SEV Biblia, Chapter 16:21
y predican ritos, los cuales no nos es lícito recibir ni hacer, pues somos romanos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 16:21
Verse 21. And teach customs] eqh, Religious opinions, and religious rites. Which are not lawful for us to receive] The Romans were very jealous of their national worship. Servius, on the following lines of Virgil, has given us correct information on this point; and has confirmed what several other writers have advanced: - Rex Evandrus ait: Non haec solemnia nobis Vana superstitio, veterumque ignara deorum, Imposuit. AEn. viii. v. 185, &c.
King Evander said:-It is not vain superstition, ignorant of the ancient worship of the gods, which has imposed these rites on us. Duo dicit, says Servius: non ideo Herculem colimus; aut quia omnem religionem veram putamus; aut quia deos ignoramus antiquos. Cautum enim fuerat, et apud Athenienses, et apud Romanos; ne quis NOVAS introduceret RELIGIONES: unde et Socrates damnatus est: et Chaldaei et Judaei unt urbe depulsi.
"He says two things: we do not worship Hercules because we believe every religion to be true; nor are we ignorant of the ancient gods. Great care was taken, both among the Athenians and Romans, that no one should introduce any new religion. It was on this account that Socrates was condemned, and on this account the Chaldeans and the Jews were banished from Rome." CICERO, Deuteronomy Legibus, lib. ii. c. 8, says: Separatim nemo habessit deos; neve NOVOS; sed nec ADVENAS, nisi publice ADSCITOS, PRIVATIM colunto. "No person shall have any separate gods, nor new ones; nor shall he privately worship any strange gods, unless they be publicly allowed." The whole chapter is curious. It was on such laws as these that the people of Philippi pleaded against the apostles. These men bring new gods, new worship, new rites; we are Romans, and the laws forbid us to worship any new or strange god, unless publicly allowed.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 21. And teach customs , etc.] 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 f828 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 16-24 - Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most importan truths, when he can thereby serve his purposes. But much mischief is done to the real servants of Christ, by unholy and false preachers of the gospel, who are confounded with them by careless observers. Thos who do good by drawing men from sin, may expect to be reviled a troublers of the city. While they teach men to fear God, to believe in Christ, to forsake sin, and to live godly lives, they will be accuse of teaching bad customs.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ καταγγελλουσιν 2605 5719 V-PAI-3P εθη 1485 N-APN α 3739 R-APN ουκ 3756 PRT-N εξεστιν 1832 5904 V-PQI-3S ημιν 2254 P-1DP παραδεχεσθαι 3858 5738 V-PNN ουδε 3761 ADV ποιειν 4160 5721 V-PAN ρωμαιοις 4514 A-DPM ουσιν 5607 5752 V-PXP-DPM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
21. Being Romans. The Romans granted absolute toleration to conquered nations to follow their own religious customs, and took the gods of these countries under their protection. Otho, Domitian, Commodus, and Caracalla were zealous partisans of the worship of Isis; Serapis and Cybele were patronized at Rome; and in the reign of Nero the religious dilettante at Rome affected Judaism, and professed to honor the name of Moses and the sacred books. Poppaea, Nero's consort, was their patroness, and Seneca said, "the Jewish faith is now received on every hand. The conquered have given laws to the conquerors." On the other hand, there were laws which forbade the introduction of strange deities among the Romans themselves. In 186 B.C., when stringent measures were taken by the government for the repression of Bacchanalian orgies in Rome, one of the consuls, addressing an assembly of the people, said: "How often in the ages of our fathers was it given in charge to the magistrates to prohibit the performance of any foreign religious rites; to banish strolling sacrificers and soothsayers from the forum, the circus, and the city; to search for and burn books of divination; and to abolish every mode of sacrificing that was not conformable to the Roman practice" (Livy, xxxix., 16) It was contrary to strict Roman law for the Jews to propagate their opinions among the Romans, though they might make proselytes of other nations.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
16:21 {Customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans} (eqe ha ouk estin hemin paradecesqai oude poiein rwmaiois ousin). Note the sharp contrast between "being Jews" in verse #20 and "being Romans" here. this pose of patriotism is all sound and fury. It is love of money that moves these "masters" far more than zeal for Rome. As Roman citizens in a colony they make full use of all their rights of protest. Judaism was a _religio licita_ in the Roman empire, only they were not allowed to make convert of the Romans themselves. No Roman civil officer would pass on abstract theological questions (#18:15), but only if a breach of the peace was made (ektarassousin hemwn ten polin) or the formation of secret sects and organizations. Evidently both of these last points are involved by the charges of "unlawful customs" by the masters who are silent about their real ground of grievance against Paul and Silas. eqos (kin to eqos, #1Co 15:33) is from eqw, to be accustomed or used to a thing. The Romans granted toleration to conquered nations to follow their religious customs provided they did not try to win the Romans. But the Jews had made great headway to favor (the God-fearers) with increasing hatred also. Emperor worship had in store grave peril for both Jews and Christians. The Romans will care more for this than for the old gods and goddesses. It will combine patriotism and piety.
