6:8
As well as describing how the church dealt with a practical issue, the previous section also served to introduce us to Stephen. He is described as “a man full of God’s grace and power”, and he “performed great wonders and signs among the people”. There are some cessationists who argue that the spiritual gifts were primarily given to authenticate the apostles. Now they did authenticate the apostles, that is true, but we have a clear example here that demonstrates that it was not only the apostles who performed miracles.
6:9,10
As with Jesus, and as with the apostles, the religious authorities reacted against Stephen because of his clear spiritual power. The opposition this time came primarily from the “Synagogue of the Freedmen”. There are debates about whether members of this synagogue were born Jews or were proselytes, in either case they were once slaves, but had obtained their freedom. Whoever they were, they argued with Stephen, but to no avail. Just as the wisdom of Jesus confounded the Pharisees and others on numerous occasions, so Stephen confounded his opponents.
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