Acts 17:6 Meaning and Explanation
“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;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Failing to find Paul and Silas, the mob drags Jason and other believers before the city rulers, accusing the missionaries of turning the world upside down.
What Does Acts 17:6 Mean?
Unable to find Paul and Silas, the mob hauls Jason and certain brethren before the politarchs, Thessalonica's city rulers. The charge they shout has become famous: these that have turned the world upside down -- unsettled the whole inhabited earth -- are come hither also.
Meant as slander, it stands as one of history's truest compliments. The gospel does overturn things -- pride, idols, old hatreds, the quiet tyranny of self -- and a message about a crucified and risen Lord was rearranging the Roman world without sword or treasury. Where Christ truly takes hold, life does not stay as it was; the accusation shouted in Thessalonica is the quiet hope of every place the word enters.
Acts 17:6 in the Original Language
anastatoo (ἀναστατόω), 'turned upside down' -- to unsettle, stir up, overturn.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 17:6
What does Acts 17:6 mean?
Failing to find Paul and Silas, the mob drags Jason and other believers before the city rulers, accusing the missionaries of turning the world upside down.