Acts 16:4 (DRB)

Passage

And as they passed through the cities, they delivered unto them the decrees for to keep, that were decreed by the apostles and ancients who were at Jerusalem.

Nearby Context

Acts 16:2 To this man the brethren that were in Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony.

Acts 16:3 Him Paul would have to go along with him: and taking him, he circumcised him, because of the Jews who were in those places. For they all knew that his father was a Gentile.

Acts 16:4 And as they passed through the cities, they delivered unto them the decrees for to keep, that were decreed by the apostles and ancients who were at Jerusalem.

Acts 16:5 And the churches were confirmed in faith and increased in number daily.

Acts 16:6 And when they had passed through Phrygia and the country of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "passed", "through", "cities", "delivered", "decrees", "keep", "decreed", and "apostles". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "passed" and "through", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Him Paul would have to go along..." into verse 5's "And the churches were confirmed in faith...", so "passed" and "through" belong inside that flow. In Acts context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "passed" and "through" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.