Chapters 4-6
Wherever and whenever Christ is exalted, and the blessing of God is found, the enemy of our souls (Satan) will be there seeking to thwart and nullify it. In the next three chapters, we see this. The Spirit of God leads Luke to record a number of different attacks of the enemy against the newly established Christian testimony. The purpose of this is to show that while the Church would surely be under attack from this wily foe, God is greater than any force of evil, and can defeat every such ruse. The Apostle John tells us that it is because “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). It confirms what the Lord said to Peter: “Upon this Rock I will build My Church; and the gates of Hell [Hades] shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18).
Since Satan is still assaulting the Church with the same intent to crush its testimony, these chapters serve as a divine lesson book wherein we are instructed as to how Satan attacks, so that we would not be “ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). These chapters also show us our resources at such times, which if relied upon, can defeat the designs of the enemy.
Peter and John’s Arrest
Chapter 4:1-4—Peter and John’s testimony to the people in the temple was suddenly interrupted by “the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees.” These were the official heads of the nation. Being of the sect of the Sadducees which did not believe in resurrection (Matt. 22:23; Acts 23:8), these leaders were incensed at them preaching “Jesus” and “the resurrection from the dead” (vs. 2). They apprehended the two apostles and held them in custody until the next day.
Luke inserts into the narrative the fact that in spite of there being a great resistance from the leaders to their witness for Christ, many “believed.” He tells us that the number of believers at that time had grown from “about three thousand” (chap. 2:41) to “about five thousand” (chap. 4:4). Such is the working of God’s sovereign election of grace—no man or devil can frustrate His purpose to save souls (chap. 13:48).
The Tactic of Intimidation
Chap. 4:5-12—“Annas the high priest” and his son-in-law “Caiaphas,” who were joint high priests (Luke 3:2; John 18:13), with the other leaders of the nation, took up the matter the next day. They interrogated Peter and John, demanding of them an explanation as to “by what power” and “by what name” the healing of the lame man had been done. This led Peter to bear witness of “Jesus Christ of Nazareth”—the One whom they had rejected and crucified. He gives no uncertain word as to their guilt in the matter. This took incredible courage, for to speak in such a forthright manner was to take his life in his hands. These leaders were the very ones who had condemned the Lord to death—and they could easily do the same to them! But that didn’t stop Peter and John from speaking the truth.
Not only did Peter lay his finger on their guilt, but he also held out hope to them. There was mercy for the nation in spite of all that had happened. God was offering salvation in the very name of Him whom they rejected—Jesus of Nazareth. Peter says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (vs. 12).
Vss. 13-22—The Sanhedrin (council) had no immediate response to Peter and John’s testimony. L. M. Grant said, “The council was virtually struck dumb. Not even the high priest had a response. They knew that these men were uneducated common laborers and marvelled at their knowledge and boldness; but were reminded that they had before companied with Jesus. The healed man standing with them was a witness they could not ignore. They were totally at a loss as to how to answer Peter and John, so they asked them to leave the room while the council conferred together” (Comments on the Book of the Acts, p. 26). The leaders knew that they couldn’t at that time do anything punitive to the apostles for fear of being hated and even “stoned” by the people (chap. 5:26). So, they decided to use intimidation and “threatened” them. They charged Peter and John with their ultimatum to cease and desist immediately from speaking to the people in the Lord’s name (vss. 17-18). However, Peter and John were not the least bit intimidated with such a demand and told the leaders that it was incumbent upon them to speak what God had shown them (vss. 19-20). Having further threatened them, “they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them” (vs. 21).
An Assembly Prayer Meeting
Chap. 4:23-31—“Being let go, they went to their own company” and rehearsed all that had happened to them. It’s beautiful to see that there was the fellowship of saints to which they could resort for comfort, encouragement, and moral support in such times. This fellowship was something that is separate and distinct from the world, both in its secular and religious aspects (2 Cor. 6:14-18).
Having informed their brethren of this opposition from the religious leaders, they turned to their two great resources—prayer and the Word of God. These are still the Church’s two great resources. They found comfort in the Word from Psalm 2. What they had experienced was not a fulfilment of that psalm; the fulfilment of it will take place in a coming day when the godless heathen of this world will “rage” against “the Lord” and dispute His rights to the inheritance. They saw a correlation in that which they were experiencing and in the things mentioned in the psalm, because both were an outrage against “the Lord, and against His Christ” (vss. 25-26). The rulers in Israel were already showing that character of animosity which will be fully developed in a coming day.
It is of note that they did not pray for the persecution to cease. This shows that they understood that suffering for the Lord’s name is normal to Christianity, and hence, it should be expected. The Lord had forewarned the disciples of this, so it was no surprise to them (John 15:18-21; 16:1-3). It’s beautiful to see that rather than focusing on what would be best for themselves, they were concerned about what would be best for the public honour of the Lord Jesus. It is clear that they had the interests of Christ before them, first and foremost. The fervency of their prayer was deepened by the persecution they experienced (vss. 27-28). They did ask for increased “boldness” so they might speak the “Word,” and that the miraculous “signs and wonders” would continue so that a testimony would be rendered to all of His “holy Servant Jesus” (vss. 29-30). God answered their prayer by shaking the place “where they were assembled together,” and they were “all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God with boldness” (vs. 31).
Thus, the enemy was defeated through the comfort and encouragement the apostles received from the Word of God. They took courage from it and pressed onward in their testimony of the Lord. This was the first taste of persecution that the infant Church would experience—and it would not be its last!
The Unity of the Spirit
Chap. 4:32-37—The latter verses of chapter 4 are a separate paragraph, giving us a picture of the general state of things among the saints in those early days. It was a happy scene indeed where “the unity of the Spirit” was kept in “the uniting bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). They were “of one heart and of one soul,” and none considered the things which he possessed his own, for “they had all things common” (vs. 32). The unity of the Spirit is a practical unity wherein the saints put into practice what is true in fact—that “there is one body” (Eph. 4:4). It is not to be confused with the union of the members of the body to the Head (1 Cor. 12:12-13), which is something that God alone keeps intact, and that eternally, through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Thus, we are called to “keep” the unity of the Spirit, but not the union of the body and the Head.
What we see in these verses is quite remarkable. These dear believers were putting into practice truth which they did not know yet, simply by being filled with the Holy Spirit! Moreover, the apostles were given “great power” to do miracles, etc., and there was “great grace” upon them all (vs. 33). They shared their possessions mutually and were happy to do so. Those who had “lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold and laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.” As a result, no one lacked anything (vss. 34-35). Luke points to Barnabas as an example of the self-sacrifice that went on in those days. He sold a piece of property which he had in Cyprus and gave the money to the apostles (vss. 36-37).
It was a scene of love, self-sacrifice, and unity; and it was all a direct result of the saints being filled with the Holy Spirit. But sadly, it wouldn’t last long. The very next chapter shows that this happy scene was rudely interrupted by a manifestation of the flesh in their midst. In fact, this is the last time that it says that “all” the saints in the Church were “filled with the Holy Spirit.” Hereafter, we will read of individuals (chaps. 6:5; 7:55; 9:17; 13:9) and groups of individuals being filled with the Spirit (chap. 13:52), but not of all the members of the body of Christ.
Corruption Within the Christian Ranks
The apostles’ refusal to be intimidated and their persistence to witness of the Lord Jesus and His resurrection brought forth a change of tactics from the enemy. In the previous chapter, the apostles experienced persecution from without. Now in the 5th chapter, the enemy takes a different line of attack, working within the Christian ranks to stir up trouble through the flesh in certain of the saints. The tactic here was to get the saints to dishonour the Lord’s name with which they were identified, and thereby to discredit their testimony of Him. In both cases, the enemy’s tactics were defeated, but in an entirely different way.
In chapter 4:32-37, we have seen the unity of the Spirit kept, but now in chapter 5 we see that unity broken. This was the first time that it happened in the Church’s history—but it wouldn’t be the last! J. N. Darby was asked in a meeting, “When was the unity of the Spirit interrupted for the first time?” He answered, “Ananias and Saphira were the first to interrupt it (Acts 5). After that, you find the Hellenists murmuring against the Hebrews (Acts 6)” (Notes at Croydon, Sept. 1881).
Up to this time, every believer in the body of Christ had been filled with the Holy Spirit, but it’s clear from this chapter that such was no longer the case. There were at least two who were not, and this led to a manifestation of sin in their midst. It interrupted that happy scene of love and fellowship.
The First Act of Discipline in the Church
Chap. 5:1-10—This moved the Lord to act for His own glory, for holiness becomes God’s house (Psa. 93:5). Falsehood could not pass unjudged. The Head of the Church called for a governmental judgment to be exercised administratively through the Apostle Peter. Peter had been given the keys of the kingdom, and thus, he had authority to bind and loose judgments, if need be (Matt. 16:19). (This is an example of the coalescing of governmental and administrative judgment. Compare James 5:14-15 for the coalescing of governmental and administrative forgiveness.)
The chapter begins with a pivotal “But,” and with it, the whole scene changes. “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife also, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, his wife being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” The instruments the enemy used in this disturbance were “Ananias” and “Sapphira”—two believers who had not judged themselves in the presence of the Lord. This is something we all need to do regularly, without which we are sure to fail in the Christian path (1 Cor. 11:28-31). The exercise of self-judgment is illustrated typically in Israel’s frequent trips to Gilgal in their conquest of Canaan. Gilgal was where they cut off the flesh by circumcising themselves (Josh. 5). When they neglected to go to Gilgal and revisit that exercise (in spirit), they had no strength to stand before their enemies, and were thus defeated (Josh. 7). But when they did go to Gilgal, they were victorious over their enemies (Josh. 10:7-15, 43).
Ananias and Sapphira’s failure to judge themselves opened the door for the flesh to lift up its ugly head in their lives. Their sins were threefold:
Spiritual pretention (hypocrisy).
Covetousness.
Lying.
As to spiritual pretention, they, like Barnabas, had a piece of property and sold it. But unlike Barnabas, they agreed to lay only part of the money at the apostles’ feet, while pretending to have given the whole sum. To surrender one’s possessions was purely a voluntary thing among the saints; the apostles hadn’t asked anyone to do it. Barnabas was likely praised for his self-sacrifice and this may have caught the notice of Ananias and Sapphira, and it stirred up a desire in their hearts to have the adulation that Barnabas received. They evidently wanted to appear before their brethren as being more devoted than they really were. This was nothing but hypocrisy and the seeking of human glory.
As to covetousness, not wanting to share all that they had with their brethren was a manifestation of fleshly selfishness. They loved earthly things and didn’t want to part with them. This sin has plagued many a person. The first failure in Israel after entering the land of Canaan was covetousness (Josh. 7:21), and now the first failure in the Church was covetousness.
As to lying, they clearly lacked faith to believe that God would see their sin and expose it (Psa. 90:8; Prov. 15:3). It was a deception that they deliberately planned between them, with one difference; Ananias acted the lie (vss. 3-4), but Sapphira told the lie (vss. 8-9). Peter made it clear to Ananias that he had every right to keep the land; he didn’t have to sell it. Nor was he obligated to give the money to the apostles after selling the property. His sin was falsifying the amount for which it was sold—which was lying (vs. 4). If nothing else, we learn from this incident what God thinks of lying. The first man in the Church who lied dropped dead at the feet of the apostles! Ironically, this was the very place where Ananias should have laid the whole sum of the sale of their land. The incident also teaches us that to walk with God, as Christians profess to do, requires holiness in our lives. This was lacking with Ananias and Sapphira. Instead of being filled with the Spirit, Satan had “filled” their hearts “to lie to the Holy Spirit!”
The desire for human glory and money, and outright unbelief led to the downfall of Ananias and Sapphira. They died under the judgment of God that very day. This is another feature of the kingdom of the Messiah which was being offered to Israel at that time (Psa. 101:7-8). It was the first act of discipline in the Church. Their death under God’s hand does not mean that they lost their soul’s salvation, which is impossible (John 10:28-29). It was a governmental judgment, not an eternal judgment. Being genuine believers, their souls are safe in heaven with the Lord. As children of God, they still had their place in the family of God; He was still their Father (1 John 2:1). But they had dishonoured the Lord’s name, and thus forfeited their privilege to be His witnesses on earth. It was “a sin unto death,” and accordingly, Peter does not pray that they would be delivered from dying under God’s hand (1 John 5:16).
Governmental judgment has to do with God’s dealings with His people who willfully go astray (1 Cor. 11:32; 1 Peter 1:17; 3:12b; 4:17). The extent of His governmental actions pertain to their lives on earth only; it has nothing to do with their eternal destiny. Governmental judgment may be felt in a person’s life by God providentially allowing certain negative things to happen to him so that he reaps what he sows (Gal. 6:7-8). Since the Lord has all power in heaven and earth, and controls everything (Matt. 28:18), He is able to touch our lives in a thousand ways, if He chooses. For the believer, this kind of judgment is designed to arrest his attention and cause him to pass judgment on whatever it may be that the Lord is addressing in his life that is inconsistent with His holiness. The worst-case scenario in this kind of judgment is death (1 Cor. 11:30). This was the lot of Ananias and Sapphira.
The Candlestick Burns Brighter
Chap. 5:11-16—The immediate result of this governmental judgment was that “great fear came upon all the Church.” No one dared to entertain sin in their lives, even for a moment, out of respect for the holiness of God. This was felt among the saints in those days in a remarkable way. People outside the Church “heard” of it too, and it gave them a healthy respect for what God was doing through the apostles. Luke says, “Of the rest durst no man join himself to them.” Dishonest persons would think twice before joining themselves to them (vs. 13).
Thus, the enemy was defeated again in his attempt to thwart the Christian testimony. In fact, God, who knows how to bring good out of evil (Psa. 76:10), caused the candlestick of the Church to burn brighter than ever before! Instead of spoiling their testimony before the world, the incident strengthened it! Besides there being a general respect for Christians and Christianity, “signs and wonders” were done by the apostles that were “greater works” than those which the Lord Himself did in His earthly ministry. The Lord had told the apostles that this would happen after He ascended to the Father and sent the Spirit (John 14:12). Sick people were brought on beds into the streets of Jerusalem so that “the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them”—and they were all healed! (vs. 15) Moreover, people from the surrounding districts came in droves to be healed, and none were disappointed. “They were healed every one” (vs. 16). The result was that the Lord was glorified, and blessing went out in all directions.
The Leaders of the Nation Imprison the Apostles
Chap. 5:17-25—The leaders were incensed more than ever at this display of power and grace (vs. 17), and in desperation to stop the apostles from giving any further testimony, they laid their hands on them and “put them in the common prison” (vs. 18). Their plan was to remove the apostles from among the people so that they couldn’t testify to them. Incarceration has been used much by the enemy throughout Church history (Acts 5:18; 12:3-5; 16:23; 22:4, 19; 24:27; 2 Cor. 11:23, etc.). However, “the angel of the Lord” came by night and opened the prison doors and exhorted the apostles to go and “speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life” (vss. 19-20). When the leaders called for the apostles and found them gone from the prison, they were perplexed as to what had become of them—until a messenger informed them that they were in the temple “teaching the people” (vss. 21-25). Thus, the enemy’s designs to stop the apostles from testifying of the Lord were defeated again.
The Leaders of the Nation Plot to Kill the Apostles
Chap. 5:26-42—The apostles were then brought by the captain and the officers before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish council), and they were ordered again to cease and desist from filling Jerusalem with their doctrine (vss. 26-28). Strangely, the leaders accused them of bringing “this Man’s blood” upon the nation. In reality, they were the ones who had done that! They said to Pilate, “His blood be on us and our children,” and called for His death (Matt. 27:25). But now, they were trying to escape their guilt by trying to shift the blame onto the apostles. It is interesting that in commanding them not to speak, they would not even so much as use the name Jesus. They refer to Him only as a Man. A day is coming when all will be forced to confess that name (Phil. 2:11). They were clearly feeling their guilt, but were not owning it before God in repentance.
Peter and the apostles responded with: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (vs. 29). That is, a higher authority had enjoined them to testify of the Lord Jesus Christ and that they, therefore, should not disobey that command of God. The apostles took the opportunity to give a further word as to the facts concerning the nation’s guilt regarding the Lord’s death. In no uncertain terms, they stated the truth: “The God of our fathers has raised up Jesus, whom ye have slain, having hanged on a cross!” (vs. 30) Again, the apostles’ burden was that even though that great sin had been committed, God was still holding out blessing to the people through Him. He had placed the Lord Jesus at His right hand on high as “a Prince and a Saviour,” and as such, He was ready and willing to grant them “the forgiveness of sins” to them—even the sin of crucifying Him! Moreover, God would give “the Holy Spirit” to all who would “obey” His call (vss. 31-32). Such was God’s grace and mercy toward the guilty nation.
The result was that the leaders were “cut to the heart.” This means that their consciences were touched. How different they were from the people who believed on the day of Pentecost! They were “pricked in their heart” (chap. 2:37). This means that there was a work done in their hearts that went beyond their consciences being reached. The Spirit of God strives with all men, and therefore, all men are responsible to receive and believe the testimony that God gives of Himself—be it through creation or through the gospel of His grace. But true conversion requires more than having the conscience stirred, the Spirit of God must do a work in a person’s heart, quickening his soul. This inward striving of the Spirit was willfully resisted by these leaders, as Stephen confirms in chapter 7:51. Saul of Tarsus was also one who resisted the Spirit’s striving before the love and grace of God broke through and saved him (chap. 26:14).
Instead of allowing the Spirit of God to work in their hearts, the leaders resorted to violence and plot to “kill” the apostles! (vs. 33) In the following verses, Luke tells us how God defeated the designs of the enemy through the working of His providence. “Gamaliel,” an unbelieving Pharisee and doctor of the Law, stood up in the council and reminded his fellow councillors that, historically, whenever men rose up and tried to start some new sect among the people, it ran out of impetus and came to nothing, because it was not of God. He cited two examples—“Theudas” (vs. 36) and “Judas” (vs. 37). The Lord forewarned that such thieves and robbers would arise and lead away the unwary (John 10:1). Gamaliel, therefore, advised that since they “doubted” that this movement of the apostles would “grow” (vs. 24), they should give it some time and it would come to nothing, as the others did (vs. 38). He even spoke of the sovereign, overruling hand of God in the matter, stating: “If it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God” (vs. 39). Little did he know how right he was—they were fighting against God by resisting the testimony of the Holy Spirit through the apostles.
The leaders consented to Gamaliel’s advice, but before releasing the apostles, they couldn’t refrain from venting their anger and hatred, and beat them. They then gave them another ultimatum not to speak to the people about the Lord Jesus (vs. 40). The apostles left the council “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (vs. 41). Compare Matthew 5:11-12 and 1st Peter 4:14. They were not dissuaded in the least and continued “daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ” (vs. 42).
Thus, by the providence of God, the apostles were spared from being killed—but still, they did have to suffer for the Lord’s name’s sake by being beaten.
Discontent Within the Christian Company
Chap. 6:1-8—Having been defeated in every attack against the Church thus far, we might think that the enemy would have given up, but that was not the case. Our adversary is relentless. In this 6th chapter, he turns to work within the Christian company again. His plan this time was to divide the saints over a simple matter concerning temporal things. It is significant that the first two troubles in the Church involved money! The first had to do with taking money in (chap. 5) and the second had to do with doling money out (chap. 6). Satan knows that this is where people (even Christians) are vulnerable and concentrates his attacks there (1 Tim. 6:10). Voltaire said sarcastically: “When it comes to money, all men belong to the same religion!” The result of this disturbance was that “the unity of the Spirit” was broken again (Eph. 4:3). However, in the following verses, we see how God defeated this ploy of the enemy and healed the breach.
Stirred up by Satan, no doubt, there arose “a murmuring” (a complaint) among the Hellenist believers against the Hebrew believers regarding the distribution of funds to the widows (vs. 1). The Hellenists believed that their widows were being “neglected in the daily ministration” and cried out against the partiality. Both murmuring and partiality are decried by the Apostle Paul because they are a catalyst for trouble among brethren (Phil. 2:14; 1 Tim. 5:21).
The KJV says that those who complained were “Grecians.” This might lead us to think that they were Gentiles, but it should be translated “Hellenists.” Hellenists were Greek-speaking Jews who were born in other countries during the dispersion, whereas, the “Hebrews” were home-born Jews. There had been considerable jealousy between these two classes of Jews in their unconverted days, and it was only a matter of time before that rivalry would manifest itself in the assembly. Satan was aware of this and sought to use it to divide the saints and spoil their public testimony.
The problem was brought before the apostles who gave their advice (vs. 2). They realized that they shouldn’t leave spiritual matters of “prayer” and “the ministry of the Word” to handle temporal affairs in the Church. The apostles, therefore, gave directions to the brethren to “look out” for “seven men of honest report” who were “full of the Holy Ghost [Spirit] and wisdom,” and they would “appoint” them over “this business” (vss. 3-4). The pronouncement of the apostles “pleased the whole multitude” of brethren, and they “chose” seven men whom they thought would be best suited for that work and set them “before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them” (vss. 5-7). (Handling temporal things in the assembly falls into the category of a deacon’s work – 1 Timothy 3:8-13. In fact, the root word in the Greek for “serve,” in verse 2, is “minister” or “deacon.”)
It is noteworthy that in Scripture, assemblies are never told to choose and ordain their elders/overseers. This is because God has not given the powers of ordination to assemblies. In spite of this, the churches in Christendom universally choose and ordain their elders—but they have no real power from God to do it. In every case in Scripture they were chosen by an apostle, or by a delegate of an apostle and ordained by them (Acts. 14:23; Titus 1:5). Thus, elders were chosen for an assembly, but not by an assembly. The wisdom of God is seen in this: if an assembly were to choose its elders, it might be biased and inclined to pick men who would favour its preferences. This leads to the assembly having control over its leaders; and when there is not a clear understanding of Scriptural principles in assembly matters (which most in the assembly often don’t have), the assembly could easily take itself off track. Being an apostolic function, the assembly would be preserved from this danger. The apostles would choose men with the right moral and spiritual qualifications, and the assembly was to follow their lead and submit to them (1 Cor. 16:15-16; 1 Thess. 5:12-13; Heb. 13:17).
In the case of deacons, however, local assemblies are to choose them. This was the case here in Acts 6. (See also 2nd Corinthians 8:19.) Men were chosen by the assembly at Jerusalem to do the work of a deacon, but even though chosen, those men could not be officially appointed (ordained) to that office by the assembly, simply because the assembly doesn’t have that power. Only apostles could ordain deacons. We see the wisdom of God in having the saints choose these men. Who better would know those among their number who were faithful in handling finances, etc., than those in the local assembly who have seen the person’s track record—for a deacon must prove himself first before being chosen for that work? (1 Tim. 3:10)
Judging by the names of those chosen, all of them were Hellenists—except Nicolas, a Gentile proselyte (vs. 5). These were from the group that had complained! A spirit of grace evidently prevailed among the Hebrew believers, and they were content to yield to the Hellenists and let them have this place to do that work. They didn’t insist on having some from their number chosen, and didn’t complain when none were. Thus, the working of God’s grace in their hearts defused the dissension, and the whole thing was settled peacefully and to the glory of God. The adversary who was behind this discord was foiled again. Not only was the enemy defeated here, but his attack rebounded to greater blessing. “The Word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great number of the priests were obedient to the faith” (vs. 7). This step of faith on the part of the priests would have cost them dearly, for all who confessed that Jesus was the Christ (the Messiah) were “excommunicated” from the synagogue (John 9:22).
Stephen and Philip were exceptional in their work as deacons. They illustrate what Paul taught in 1st Timothy 3:13: “Those (deacons) who shall have ministered well obtain for themselves a good degree, and much boldness in [the] faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Having fulfilled their deacon ministry, they waxed bold in the ministry of the Word, and God used them mightily. Stephen notably, did many “great wonders and miracles” (vs. 8). He is the first believer to do such things, other than the apostles. He evidently had the gift of a teacher (chap. 7), and Philip was an evangelist (chap. 8:5-40; 21:8).
Disputing the Truth With Intellectual Arguments
Chap. 6:9-10—Unrelenting, the enemy came against the Church with another method of attack which he had not heretofore used—disputing the truth. The disciples used the Scriptures in their testimony (chaps. 2:25-28, 34-35; 3:22-23; 4:11, etc.), “proving” from them that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah (chaps. 9:22; 17:2-3). It is, in fact, what gave their message power (Rom. 10:17). The enemy (Satan) took note of this and sought to disprove the truth with clever intellectual arguments from the Scriptures. Luke says: “Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, of them of Cilicia, and of Asia, disputing with Stephen” (vs. 9). The “Libertines” were Jews who had been taken to Rome as slaves, but subsequently had been released. Their descendants had returned to the land of Israel and were part of the synagogue in Jerusalem. Likewise, the others mentioned here were also unbelieving Hellenists who had also settled in Jerusalem. Saul of Tarsus would have been among the number from “Cilicia”—Tarsus being a city in that province of Asia (Acts 22:3). He, perhaps, was among those who disputed with Stephen, for he was in Jerusalem at that time (chap. 7:58).
Expositors say that those in this synagogue were known for their learning, having men who loved to debate divine subjects. They would search the Scriptures daily (John 5:39), but they would not allow the Scriptures to search them (Psa. 139:23-24). As a result, they knew the letter of the Word, but not its true meaning. This had been hidden from them due to the governmental judgment of blindness that was laid over the mass of the people, which the Lord prayed for on the cross (Psa. 69:22-23). Satan used these poor benighted teachers of the Law to oppose the truth with clever arguments. Let us make no mistake, this wily foe is never more satanic than when he uses the Scriptures. He knows the Word of God and can misuse it to deceive the unwary (Matt. 4:6). This insidious line of attack has been Satan’s most effective tactic of all! Church history bears witness of this. Christendom is full of teachers who are putting forth erroneous teaching on every Biblical subject, whom the enemy is using to keep people from the truth. It is of paramount importance, therefore, that we be found well grounded in the doctrines of Scripture; it will “save” us from these satanic deceptions (1 Tim. 4:6, 16; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:15).
All the learning of the Rabbis was no match for a man filled with the Holy Spirit. “They were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he (Stephen) spoke” (vs. 10). It was not because he had superior argumentive skills, but that the power of the Spirit was operating in him, giving him the wisdom. Hence, this intellectual class of opposers of the truth were defeated by the wisdom of the Spirit of God. In the process, they exposed their own ignorance! Compare Matthew 22:15-46.
Making False Accusations
Chap. 6:11-15—Having his designs overthrown yet again, the enemy becomes more desperate than ever. He incites the men from the Hellenist synagogues, who couldn’t withstand Stephen’s wisdom, to band together and condemn him before the council (the Sanhedrin). They “suborned” (persuaded by corrupt means) certain unscrupulous individuals to accuse Stephen of blasphemy. They said: “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God” and he “ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the Law” (vss. 11-13). It was a fourfold indictment that was entirely baseless. It is evident that they were twisting Stephen’s words, as those who oppose the truth usually do (vs. 14). This is often the way with our adversary; if he can’t prevent the Lord’s servants from preaching and teaching the truth, he will try to blacken their character by slanderously presenting them as dubious fellows whom the public should avoid.
As Stephen stood on trial before the council, God bore a remarkable witness to His servant, causing his face to shine like Moses’ (Ex. 34:29; 1 Peter 4:14). All in the council “saw his face as it had been the face of an angel” (vs. 15).