Act 6:1-6 | PNT | STEP | Stephen Seized and Called Before the Sanhedrin SUMMARY OF ACTS 6: The Complaint of the Grecians. The Choice of Seven Deacons. Many Priests Converted. Stephen Preaches Christ with Power. His Controversy with the Jews. The Charge of Blasphemy. Brought Before the Sanhedrin. In those days . About that time. It may have been several years after the planting of the church. The believers had become very numerous in Jerusalem. Arose a murmuring of the Grecians . "The Grecians" were not Greeks, or Gentiles, but foreign Jews, who were born and brought up out of Palestine, and spoke the Greek language. This class of Jews was found in almost every city where Paul preached. See . The Hebrews were Jews of Palestine. They held themselves superior to the foreign Jews, and something of this spirit showed itself in the church. Their widows were neglected . There was "distribution to all men, as every man had need" ( ), not to those who did not need, but to the needy, and the dependent widows would especially need care.

‏ Acts 6:1-6

Stephen Seized and Called Before the Sanhedrin SUMMARY OF ACTS 6: The Complaint of the Grecians. The Choice of Seven Deacons. Many Priests Converted. Stephen Preaches Christ with Power. His Controversy with the Jews. The Charge of Blasphemy. Brought Before the Sanhedrin.

In those days. About that time. It may have been several years after the planting of the church. The believers had become very numerous in Jerusalem.

Arose a murmuring of the Grecians. "The Grecians" were not Greeks, or Gentiles, but foreign Jews, who were born and brought up out of Palestine, and spoke the Greek language. This class of Jews was found in almost every city where Paul preached. See Ac 13:14-16.

The Hebrews were Jews of Palestine. They held themselves superior to the foreign Jews, and something of this spirit showed itself in the church.

Their widows were neglected. There was "distribution to all men, as every man had need" (Ac 2:45 4:35), not to those who did not need, but to the needy, and the dependent widows would especially need care. The twelve. This language shows beyond doubt that Matthias was recognized as an apostle.

Called the multitude. The masses of the church.

And said. That it was not proper that the apostles should give their time to these matters instead of preaching.

And serve tables. To look after the distribution of food. Look ye out. Be it noted that the church was called upon to choose these men. The apostles did not assume the right. There is no warrant here for pope or bishops assuming the right.

Seven men. Why seven is only a matter of conjecture.

Of honest report. Men whose reputation was a guarantee that they would handle the trust faithfully.

Full of the Holy Ghost. Whose lives indicated the fruit of the Spirit (see Ga 5:22,23 Eph 5:9).

And wisdom. Prudence and judgment would be essential.

Whom we may appoint. Ordain. The people selected under apostolic direction; the apostle inaugurated into office. We will give ourselves continually to prayer, etc. Observe that the apostles regard prayer of equal importance with preaching. Every preacher ought to heed this. They chose Stephen. He is specially described on account of the glory of martyrdom that so soon followed.

Philip. Distinguished as "Philip the evangelist". He gave the gospel to Samaria, converted the eunuch, and afterwards lived and labored at Caesarea (Ac 21:8).

Prochorus, etc. The others are not again mentioned.

A proselyte of Antioch. A Gentile (Greek) of the great city of Antioch, who had been converted to Judaism and been circumcised. This is the meaning of "proselyte" in the New Testament. Whom they set before the apostles. There has been some discussion whether these seven were deacons, and whether this is the origin of the deacon's office in the church. They are never called deacons, but the Greek word "diakoneo", rendered "to serve" (Ac 6:2), is the verb form of which the Greek word "diakonos", "deacon", is the noun. The usual view is that they were deacons.

And when they had prayed, they laid [their] hands on them. The scriptural method of inducting into office. The prayer and imposition of hands was an appeal to God to give the necessary gifts rather than their impartation. See Nu 27:23 Ge 48:13.