Acts 17 6

Acts 17:6 kjv

And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

Acts 17:6 nkjv

But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.

Acts 17:6 niv

But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here,

Acts 17:6 esv

And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

Acts 17:6 nlt

Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. "Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world," they shouted, "and now they are here disturbing our city, too.

Acts 17 verses

Acts 17 6 Meaning

The believers in Thessalonica were accused of acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar. They were seen as a threat to Roman authority and civil order due to their allegiance to Jesus Christ.

Acts 17 6 Context

This verse is part of Paul's missionary journey as recorded in the book of Acts. Paul and Silas had been ministering in Thessalonica, a significant Roman city in Macedonia. They preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which led to conversions, including some prominent women and many devout Greeks, as well as some Jewish men. However, their preaching also stirred up opposition from unbelieving Jews who were jealous of their success. This opposition escalated, leading to riots and accusations against Paul and Silas. When Paul and Silas were moved on to Berea for their safety, their opponents followed them. In Thessalonica itself, the opposition leaders instigated a mob against Jason, who had hosted Paul and Silas, and other believers. The accusers dragged Jason and his companions to the city officials, known as "politarchs," leveling accusations of sedition against the Roman Empire. They specifically charged the believers with defying Caesar's decrees by acknowledging Jesus as king.

Acts 17 6 Word Analysis

• καὶ (kai): "and" - A conjunction connecting clauses or phrases, indicating continuation.
• συλλαβόντες (syllabontes): "having seized," "having taken" - Present active participle from συλλαμβάνω (syllambano), meaning to take together, arrest, conceive. Here, it signifies the act of forcibly apprehending Jason and others.
• Ιάσωνά (Iasona): "Jason" - Accusative case of Ἰάσων (Iason), a common Greek name, the host of Paul and Silas.
• καί (kai): "and"
• τινας (tinas): "some" - Indefinite pronoun, indicating an unspecified number.
• αδελφούς (adelphous): "brothers" - Accusative plural of ἀδελφός (adelphos), meaning brother. In the New Testament, it often refers to fellow believers in Christ, members of the Christian community.
• εἵλκυσαν (heilkysan): "dragged" - Aorist active indicative, third person plural from ἕλκω (helko), meaning to draw, drag, pull. This verb conveys a sense of force and reluctance on the part of those being dragged.
• πρός (pros): "before," "to" - A preposition indicating direction or destination, here meaning "before the city officials."
• τήν (ten): "the" - Definite article.
• πόλιν (polin): "city" - Accusative singular of πόλις (polis), meaning city. Refers to the city officials or magistrates.
• ἄρχοντας (archontas): "rulers," "officials" - Accusative plural of ἄρχων (archon), meaning ruler, prince, magistrate, or official. In this context, likely refers to the "politarchs" (city rulers) of Thessalonica, a specific title known from inscriptions of that period.
• κράζοντας (krazontas): "shouting" - Present active participle from κράζω (krazo), meaning to cry out, shout loudly. It describes the manner of their accusation.
• οἰ (hoi): "these" - Definite article.
• οἰκουμενοί (oikoumenoi): "world" - Present passive participle from οἰκέω (oikeo), meaning to dwell, inhabit. Here, the present passive participle is used substantively with the article to refer to "the inhabited earth" or "the world." It emphasizes the widespread nature of the disruption attributed to Paul and Silas.
• ἀναστατώσαντες (anastatasantes): "turning upside down," "causing trouble" - Aorist active participle from ἀναστατόω (anastatoo), meaning to stir up, unsettle, throw into disorder, trouble. It conveys the idea of causing significant commotion and disturbance.
• τήν (ten): "the"
• οἰκουμένην (oikoumenen): "world" - Accusative singular of οἰκουμένη (oikoumene), the inhabited earth. Again, emphasizing the scope of their alleged disruption.
• καί (kai): "and"
• οὗτοι (houtoi): "these" - Demonstrative pronoun, referring back to Paul and Silas.
• Ιήσουν (Iesoun): "Jesus" - Accusative singular of Ἰησοῦς (Iesous).
• ἐγηγερκότας (egegerkotas): "who have stirred up" - Perfect active participle, accusative plural, from ἐγείρω (egeiro), meaning to raise up, awaken, rouse. The perfect tense suggests a continued effect from their actions. It's closely linked with "turning upside down" (ἀναστατώσαντες) but with a focus on inciting or rousing people.
• βασιλέα (basilea): "king" - Accusative singular of βασιλεύς (basileus), king. This is the core of their charge, declaring Jesus as a rival king to Caesar.
• ἄλλον (allon): "another" - Accusative singular of ἄλλος (allos), meaning other, another.
• λέγουσιν (legousin): "saying" - Present active indicative, third person plural from λέγω (lego), meaning to say, speak. This introduces the specific proclamation that Paul and his companions were making.

Words Group Analysis:

• "turned the world upside down" (οἰκουμενοί ἀναστατώσαντες): This hyperbolic accusation from the accusers vividly portrays the significant impact and disturbance caused by the Gospel's preaching. It reflects the apostles' ministry as disruptive to the established social and religious order, not necessarily through violence, but through the powerful message of a new King.
• "saying that there is another king, Jesus" (λέγουσιν ἄλλον βασιλέα, Ἰησοῦν): This phrase encapsulates the primary charge and the theological conflict. By proclaiming Jesus as king, the early Christians were implicitly challenging the absolute authority of Caesar, thus appearing to be treasonous to the Roman authorities and the populace. This directly relates to the political implications of the Gospel.

Acts 17 6 Bonus Section

The term "politarchs" used in verse 6 (though not explicitly in this verse but in the preceding and following ones describing the same event, Acts 17:8), refers to the chief officials of Thessalonica. Inscriptions found in Thessalonica mention this term, confirming its local usage and lending historical accuracy to Luke's account. The accusation against the apostles and Jason mirrored accusations leveled against Jesus himself when Pilate was told, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar" (John 19:12). This demonstrates a recurring pattern of interpreting the Christian message as a political threat. The believers’ understanding of Jesus as King of Kings (1 Timothy 6:15) and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16) fundamentally reordered their priorities and loyalties, placing divine authority above human authority when conflicts arose, as Peter and John famously stated, "We must obey God rather than human beings!" (Acts 5:29).

Acts 17 6 Commentary

The accusation brought against Jason and the other believers in Thessalonica was a politically charged one. By accusing them of "turning the world upside down" and of proclaiming "another king, Jesus," the mob was attempting to leverage Roman legal and political sensitivities. The Roman Empire highly valued order and the supremacy of Caesar. Any suggestion of a rival king was considered sedition and rebellion. This wasn't necessarily a misunderstanding of the Christian message about Jesus' kingship in a spiritual sense, but rather a deliberate misrepresentation to incite Roman authorities who would have dealt severely with any perceived threat to imperial power.

The Christians' allegiance was to Jesus as King, a truth that profoundly reshaped their lives and society. While this allegiance was ultimately spiritual, it inevitably impacted their participation in the civic and religious life of the Roman world. Their primary loyalty was to God's kingdom, which the Jews in Thessalonica framed as a direct challenge to Caesar's authority. The accusation was not that the Christians were violent, but that their message subverted the existing order. Jason, as their host, was implicated because he had provided hospitality to these perceived troublemakers. This shows the dangers faced by early Christians and the political dimensions of their faith in a world where religious and political powers were intertwined.