12:11

public assemblies: Or possibly, “synagogues.” The Greek noun sy·na·go·geʹ used here literally means “a bringing together; an assembly.” In most occurrences in the Christian Greek Scriptures, it refers to the building or place where Jews assembled for Scripture reading, instruction, preaching, and prayer. (See Glossary, “Synagogue.”) The word in this context could refer to “synagogues,” to which local Jewish courts were attached (see study note on Mt 10:17), but it seems to be used here in a broader sense to refer to the type of gatherings that were accessible to the public, Jewish or non-Jewish. These assemblies were organized for the purpose of legally prosecuting a Christian and perhaps even rendering some kind of judicial decision against him because of his faith.