9 And there arose up certain of those of the synagogue called of freedmen, and of Cyrenians, and of Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen.
And having read [it], and asked of what eparchy he was, and learned that [he was] of Cilicia,
*I* am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to [the] exactness of the law of [our] fathers, being zealous for God, as *ye* are all this day;
having by their hand written [thus]: The apostles, and the elders, and the brethren, to the brethren who are from among [the] nations at Antioch, and [in] Syria and Cilicia, greeting:
And as they went forth they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to go [with them] that he might bear his cross.
And when the seven days were nearly completed, the Jews from Asia, having seen him in the temple, set all the crowd in a tumult, and laid hands upon him,
And this took place for two years, so that all that inhabited Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
And having passed through Phrygia and the Galatian country, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia,
Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and those who inhabit Mesopotamia, and Judaea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, both Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya which adjoin Cyrene, and the Romans sojourning [here], both Jews and proselytes,
But *ye*, take heed to yourselves, for they shall deliver you up to sanhedrims and to synagogues: ye shall be beaten and brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them;
But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to sanhedrims, and scourge you in their synagogues;
Where [is the] wise? where scribe? where disputer of this world? has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
And having sailed over the waters of Cilicia and Pamphylia we came to Myra in Lycia: and there the centurion having found a ship of Alexandria sailing to Italy, he made us go on board her.
And *I* said, Lord, they themselves know that *I* was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those that believe on thee;
But Paul said, *I* am a Jew of Tarsus, citizen of no insignificant city of Cilicia, and I beseech of thee, allow me to speak to the people.
He reasoned therefore in the synagogue with the Jews, and those who worshipped, and in the market-place every day with those he met with. But some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers attacked him. And some said, What would this chatterer say? and some, He seems to be an announcer of foreign demons, because he announced the glad tidings of Jesus and the resurrection [to them].
But the Jews, seeing the crowds, were filled with envy, and contradicted the things said by Paul, [contradicting and] speaking injuriously.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Acts 6
Commentary on Acts 6 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 6
In this chapter we have,
Act 6:1-7
Having seen the church's struggles with her enemies, and triumphed with her in her victories, we now come to take a view of the administration of her affairs at home; and here we have,
Act 6:8-15
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.