Act 6:5, 8-10 | PNT | STEP | 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 ( ). 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.

‏ Acts 6:5

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.

‏ Acts 6:8-10

And Stephen . . . did great wonders and miracles. He is the first gospel preacher, not an apostle, whose work is named. He is also the first, not an apostle, under the new dispensation, to work miracles. Philip, also, of the seven, possessed miraculous power (Ac 8:6). Both received the imposition of apostolic hands. This seems to have been necessary to impart this power (Ac 8:15,17,19). See also Ro 1:11. As far as we know, it was limited to apostles, and to those whom whom the apostles laid hands. Also see PNT Ac 5:12. There arose certain of the synagogue. This was the ordinary place of worship where Jews met on the Sabbath. The Rabbis say (Talmud) that there were 480 synagogues in Jerusalem.

Of the Libertines. "The Freedmen". Thousands of Jews had been carried away captives and sold into slavery by Pompey in 63 B.C. These, or their children, were mostly freed at a later period. Those of them who returned to Jerusalem had a synagogue of their own.

And Cyrenians. A synagogue of.

See PNT Ac 2:10. The Cyrenian Jews who returned to the city of their fathers, like those of other countries, had their own synagogues.

Alexandrians. Jews from the great city of Alexandria in Egypt, where they were said to be almost one-third of the population.

Of Cilicia. Of this synagogue the brilliant disciple of Gamaliel, born at Tarsus of Cilicia, was no doubt a member, and one of the most active opposers of Stephen. See Ac 7:58.

Of Asia. The Roman province in Asia Minor of which Ephesus was capital.

Disputing with Stephen. These synagogues were all composed of "Grecians", foreign Jews.

See PNT Ac 6:1. Stephen's name is also Grecian, and he probably preached especially to his own class. They were not able to resist. They attempted to argue, but were silenced.