Acts 6

This chapter belongs to the opening section of Acts, which tells the story of the church in Jerusalem. Acts 5 ends with the apostles continuing to teach even after the council had them beaten and released. Chapter 6 turns to a conflict within the church and the selection of seven men. Stephen's arrest then leads into his sermon and martyrdom in Acts 7.

Outline

• Verse 1 As the number of disciples grows, the Grecians (Hellenistic Jews) murmur against the Hebrews because their widows are being neglected in the daily ministration.
• Verses 2–4 The twelve apostles call the disciples together and tell them to choose seven men. The apostles declare that they will devote themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.
• Verses 5–6 The multitude chooses Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas. The apostles pray and lay their hands on them.
• Verse 7 The word of God increases, the number of disciples multiplies greatly, and a great company of priests become obedient to the faith.
• Verses 8–10 Stephen performs great wonders and miracles. Men from several synagogues dispute with him but are unable to withstand him.
• Verses 11–14 These men stir up the people and bring Stephen before the council. False witnesses accuse him of speaking against the temple and the law.
• Verse 15 All who sit in the council see Stephen's face as it had been the face of an angel.

Key Verses

• Acts 6:3 "Look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom." This verse is often cited as a standard for appointing church workers.
• Acts 6:4 "But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." The phrase expresses devotion to that work alone. The verse is read as the basis for distinguishing the ministry of the apostles from the work of service.
• Acts 6:7 A summary statement of the church's growth, one of several such summaries found throughout Acts.

People and Places

• The twelve apostles: That is, the Twelve, who propose the selection of workers.
• Stephen: Introduced as "a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 6:5). He is the central figure of the latter part of the chapter.
• Philip: One of the seven. He is commonly regarded as a different person from Philip the apostle. In chapter 8 he preaches the gospel in Samaria.
• Nicolas: A Gentile proselyte to Judaism from Antioch.
• Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, and Parmenas: Little is known about them outside this chapter.
• Synagogue: The synagogue of the Libertines (freedmen), Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia. Interpreters differ on whether one synagogue or several are meant.
• The council: The Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish council. The people, the elders, and the scribes also appear.
• Jerusalem: The setting of every event in the chapter.

Points for Reflection

• The seven and the diaconate: The text does not call these men "deacons." However, the words translated "ministration" and "serve tables" share the same root as the word for deacon (diakonos). For this reason many traditions, beginning in the early church, have understood them as the first deacons. Other interpreters regard this as a special office created for this particular situation, one that cannot simply be equated with the later diaconate. They point out that Stephen and Philip later engage in preaching and evangelism, and that Philip is called "the evangelist" in Acts 21:8.
• Nicolas and the Nicolaitans: Some Church Fathers transmit a tradition linking the Nicolaitans of Revelation 2 with this Nicolas. The text itself, however, makes no such connection, and some interpreters reject it.
• The accusation concerning the temple: The charge that Stephen said Jesus would "destroy this place" (Acts 6:14) resembles the false testimony given at the trial of Jesus. Accordingly, many interpreters read Stephen's sufferings as paralleling the passion of Jesus.

In the Korean Church

Verses 3 and 5–6 are frequently used as sermon texts at ordination services for deacons, kwonsa (senior deaconesses), and elders. When the qualifications of church officers are explained, the phrase "of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom" is commonly cited. In Sunday school, the story of Stephen is often taught together with chapter 7 as a single unit.