When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, saying, "This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law." Acts 18:12-13

Remember that Paul was in Corinth at this time. Corinth was in the Roman province of Greece. Some background from commentator Albert Barnes is helpful. (Barnes, 1798-1870, was an American Presbyterian known for his commentaries on both the Old and New Testaments.)

After the Romans had conquered Greece, they reduced it to two provinces, Macedonia and Achaia, which were each governed by a proconsul. Gallio was the brother of the celebrated philosopher Seneca, and was made proconsul of Achaia in 53 AD… He is mentioned by ancient writers as having been of a remarkably mild and amiable disposition. His brother Seneca described him as being of the most lovely temper: “No mortal,” says he, “was ever so mild to anyone as he was to all…”

Gallio was not a hot-headed or blood thirsty bureaucrat, but a fair and temperate public administrator. This is worthy of note so that we do not think that he had any ax to grind with Paul or with Christians. Why then was he even involved with charges against Paul and Co.?

Roman civil authorities were not the source of persecution. They didn’t much care what people believed. They only cared that there was no civil unrest, and of course that tax revenues were consistently rolling in. The source of persecution (v.12) was Jewish religious hatred against Christ and His followers. But as it was when they wanted to do away with Jesus, they insisted that Christians posed a threat to Roman peace and tranquility.

Of course, the Christians posed no such threat. The threat was from the Jewish religious leaders. They threatened the Roman authorities that if they didn’t get their way, they would cause trouble. Sound familiar in our day?

Back of it all is Satan, who hates Christ and and uses foolish people to attack the kingdom of God.