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Acts 6

KJV · Chapter 6/28

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.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

A complaint arises about the distribution of food to the Greek-speaking widows, and the church chooses seven men, including Stephen, to handle this task. Stephen, full of faith, is falsely accused and brought before the Sanhedrin.

Explanation

This is one of the first examples of administrative organization in the church: faced with a practical conflict, the apostles delegate responsibilities instead of holding onto everything themselves, showing wisdom in dividing tasks according to different gifts (some preach, others serve). It's the origin of what would later be called the diaconate. Stephen, though chosen to 'wait on tables,' also preaches and performs miracles — a reminder that a call to serve doesn't diminish anyone; it can be a platform for great spiritual impact.

Fun facts

  • The names of the seven chosen (Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas) are all Greek, suggesting that the church resolved the tension by putting leaders from the Hellenist group itself in charge of the problem.
  • The Greek word used for their service is diakonia (from which we get 'deacon'), the same term Jesus used when he said he came to serve.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Acts 6:1The murmuring of the Grecians is not about pagan Greeks, but about Greek-speaking Jews from outside Judea against Aramaic-speaking Jews of Jerusalem. The friction was over the daily distribution of food to widows, showing that the church already had cultural diversity from the very beginning.
  2. Acts 6:2The apostles explain that it makes no sense for them to leave preaching to handle the daily distribution of food; it marks the beginning of the division of tasks between spiritual leadership and practical administration in the church.
  3. Acts 6:3Choosing seven men to handle the distribution of food is generally seen as the origin of what later becomes the office of deacon, though that word does not appear here. The solution separates those who handle administration from those who handle teaching.
  4. Acts 6:4In contrast with serving tables, the apostles choose to devote themselves only to prayer and to the ministry of the word, setting a clear focus for their own role.
  5. Acts 6:5Among the seven chosen, Nicolas was a proselyte of Antioch, that is, a Gentile who had converted to Judaism before coming to know Jesus. His presence on the list shows that the group already included people from outside the Jewish ethnicity.
  6. Acts 6:6The community presents the seven chosen men to the apostles, who pray and lay their hands on them—a gesture of blessing and official recognition of their new role.
  7. Acts 6:7Luke records a remarkable growth: even a large number of temple priests come to accept the Christian faith, people who would be tied precisely to the group most resistant to the message.
  8. Acts 6:8Stephen, one of the seven chosen to handle the administrative side, also performs great wonders and signs among the people, showing that his role was not limited to bureaucracy.
  9. Acts 6:9The synagogue “of the Libertines” was probably made up of Jews who had been, or were descended from, slaves freed by Rome, many coming from North Africa and Asia Minor. It was this group that began the campaign against Stephen.
  10. Acts 6:10Stephen’s opponents are unable to overcome his arguments in open debate, which drives them to resort to another, less honest strategy in the next verse.
  11. Acts 6:11Unable to defeat Stephen through argument, his adversaries pay or persuade men to lie, inventing that he had spoken blasphemous words against Moses and against God.
  12. Acts 6:12The false accusation is enough to stir up the people and the authorities, and Stephen ends up being seized by force and brought before the council (the Sanhedrin) for trial.
  13. Acts 6:13The false witnesses repeat the accusation that Stephen spoke against the temple (“this holy place”) and against the Jewish law, a charge serious enough to justify a trial.
  14. Acts 6:14The accusation that Jesus was going to destroy the temple and change the customs handed down by Moses echoes a real statement Jesus made about the temple’s destruction, but distorted by the false accusers to look like a direct attack on Jewish law.
  15. Acts 6:15Even under false accusation, Stephen’s face is described as looking like the face of an angel before the whole council, a detail suggesting calm and a special presence of God in him at that moment.

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