Acts 6:1-7. MURMURING ABOUT THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE COMMON FUND. MEASURES FOR ALLAYING IT By the confession of the high-priest himself (Acts 5:28) Jerusalem was now filled with the teaching of the Christians, and thus the first step was accomplished in the course which Christ had ordained (Acts 1:8)... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ΔῈ ΤΑΙ͂Σ ἩΜΈΡΑΙΣ ΤΑΎΤΑΙΣ, _now in these days_. The words refer back to Acts 6:14 of the previous chapter, where we read ‘believers were added to the Lord, multitudes (πλήθη) both of men and women.’ ΠΛΗΘΥΝΌΝΤΩΝ Κ.Τ.Λ. Render, _when the number of the disciples was multiplying_. The participle is i... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἹ ΔΏΔΕΚΑ, _the Twelve_. They had found that there was cause for the complaint, and at once set about providing a remedy. ΤῸ ΠΛΗ͂ΘΟΣ ΤΩ͂Ν ΜΑΘΗΤΩ͂Ν. We are not from this to suppose that an attempt was made to gather every one who in Jerusalem called himself a Christian, but that a large and special... [ Continue Reading ]
ἁγίου omitted after ΠΝΕΎΜΑΤΟΣ with אBCD. _Vulg_. ‘sancto.’ 3. ἘΠΙΣΚΈΨΑΣΘΕ ΟΥ̓͂Ν Κ.Τ.Λ., _but look ye out from among you_. If the selection were committed to the whole body there could hardly fail to be an end put to the oversight and so to the murmuring. ἈΔΕΛΦΟΊ, _brethren_. One of the earliest na... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΡΟΣΚΑΡΤΕΡΉΣΟΜΕΝ, _we will give ourselves continually_. The word is of frequent use to describe the earnest, stedfast character of the early disciples. Thus Acts 1:14 of their continuance in prayer; Acts 2:42 of continuing stedfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine. Cf. also Acts 2:46 and Romans 12:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ἬΡΕΣΕΝ Κ.Τ.Λ., _and the saying pleased the whole multitude_. The construction ἤρεσεν ἐνώπιον is not classical but is common in the LXX. Cf. Deuteronomy 1:23; 2 Samuel 3:36; 1 Kings 3:10. In 1Ma 8:21 we have the very expression καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν. There was clearly no thought of neg... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝΏΠΙΟΝ ΤΩ͂Ν�, _before the Apostles_. That they might confirm, as they had proposed to do, the selection made by the congregation. ἘΠΈΘΗΚΑΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΟΙ͂Σ ΤᾺΣ ΧΕΙ͂ΡΑΣ. The laying on of hands thus became the solemn mode of dedication to the ministry of Christ’s Church.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΗΥ̓́ΞΑΝΕΝ, _increased_, i.e. the word of God was more widely published now that the Apostles were freed from secular cares, and left to give themselves unto the ministry of the word. (Cf. for the expression Acts 12:24; Acts 19:20.) ΠΟΛΎΣ ΤΕ ὌΧΛΟΣ ΤΩ͂Ν ἹΕΡΈΩΝ, _a great company of the priests_. To th... [ Continue Reading ]
ΧΆΡΙΤΟΣ instead of πίστεως with אABD. _Vulg_. ‘gratia.’ 8. ΠΛΉΡΗΣ ΧΆΡΙΤΟΣ, _full of grace_. The _Text. recept_. has arisen from a desire to make this verse conform to Acts 6:5. ΔΥΝΆΜΕΩΣ, _power_, i.e. of working miracles, with which he at least among the seven seems to have been endued equally wit... [ Continue Reading ]
OF STEPHEN’S PREACHING, ARREST AND ACCUSATION... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝΈΣΤΗΣΑΝ ΔΈ, _but there arose_. There is a danger that _then_ in the A.V. may be taken as a mark of time = τότε (as in Acts 6:11). ΤΙΝΕΣ ΤΩ͂Ν … ΚΑῚ ΤΩ͂Ν. As an explanation of occurrence of τῶν twice and no more, it has been suggested that only two synagogues are meant, and that one was that of the... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝΤΙΣΤΗ͂ΝΑΙ, _to resist_. The very word used in Christ’s promise (Luke 21:15), οὐ δυνήσονται … ἀντιστῆναι ἅπαντες�.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὙΠΈΒΑΛΟΝ, _they suborned_. Suborn = to provide, but nearly always used in a bad sense. _Subornation_ of perjury is the legal phrase for procuring a person who will take a false oath. ΛΈΓΟΝΤΑΣ, _which said_. The charge here laid against Stephen is afterwards (Acts 6:14) defined. Blasphemous words aga... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΥΝΕΚΊΝΗΣΆΝ ΤΕ ΤῸΝ ΛΑΌΝ, _and they stirred up the people_, who would be easily roused, if they were told that the glory of the Temple was spoken against. It was an object of much admiration, as we can see from many parts of the Gospels. Cf. Matthew 24:1. ΤΟῪΣ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΈΡΟΥΣ ΚΑῚ ΤΟῪΣ ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΙ͂Σ. Neit... [ Continue Reading ]
ΛΑΛΩ͂Ν ῬΉΜΑΤΑ omitting βλάσφημα with אABCD. _Vulg_. ‘loqui verba’ only. τούτου omitted with אDEHP. _Vulg_. ‘locum sanctum’ only. 13. ΜΆΡΤΥΡΑΣ ΨΕΥΔΕΙ͂Σ, _false witnesses_. Their falseness consists in the perverted turn which they gave to the words of Stephen. Though we have no speech of his hitherto... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΚΗΚΌΑΜΕΝ ΓΆΡ, _for we have heard_. No doubt there was some handle afforded for their statement by St Stephen’s language, just as in the case of Jesus Himself. We may gather what the character of that language must have been from Acts 7:48, ‘the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands.’ An... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΤΕΝΊΣΑΝΤΕΣ, _looking stedfastly_, which was what they would naturally do when he was about to make his defence. ὩΣΕῚ ΠΡΌΣΩΠΟΝ�, _as it had been the face of an angel_. Either because of the dignity which Stephen’s natural look displayed—he was calm and undisturbed, confident in his good cause and s... [ Continue Reading ]