Acts 4:17 Meaning and Explanation
“But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →To keep the matter from spreading among the people, the council resolves to threaten the apostles against speaking any more in the name of Jesus.
What Does Acts 4:17 Mean?
The strategy is containment. Unable to deny the healing, the court moves to quarantine it: stern threats, and a ban on speaking 'in this name' — a name they avoid even pronouncing.
Notice what the authorities fear: not violence, not heresy proved, but spread. They treat the message as contagious, and they are right — Luke will measure the whole book by how the word grows and multiplies (Acts 6:7; 12:24; 19:20). Threats make poor walls against seed and leaven. Every attempt to silence the name ends up testifying to its power.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 4:17
What does Acts 4:17 mean?
To keep the matter from spreading among the people, the council resolves to threaten the apostles against speaking any more in the name of Jesus.