Acts:6:8-15

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rwp @Acts:6:8 @{Wrought } (\epoiei \). Imperfect active , repeatedly wrought . Evidently a man like Stephen would not confine his "ministry " to "serving tables ." He was called in verse 5 | "full of faith and the Holy Spirit ." Here he is termed "full of grace (so the best MSS ., not faith ) and power ." The four words give a picture of remarkable attractiveness . The grace of God gave him the power and so "he kept on doing great wonders and signs among the people ." He was a sudden whirlwind of power in the very realm of Peter and John and the rest . rwp @Acts:6:9 @{The synagogue of the Libertines } (\ek t ˆs sunag “g ˆs t ˆs legomen ˆs Libertin “n \). The Libertines (Latin _libertinus_ , a freedman or the son of a freedman ) were Jews , once slaves of Rome (perhaps descendants of the Jews taken to Rome as captives by Pompey ), now set free and settled in Jerusalem and numerous enough to have a synagogue of their own . Schuerer calls a Talmudic myth the statement that there were 480 synagogues in Jerusalem . There were many , no doubt , but how many no one knows . These places of worship and study were in all the cities of the later times where there were Jews enough to maintain one . Apparently Luke here speaks of five such synagogues in Jerusalem (that of the Libertines , of the Cyrenians , of the Alexandrians , of Cilicia , and of Asia ). There probably were enough Hellenists in Jerusalem to have five such synagogues . But the language of Luke is not clear on this point . He may make only two groups instead of five since he uses the article \t “n \ twice (once before \Libertin “n kai Kur ˆnai “n kai Alexandre “n \, again before \apo Kilikias kai Asias \). He also changes from the genitive plural to \apo \ before Cilicia and Asia . But , leaving the number of the synagogues unsettled whether five or two , it is certain that in each one where Stephen appeared as a Hellenist preaching Jesus as the Messiah he met opposition . Certain of them "arose " (\anest ˆsan \) "stood up " after they had stood all that they could from Stephen , "disputing with Stephen " (\sunz ˆtountes t “i Stephan “i \). Present active participle of \sunz ˆte “\, to question together as the two on the way to Emmaus did (Luke:24:15 |). Such interruptions were common with Jews . They give a skilled speaker great opportunity for reply if he is quick in repartee . Evidently Stephen was fully equipped for the emergency . One of their synagogues had men from Cilicia in it , making it practically certain that young Saul of Tarsus , the brilliant student of Gamaliel , was present and tried his wits with Stephen . His ignominious defeat may be one explanation of his zest in the stoning of Stephen (Acts:8:1 |). rwp @Acts:6:10 @{They were not able to withstand } (\ouk ischuon antist ˆnai \). Imperfect active of \ischu “\, to have strength , and ingressive second aorist active (intransitive ) infinitive of \anthist ˆmi \. They continued unable (without strength enough ) to take a stand against . Stephen knocked them down , Saul included , as fast as they got up . Stephen was like a battery charged and in action . {The wisdom and spirit } (\t ˆi sophi ƒi kai pneumati \). Dative case . They stood up against Stephen 's wisdom and the Holy Spirit "by whom he spoke " (\h “i elalei \). Instrumental case and the relative agrees with "Spirit ." He kept on speaking so (\elalei \, imperfect active ). It was a desperate situation . rwp @Acts:6:11 @{Then they suborned men } (\tote hupebalon andras \). Second aorist active indicative of \hupoball “\, old verb , but here only in the N .T ., to put under like a carpet , to bring men under one 's control by suggestion or by money . One recalls the plight of Caiaphas in the trial of Jesus when he sought false witnesses . _Subornaverunt_ . They put these men forward in an underhand way for fraud . {Blasphemous words against Moses and God } (\blasph ˆma eis M “us ˆn kai ton theon \). The punishment for blasphemy was stoning to death . See strkjv @Matthew:12:31 | for discussion of the word \blasph ˆmia , blasph ˆme “, blasph ˆmos \, all in the N .T . from \blapt “\, to harm , and \ph ˆm ˆ\, speech , harmful speech , or \blax \, stupid , and \ph ˆm ˆ\. But the charge against Stephen was untrue . Please note that Moses is here placed before God and practically on a par with God in the matter of blasphemy . The purpose of this charge is to stir the prejudices of the people in the matter of Jewish rights and privileges . It is the Pharisees who are conducting this attack on Stephen while the Sadducees had led them against Peter and John . The position of Stephen is critical in the extreme for the Sadducees will not help him as Gamaliel did the apostles . rwp @Acts:6:12 @{They stirred up the people } (\sunekin ˆsan ton laon \). They shook the people together like an earthquake . First aorist active indicative of \sunkine “\, to throw into commotion . Old verb , but here only in the N .T . The elders and the scribes (Pharisees ) are reached , but no word about the Sadducees . This is the first record of the hostility of the masses against the disciples (Vincent ). {Came upon him } (\epistantes \). Second aorist (ingressive ) active participle of \ephist ˆmi \. Rushed at him . {Seized } (\sun ˆrpasan \). Effective aorist active of \sunarpaz “\ as if they caught him after pursuit . rwp @Acts:6:13 @{False witnesses } (\marturas pseudeis \). Just as Caiaphas did with Jesus . {Ceaseth not } (\ou pauetai \). Wild charge just like a false witness that Stephen talks in the synagogues against the law and the holy temple . rwp @Acts:6:14 @{We have heard him say } (\ak ˆkoamen autou legontos \). The only direct testimony and evidently wrong . Curiously like the charge brought against Jesus before Caiaphas that he would destroy the temple and build it again in three days . Undoubtedly Stephen had said something about Christianity before as meant for others besides Jews . He had caught the spirit of Jesus about worship as shown to the woman at Sychar in strkjv @John:4 | that God is spirit and to be worshipped by men anywhere and everywhere without having to come to the temple in Jerusalem . It was inflammable material surely and it was easy to misrepresent and hard to clear up . {This Jesus of Nazareth } (\I ˆsous ho Naz “raios houtos \). With contempt . rwp @Acts:6:15 @{As if the face of an angel } (\h “sei pros “pon aggelou \). Even his enemies saw that , wicked as they were . See strkjv @Exodus:34:30 | for the face of Moses when he came down from Sinai (2Corinthians:3:7 |). Page quotes Tennyson : "God 's glory smote him on the face ." Where were Peter and John at this crisis ? Apparently Stephen stands alone before the Sanhedrin as Jesus did . But he was not alone for he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts:7:56 |). There was little that Peter and John could have done if they had been present . Gamaliel did not interpose this time for the Pharisees were behind the charges against Stephen , false though they were as Gamaliel could have found out .

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