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The Early Church · New Testament

Acts 6

Acts 6: seven men chosen and charges brought against Stephen

General context

As the number of the disciples grows, the Grecians murmur against the Hebrews because their widows are neglected in the daily ministration. The twelve call the disciples together, say it is not reason that they should leave the word of God and serve tables, and ask for seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, to be appointed over this business, while the twelve give themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. The proposal pleases the multitude, and seven are chosen and named: Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch. They are set before the apostles, who pray and lay hands on them. The word of God increases, the disciples multiply and a great company of the priests are obedient to the faith. Stephen does great wonders and miracles. Men of the synagogue of the Libertines and others dispute with him and cannot resist his wisdom and spirit. They suborn men to accuse him of blasphemous words against Moses and against God, stir up the people, elders and scribes, seize him, bring him to the council and set up false witnesses. Those sitting in the council see his face as it had been the face of an angel.

Cited passages: Acts 6:1, Acts 6:2, Acts 6:3, Acts 6:4, Acts 6:5, Acts 6:6, Acts 6:7, Acts 6:8, Acts 6:9, Acts 6:10, Acts 6:11, Acts 6:12, Acts 6:13, Acts 6:14, Acts 6:15

Acts 6 (KJV)

1And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

2Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

3Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

4But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

5And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

6Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

7And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

8And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

9Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

10And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

11Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

12And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,

13And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

14For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.

15And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The complaint is between two groups inside the body of disciples, the Grecians and the Hebrews, and the text gives no further definition of either name. The task the seven receive is described only as this business and as serving tables; the text does not use the word deacon here and gives the seven no title. The narrator marks the accusation as arranged, saying the accusers suborned men, and calls the men who repeat it false witnesses, so the charge is reported as an accusation and not as the narrator's own account. The charge itself is printed in the accusers' words, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. Only Nicolas is given a background, a proselyte of Antioch, and the synagogue is listed as the Libertines, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia.

Cited passages: Acts 6:1, Acts 6:3, Acts 6:2, Acts 6:11, Acts 6:13, Acts 6:14, Acts 6:5, Acts 6:9

Literary context

The chapter moves from a complaint to a proposal, a choice, a laying on of hands and a growth report, then shifts to one of the seven. The phrase full of is repeated and narrows each time, from seven men full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, to Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, to Stephen full of faith and power. What the opponents cannot do is stated before what they then do, they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. The accusation about the holy place and the law gives the subjects that Stephen's own speech will take up in the next chapter. The chapter ends on the look of his face and withholds his answer until 7:2.

Cited passages: Acts 6:1, Acts 6:3, Acts 6:5, Acts 6:8, Acts 6:10, Acts 6:13, Acts 6:15, Acts 7:2, Acts 7:48

Key moments

  1. Widows neglected (Acts 6:1). The Grecians complain that their widows are passed over in the daily ministration.
  2. Seven men sought (Acts 6:3). The twelve ask the disciples to find seven men of honest report for this business.
  3. The seven named (Acts 6:5). The multitude chooses Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas.
  4. Priests obey the faith (Acts 6:7). The word increases and a great company of the priests are obedient to the faith.
  5. Unable to resist him (Acts 6:10). Those disputing with Stephen cannot resist the wisdom and spirit by which he speaks.
  6. Suborned accusers (Acts 6:11). Men are put forward to say Stephen spoke blasphemous words against Moses and against God.
  7. His face before the council (Acts 6:15). All who sit in the council look at Stephen and see his face as the face of an angel.

For reflection

The twelve describe the choice as a way to keep from leaving the word of God to serve tables, yet the first of the seven named is soon disputing in synagogues and doing wonders. What does the chapter show about how the assigned task and what Stephen actually does relate to each other?

People in this chapter

Also indexed here:

  • Nicanor
  • Nicolaus
  • Parmenas
  • Prochorus
  • Timon