Deputy
Summary
A term used in Scripture for various officials who administered authority on behalf of a superior, particularly Roman proconsuls governing senatorial provinces.
☩Old Testament Usage
In the Old Testament, 'deputy' translates Hebrew terms for officers set over others. In Edom's early history before it had kings, deputies or prefects ruled by common consent of the clans. The same term describes officers of the commissariat appointed by Solomon. In Esther, it renders the Persian word for provincial governors subordinate to the great king.
☩Roman Proconsuls
In the New Testament, 'deputy' translates the Greek anthupatos, meaning proconsul—the governor of a Roman province appointed by the Senate. Proconsuls were invested with consular power over their district, usually for one year, exercising both judicial and military authority. They governed senatorial provinces as opposed to imperial provinces ruled by the emperor's legates. Several proconsuls appear in Acts: Sergius Paulus in Cyprus, who believed after seeing Elymas struck blind, and Gallio in Achaia, who dismissed the Jewish charges against Paul.
☩Significance of Luke's Accuracy
Luke's use of 'proconsul' for the governors of Cyprus and Achaia demonstrates remarkable historical precision. Both provinces had changed status over time—Cyprus from imperial to senatorial, Achaia temporarily back to senatorial under Claudius—yet Luke correctly identifies their governors as proconsuls at the precise periods described. This accuracy supports the reliability of the Acts narrative.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Deputy," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. II (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Deputy," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Deputy," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).