Atos 16:21

21 propagando costumes que a nós, romanos, não é permitido aceitar nem praticar”.

Atos 16:21 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 16:21

And teach customs
The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read in the singular number, "custom or law"; referring to the doctrine of salvation by Christ, in whose name the spirit of divination was cast out of the maid, and whom they took for a new deity; and so concluded that the apostle and his company were introducing a new religious law or custom, the worship of another God: which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being
Romans;
for the city of Philippi was a Roman colony, and so the inhabitants of it called themselves Romans; or these men might be strictly such, who were transplanted hither; and with the Romans, it was not lawful to receive, observe, and worship, a new or strange deity, without the decree of the senate ^F12.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Tertull. Apolog. c. 5. Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 2. c. 2.

Atos 16:21 In-Context

19 Percebendo que a sua esperança de lucro tinha se acabado, os donos da escrava agarraram Paulo e Silas e os arrastaram para a praça principal, diante das autoridades.

20 E, levando-os aos magistrados, disseram: “Estes homens são judeus e estão perturbando a nossa cidade,

21 propagando costumes que a nós, romanos, não é permitido aceitar nem praticar”.

22 A multidão ajuntou-se contra Paulo e Silas, e os magistrados ordenaram que se lhes tirassem as roupas e fossem açoitados.

23 Depois de serem severamente açoitados, foram lançados na prisão. O carcereiro recebeu instrução para vigiá-los com cuidado.