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ACTS CHAPTER SIX
OBSERVATION STAGE
The purpose of
the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the
normative rules of language, context and logic 
.which largely limits the observer to the
content offered by the books of Luke and Acts. Other passages must have a
relationship with the context at hand, such as a Scriptural quotation or
reference in the passage at hand. This will serve to avoid going on
unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the
framework for a proper and objective comparison with passages located
elsewhere in Scripture.
Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.
****** EXCERPT FROM ACTS CHAPTER 5 ******
OR
SKIP TO THE BEGINNING OF CHAPTER 6
(Acts 5:40 NKJV) "And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. (Acts 5:41 NKJV) So they [were departing] from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. (Acts 5:42 NKJV) And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching [the gospel] - Jesus as the Christ." =
So the rulers agreed with Gamaliel, and decided not to kill the apostles. Instead they called for the apostles' return from outside, beat them, and commanded them once more that they should not speak in the name of Jesus; and then let them go. Note that the Greek phrase rendered "beaten them," in the NKJV, which was often used to mean to "skin," or "flay," was to be a scourging - a vicious, skin breaking whipping, usually of not less than 40 lashes, (cf. Dt 25:2-3), (Acts 5:40).
So the
apostles, departing from the presence of the Sanhedrin, were rejoicing
that they were counted worthy by God to suffer for His [Christ's] name.
And daily in the temple, and in every house that the believers were
meeting in, they did not cease teaching and preaching the gospel of Jesus
as the Christ, (cf. Lk 9:20, Acts 2:36), in the sense of the Messiah /
Savior Who had come to be an atoning sacrifice for the salvation unto
eternal life for all of Israel, (and all mankind) through a moment of
faith in Him .
Notice that the apostles took no heed to the Sanhedrin's warning not to
preach Jesus anymore, (cf. Acts 2:38; 3:19-21; Acts 5:41-42).
****** END OF EXCERPT FROM ACTS CHAPTER 5 ******
(Acts 6:1 NKJV) "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.
(Acts 6:2 NKJV) Then the twelve [having] summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, 'It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.
(Acts 6:3 NKJV) Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, [lit. bearing (good) witness], full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;
(Acts 6:4 NKJV) but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.'
(Acts 6:5 NKJV) And the saying [in the sense of what was said] 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,
(Acts 6:6 NKJV) whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
(Acts 6:7 NKJV) Then the word of God spread [lit., was increasing], and the number of the disciples [was being] multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
(Acts 6:8 NKJV) And Stephen, full of faith and power, [was performing] great wonders and signs among the people.
(Acts 6:9 NKJV) Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen [lit., Libertines] (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen.
(Acts 6:10 NKJV) And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he [was speaking].
(Acts 6:11 NKJV) Then they [suborned] men to say, 'We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.'
(Acts 6:12 NKJV) And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.
(Acts 6:13 NKJV) They also set up false witnesses who said, 'This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law;
(Acts 6:14 NKJV) for we have heard him [saying] that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.'
(Acts 6:15 NKJV) And all [who were sitting] in the council, [having looked intently] at him, saw his face as the face of an angel."
(Acts 6:1 NKJV) "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." =
In the days when the number of disciples in the new assembly of believers in Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrew believers in Jesus Christ by the Hellenist believers in Jesus Christ.
The Greek word
rendered "disciples" refers to those believers - those who have
already expressed a moment of repentance unto faith in Jesus of Nazareth
unto forgiveness of sins unto eternal life in the Eternal Kingdom of God,
(cf. Acts 2:38) - who have given evidence of following the teachings of
Jesus as taught by the apostles. Hence disciples are believers who have
endeavored to become obedient to the doctrines of the faith, (cf. Acts
7:7c), ,
(Acts 6:1a).
Hebrew Jews comprised the majority of the Jews in Jerusalem. They were native to Jerusalem and Palestine and spoke Aramaic. Many of them also spoke the Hebrew language and read the Hebrew Scriptures instead of the Greek Septuagint, in an attempt to preserve the language of their Jewish traditions and the original text of the Old Testament Scriptures. In their own minds they set themselves apart as superior to the other Jews in Jerusalem. Those Hebrew Jews that became believers in Jesus Christ and joined the assembly of believers there, continued in their attitude toward the other Jews in the church and toward the nominal number of Gentile proselytes living in Jerusalem who became Jews under the instruction of the Hebrew Jews and then became believers in Jesus Christ. The other Jews in the church were largely, "Hellenists" - those believers in Jesus Christ who were born in the provinces outside of Palestine as a result of the dispersion of the Jews years ago by the Assyrians.
[Expositor's, Copyright © 1985 by Zondervan. Database © 2010 WORDsearch Corp.]:
Animosity between Judeans and Samaritans stemmed from very early times and fed on a number of incidents in their respective histories. The cleavage began in the tenth century B.C. with the separation of the Ten Tribes from Jerusalem, Judah, and Benjamin in the disruption of the Hebrew monarchy after Solomon's death. It became racially fixed with Sargon's destruction of the city of Samaria in 722 B.C. and the Assyrians' policy of deportation and mixing of populations. It was intensified in Judean eyes by the Samaritans opposition to the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple in the fifth century (cf. Neh 2:10-6:14; 13:28; Jos. Antiq. XI, 84-103 [iv.3-6], 114 [iv.9), 174 [v.8]), by their erection of a schismatic temple on Mount Gerizim sometime around the time of Alexander the Great (cf. Jos Antiq. XI, 310-11 [viii.2], 322-24 [viii.4]; XIII, 255-56 [ix.1]), and by their identification of themselves as Sidonians and joining with the Seleucids against the Jews in the conflict of 167-164 B.C. (cf. ibid., XII, 257-64 [v.5]). It was sealed for the Samaritans by John Hyrcanus's destruction in 127 B.C. of the Gerizim temple (cf. ibid., XIII, 256 [ix.1]) and the city of Samaria (ibid., XIII, 275-77 [x.2]). The intensity of Samaritan feelings against Jerusalem is shown by the Samaritans' refusal of Herod's offer of 25 B.C. to rebuild their temple on Mount Gerizim when it was known that he also proposed to rebuild the Jerusalem temple-a rebuilding begun about 20-19 B.C. (ibid., XV, 280-425 [viii.3-xi.1]). The Judean antagonism to Samaria is evident as early as Ecclesiasticus 50:25-26, which lumps the Samaritans with the Idumeans and the Philistines as Israel's three detested nations and then goes on to disparage them further by the epithets "no nation" and "that foolish people that dwell in Shechem." Many such pejorative references to the Samaritans appear elsewhere in writings reflecting or reporting a Judean stance (e.g., 4QPs 37 on v. Ps 37:14; 4QpNah on Nah 3:6; John 8:48). Nevertheless, while Jeremiah and Ezekiel treated the northern tribes as an integral part of Israel, there were always a few in Samaria who viewed Judean worship with respect (cf. 2 Chronicles 30:11; 34:9); and Samaritans accepted the Pentateuch as Holy Writ and looked for a coming messianic Restorer (the taeb) who would be Moses redivivus.
So they did not speak Hebrew or Aramaic, the native tongue of those Jews living in Israel in the first century. They spoke koine Greek - the common, universal language, which everyone spoke. And they used the Greek translation of the Scriptures, (the Septuagint). Note that the Hellenists whom the Hebrews ostracized were not Gentile believers. Fellowship with Gentiles was still a major issue for Jews even by the apostles up to the time of Acts chapter 10, when Peter was admonished by the LORD to minister to and accept Gentile believers. So with all the new believers from outside Palestine crowding into Jerusalem into an already crowded situation of Hebrew Jewish believers from Jerusalem, there was apparently an unwillingness by the Hebrew Jewish believers to accommodate those whom they viewed as outsiders - harboring prejudices of the past over spiritual differences, relative to traditions and the Scriptures. Hence they ostracized them. The Hellenist widows were especially vulnerable when it came to the distribution of food, because they were customarily dependent upon the men in their families for support; and being older, they could not find work in the city. Despite believing in the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth for forgiveness of sins unto eternal life, and despite the teaching and the leadership of the apostles, and despite the new assembly of believers initially being of one accord - sharing what they had with one another, (cf Acts 2:40-47; 4:32-37; 5:12-16); the Hebrew and Aramaic speaking Jews of the assembly of believers in Jesus Christ in Jerusalem would not openly fellowship with the believers outside of their own group. They viewed themselves as spiritually superior.
Even at this time, very early in the history of this new assembly of believers, with a common belief in Jesus Christ as Messiah / Savior, the baptism of all believers in Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, constant miraculous superintendance of God to authenticate His new body of believers to the world, and the ongoing threat of deadly persecution when unity amongst the believers was vital; there was petty dissension amongst the believers, (Acts 6:1b).
(Acts 6:1 NKJV) "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. (Acts 6:2 NKJV) Then the twelve [having] summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, 'It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. (Acts 6:3 NKJV) Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, [lit. bearing (good) witness], full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; (Acts 6:4 NKJV) but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.' (Acts 6:5 NKJV) And the saying [in the sense of what was said] 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, (Acts 6:6 NKJV) whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them." =
So the twelve apostles summoned the multitude of disciples to them. The phrase rendered "multitude of disciples" implies that there were many believers who had become followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ through the instruction of the apostles and the indwelling Holy Spirit. They (the apostles) declared to the disciples that it was not desirable that they (the apostles), should depart from teaching the word of God to serve tables, in this case the money tables which were used to distribute the money to those in need, such as the Hellenist widow believers. This was not to say that the task of dealing with the money tables was full time, as some contend. For verse 4 indicated that the apostles were desirous of giving themselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the word, with no other tasks to undertake. So the apostles commanded the disciples to seek out from among the disciples seven men: (1) of good reputation, (2) full of (controlled) by the Holy Spirit; and (3) full of wisdom - all three qualities in the sense of living their lives reflecting godly wisdom as taught to them by the apostles and the indwelling Holy Spirit.
What the apostles declared pleased the whole group of disciples, implying that there was no dissent - all were willing to participate in the solution of this problem. Whereupon the disciples chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochourus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, (i.e., a convert to Judaism who became a believer in Jesus Christ). Although the group of disciples was predominantly composed of Hebrew believers, they appointed seven disciples who all had Greek names, implying that they were Hellenists, i.e., Jewish believers from Greek regions who spoke Greek, indicating that they were more like the Hellenist widow believers, which evidently would enable them to better resolve the problem of providing for the Hellenist widow believers. Note that the congregation of disciples chose the seven men, and not the apostles. And the seven were presented before the apostles, whereupon the apostles prayed and laid hands on them, in the sense of commissioning them to their appointed task and praying for God's blessing and their enablement in this new task.
Luke's disclosure that Nicolas was a proselyte implied that God's new assembly of believers continued to view and conduct themselves in the Temple and everywhere else as Jews in Jerusalem who believed in Jesus Christ as their Messiah / Savior for forgiveness of sins unto eternal life - a remnant of Jewish believers in the Messiah Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, although the seven disciples chosen to serve the congregation of believers resembles the function of the deacon of the church, these seven were never referred to as deacons, but rather were referred to simply as "the seven," (cf. Acts 21:8). Since the local council in Jewish communities usually consisted of seven men of good reputation, then this corroborates that the assembly of believers still viewed themselves as a Jewish community. They had a very specific and temporal task assigned to them, unlike the more general and permanent type authority which was to be given to church deacons. Although elders were given that task later on, (cf. (Acts 11:30), the concept of elders had its origin in the Jewish synagogue. Hence doctrines unique to the church were not yet in view. (Acts 6:2-6).
(Acts 6:7 NKJV) "Then the word of God spread [lit., was increasing], and the number of the disciples [was being] multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith." =
With the apostles' continuing to focus exclusively on prayer and the ministry of the word of God, their message was increasingly spread; and the number of disciples was being multiplied greatly in Jerusalem. And a great many of the priests became believers and were obedient to the doctrines of the faith - the teaching of the apostles and the Holy Spirit within, i.e., they became disciples as well. Note that there were perhaps as many as eight thousand 'ordinary' priests - Jews who had ordinary vocations who periodically served in the Temple as priests; and ten thousand Levites, who were predominately Sadducees. The service of the priesthood of the Jerusalem Temple was divided into twenty-four weekly courses during the period of a year. Most of the Levites were Sadducees - the sect of Judaism which did not believe in the resurrection of the dead or a coming Messiah / Savior to rule in a Messianic Age. Notice that the growth of God's new assembly of believers and disciples was primarily situated in Jerusalem. But the assembly also included an increasing number of Jews and Gentile proselytes who were born outside of Palestine, who migrated to or were living in the city. This group neither spoke Aramaic or Hebrew, (Acts 6:7).
(Acts 6:8 NKJV) "And Stephen, full of faith and power, [was performing] great wonders and signs among the people." =
Although Stephen and the other six disciples were appointed to oversee the needs of the Hellenist widow believers, the job was evidently not a full time occupation, as some contend, (hence conjuring up an imaginary contradiction in author Luke's account when Stephen began preaching and performing signs and wonders amongst the people: For Stephen, who was full of faith and power in the sense of actively following the apostles' teaching of the word of God through the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit - to Whom he actively submitted his will as a disciple; was, as a result, preaching the word of God and performing great signs and wonders among the people; as well as fulfilling his duties of overseeing the needs of the Hellenist widow believers. Note that Stephen's teaching and performing of signs and wonders for the people gives notice that such activities have now been extended beyond the apostles to believers who had become disciples. Hence the spread of the message of the gospel was greatly increased, (Acts 6:8).
(Acts 6:9 NKJV) "Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen [lit., Libertines] (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. (Acts 6:10 NKJV) And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he [was speaking]. (Acts 6:11 NKJV) Then they [suborned] men to say, 'We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.' (Acts 6:12 NKJV) And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. (Acts 6:13 NKJV) They also set up false witnesses who said, 'This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; (Acts 6:14 NKJV) for we have heard him [saying] that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.' (Acts 6:15 NKJV) And all [who were sitting] in the council, [having looked intently] at him, saw his face as the face of an angel." =
And as a result of Stephen's astounding testimony to the people via the teaching and directives of the indwelling Holy Spirit, there arose some men who attended what was called the "Synagogue [singular] of the Freedmen." The Greek word rendered synagogue, is literally "a gathering together place." Each one contained a community center, school, and a place for reading and commenting on the scriptures on the Sabbath for each of these groups of people from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia and Asia - a category of synagogue - for those who came to the city from regions outside Palestine as a result of the Dispersion. For the term rendered "Freedmen," lit., "Libertines" was a term originally used to describe former slaves who had been set free by their Roman masters, but used in this context to refer generally to men freed from captivity. Jerusalem, at the time, traditionally contained many synagogues for a multiplicity of groups of people, because of the prejudices of the Jewish people toward others outside of their group. Those who attended these synagogues tended to meet with and keep to their own group of Jews. So each "Freedmen Synagogue" in view in verse 9 was composed of Greek speaking Jews originally from Cyrene, west of Egypt on the Mediterranean coast; from Alexandria in Egypt where there was a very large Jewish quarter, from Cilicia (Paul's home province in southeastern Asia Minor), and from the province of Asia, (in western Asia Minor) where Ephesus was the chief city. Because most of the Jews in the Dispersion had to face many threats to their beliefs and lifestyle, being surrounded by Gentiles, they tended to be quick to defend their beliefs against anything that was different from what their rabbis taught them. Hence these men readily and openly disputed with Stephen. But they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he was speaking - in the sense that they could not refute Stephen's testimony. They evidently found no logical or scriptural flaw in what he said. Despite Stephen's overwhelmingly convincing words, they refused to believe in his message. They only became more determined to get rid of Stephen, just like the rulers had done with Jesus and then His apostles. So the "Freedmen" suborned men, in the sense of persuading men to bear false witness to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." Stephen's statements were willfully and deliberately twisted by the "Freedmen" with the purpose of it sounding like capital blasphemy, in order to get him killed. This was not a simple misunderstanding of Stephen's words as some contend. For the words were those of God the Holy Spirit which were so well stated to the people that "they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he was speaking," (Acts 6:10). And then they [the "Freedmen"] stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes. And they came upon him, seized him in a violent manner, and brought him before the council. Note that just a short while ago, the council had resolved to let this movement run its course and die out if motivated by man, or not risk going up against God if He were behind it all, (cf. Acts 5:34-40). But Stephen's testimony was so persuasive and the movement of God's assembly of believers was growing so rapidly - even amongst the priests - that the rulers were determined to convict Stephen of capital blasphemy. Notice that of all the complaints against Stephen, there was nothing stipulated against Jesus of Nazareth not being the resurrected Messiah / Savior, (Acts 6:9-12).
At the trial of Stephen before the council, false witnesses were set up to testify against him. They said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him [saying] that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us." Just as with Jesus' trials, false witnesses misrepresented what Stephen said, twisting it into what was considered blasphemy punishable by death.
While the false witnesses were twisting the words of Stephen into blasphemy, all who were there were gazing intently at Stephen, for his face appeared as the face of an angel, evidently reflecting the glory of God similar to what Moses experienced, (cf. Exodus 34:29-35): "And all who were sitting in the council, having looked intently at him, saw his face as the face of an angel," (Acts 6:13-15).