Acts 4 1

Acts 4:1 kjv

And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,

Acts 4:1 nkjv

Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them,

Acts 4:1 niv

The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.

Acts 4:1 esv

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,

Acts 4:1 nlt

While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees.

Acts 4 verses

Acts 4 1 Meaning

Acts 4:1 describes the initial confrontation faced by the apostles Peter and John after a miraculous healing and Peter's powerful sermon proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. While they were still teaching a large crowd, a formidable alliance of religious and civic authorities – the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and particularly the Sadducees – directly intervened, signifying the beginning of official opposition and persecution against the early Church's message.

Acts 4 1 Context

This verse immediately follows the miraculous healing of a man lame from birth (Acts 3:1-10) and Peter's subsequent sermon (Acts 3:11-26). Peter's sermon, delivered in the temple courts (Solomon's Portico) to a gathering crowd, boldly declared that the healing occurred in the name of Jesus Christ, whom the Jewish leaders had crucified but whom God had raised from the dead. This public proclamation, coupled with a verifiable miracle, attracted significant attention and belief (Acts 4:4 states "many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of men came to about five thousand"). The setting is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the epicenter of Jewish religious life, making the apostles' actions highly visible and controversial to the established religious order. The arrival of the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees signifies a direct and institutional response to what they perceived as a challenge to their authority, a disturbance of order, and a theological offense.

Acts 4 1 Word analysis

• Now as they spoke: The action is ongoing (laleō in Greek, signifying continuous speech). It highlights that the apostles were caught in the very act of proclaiming the message of Christ. "They" refers to Peter and John (from Acts 3:1). Their message (Acts 3:12-26) was clear: Jesus, crucified by men, was raised by God, and healing and salvation come through His name.
• to the people: The primary audience of the sermon (Acts 3:11), representing a significant public disturbance or attraction in the eyes of the authorities. The large number of listeners (about 5,000, Acts 4:4) would amplify the concern of the authorities.
• the priests: (Greek: hiereis) Refers to members of the Aaronic priesthood responsible for the Temple services. They would have resented the interruption of the established order and any challenge to their spiritual authority within the temple precincts. They might have been personally affronted by the apostles’ teaching that salvation came through Jesus rather than the Temple sacrifices they oversaw.
• and the captain of the temple guard: (Greek: strategos tou hierou) A specific, significant figure. This was a high-ranking official, typically a Levite, second only to the High Priest, who commanded the Temple police force (Levites who served as guards). His presence indicates that the authorities considered the situation serious enough to warrant military-like intervention, focused on maintaining peace and order within the sacred temple area.
• and the Sadducees: (Greek: Saddoukaioi) One of the main Jewish religious-political factions. Their core theological belief included a strict adherence to the written Torah alone, denying the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels, and spirits (Acts 23:8; Mt 22:23). The apostles’ central message—that God had raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 4:2)—was a direct, egregious theological challenge to their most fundamental doctrines, hence their intense antagonism. They were largely composed of aristocratic priestly families, giving them significant political and religious power, often controlling the Sanhedrin.
• came upon them: (Greek: ephistēmi) Implies a sudden, abrupt, or confrontational approach, indicating intervention with authority and intent. It denotes them "standing by" or "falling upon" with purpose, here being to apprehend.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• As they spoke to the people: Highlights the act of public proclamation and evangelism as the immediate trigger for the confrontation, indicating the apostles' bold and uncompromising witness.
• the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees: This triumvirate represents the confluence of religious (priests), civil/enforcement (captain), and political/doctrinal (Sadducees) authority. It indicates an official, institutional response rather than a mob action, signaling significant opposition from the establishment. The specific mention of the Sadducees points to the theological nature of their offense – the resurrection.
• came upon them: Signifies the initiation of direct conflict and apprehension. It's an active move of hostile intent and the exercise of power against the apostles.

Acts 4 1 Bonus section

The sudden confrontation initiated by this powerful trifecta underscores a prophetic theme echoed throughout the Scriptures: God's servants proclaiming truth will inevitably face opposition from the world's systems and powers. This incident serves as an early template for Christian persecution, where theological dispute combined with perceived societal threat (as the authorities feared the apostles inciting a rebellion or upsetting Roman rule) led to official action. It was not merely annoyance but deep-seated doctrinal disagreement, especially from the Sadducees, that fueled this initial official crackdown, solidifying the conflict between the new covenant and the old order's entrenched power structures.

Acts 4 1 Commentary

Acts 4:1 marks a critical turning point in the narrative of the early Church: the transition from internal growth and miraculous manifestations to external opposition and official persecution. Up to this point, the Church had experienced favor with the people (Acts 2:47; 3:9-10). However, the apostles' unequivocal declaration of Jesus' resurrection in the very heart of Jewish religious authority – the Temple – crossed a line for the establishment.

The specific grouping of opponents is highly significant. The priests sought to maintain control over religious practice and the Temple. The captain of the temple guard was concerned with public order and security, especially in such a prominent location. Most crucially, the Sadducees were vehemently opposed due to the core message of the resurrection directly challenging their fundamental theological belief that there was no resurrection from the dead. For them, this was not merely a nuisance but an existential threat to their worldview and authority. Their presence indicates that the conflict was fundamentally about theological truth – specifically the reality of Jesus' resurrection – rather than just public disturbance, although that was also a concern.

This verse sets the stage for the apostles' first official trial before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:5-22), establishing a pattern of divine power manifesting through the apostles, followed by human opposition from entrenched religious authorities. It vividly demonstrates that faithful proclamation of the gospel, particularly the resurrection of Christ, will inevitably provoke resistance from those whose power or beliefs are threatened by it, just as Jesus warned His disciples.