Acts 4:2

2 These religious authorities were greatly annoyed. Peter and John were teaching the people and spreading the message that the dead will come back to life through Jesus.

Acts 4:2 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 4:2

Being grieved that they taught the people
Any doctrine, and especially that which follows, and which particularly gave uneasiness to the Sadducees, they were exceedingly distressed by it; it pained them to the very heart, and they were filled with wrath and indignation:

and preached through, or in Jesus, the resurrection of the dead;
they not only preached the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead in general, but gave an instance and proof of it in the resurrection of Christ, affirming that he was risen from the dead; and they also preached up the resurrection of the dead in his name, and asserted, that he would be the author of it, and it would be erected by his power: so that their doctrine was equally disagreeable to the Pharisees and Sadducees; to the Sadducees, who denied that there was, or would be any resurrection of the dead; and to the Pharisees, who though they believed it, yet were highly offended that it should be said, that Jesus was risen from the dead; and that the general resurrection of the dead should be attributed to him.

Acts 4:2 In-Context

1 Some priests, the officer in charge of the temple guards, and some Sadducees approached Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.

2 These religious authorities were greatly annoyed. Peter and John were teaching the people and spreading the message that the dead will come back to life through Jesus.

3 So the temple guards arrested them. Since it was already evening, they put Peter and John in jail until the next day.

4 But many of those who had heard the message became believers, so the number of men who believed grew to about 5,000.

5 The next day the Jewish rulers, leaders, and scribes met in Jerusalem.