Acts 6:10

Act 6:10. Τῇ σοφίᾳ, the wisdom) Wisdom is a most powerful thing (Act 6:8).—καὶ τῷ Πνεύματι, and the Spirit) The epithet Holy is not added, as in Act 6:3; Act 6:5. His adversaries felt that there was a spirit in Stephen: they did not know that it was the Holy Spirit who was in him.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act_6:10-11. The σοΦία is to be explained, not of the Jewish learning, but of the Christian wisdom (Luk_21:15; and see on Eph_1:8; Eph_1:17), to which the Jewish learning of the opponents could not make any resistance. Comp. 1Co_1:17 ff; 1Co_2:6 ff. The πνεῦμα was the πν. ἅγιον,[186] with which he was filled, Act_6:3; Act_6:5.

ᾧ] Dative of the instrument. It refers, as respects sense, to both preceding nouns, but is grammatically determined according to the latter, Matthiae, p. 991.

τότε] then, namely, after they had availed nothing in open disputation against him. Hic agnosce morem improborum; ubi veritate discedunt impares, ad mendacia confugiunt, Erasmus, Paraphr.

ὑπέβαλον] they instigated, secretly instructed. Comp. Appian. i. 74, ὑπεβλήθησαν κατήγοροι. The Latin subornarunt, or, as the Vulg. has it, submiserunt (Suet. Ner. 28).

ἀκηκόαμεν κ.τ.λ.] provisional summary statement of what these men asserted that they had heard as the essential contents of the utterances of Stephen in question. For their more precisely formulated literal statement, see Act_6:13-14.

[186] But τῷ ἁγίῳ is not added; for adversarii sentiebant Spiritum esse in Stephano; Spiritum sanctum in eo esse non sciebant, Bengel.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 6:10 . καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυον ἀντιστῆναι : the whole phrase is an exact fulfilment of Luk 21:15 , cf. 1Co 1:17 ; 1Co 2:6 . πνεῦμα , as Wendt points out, was the Holy Spirit with which Stephen was filled, cf. 3, 5. Vulgate renders “Spiritui Sancto qui loquebatur,” as if it read ὅ ; see critical notes.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

False teachers, because they will not be overcome, flee from disputations to manifest and open slandering and false accusations.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake--What he said, and the power with which he spake it, were alike resistless.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 10. They there not able to resist the wisdom, c.] He was wise, well exercised and experienced, in Divine things and, as appears by his defence, in the following chapter, well versed in the Jewish history. The spirit by which he spake was the Holy Spirit, and its power was irresistible. They were obliged either to yield to its teachings, or were confounded by its truth. Several MSS. add to this verse, because he reproved them with boldness, they could not resist the truth. This reading is not genuine, though it exists (but in different forms) in some good MSS.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(10) They were not able.—Better, had no strength; the verb being somewhat more forcible than that commonly translated “to be able.”

To resist the wisdom and the spirit with which he spake.—It is remarkable that Stephen is the first Christian teacher of whom “wisdom” is thus specially predicted. In the Gospels it is ascribed to our Lord (Mat_13:54; Luk_2:40; Luk_2:52); and we read of “the wisdom of Solomon” (Mat_12:42). In a writer like St. Luke, it implies something higher even than the “consolation” or “prophecy” from which Barnabas took his name—wider thoughts, a clearer vision of the truth, the development of what had been before latent in hints and parables and dark sayings. The speech that follows in the next chapter, may be accepted as an example, as far as circumstances allowed, of the method and power of his general teaching.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And they were not able to resist the wisdom,.... In Beza's most ancient copy, and in another manuscript it is added, "which was in him"; that divine wisdom, which the Spirit of wisdom gave him; they were not a match for him with respect to the knowledge of divine things; they could not answer the wise arguments he made use of, fetched out of the Scriptures of truth, in which he was well versed, and had a large knowledge of:

and the Spirit by which he spake; that is, the Holy Spirit, as the above exemplars of Beza, and the Ethiopic version read; the meaning is, they could not resist the Holy Spirit, by which Stephen spake, so as to overcome him, or put Stephen to silence, or confute him; otherwise they did resist him, or oppose themselves to him, but in vain, and without success; for they always resisted the Holy Ghost in Christ and in his apostles, as their fathers before them resisted him in the prophets, as Stephen observes to them, Act 7:51 hereby was fulfilled what our Lord promised to his disciples, Mat 10:19.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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

Ver. 10. By which he spake] "Because he convinced them with great boldness, neither could they withstand the truth." These words are found in one very ancient copy, as Beza witnesseth.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To resist - That is, they were not able to “answer” his arguments.

The wisdom - This properly refers to his knowledge of the Scriptures; his skill in what “the Jews” esteemed to be wisdom - acquaintance with their sacred writings, opinions, etc.

And the spirit - This has been commonly understood of the Holy Spirit, by which he was aided; but it rather means the “energy, power,” or “ardor” of Stephen. He “evinced” a spirit of zeal and sincerity which they could not withstand; which served, more than mere argument could have done, to convince them that he was right. The evidence of sincerity, honesty, and zeal in a public speaker will often go further to convince the great mass of mankind, than the most able argument if delivered in a cold and indifferent manner.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Not able to resist; they did oppose it, but ineffectually.

The wisdom: The foolishness of God is wiser than men, 1Co 1:25. What then is his wisdom, through which this holy man spake?

The spirit; the Holy Ghost directing him, and putting a Divine power upon what he spake, according to the promise, Mat 10:20.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10. Not able to resist—Five synagogues against one man were unable to resist his prowess.

Wisdom—That insight into the independence of Christianity which foresaw the vanishing destiny of Judaism.

Spirit—That blending (compare Act_6:5; Act_6:8) of perfect faith in distinctive Christianity, of divine grace through its experience, and of power to illustrate its truth with miracle.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Withstand for resist, A.V. This was a part of the "power" mentioned in ver. 8.

Vers. 10, 11. The weakness of persecutors.

Attention is drawn to the fact, which has received frequent illustration through the martyr-ages, that men only resort to persecuting tactics when they become conscious of their moral helplessness and theological inefficiency. The persecutor is like the swearer; No man ever needs to curse if his word is known to he truthful. No man ever needs to persecute if he has the right on his side, and faith in those moral forces which ever uphold the right. As the line of thought is directly based on the incident as narrated in the verses, a brief outline will suffice. We find these advocates of strict Judaism

I DEFEATED IN ARGUMENT. (Ver. 10.) Observe that, in Stephen, there was not merely controversial skill, adequate knowledge, and a good theme; there was a spiritual power which made him irresistible. Perhaps nothing rouses anger more readily than defeat in discussion. Few men can retain self-control at such times. And the permanent value of religious public disputations may be very seriously questioned. Happily the tone of religious controversy in our times is greatly improved.

II APPEALING TO PHYSICAL FORCE. Always a sign of weakness. Sadly illustrated in Calvin and Servetus, and similar cases of condescending to use the power of the magistrate in purely intellectual and moral disputes. Properly, the public magistrate has only to do with the breaking of the social order, but it has always been found easy to fashion charges cognizable by the magistrate when the real purpose has been to silence a triumphant intellectual or religious foe. Truth-lovers never need ask aid from the world"s coarse government weapons. Magna est veritas, et prevalebit.

III MAKING ALLIANCE WITH LIARS. Suborning bad men and prompting false witnesses. So did the prejudiced Sanhedrim in dealing with our Lord. Honorable men descending to the lowest depths to carry out their malicious schemes. Their spirit and conduct are fully shown up by the company they keep. Loyalty to the right and to God cannot endure fellowship with false witnesses.

IV TRUSTING TO POPULAR EXCITEMENT. "They stirred up the people." The fickleness of the populace is proverbial. Their susceptibility to excitement makes them the easy tool of the demagogue. And Jewish crowds were remarkable for their sudden impulses. Theudas and Judas and Barchocheha played their purposes on this tightly strung string. When Stephen"s enemies had no fair charge to urge against him before the courts, their only hope of accomplishment for their malicious purposes lay in the violence of a popular uprising. Their utter weakness and their shameful badness are revealed in their schemes. Seeming to succeed, they really failed more utterly than with their arguments. They could kill the body, but what more could they do? They could not fly after the winged words which, like seeds, had found their lodgment in the minds and hearts of Barnabas and Saul, and would surely spring up and bear blossom and fruitage to the dismay of all Stephen"s enemies. Let the persecutor do his weak and foolish work, for "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. “And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke.” Oh! what a contrast we here have between the wisdom, intellect, learning and resources of the world and the wisdom of God! Here, with the greatest intellectualist and scholar the world could produce, surrounded by a platoon of preachers, one humble, uncultured layman proves more than a match for them all; as the Holy Ghost says they were “unable to resist the wisdom and spirit with which Stephen spoke.” See the whole crowd with their mighty leader, Saul of Tarsus, put in total eclipse and literally snowed under by a solitary layman. Therefore, to their ineffaceable shame, they resort to bribery, raising up false witnesses that they may bring an accusation against him. Stephen preached the perfect sufficiency of Jesus, His vicarious atonement and cleansing blood, received and appropriated by the Holy Ghost, of course relegating the types and shadows of the Mosaic dispensation to bygone years, no longer significant because superseded and verified by the great Antitype. This they construed as inveighing against the law of Moses. This notable history has a thousand parallels at the present day. We can not preach the perfect sufficiency of Jesus only and the omnipotence of the present Holy Ghost in full salvation and the perfect sufficiency of God’s Word, doctrinally, institutionally, legally and every other way, without at least indirectly reflecting on the human institutions and bogus legislation of fallen ecclesiasticisms. Then they cry out that we are inveighing against the church, whereas we are defending the church of God with all our might, precisely as Stephen did, when they charged him with disloyalty to the church and killed him for it. He was the first martyr, leading the way and showing the people how to die for the truth. Two hundred millions have followed in his bloody track, like Stephen, dying under charges of disloyalty to what carnal preachers call the church, as they did in case of Stephen. If they had the co-operation of the secular arm these defenders of what they call the church would kill us this day, as they did Stephen and the mighty host of his successors. Beware of the clamor of church loyalty! That is the very shibboleth that piled the rocks on Stephen, fed the martyrs to the lions and burnt them at the stake. It is impossible to be loyal to God and disloyal to His church. When they talk to you about loyalty to God, open your Bible and shout Amen! When they talk to you about loyalty to the church, look out! that is the old hackneyed cry of persecution, from Stephen down to the present day.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See notes on verse 9

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10. They were not able to resist. They attempted to argue, but were silenced.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

Connecting Statement:

The background information that began in Acts 6:8 continues through verse 10.

General Information:

Here the word "We" refers only to the men they persuaded to lie. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive "We")

General Information:

The word "they" refers back to the people from the synagogue of the freemen in Acts 6:9.

not able to stand against

This phrase means they could not prove false what he said. AT: "could not argue against" (See: Idiom)

Spirit

this refers to the Holy Spirit

some men to say

They were given money to give false testimony. AT: "some men to lie and say" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

blasphemous words against

"bad things about"

translationWords

wise

Holy Spirit

Stephen

blasphemy

Moses

God

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

10. ἀντιστῆναι, to resist. The very word used in Christ’s promise (Luk 21:15), οὐ δυνήσονται … ἀντιστῆναι ἅπαντες ἀντικείμενοι ὑμῖν.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They were not able [ουκ ισχυον] . See on Luk 14:30; Luk 16:3.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.