Acts 1:6 kjv

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

Acts 1:6 nkjv

Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"

Acts 1:6 niv

Then they gathered around him and asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

Acts 1:6 esv

So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"

Acts 1:6 nlt

So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?"

Acts 1 verses

Acts 1 6 Meaning

Acts 1:6 records the disciples' persistent question to the resurrected Jesus, expressing their expectation that He would, at that very moment, politically and nationally re-establish the kingdom for Israel. This query highlights their lingering misconception of the Messiah's kingdom, envisioning a sovereign, earthly dominion for their nation, free from Roman rule, rather than understanding its broader spiritual and universal dimensions or the timing of its full consummation.

Acts 1 6 Context

Acts 1 begins by linking Luke's Gospel, "the former book," to the unfolding narrative of Jesus' post-resurrection ministry. Luke records that for forty days after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples, speaking about the "kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). During this critical period, Jesus was clarifying their understanding and preparing them for the reception of the Holy Spirit. Despite these prolonged teachings, the disciples, deeply steeped in centuries of Jewish messianic expectations, still anticipated a literal, political, and nationalistic restoration of Israel's glory and independence from Roman occupation. Their question in Acts 1:6, asked as they "gathered around him" just before His ascension, reflects their eager and immediate hope that Jesus would fulfill these earthly prophecies and establish His rule from Jerusalem. Jesus' response in Acts 1:7-8 swiftly corrects their misconception about the timing and nature of the kingdom's initial manifestation, redirecting their focus from nationalistic politics to a Spirit-empowered global mission.

Acts 1 6 Word analysis

• Then (μὲν οὖν - men oun): A common Greek particle combination indicating a transition or logical connection, often translated as "therefore" or "so then." It suggests that the disciples' question is a direct response or consequence of Jesus' recent teachings, even if they misunderstood their implications.
• they gathered around him (συνελθόντες - synelthontes): From synerchomai, meaning "to come together, to assemble." It conveys proximity and intimacy, showing they were in direct consultation with Jesus, eager to hear His final words.
• and asked him (ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν - eperōtōn auton): The imperfect tense of eperōtaō ("to ask") implies a continuous, repeated, or pressing inquiry. This wasn't a casual question but a matter of deep and ongoing concern for them, signifying their intense anticipation.
• "Lord (Κύριε - Kyrie): A respectful address, acknowledging Jesus' authority and divinity, indicating their deep reverence and expectation of a profound answer.
• are you at this time (εἰ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ - ei en tō chronō toutō): The ei introduces a direct question. This phrase highlights their keen focus on the immediacy and timing of the event. They believed the opportune moment for the political restoration had finally arrived, especially after Jesus' resurrection confirmed His power.
• going to restore (ἀποκαθιστάς - apokathistas): From apokathistēmi, meaning "to restore, reinstate, re-establish, bring back." This is a crucial word echoing Old Testament prophecies concerning the restoration of Israel. For the disciples, it signified the re-establishment of the Davidic monarchy, the land's liberation, and the nation's political preeminence.
• the kingdom (τὴν βασιλείαν - tēn basileian): Refers to the "kingship," "reign," or "dominion." For the disciples, this meant the national, geopolitical entity of Israel as an independent sovereign state with its own king, consistent with the promises given to Abraham and David, and liberated from foreign rule.
• to Israel (τῷ Ἰσραήλ - tō Israēl): Specifically points to the nation of Israel as the recipient of this restoration. This emphasizes their nationalistic, particularistic view of the coming kingdom, centered on their ethnic and territorial identity.

• "Then they gathered around him and asked him": This phrase depicts an intentional huddle of disciples around Jesus, suggesting an earnest, direct, and collective appeal, fueled by hope and the forty days of post-resurrection instruction about the Kingdom of God.
• "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?": This complete question encapsulates the disciples' dominant paradigm: a focus on immediate timing ("at this time"), a belief in Jesus' power to bring about radical change ("restore"), and a clear understanding of the kingdom as a nationalistic, political entity belonging exclusively to Israel ("to Israel"). It starkly reveals their human, geopolitical perspective overshadowing Jesus' spiritual and universal kingdom teachings.

Acts 1 6 Bonus section

The question in Acts 1:6 encapsulates a significant theological tension often seen throughout the Gospels and Acts: the clash between Jewish nationalistic expectations of the Messiah and Jesus' broader, spiritual understanding of the Kingdom of God. This query sets up the critical transition from an ethnocentric, geopolitical hope to the global, Spirit-empowered mission of the early church. Jesus doesn't deny a future, ultimate restoration (echoing passages like Acts 3:21 where "restoration of all things" is mentioned), but He decisively corrects their temporal focus and their limited view of its initial spiritual manifestation. The Holy Spirit's role (Acts 1:8) is crucial because it redefines power not as military or political force, but as spiritual enablement for witness, thus inaugurating the spiritual aspect of the Kingdom, which later unfolds in the Book of Acts with the inclusion of Samaritans, Gentiles, and ultimately, the spread of the Gospel throughout the world.

Acts 1 6 Commentary

Acts 1:6 serves as a pivotal point, highlighting the disciples' enduring yet flawed understanding of Jesus' messianic role and the nature of the "kingdom of God," even after His resurrection appearances and teachings. Despite Jesus speaking for forty days "about the kingdom of God," their question reveals they were still thinking within a limited, earthly, nationalistic framework – anticipating an immediate, political restoration of Israel's temporal sovereignty. Their concept of "restore the kingdom to Israel" was deeply rooted in Old Testament prophecies concerning national glory and Davidic rule, but they misconstrued its timing and initial spiritual character. Jesus' reply in the subsequent verse (Acts 1:7-8) redirects them from speculative timing and earthly dominion to the divine prerogative, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and the expansive mission of witnessing "to the ends of the earth," signaling a dramatic shift from a nationalistic focus to a universal, Spirit-led evangelistic outreach that transcends Israel's geopolitical aspirations.