Acts 4:16 (LSB)

Passage

saying, “What should we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy sign has happened through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

Nearby Context

Acts 4:14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.

Acts 4:15 But when they had ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they began to confer with one another,

Acts 4:16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy sign has happened through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

Acts 4:17 But lest it spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.”

Acts 4:18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "saying", "should", "fact", "noteworthy", "sign", "happened", "through", and "apparent". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "saying" and "should", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "But when they had ordered them to..." into verse 17's "But lest it spread any further among...", so "saying" and "should" 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 "saying" and "should" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.