Acts 16:20 (GNV)

Passage

And brought them to the gouernours, saying, These men which are Iewes, trouble our citie,

Nearby Context

Acts 16:18 And this did she many dayes: but Paul being grieued, turned about, and said to the spirit, I commaund thee in the Name of Iesus Christ, that thou come out of her. And he came out the same houre.

Acts 16:19 Nowe when her masters sawe that the hope of their gaine was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drewe them into the market place vnto the Magistrates,

Acts 16:20 And brought them to the gouernours, saying, These men which are Iewes, trouble our citie,

Acts 16:21 And preache ordinances, which are not lawfull for vs to receiue, neither to obserue, seeing we are Romanes.

Acts 16:22 The people also rose vp together against them, and the gouernours rent their clothes, and commanded them to be beaten with roddes.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brought", "gouernours", "saying", "iewes", "trouble", and "citie". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "brought" and "gouernours", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "Nowe when her masters sawe that the..." into verse 21's "And preache ordinances which are not lawfull...", so "brought" and "gouernours" 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 "brought" and "gouernours" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.