Acts Chapter 6 verse 5 Holy Bible

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(5) And they chose Stephen.--The seven who were chosen all bear Greek names, and it is a natural, though not a necessary, inference, that they were all of the Hellenistic section of the Church, either because that section had a majority, or because the Hebrews generously voted for giving them special representatives of their own. The order of names may represent the actual order of election, Stephen obtaining the largest number of votes, and so on. The position occupied by the new teacher is so prominent that we should welcome anything that threw light on his previous training. Unhappily we cannot advance beyond the region of uncertain tradition, or, at best, of probable inference. The coincidences, however, which suggest that inference are not without interest. (1) The name of Stephanus was not a common one, and appears in few inscriptions. Like so many of the names in Romans 16, however, it is found in those of the Columbarium, or burial-place, of the household of the Empress Livia. The man bearing it is described as a goldsmith (Aurifaber), and as immunis--i.e., exempted from the religious obligations of his trade-guild. He is a freed-man or libertinus. Circumstances, such as the bequest by Herod the Great of his gold plate to Livia (Jos. Ant. xvi. 5, ? 1; xvii. 8, ? 1), indicate an intimate connection between him and the Imperial Court, and make it probable that the goldsmith Stephanus was a Jew. The business was one in which then, as in later ages, Jews conspicuously excelled, and the exemption just mentioned may well have been, as it were, of the nature of a "conscience-clause" in his favour. The name is found also on a tablet in the museum of the Collegio Romano. (2) It is obvious that the "strangers of Rome"--the Jews from the capital of the empire--were likely to be among the most prominent of the Hellenistae at Jerusalem. It was antecedently probable that the name of one of that body should stand first on the list. (3) When Stephen becomes conspicuous as a teacher, the synagogue which is the most prominent scene of his activity is that of the Libertines, who can be none other than the freed-men or emancipated Jews from Rome. (See Note on Acts 6:9.) (4) Jews from Rome were, we have seen, present on the Day of Pentecost, and some conspicuous converts from among them had been made before Stephen appears on the scene. (See Note on Acts 4:37.) (5) The very appointment of the Seven has, as we have seen, its origin in the customs of the trade-guilds of Rome, such as that to which the goldsmith Stephanus had belonged. Taking all these facts together, there seems sufficient ground to believe that in the proto-martyr of the Church, whose teaching and whose prayers exercised so marvellous an influence in the history of the Church of Christ, we have one of the earliest representatives of Roman Christianity. A tradition accepted by Epiphanius in the fourth century leads to another conclusion. Stephen and Philip were both, it was said, of the number of the Seventy who were sent shortly after the last Feast of Tabernacles in our Lord's ministry into every city and village where He Himself would come. That mission, as has been said in the Note on Luke 10:1, was in its very form, symbolic of the admission of the Gentile nations to the kingdom of God; and it would seem from Luke 9:52; Luke 17:11, as if, at that time, Samaria had been the chief scene of our Lord's ministry, and therefore of that of the Seventy. In a mission of such a nature, it was not unlikely that Hellenistic Jews should be more or less prominent, and the assumption of some previous connection with Samaria gives an adequate explanation both of Philip's choice of that region as the scene of his work as an Evangelist (Acts 8:5) and of the general tendency of St. Stephen's speech; perhaps also of one of the real or apparent inaccuracies which criticism has noted as a proof of ignorance either in the speaker or the writer. (See Note on Acts 7:16.) Admitting the comparative lateness of the tradition mentioned by Epiphanius, it was still antecedently probable that men, who had been brought into prominence by their Lord's special choice, would not be passed over in such an election as that now before us; and if, as suggested in the Note on Luke 10:1, the Seventy were the representatives of the Prophets of the New Testament, then it was natural that men should turn to them when they wanted to find men "full of the Holy Ghost and of wisdom." . . . Parallel Commentaries ...Greek[This]ὁ (ho)Article - Nominative Masculine SingularStrong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.proposalλόγος (logos)Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularStrong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.pleasedἤρεσεν (ēresen)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularStrong's 700: To please, with the idea of willing service rendered to others; hence almost: I serve. Probably from airo; to be agreeable.theτοῦ (tou)Article - Genitive Neuter SingularStrong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.wholeπαντὸς (pantos)Adjective - Genitive Neuter SingularStrong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.group.πλήθους (plēthous)Noun - Genitive Neuter SingularStrong's 4128: A multitude, crowd, great number, assemblage. From pletho; a fulness, i.e. A large number, throng, populace.They choseἐξελέξαντο (exelexanto)Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person PluralStrong's 1586: To pick out for myself, choose, elect, select. Middle voice from ek and lego; to select.Stephen,Στέφανον (Stephanon)Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularStrong's 4736: The same as stephanos; Stephanus, a Christian.a manἄνδρα (andra)Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularStrong's 435: A male human being; a man, husband. A primary word; a man.fullπλήρης (plērēs)Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularStrong's 4134: Full, abounding in, complete, completely occupied with. From pletho; replete, or covered over; by analogy, complete.of faithπίστεως (pisteōs)Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularStrong's 4102: Faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness. andκαὶ (kai)ConjunctionStrong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. [of the] HolyἉγίου (Hagiou)Adjective - Genitive Neuter SingularStrong's 40: Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. From hagos; sacred.Spirit,Πνεύματος (Pneumatos)Noun - Genitive Neuter SingularStrong's 4151: Wind, breath, spirit. as well asκαὶ (kai)ConjunctionStrong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. Philip,Φίλιππον (Philippon)Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularStrong's 5376: From philos and hippos; fond of horses; Philippus, the name of four Israelites.Prochorus,Πρόχορον (Prochoron)Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularStrong's 4402: Prochorus, one of the seven original deacons at Jerusalem. From pro and choros; before the dance; Prochorus, a Christian.Nicanor,Νικάνορα (Nikanora)Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularStrong's 3527: Nicanor, a proper name. Probably from nikao; victorious; Nicanor, a Christian.Timon,Τίμωνα (Timōna)Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularStrong's 5096: Timon, one of the seven original deacons at Jerusalem. From time; valuable; Timon, a Christian.Parmenas,Παρμενᾶν (Parmenan)Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularStrong's 3937: Probably by contraction for Parmenides; constant; Parmenas, a Christian.andκαὶ (kai)ConjunctionStrong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. NicolasΝικόλαον (Nikolaon)Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularStrong's 3532: Nicolaus, a proper name. From nikos and Laodikeus; victorious over the people; Nicolaus, a heretic.from Antioch,Ἀντιοχέα (Antiochea)Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularStrong's 491: An Antiochian, an inhabitant of Antioch. From Antiocheia; an Antiochian or inhabitant of Antiochia.a convert to Judaism.προσήλυτον (prosēlyton)Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularStrong's 4339: From the alternate of proserchomai; an arriver from a foreign region, i.e., an acceder to Judaism.Jump to PreviousAntioch Approval Chose Convert Faith Full General Ghost Group Holy Judaism Met Multitude Philip Pleased Pleasing Proposal Proselyte Selected Spirit Statement Stephen Suggestion Whole Words