Lesson 15: Stephen Brought to the Council
In this lesson we would like to cover the rest of Chapter 6 of Acts. This section has to do with Stephen, one of the seven deacons of the Jerusalem church appointed in the first of this chapter. Let's read v. 8;
And Stephen, foil of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
This verse might be paraphrased by saying, Stephen was a great teacher and he did miracles. Thus, we find Stephen is the first recorded, outside the apostles, to do wonders and miracles similar to what the apostles had done. When and how he received this power from the Holy Spirit, we are not told. Some will, no doubt, advocated it has to do with the last part of v. 6 above. It could have. But it does not say that in v. 6. Let's read verses 9 -10.
Then 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. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
Try to get the picture here! Stephen was teaching and debating in a synagogue. This is the first time we have run across this word "synagogue" in the book of Acts. A synagogue was an institution of Jewish worship, a place of assembly. It is NOT mentioned in the Old Testament. I had apparently come into being during the Babylonian exile, when the Jews found themselves captives in a foreign land and no access to the temple in Jerusalem. After they were released from bondage and worship was restored in the temple, the institution called the synagogue, was also continued. Synagogues were found scattered in foreign lands, any place Jewish communities or settlements were located. It was a place of instruction, where children and adults could learn the Jewish law. It was a place for funerals and weddings and other social functions. Each synagogue usually had copies of the Old Testament books. That was before the days of printing, of course, and books (or scrolls) they had were handwritten copies. Books of that kind were very expensive, so a copy was maintained at the synagogue and not in their homes, as the Bible is usually found today. There had to be at least 10 adult, Jewish, male members to have a synagogue. The worship in the synagogue consisted of reading from the Law, i.e. the Old Testament, preaching and prayer. The synagogue leaders were usually some of the most informed Jews around. This was the sect of the Pharisees, they prided themselves on knowing and keeping the law to the letter. They were steeped in tradition and customs. Jesus told them.
Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. (Matthew 15:6)
There must have been many synagogues in and around Jerusalem. It was one of these synagogues, operated by the Grecian Jews (take note!!!) where Stephen was teaching and debating. It was most likely, his home synagogue, i.e. the place where he had assembled and worshiped in the Jews religion before he was converted to Christ. The word "Libertines" in the King James Version is translated "Freedmen" in some other translations. Those of this synagogue were apparently, former slaves, i.e. freed men. The Living Bible is a paraphrase, not a translation, but I would like to read v. 9 from it.
"But one day some of the men from the Jewish cult of the "The Freedmen" started an argument with him, and they were soon joined by Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria in Egypt, and the Turkish provinces of Cilicia and Asia." I trust you get the picture, Stephen was likely a foreign Jew by birth, this synagogue where Stephen was disputing was made up of similar people, knowledgeable foreign Jews, except of course, the were NOT converted to Christ, as Stephen was. Naturally, Stephen was trying to teach them and convert them. That's what all the disputing was about. We have already read in v. 10, how Stephen was getting their goat. Have you notices how some people will go as far as they can on logic and then they get mad, when they start losing ground. They are not the good soil, th