The Legal and Governmental Terms Common to the Macedonian Greek Inscriptions and the New Testament; With a Complete Index of the Macedonian Inscriptions - William Duncan Ferguson

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1913 edition. Excerpt: ...thus legislated for themselves, and were not a representative body. From the usage of the term Srjuos in the inscriptions certain facts are obtained which have a bearing upon the meaning and usage of this term in the New Testament. It occurs four times in the New Testament (Acts 12:22; 17:5; 19:30, 33). In Acts 12:22 it pertains to the city of Caesarea in Palestine; in 17:5 to Thessalonica in Macedonia; and in 19:30, 33 to Ephesus in Asia Minor. The Macedonian inscriptions show that the cities of Macedonia were generally governed by a body called 6 817/10s. Reference is made in No. 365 to the &/ of Thessalonica. Ephesus not being a Macedonian city is not mentioned here, but there are other inscriptions which make mention of a ftmy and a 87/105 in Ephesus. Not only do the inscriptions show that a political body called the 87/105 existed in Thessalonica and Ephesus, but they also afford some light as to some of the officers mentioned in the New Testament. The politarchs are associated with the high priest in such a way as to suggest that they were colleagues, but that the high priest was in some manner their superior officer. The statement is made (365) that certain things were done for the ffovij and the 87/105 by the politarchs irefl rbv apxupea. Both the politarchs and the high priest were subordinate, or subject to the authority of the 87/105. They were both officers of the city. The accusation against Paul and Silas in Thessalonica was political. They had violated certain civic laws and so were answerable to the city for their conduct. The intention seems to have been to bring them to the 87/105 for judgment, but failing to find Paul and Silas, they arrested Jason, together with some of the brethren, for having given...