Lexical Summary akroatérion: Audience, hearing Original Word: ἀκροατήριον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance auditorium, audience hallFrom akroates; an audience-room -- place of hearing. see GREEK akroates NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom akroaomai (to listen) and -térion (suff. denoting place) Definition place of audience, or listening NASB Translation auditorium (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 201: ἀκροατήριονἀκροατήριον, , τό (ἀκροάομαι to be a hearer), place of assemblage for hearing, auditorium; like this Latin word in Roman Law, ἀκροατ. in Acts 25:23 denotes a place set apart for hearing and deciding cases, (yet cf. Meyer at the passage). (Several times in Plutarch, and other later writers.) Topical Lexicon Overview The term ἀκροατήριον (akroatērion) designates an audience hall or courtroom—a formal space where testimony is heard and judgments rendered. Scripture records it once, in Acts 25:23, situating the word at a pivotal moment in Paul’s ministry when the apostle bears witness to the risen Christ before Rome’s regional authorities. Context in Acts 25:23 “So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience hall, with the commanders and the leading men of the city. When Festus gave the order, Paul was brought in.” (Acts 25:23) Luke’s narrative places Paul in Caesarea’s judicial chamber before Governor Porcius Festus and King Herod Agrippa II, accompanied by Bernice and a retinue of civic leaders. The setting underscores the reach of the gospel from synagogue to palace, from local disputes to imperial forums. Historical and Cultural Background 1. Roman Judicial Practice: Audience halls were designed for public proceedings, blending formality with rhetorical display. A presiding magistrate sat on an elevated bema, flanked by advisors and military tribunes, while the accused stood on the floor. Theological Significance • Fulfillment of Divine Commission: The Lord said of Paul, “He is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings” (Acts 9:15). The ἀκροατήριον becomes a concrete fulfillment of that promise. Literary and Rhetorical Insights Luke, a trained historian, frames Paul’s speech according to Greco-Roman forensic rhetoric: exordium (Acts 26:2–3), narratio (26:4–11), probatio (26:12–23), and peroratio (26:24–29). The physical ἀκροατήριον thus mirrors the literary structure—a place where argument is heard and verdicts are weighed. Intertextual Connections • Old Testament Courtrooms: Moses before Pharaoh (Exodus 5:1), Daniel before Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:27–30), and Esther before Xerxes (Esther 5:1) foreshadow God’s servants speaking truth to power. Implications for Ministry 1. Confidence in God’s Providence: Like Paul, believers can trust that hostile settings may become platforms for witness (Philippians 1:12–13). Related Biblical Themes • Gospel before Kings (Acts 26:32; Philippians 4:22) Application for Contemporary Believers Whether addressing local councils, academic forums, or digital platforms, Christians today enter modern “audience halls.” Acts 25:23 reminds the Church that every venue—courtroom, classroom, or parliament—is ultimately a stage for declaring Christ’s lordship. Dependence on the Spirit, mastery of Scripture, and integrity of life remain indispensable as believers echo Paul’s prayerful aspiration: “that the word may spread rapidly and be honored” (2 Thessalonians 3:1). Forms and Transliterations ακροατηριον ακροατήριον ἀκροατήριον akroaterion akroatērion akroatḗrionLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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