a charge resonated deeply with public and official sentiment. The reference to "customs" (ethē) was broad enough to encompass perceived Jewish practices (which often carried suspicion) while framing the core issue as a breach of Roman legal decorum. The real grievance of the slave girl's owners was financial loss, but by framing it in terms of Roman identity and legality, they leveraged state power to persecute Paul and Silas. This episode vividly illustrates the tension between the Kingdom of God and worldly authorities, demonstrating how the propagation of the gospel could be, and often was, perceived as a threat to established political, economic, and social systems.