CHAPTER 6

(A.D. 33)

THE FIRST DEACONS

¹And in those days, when the number of the Disciples was multiplied (the followers of Christ were multiplying), there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews (refers to Jews who spoke Greek as a result of having once lived in various countries where Greek was spoken), because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration (speaks of relief in the form of food and money given to widows in the Church in Jerusalem who had no way to provide for themselves).

²Then the Twelve (Twelve Apostles) called the multitude of the Disciples unto them, and said (constitutes probably the very first business meeting in the Early Church), It is not reason that we should leave the Word of God, and serve tables (refers to the voluminous administrative duties which accompanied the great growth of the Early Church in Jerusalem).

³Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (is thought by some to represent the first Deacons, even though they are not called that in this Chapter), whom we may appoint over this business (the Holy Spirit told the Twelve what to do, the number to choose, and how they were to be chosen).

⁴But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the Ministry of the Word (tells us that Prayer is mentioned first, and is more important than Preaching; without a proper Prayer Life, there can be no proper Ministry).

⁵And the saying pleased the whole multitude (proclaims wisdom the people could not fault, for it was wisdom from above): and they chose Stephen, a man full of Faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch (presents the seven men):

⁶Whom they set before the Apostles (now presented for acceptance and confirmation): and when they had prayed (sought the Lords approval of these men, which evidently they received), they laid their hands on them (the laying on of hands was to designate them for an office, work, or Ministry, as Moses did Joshua [Num. 27:18-23]).

⁷And the Word of God increased (means that more and more men were Preaching the Gospel of Jesus); and the number of the Disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly (could have been as many as one hundred thousand people who had accepted the Lord); and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the Faith (presents one of the greatest Testimonies to date of the Power of God).

STEPHEN

⁸And Stephen, full of faith and power (speaks of a great knowledge of the Word of God, and of the Holy Spirit controlling this man, and, thereby, using him), did great wonders and miracles among the people (these things were Divinely done).

⁹Then there arose certain of the Synagogue, which is called the Synagogue of the Libertines (speaks of Jews who had been taken as slaves to Rome or elsewhere in the Roman Empire, but now had been set free, consequently coming back to Jerusalem; they had a Synagogue in Jerusalem, and perhaps several), and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia (pertains to each one of these groups of Jews who had a Synagogue in Jerusalem), disputing with Stephen (it is thought by some that Paul, then known as Saul, was the leading disputer against Stephen; he could have been associated with the Synagogue that pertained to Cilicia, as Tarsus, the hometown of Paul, was in that region).

¹⁰And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke (if it was Paul who led the dispute against Stephen, it would have been most interesting, considering that Paul was the hope of the Pharisees at that time and, therefore, reputed to have great knowledge of the Law; the difference is that the Holy Spirit anointed Stephen!).

¹¹Then they suborned men (they planned and formed a scheme together, which held no validity or truth), which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God (concerns their concocted scheme).

¹²And they stirred up the people, and the Elders, and the Scribes (refers to the lies they told and kept telling respecting Stephen), and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the Council (refers to them getting permission from the Sanhedrin to arrest Stephen, which they did),

¹³And set up false witnesses, which said (proclaims the similarity of Stephens trial with that of our Lord), This man ceases not to speak blas phemous words against this holy place, and the Law (this was their charge, which was false):

¹⁴For we have heard him say (represents a distortion of what Stephen had probably said; they probably based their accusation upon some semblance of Truth, but totally distorted its meaning), that this Jesus of Nazareth (said in such a way as to be most contemptuous) shall destroy this place (probably referred to the Words said by Jesus in the Olivet discourse [Mat. 24:2]), and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us (it is true that the customs were to be changed as a result of the New Covenant, and in fact were meant to be changed).

¹⁵And all that sat in the Council (Sanhedrin), looking stedfastly on him (gazed intently, and for purpose and reason), saw his face as it had been the face of an Angel (pertains to the Glory of the Lord shinning on the face of Stephen).