What is the meaning of Acts 4:6? Annas the high priest • Luke notes that “Annas the high priest” was present, even though his official term had ended years earlier; like John 18:13, 24 and Luke 3:2, Acts records that he still wielded enormous influence. • Annas had first interrogated Jesus (John 18:19–24), and now he confronts the apostles—fulfilling Jesus’ warning in John 15:20 that His followers would face the same hostility He did. • The detail underscores the historical accuracy of Acts and shows that the gospel’s first public defense occurs before the very men responsible for condemning Christ. Caiaphas • Caiaphas, Annas’s son-in-law and the acting high priest (Matthew 26:3; John 11:49), had led the plot to put Jesus to death (John 11:49-53; Matthew 26:57-68). • His presence links the trials of Jesus and of His witnesses, highlighting the continuity of opposition (Acts 5:27-29). • Yet Peter, filled with the Spirit (Acts 4:8), will testify boldly before him, fulfilling Luke 21:12-15, where Jesus promised words and wisdom no adversary could refute. John • This “John” is almost certainly another of Annas’s sons—part of the priestly dynasty, not the apostle John. • By naming him, Luke shows that the whole ruling family is arrayed against the church, echoing Jesus’ lament in Luke 11:47-48 about sons who perpetuate their fathers’ persecution of God’s messengers. • Acts 6:7 later reveals that “a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith,” hinting that even such entrenched opponents could yet be reached. Alexander • Although Scripture provides no further detail on Alexander, his inclusion affirms Luke’s commitment to precise history (Luke 1:1-4). • Together with the others, he fulfills Psalm 2:1-2—“the rulers gather together against the LORD and against His Anointed”—yet God uses ordinary fishermen to stand before them (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). Many others from the high priest’s family • The phrase signals a full assembly of the priestly elite—those whom Acts 5:17 calls “the high priest and all his associates.” • Their collective authority magnifies the miracle of Peter’s courage and the Spirit’s empowering (Acts 4:8). • Luke 22:52 shows Jesus confronting a similar crowd; the pattern continues, proving that the risen Lord’s ministry now advances through His disciples (Acts 1:8). summary Acts 4:6 deliberately lists Annas, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and the rest to show that the apostles faced the highest earthly powers—the very circle that condemned Jesus. Luke’s careful naming grounds the event in real history, underscores the continuity of persecution from Christ to His followers, and spotlights the Spirit-given boldness that enables believers to testify fearlessly before any authority. |
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