|
ACTS
The continued Life of Jesus
through the Apostles
CHAPTER SIX
"Widows Woes"
Key Verse = Acts 6:4
Acts 6:1
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(1) Now in those days, when
the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint
against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were
neglected in the daily distribution. |
|
|
And in those days, when the number
of the disciples had increased, the Hellenist converts murmured
against the Hebrew converts because their widows were discriminated
against in the daily distribution. |
|
|
Division -
The 5th
Attempt of Satan to Destroy the Church
This is the 2nd
attempt of Satan to destroy the Church from within: the first was in
5:1-9 when
Ananias and Sapphira lied about the money they received for the land they
sold.
Complaint
A muttering, murmuring, low and suppressed discourse; the expression of secret and sullen discontent, murmuring, complaint, grumbling.
Hellenists
 |
Hellenistes |
(NT:1675) |
a Hellenist or Greek-speaking Jew |
| 1. |
Greek speaking |
| 2. |
Of the
Dispersion |
| 3. |
The word is used in the
LXX |
| 4. |
Jews sojourning in Jerusalem waiting
for Messiah |
| 5. |
Interpreted the scriptures through the
LXX |
Hebrews
| 1. |
Spoke Aramaic - only the very educated
priests and scribes spoke actual Hebrew |
| 2. |
Resided in Palestine, Syria, and some
on the Tigris & Euphrates |
| 3. |
Interpreted the Scriptures through the
Chaldee Paraphrase (Targums) |
Their widows
One of the ministries of the synagogue (and the church) was to provide
food and assistance to those widows and children not supported by their
relatives. The migration of elderly Jewish couples to Palestine
seems to have increased at this time. Women were outliving their
husbands, and they had no close relatives who would support them.
Thus they fell within the care of the church.
(from Holman Bible Handbook. (c) Copyright 1992 by
Holman Bible
Publishers. All rights reserved.)
Were neglected
 |
paretheooroúnto |
(NT:3865) |
to overlook or disregard |
|
|
|
|
|
Imperfect passive - were being neglected
| They did not merely think they were being
neglected. |
| They did not just imagine they were being
neglected. |
| They WERE being neglected. |
And it was not a one-time occurrence - they were being neglected -
daily.
This could have come about by:
| Language |
The Hellenistic widows spoke Greek, but
those who were distributing relief most likely spoke Aramaic. |
| Racism |
Strife between the “Hellenists” and “Hebrews” in the Jewish worlds had
been a common occurrence for at least two centuries, and this tension
survived between members of the two groups who had acknowledged Jesus as
the Messiah and had been incorporated in the new “Messianic” or
“Christian” community. |
Distribution
 |
diakonia |
(NT:1248) |
attendance (as a servant) |
|
| In the NT this first means "waiting at table,"
"providing for physical sustenance," or "supervising meals"
(Luke
10:40; Acts 6:1). |
| A wider meaning is "the discharge of a loving
service." |
| It is linked with works, faith, love, and patience in
Revelation 2:19 ("I know your works, love, service"). |
(from Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, abridged edition,
Copyright © 1985 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. All rights
reserved.)
From the
Amplified Bible
| (1) Now about this time, when the number of
the disciples was greatly increasing, complaint was made by the
Hellenists (the Greek-speaking Jews) against the [native] Hebrews
because their widows were being overlooked and neglected in the
daily ministration (distribution of relief). |
Acts 6:2
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(2) Then the twelve summoned
the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that
we should leave the word of God and serve tables. |
|
|
So the twelve apostles called the
whole multitude of the converts and said to them, It is not good
that we should leave the word of God and serve food. |
|
|
The twelve
That is, the apostles. Matthias had been
added to them
after the apostasy of Judas, which had completed the original number.
Desirable
Arestós (NT:701)
"acceptable" or "pleasing," and denoting in the LXX
what God (or a person) accepts as pleasing, this word is used for
"pleasing"
(from Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, abridged edition,
Copyright © 1985 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. All rights
reserved.)
Should leave
Kataleipo (NT:2641) to
leave down, i.e. behind; by implication, to abandon, have
remaining:
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded
Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003
Biblesoft, Inc. and
International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Serve tables
Supervise the tables where collections were received and distributions to
the people were made.
The apostles were dedicated to the ministry of the word and teaching the
multitude of new believers. It was not conceivable that they be
drawn away from this important task to which God had called them in order
to monitor the daily distribution and insure all was done fairly and
impartially.
From the Amplified Bible
| (2) So the Twelve [apostles] convened
the multitude of the disciples and said, It is not seemly or
desirable or right that we should have to give up or neglect
[preaching] the Word of God in order to attend to serving at tables
and superintending the distribution of food. |
Acts 6:3
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(3) Therefore, brethren,
seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the
Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; |
|
|
Wherefore, brethren, examine and
select from among you seven men of good repute who are full of the
Spirit of the Lord and of wisdom, so that we may appoint them to
this task. |
|
|
Among you
From among the Grecians and Hebrews, that there may
be justice done, and no further cause of complaint.
Seven men
The number "seven" represents Spiritual Perfection.
| It is the hallmark of the Holy Spirit's work. |
| It represents fullness, perfection, completion. |
| It is the sacred number of the covenant between God
and man. |
Also, it may be that the seven men were to take each his day to
supervise the distribution.
These men must be:
Of Good Reputation
| Men free from scandal, that were looked
upon by their neighbors as men of integrity. |
| Faithful men, well attested, as men
that might be trusted, not under a blemish for any vice,
but, on the contrary, well spoken of for every
thing that is virtuous and praiseworthy. |
| Men that can produce good testimonials
concerning their conversation. |
| Men of honest report, of a blameless
and admirable character, which is requisite not only to
the credit of their office, but to the due discharge of
it. |
|
Full of the Holy Spirit
| Filled with those gifts and graces of the
Holy Ghost which were necessary to the right management of
this trust. |
| They must be men of ability and men of
courage. |
| They must be able men, fearing God. |
| Men of truth, and hating covetousness. |
|
Full of Wisdom
| It was not enough that they were honest, good
men, but they must be discreet, judicious men,
that could not be imposed upon, and would order things
for the best, and with consideration. |
| Those must be full of wisdom who are
entrusted with public money, that it may be disposed of,
not only with fidelity, but with frugality. |
|
(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition,
Electronic Database. Copyright © 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)
From the Amplified Bible
| (3) Therefore select out from among
yourselves, brethren, seven men of good and attested character and
repute, full of the [Holy] Spirit and wisdom, whom we may assign to
look after this business and duty. |
Acts 6:4
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(4) but we will give
ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." |
|
|
And we will give ourselves
continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. |
|
|
We will give ourselves continually
This phrase is from one Greek word: proskartereesomen - to
be earnest towards, to persevere, be constantly diligent.
Intense and persevering.
To Prayer
Both public and private.
Ministry of the Word
| Verse 1 |
"distribution" |
diakonía |
= |
service |
| Verse 2 |
"serve" |
diakoneín |
= |
serve |
| Verse 4 |
"ministry" |
diakonía |
= |
service |
The word
"ministry" (diakonia) properly denotes the employment of a
"servant," and is given to the preachers of the gospel because they are
employed in this as the "servants" of God and of the church
- not masters of men. We have here
a view of what the apostles thought to be the proper work of the
ministry. They were set apart (dedicated) to this work. It was their main, their only
employment.
They had:
| The Ministry of the Table |
| The Ministry of the
Word |
From the Amplified Bible
| (4) But we will continue to devote ourselves
steadfastly to prayer and the ministry of the Word. |
Acts 6:5
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(5) And the saying pleased
the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and
the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, |
|
|
This suggestion pleased the whole
people, so they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy
Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas
and Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch. |
|
|
And they chose
All 7 were identified by their Greek name. It was common for Jews
of the dispersion to have 2 names: their Hebrew name and a Greek
name.
Of the 7 -
| 6 were |
Jews of the dispersion |
| 1 was |
A Gentile |
They were all identified by their Greek names, which was fitting since
the division arose because of the neglect of the Grecian widows.
Steven
| A Hebrew of the dispersion |
| He was full of grace and power and performed great
wonders and miracles (Acts 6:8) |
| The first believer to lay down his life for his
faith in Jesus (Acts 6:10-7:60) |
Philip
| A Hebrew of the dispersion |
| Lived at Caesarea |
| Had 4 daughters who were virgins and prophetesses |
| Paul's companions stayed at Philip's home at the
end of his 3rd missionary journey (Acts 21:8-10) |
Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon and Parmenas
| All we know of these four is that they were Hebrews
of the dispersion. |
Nicolas
| A Gentile |
| He was from Antioch |
| A proselyte - He had previously been converted from paganism to
Judaism |
From the Amplified Bible
| (5) And the suggestion pleased the whole
assembly, and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith (a strong
and welcome belief that Jesus is the Messiah) and full of and
controlled by the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and
Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte
(convert) from Antioch. |
Acts 6:6 & 7
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(6) whom they set before the
apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. |
|
|
These men stood before the
apostles, who, as they prayed, laid their hands on them. |
|
|
(7) Then the word of God
spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in
Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the
faith. |
|
|
And the word of God spread; and
the number of the converts in Jerusalem increased greatly; and many
people of Jewish faith became converts. |
|
|
When they had prayed
Invoking in this manner both the approval and the blessing of God to
attend them in the discharge of the duties of their office.
Laid hands on them
Among the Jews it was customary to lay hands on the head of a person who
was set apart to any particular office.
The laying on of hands in this instance was not to impart the Holy Spirit or some gift.
They already had the Holy Ghost, faith, power, and
wisdom (vs 3). Laying on hands was to
designate them for an office, as Moses did Joshua (Numbers 27:18-23).
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003 by
Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Numbers 27:22-23
"So Moses did as Yahweh commanded him. He took
Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the
congregation. And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated
him, just as Yahweh commanded by the hand of Moses." |
Chrysostom - Homily 14
| Observe how he avoids all that is superfluous: he
does not tell in what way it was done, but that they were ordained
with prayer: for this is the meaning of "putting forth the hand," or
ordination: the hand of the man is laid upon (the person,) but the
whole work is of God, and it is His hand which toucheth the head of the one ordained, if he be duly
ordained. |
(from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 11, PC Study Bible
formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All
rights reserved.)
The "Laying on of hands" served 4 main purposes:
| |
1. |
Atonement (1st Covenant only - this
is superseded by the blood of Jesus in the 2nd Covenant)
| The law orders that the hand be laid on the
heads of various animals at offerings (Leviticus 1:4; 4:4;
8:22). |
| The high priest on the Day of Atonement puts
his hand on the scapegoat and drives it into the desert (16:21). |
| In the case of the offerings, the thought seems
to be one of identification, in the case of the scapegoat it is
one of transfer. |
|
| |
2. |
Healing
As in the healings of antiquity, New
Testament healing often involves the laying on of hands.
| Jesus laid His hand on the woman
(Luke 13:13). |
| Jesus laid His hand on the sick people
(Mark 6:5). |
| Jesus promised that they who believe will
lay hands on the sick and the sick would recover
(Mark 16:18). |
| Paul laid his hands on the father of
Publius (Acts 28:8). |
If power is thus transferred by contact, there is no magical
practice, for the decisive elements are the mighty word of Jesus
and the faith that is put in him. The word is not tied to the
means of transfer (Matthew 8:8,13 "The centurion answered
and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my
roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed."). |
|
| |
3. |
Blessing
| Israel (Jacob) laid his hands on the sons of
Joseph when he blessed them (Genesis 48:14). |
| Jesus laid His hands on the children
(Matthew 19:13). |
| Laying on of hands serves as a visible sign of
the imparting of the Spirit at baptism (Acts 8:17). |
| Only with their acceptance by the apostles do
Samaritan believers become full members of the one church
(Acts 19:6). |
|
| |
4. |
Ordination
| The ordination of Joshua (Numbers 27:23) |
| The ordination of the Seven (Acts 6:6). |
| The commissioning of Paul and Barnabas
(Acts 13:3). |
| The ordination of Timothy (1 Timothy 1:18;
4:14). |
| The apostle seems to ordain along with
presbyter assistants. |
| There is no reference to a consecrating power
placed in the hands of individuals. |
| God's will and call govern the ordination by
which authorization and equipment come. Timothy himself
must assume responsibility for further ordinations. The
warning in 1 Timothy 5:22 is directed against overhasty
ordinations, unless the reception of penitent sinners is
the issue. |
|
(from Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, abridged edition,
Copyright © 1985 by
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. All rights reserved.)
A great many of the priests
This is
recorded justly as a remarkable instance of the power of the gospel. How
great this company was is not mentioned, but the number of the priests in
Jerusalem was very great; and their conversion was a striking proof of
the power of truth. It is probable that they had been opposed to the
gospel with quite as much hostility as any other class of the Jews. And
it is now mentioned, as worthy of special record, that the gospel was
sufficiently mighty to humble even the proud, and haughty, and selfish, and envious priests to the foot of the cross.
Luke describes the climax of the ministry in Jerusalem, for the
persecution following Stephen's death will take the Gospel to the
Samaritans and then to the Gentiles. It has been estimated that there were
8,000 Jewish priests attached to the temple ministry in Jerusalem, and "a
great company" of them trusted Jesus Christ as Savior!
(from The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor
Publishing, and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights
reserved. Used by permission.)
This marks the beginning of the great persecution of the believers in
Jesus Christ.
When the Jews realized that by allowing the apostles to go free, a
great number of the priests were converted to Christianity, they could no
longer stand by and allow this to happen. What they did not realize
was that
| by pouring the "water" of persecution on the "oil
fire" of the Holy Spirit, |
| their actions would only assist to ignite the
worldwide spread of the good news of Jesus Christ!!! |
From the Amplified Bible
(6) These they presented to the apostles, who
after prayer laid their hands on them.
(7) And the message of God kept on spreading, and the number
of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem; and [besides] a large
number of the priests were obedient to the faith [in Jesus as the
Messiah, through Whom is obtained eternal salvation in the kingdom
of God]. |
Acts 6:8
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(8) And Stephen, full of
faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. |
|
|
Now Stephen was full of grace and
power, and did great wonders and miracles among the people. |
|
|
Full of faith
The word translated "faith" here is "cháritos" =
grace. Here and in verse 5, Steven was called:
| Full of |
Faith |
| |
The Holy Spirit |
| |
Grace |
| |
Power |
Did great wonders and signs
| "Did" = |
 |
epoíei |
(NT:4160) |
Imperfect active - repeatedly performed |
Wuest translates it:
"And Stephen, full of grace and of power, was constantly performing
great miracles among the people that aroused wonder and amazement, and
miracles that had for their purpose the attestation of the message of the
one performing the miracle as one that was inspired of God."
(from The New Testament: An Expanded Translation by Kenneth S. Wuest
Copyright © 1961 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. All rights reserved.)
From the Amplified Bible
| (8) Now Stephen, full of grace (divine
blessing and favor) and power (strength and ability) worked great
wonders and signs (miracles) among the people. |
Acts 6:9
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(9) Then there arose some
from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians,
Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with
Stephen. |
|
|
Then there arose certain men of
the synagogue which is called the synagogue of the Libertines and
Cyrenians and Alexandrians and Cilicians and some persons from Asia
Minor, and they debated with Stephen. |
|
|
Synagogue of the Freedmen
The Jews were scattered in all parts of the world. In every place
they would have
synagogues. According to Talmudic tradition, there were
480 synagogues in Jerusalem.
The word "Freedmen" is "Libertinos," of Latin origin. They
were:
| 1. |
Slaves freed from Rome (during
the Civil Wars many Jews had been enslaved, and afterwards set
free by their masters, and left Rome about 20 A.D. when
Tiberius expelled all Jews from Rome – they were called
“libertines”).
Pompey the Great, when he subjugated Judea, sent large numbers of
the Jews to Rome. These Jews were set at liberty at Rome, and
assigned a place beyond the Tiber for a residence. These
persons are by Philo called "libertines," or "freedmen" (Kuinoel, in
loco). |
| 2. |
Jews from Libertina in Africa.
Many Jews were also conveyed as captives by Ptolemy I. to Egypt, and
obtained a residence in that country and the vicinity. |
Cyrenians
Jews who dwelt at "Cyrene" in Africa. See the notes on
Matt
27:32.
Alexandrians
Inhabitants of Alexandria in Egypt. That city was founded
by Alexander the Great, 332 BC, and was populated by colonies of Greeks
and Jews. It was much celebrated, and contained not less than 300,000
free citizens, and as many slaves. The city was the residence of many
Jews. Josephus says that Alexander himself assigned to them a particular
quarter of the city, and allowed them equal privileges with the Greeks (Antiq.,
14:7, 2; Against Apion, 2:4).
Philo affirms that of five parts of the city, the Jews inhabited two. According to his statement, there dwelt in his time at Alexandria and the
other Egyptian cities not less than "ten hundred thousand Jews." Amron,
the general of Omar, when he took the city, said that it contained 40,000
tributary Jews. At this place the famous version of the Old Testament
called the "Septuagint,"
or the Alexandrian version, was made.
Cilicia
This was a province of Asia Minor, on the seacoast, at the north of
Cyprus. The capital of this province was Tarsus, the native place of Saul
(Paul), Acts 9:11. As Paul was of this place, and belonged doubtless to
this synagogue, it is probable that he was one who was engaged in this
dispute with Stephen (Acts 7:58).
Asia
See the notes on Acts 2:9.
Disputing
From suzeteo (NT:4802) - to express forceful
differences of opinion without necessarily having a presumed goal of
seeking a solution
(from Greek-English Lexicon Based on Semantic Domain. Copyright © 1988
United
Bible Societies, New York. Used by permission.)
From the Amplified Bible
| (9) However, some of those who belonged to
the synagogue of the Freedmen (freed Jewish slaves), as it was
called, and [of the synagogues] of the Cyrenians and of the
Alexandrians and of those from Cilicia and [the province of] Asia,
arose [and undertook] to debate and dispute with Stephen. |
Acts 6:10 & 11
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(10) And they were not able
to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. |
|
|
But they were unable to stand up
against the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke. |
|
|
(11) Then they secretly
induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words
against Moses and God." |
|
|
Then they sent men and instructed
them to say, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses
and against God. |
|
|
They were not able to resist
He was wise, well exercised and experienced, in divine things; and, as
appears by his defense, in the following chapter, well versed in the
Jewish history. The spirit by which he spake was the Holy Spirit,
and its power was irresistible. They were obliged either
| to yield to its teachings, |
| or were confounded by its truth. |
(from Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996,
2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Secretly induced men
To suborn in law means to procure a person to
take such a false oath as constitutes perjury (Webster). It has
substantially this sense here. It means that they induced them to declare
what was false, or to bring a false accusation against him. This was
done, not by declaring a palpable and open falsehood, but by "perverting"
his doctrines, and by stating their own "inferences" as what he had
actually maintained - the common way in which people oppose doctrines from
which they differ. The Syriac reads this place, "Then they sent certain
men, and instructed them that they should say, etc." This was repeating
an artifice which they had before practiced so successfully in relation
to the Lord Jesus Christ. See
Matt 26:59-61.
Blasphemous
In the LXX blasphemos has no fixed Hebrew original. It always has
reference to God, e.g.,
| (2 Kings 19:4) |
Disputing His Power |
| (Isaiah 52:5) |
Desecrating His Name |
| (Ezekiel 35:12) |
Violating His Glory |
| (Isaiah 66:3) |
Wicked Speech |
| (Leviticus 24:11) |
Human Arrogance |
For the rabbis speaking impudently about the law,
idolatry, and shaming God's name are blasphemy.
(from Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, abridged edition,
Copyright © 1985 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. All rights
reserved.)
The penalty for blasphemy against God was stoning to death.
Four Accusations of Blasphemy against Steven:
| 1. |
(6:11, 14) |
That he blasphemed MOSES |
by making Christ greater than Moses |
| 2. |
(6:11, 14) |
That he blasphemed GOD |
by exalting Jesus greater than the
Temple & Law |
| 3. |
(6:14) |
That he blasphemed THE
TEMPLE |
by saying Jesus will destroy it |
| 4. |
(6:14) |
That he blasphemed THE
LAW |
by saying Jesus abolished it and made a
new covenant |
Against Moses
Moses was regarded with
profound reverence. His laws they held to be unchangeable. Any
intimation, therefore, that there was a greater Lawgiver than he, or that
his institutions were mere shadows and types, and were no longer binding,
would be regarded as blasphemy, even though it should be spoken with the
highest professed respect for Moses. That the Mosaic institutions were to
be changed, and give place to another and a better dispensation, all the
Christian teachers would affirm; but this was not said with a design to
blaspheme or revile Moses.
For more information on this subject, please read Jeremiah 31:31 and
our
study on Hebrews.
Paul the Learner
Jeremiah 31:31-33
The LORD says, "The time is coming when I will
make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of
Judah. It will not be like the old covenant that I made with
their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of
Egypt. Although I was like a husband to them, they did not keep that
covenant. The new covenant that I will make with the people of
Israel will be this: I will put my law within them and write it on
their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
(TEV) |
From the Amplified Bible
(10) But they were not able to resist the
intelligence and the wisdom and [the inspiration of] the Spirit with
which and by Whom he spoke.
(11) So they [secretly] instigated and instructed men to say,
We have heard this man speak, using slanderous and abusive and
blasphemous language against Moses and God. |
Acts 6:12-15
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(12) And they stirred up the
people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized
him, and brought him to the council. |
|
|
And they stirred up the people and
the elders and the scribes, and they rose up against him and seized
him and brought him into the midst of the council. |
|
|
(13) They also set up false
witnesses who said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous
words against this holy place and the law; |
|
|
And they appointed false witnesses
who said, This man does not cease to speak against the law and
against this holy place; |
|
|
(14) for we have heard him
say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change
the customs which Moses delivered to us." |
|
|
For we have heard him say that
Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this country and shall change the
customs which Moses entrusted to you. |
|
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(15) And all who sat in the
council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an
angel. |
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Then all who were seated at the
council looked at him and saw that his face was like the face of an
angel. |
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Stirred up the people
They "excited" the people, or alarmed
their fears, as had been done before when they sought to put the Lord
Jesus to death,
Matt 27:20.
Set up false witnesses
It has been made a question why these
persons are called "false" witnesses, since it is supposed by many that
they reported merely the "words" of Stephen. It may be replied that IF
they did report merely his "words"; if Stephen had actually said what
they affirmed, yet they perverted his meaning. They accused him of
"blasphemy"; that is, of calumnious and reproachful words against Moses
and against God. That Stephen had spoken in such a manner, or had designed
to "reproach" Moses, there is no evidence.
This holy place and the law
The temple and the law of Moses.
What was said in the mildest manner, and in the way of cool argument,
might easily be perverted so as in "their view" to amount to blasphemy.
And remember - these were false witnesses - which means they were
not giving true testimony about what Steven said. There is no evidence whatever that Stephen had ever
USED these words
on any occasion, and it is altogether improbable that he ever did, for
the following reasons:
| (1) |
The Temple
| Jesus himself never affirmed that HE would
destroy that place. He uniformly taught that it would be done
by the "Gentiles,"
Matt 24. It is altogether improbable; therefore, that
Stephen should declare any such thing. |
|
| (2) |
The Law
| It was expected that in the days of the
Messiah they should be changed, and that the shadows
should be done away when the substance was come. Christ
came, not to destroy, but to fulfill, the law. |
|
The face of an angel
They had falsely accused him of blaspheming Moses and the law, and thereby
blaspheming God. Here God gives them evidence that he was not guilty
of any of those charges. Even as when Moses came down from Mount
Sinai, it is said that the skin of his face shone so that the children of
Israel were afraid to come near him, Ex 34:29-30; 2 Cor 3:7, 13. The expression is used to denote the impression
produced on the countenance by communion with God; the calm serenity and
composure which follow a confident committing of all into his hands.
And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face
as it had been the face of an angel - a play of heavenly radiance
attesting to all who beheld his countenance the divine calm of the spirit
within - the fruit of the felt presence of his glorified Lord. This
shining countenance (says Chrysostom) was the glory of Moses too; and
Humphry well observes that, as if in refutation of the charge of hostility
to Moses, he receives the same mark of divine favor which had been
vouchsafed to Moses (Exodus 34:30) - "And when Aaron and all the children
of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were
afraid, to come nigh him."
(from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database.
Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
God permitted His glory to shine through the face of Stephen to convince
all the people that what he had said was the truth. Thus everything
in the establishment of the church was miraculous. It had to be, for
everything that could prevent the establishment of the church was brought
to bear against it. The men used in establishing it had neither
might nor power except what came from God.
From the Amplified Bible
(12) [Thus] they incited the people as well
as the elders and the scribes, and they came upon Stephen and
arrested him and took him before the council (Sanhedrin).
(13) And they brought forward false witnesses who asserted,
This man never stops making statements against this sacred place and
the Law [of Moses];
(14) For we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene
will tear down and destroy this place, and will alter the
institutions and usages which Moses transmitted to us.
(15) Then all who sat in the council (Sanhedrin), as they
gazed intently at Stephen, saw that his face had the appearance of
the face of an angel. |
(End of Chapter Six)
Bibliography
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