Lexical Summary stratégos: Commander, Magistrate, Captain Original Word: στρατηγός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance captain, magistrate. From the base of stratia and ago or hegeomai; a general, i.e. (by implication or analogy) a (military) governor (praetor), the chief (praefect) of the (Levitical) temple-wardens -- captain, magistrate. see GREEK stratia see GREEK ago see GREEK hegeomai NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as strateuó and from agó Definition a general, governor NASB Translation captain (3), chief magistrates (5), officers (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4755: στρατηγόςστρατηγός, στρατηγοῦ, ὁ (στρατός and ἄγω), from Herodotus down, the Sept. chiefly for סֶגֶן (only plural סְגָנִים); 1. the commander of an army. 2. in the N. T. a civic commander, a governor (the name of the duumviri or highest magistrates in the municipia and colonies; they had the power of administering justice in the less important cases; οἱ τῆς πόλεως στρατηγοί, Artemidorus Daldianus, oneir. 4, 49; of civil magistrates as early as Herodotus 5, 38; (see references in Meyer on Acts 16:20; Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 2f; cf. Farrar, St. Paul, i., excurs. xvi.)): plural (R. V. magistrates (after A. V.), with marginal reading Gr. praetors), Acts 16:20, 22, 35f (38). 3. στρατηγός τοῦ ἱεροῦ, 'captain of the temple' (A. V.), i. e. the commander of the Levites who kept guard in and around the temple (Josephus, Antiquities 20, 6, 2; (B. D., under the word In the Greco–Roman world a strategos could be a military commander, a civic magistrate, or, in a Jewish setting, the officer in charge of Temple security. New Testament usage reflects all three nuances, showing how early Christians interacted with both Roman municipal authority and the established religious leadership in Jerusalem. New Testament Occurrences 1. Municipal magistrates at Philippi 2. Temple officers in Jerusalem Key Narrative Settings Philippi “ The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods.” (Acts 16:22) Philippi’s magistrates were answerable to Rome. Their hasty, unjust sentence contrasts with Paul’s later appeal to Roman citizenship. Luke thereby exposes the fragility of earthly authority before the higher rule of God. Jerusalem “ And he went to discuss with the chief priests and temple officers how he might betray Jesus to them.” (Luke 22:4) Temple officers, though attached to the house of God, became instruments in betraying the Messiah and later in threatening His apostles. Their presence underscores the tragedy of religious authority misused. Theological Themes 1. Limited human authority Whether civic or religious, στρατηγοί possess real power, yet their actions are circumscribed by God’s sovereign plan. The Philippian officials intend harm, but their injustice leads to a prison evangelism event and the conversion of a jailer (Acts 16:25–34). 2. The gospel’s collision with power structures Luke repeatedly shows the message of Jesus upsetting entrenched systems. When coercion or intimidation is applied, the apostles respond with prayer, worship, and bold proclamation, testifying that Christ’s kingdom cannot be silenced by magistrates or guards. 3. Accountability before higher law Paul’s strategic use of his Roman citizenship forces Philippian magistrates to acknowledge their wrongdoing (Acts 16:37–39). The episode illustrates lawful means of appeal without compromising gospel integrity, modeling how believers today may engage legal systems while ultimately trusting the Lord. Ministry Implications • Expect opposition from both secular and religious authorities when faithfully proclaiming Christ. Practical Application Believers who serve in law enforcement, government, or church leadership can learn that authority is a stewardship under God. Accountability, justice, and humility should mark Christian exercise of power. Likewise, congregations facing hostility may take courage from the way the early church triumphed through prayer, praise, and perseverance, even when στρατηγοί stood against them. Englishman's Concordance Luke 22:4 N-DMPGRK: ἀρχιερεῦσιν καὶ στρατηγοῖς τὸ πῶς NAS: with the chief priests and officers how KJV: and captains, how INT: chief priests and captains the how Luke 22:52 N-AMP Acts 4:1 N-NMS Acts 5:24 N-NMS Acts 5:26 N-NMS Acts 16:20 N-DMP Acts 16:22 N-NMP Acts 16:35 N-NMP Acts 16:36 N-NMP Acts 16:38 N-DMP Strong's Greek 4755 |
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