Elder Devotional Acts 6:8-10

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

The Ministry of Stephen (8).

Stephen has already been described in Acts 6:5 as a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. And here in verse 8 he is described as being full of grace and power. Stephen operated in ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit and it was being displayed by wonders and signs among the people. This denotes the miraculous nature of the type of ministry that he was doing in the presence of the people and that he exhibited Christ like character (See Luke 2:40, 52).

Some “cessationist” argue that only the Apostles, in their apostolic authority performed miracles in ministry. Here we have a clear reference to one of those appointed to “serve tables” operating in the ministry of the miraculous.

What does the example of Stephen tell us about the source of effectual ministry?

The Opposition to Stephen (9).

Stephen’s ministry was seen as problematic by those referenced as belonging to the “synagogue of the Freedmen” who were from the various regions mentioned. These “Freedmen” would had been Hellenistic Jews who had their origins in the Dispersion but now were in Jerusalem. They were likely former slaves who had been freed and moved back to Jerusalem (Peterson). Archaeologists have found the dedicatory inscription from a “synagogue of the freedmen,” those descended from former Roman slaves (Keener).

The opposition does not appear to arise due to the miracles but because of the nature of what Stephen was speaking. Miracles are difficult to argue with but Stephen’s words appear to be the issue for the dispute.

Why does formal religion (Judaism) often have a problem with the transforming power of the gospel?

The Fortitude of Stephen (10).

Stephen who was full of wisdom and the Spirit had a fortitude that the Freemen couldn’t match or overcome. This is due to the source of power and wisdom that Stephen had that was contributing to his speech. The Freemen had to stir up slanderous accusations to combat Stephen in the end. This is similar to how the religious leaders did in relation to Christ.

There are parallels in this account with that of Christ. Why do you think that Luke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wants his readers to know this information?