force (literally or figuratively) · noun — genitive singular feminine
did
ἐποίειepoiei
G4160
to make or do (in a very wide application · verb — imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular
great
μεγάλαmegala
G3173
big (literally or figuratively · adjective — accusative plural neuter
wonders
τέραταterata
G5059
a prodigy or omen · noun — accusative plural neuter
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
miracles
σημεῖαsēmeia
G4592
an indication · noun — accusative plural neuter
among
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
people
λαῷ.¶laō
G2992
a people (in general · noun — dative singular masculine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Acts 4:29-30 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
Acts 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, an…
Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of Go…
Acts 6:10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
1 Timothy 3:13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ…
Acts 2:17-18 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall p…
Acts 6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
Acts 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this busi…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Acts 6:8–end
Stephen, no doubt was diligent and faithful in the discharge of his office as distributor of the church's charity, and laid out himself to put that affair in a good method, which he did to universal satisfaction; and though it appears here that he was a man of uncommon gifts, and fitted for a higher station, yet, being called to that office, he did not think it below him to do the duty of it. And, being faithful in a little, he was entrusted with more; and, though we do not find him propagating the gospel by preaching and baptizing, yet we find him here called out to very honourable services, and owned in them.
I. He proved the truth of the gospel, by working miracles in Christ's name, Act 6…
STEPHEN ARRAIGNED BEFORE THE SAMHEDRIM. (Act 6:8-15)
And Stephen, &c.--The foregoing narrative seems to be only an introduction to what follows.
full of faith--rather, "of grace," as the best manuscripts read.
Adam Clarke on Acts 6:8
Stephen, full of faith and power - Instead of πιϚεως, faith, χαριτος, grace, is the reading of ABD, several others, the Syriac of Erpen, the Coptic, Armenian, Vulgate, and some of the fathers. This reading Griesbach has admitted into the text. Some MSS. join both readings. Stephen was full of faith - gave unlimited credence to the promises of his Lord; he was full of grace - receiving the fulfillment of those promises, he enjoyed much of the unction of the Divine Spirit, and much of the favor of his God; and, in consequence, he was full of power, δυναμεως, of the Divine energy by which he was enabled to work great wonders and miracles among the people.
John Gill on Acts 6:8
And Stephen, full of faith and power,.... The historian proceeds to give a narrative of Stephen particularly, the first of the seven deacons; of his faith and miracles, of his elocution and wisdom, of his courage and intrepidity, of his constancy, and of his suffering martyrdom. He is said to be full of faith, as before, Acts 6:5 the Alexandrian copy, and four of Beza's copies read, "full of grace"; and so do the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions; the Ethiopic version reads, "full of the grace of God": he had an uncommon share of it; it was exceeding abundant in him; he had a sufficiency of it for the service and sufferings he was called to: and he was full of power to preach the Gospel, and…
The Church Fathers
Stephen, full of grace and strength, performed great wonders and signs among the people. But some from the synagogue, which was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, etc., arose. Stephen, in Greek, is called Crowned in Latin. He anticipated in his name the reality of being crowned, humbly stoned, but sublimely crowned. In Hebrew, it is interpreted as your norm. Whose? Namely, of the subsequent martyrs, of whom he was the first to suffer, setting the example of dying for Christ.
See how even among the seven one was preeminent, and won the first prize. For though the ordination was common to him and them, yet he drew upon himself greater grace. And observe, how he wrought no signs and wonders before this time, but only when he became publicly known; to show that grace alone is not sufficient, but there must be ordination also; so that there was a further access of the Spirit. For if they were full of the Spirit, it was of that which is from the Laver of Baptism.
With the common ordination of the seven having taken place, Stephen obtained the greater grace of choice for the one more suitable for selection. For he who before ordination did not perform marvels, when it was not evident what he was, and when by ordination he became known, then the charism bestowed at the ordination was also displayed, so that it might be made clear either that grace alone is not sufficient, but that a supplementation of grace by ordination is required, according to the difference in those who receive it from readiness.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Deacon — Anglicized form of the Greek word diaconos, meaning a “runner,” “messenger,” “servant.” For a long period a feeling of mutual jealousy had existed between the “Hebrews,” or Jews proper, who spoke the…
Miracle — An event in the external world brought about by the immediate agency or the simple volition of God, operating without the use of means capable of being discerned by the senses, and designed to…
Philip The Evangelist — is first mentioned in the account of the dispute between the Hebrew and Hellenistic disciples in Acts 6. He is one of the deacons appointed to superintend the daily distribution of food and alms, and…
Stephen — One of the seven deacons, who became a preacher of the gospel. He was the first Christian martyr. His personal character and history are recorded in Acts 6. “He fell asleep” with a prayer for his…
Miracles · Faith required in: Those who performed — Faith required in: Those who performed
Miracles Wrought Through Servants Of God · Stephen: Great miracles — Stephen: Great miracles
Stephen · Faith and power of — Faith and power of
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Acts 6:7-10
7. Furthermore, the word of God grew, and the number of the disciples increased greatly at Jerusalem, and a great company of the priests obeyed the faith. 8. And Stephen, full of faith and power, wrought wonders and great signs amongst the people. 9. But there arose certain of the synagogue, which was called the synagogue of the Libertines and Cyrenians, and of Alexandria, and of those which were of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen. 10. And they could not resist the wisdom and spirit wherewith he spake.
Luke setteth forth again the increasing of the Church, to the end he may the better declare the power of God and his grace in the continual going forward thereof. This w…
The Jewish leaders did to Stephen as they had done to Jesus (cp. Matt 26:3-4, 59-66): They got someone to lie about him, accused him of blasphemy, incited a riot, arrested him, and posted false charges against him.
