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Acts 6:1-7:2
New English Translation

The Appointment of the First Seven Deacons

6 Now in those[a] days, when the disciples were growing in number,[b] a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews[c] against the native Hebraic Jews,[d] because their widows[e] were being overlooked[f] in the daily distribution of food.[g] 2 So the twelve[h] called[i] the whole group[j] of the disciples together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables.[k] 3 But carefully select from among you, brothers,[l] seven[m] men who are well-attested,[n] full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge[o] of this necessary task.[p] 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 The[q] proposal pleased the entire group, so[r] they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, with[s] Philip,[t] Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Gentile convert to Judaism[u] from Antioch. 6 They stood these men before the apostles, who prayed[v] and placed[w] their hands on them. 7 The word of God continued to spread,[x] the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly, and a large group[y] of priests became obedient to the faith.

Stephen is Arrested

8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and miraculous signs[z] among the people. 9 But some men from the Synagogue[aa] of the Freedmen (as it was called),[ab] both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, as well as some from Cilicia and the province of Asia,[ac] stood up and argued with Stephen. 10 Yet[ad] they were not able to resist[ae] the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. 11 Then they secretly instigated[af] some men to say, “We have heard this man[ag] speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 They incited the people, the[ah] elders, and the experts in the law;[ai] then they approached Stephen,[aj] seized him, and brought him before the council.[ak] 13 They brought forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop saying things against this holy place[al] and the law.[am] 14 For we have heard him saying that Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and change the customs[an] that Moses handed down to us.” 15 All[ao] who were sitting in the council[ap] looked intently at Stephen[aq] and saw his face was like the face of an angel.[ar]

Stephen’s Defense Before the Council

7 Then the high priest said, “Are these things true?”[as] 2 So he replied,[at] “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather[au] Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,

Footnotes

  1. Acts 6:1 tn Grk “these.” The translation uses “those” for stylistic reasons.
  2. Acts 6:1 tn Grk “were multiplying.”
  3. Acts 6:1 tn Grk “the Hellenists,” but this descriptive term is largely unknown to the modern English reader. The translation “Greek-speaking Jews” attempts to convey something of who these were, but it was more than a matter of language spoken; it involved a degree of adoption of Greek culture as well.sn The Greek-speaking Jews were the Hellenists, Jews who to a greater or lesser extent had adopted Greek thought, customs, and lifestyle, as well as the Greek language. The city of Alexandria in Egypt was a focal point for them, but they were scattered throughout the Roman Empire.
  4. Acts 6:1 tn Grk “against the Hebrews,” but as with “Hellenists” this needs further explanation for the modern reader.
  5. Acts 6:1 sn The care of widows is a major biblical theme: Deut 10:18; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19-21; 26:12-13; 27:19; Isa 1:17-23; Jer 7:6; Mal 3:5.
  6. Acts 6:1 tn Or “neglected.”
  7. Acts 6:1 tn Grk “in the daily serving.”sn The daily distribution of food. The early church saw it as a responsibility to meet the basic needs of people in their group.
  8. Acts 6:2 sn The twelve refers to the twelve apostles.
  9. Acts 6:2 tn Grk “calling the whole group…together, said.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενοι (proskalesamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  10. Acts 6:2 tn Or “the multitude.”
  11. Acts 6:2 tn Grk “to serve tables.”
  12. Acts 6:3 tn It is not clear from a historical standpoint (but it is unlikely) that women would have been involved in the selection process too. For this reason the translation “brothers” has been retained, rather than “brothers and sisters” (used in contexts where both male and female believers are clearly addressed).
  13. Acts 6:3 sn Seven. Jewish town councils often had seven members (Josephus, Ant. 4.18.14 [4.214]).
  14. Acts 6:3 tn Or “are of good reputation” (BDAG 618 s.v. μαρτυρέω 2.b).
  15. Acts 6:3 tn The translation “put in charge” is given by BDAG 492 s.v. καθίστημι 2.
  16. Acts 6:3 tn Grk “of this need”; translated “necessary work” or “needed task” by L&N 42.22.
  17. Acts 6:5 tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  18. Acts 6:5 tn The translation “so” has been used to indicate the logical sequence in English.
  19. Acts 6:5 tn “With” is smoother English style for an addition like this. Because of differences between Greek and English style, καί (kai), which occurs between each name in the list, has not been translated except preceding the last element.
  20. Acts 6:5 sn Philip. Note how many of the names in this list are Greek. This suggests that Hellenists were chosen to solve the problem they had been so sensitive about fixing (cf. 6:1).
  21. Acts 6:5 tn Or “a proselyte.”
  22. Acts 6:6 tn Literally this is a participle in the Greek text (προσευξάμενοι, proseuxamenoi). It could be translated as a finite verb (“and they prayed and placed their hands on them”) but much smoother English results if the entire coordinate clause is converted to a relative clause that refers back to the apostles.sn Who prayed. The prayer indicates their acceptance and commissioning for ministry (cf. Deut 34:9).
  23. Acts 6:6 tn Or “laid.”
  24. Acts 6:7 tn Grk “kept on spreading”; the verb has been translated as a progressive imperfect.
  25. Acts 6:7 tn Grk “a great multitude.”sn A large group. Many Jews, even some religious leaders, were responding.
  26. Acts 6:8 tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context. Here the work of miracles extends beyond the Twelve for the first time.
  27. Acts 6:9 sn A synagogue was a place for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though the origin of the synagogue is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the postexilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present (see the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2).
  28. Acts 6:9 tn Grk “the so-called Synagogue of the Freedmen.” The translation of the participle λεγομένης (legomenēs) by the phrase “as it was called” is given by L&N 87.86. “Freedmen” would be slaves who had gained their freedom, or the descendants of such people (BDAG 594-95 s.v. Λιβερτῖνος).
  29. Acts 6:9 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia. The Roman province of Asia made up about one-third of modern Asia Minor and was on the western side of it. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
  30. Acts 6:10 tn Grk “and.” The context, however, indicates that the conjunction carries an adversative force.
  31. Acts 6:10 sn They were not able to resist. This represents another fulfillment of Luke 12:11-12; 21:15.
  32. Acts 6:11 tn Another translation would be “they suborned” (but this term is not in common usage). “Instigate (secretly), suborn” is given by BDAG 1036 s.v. ὑποβάλλω.
  33. Acts 6:11 tn Grk “heard him,” but since this is direct discourse, it is more natural (and clearer) to specify the referent (Stephen) as “this man.”
  34. Acts 6:12 tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
  35. Acts 6:12 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 4:5.
  36. Acts 6:12 tn Grk “approaching, they seized him”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  37. Acts 6:12 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews). Stephen suffers just as Peter and John did.
  38. Acts 6:13 sn This holy place is a reference to the temple.
  39. Acts 6:13 sn The law refers to the law of Moses. It elaborates the nature of the blasphemy in v. 11. To speak against God’s law in Torah was to blaspheme God (Deut 28:15-19). On the Jewish view of false witnesses, see Exod 19:16-18; 20:16; m. Sanhedrin 3.6; 5.1-5. Stephen’s speech in Acts 7 may indicate why the temple was mentioned.
  40. Acts 6:14 tn Or “practices.”sn Will destroy this place and change the customs. Stephen appears to view the temple as a less central place in light of Christ’s work, an important challenge to Jewish religion, since it was at this time a temple-centered state and religion. Unlike Acts 3-4, the issue here is more than Jesus and his resurrection. Now the impact of his resurrection and the temple’s centrality has also become an issue. The “falseness” of the charge may not be that the witnesses were lying, but that they falsely read the truth of Stephen’s remarks.
  41. Acts 6:15 tn Grk “And all.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  42. Acts 6:15 tn Or “Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
  43. Acts 6:15 tn Grk “at him”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  44. Acts 6:15 sn His face was like the face of an angel. This narrative description of Stephen’s face adds to the mood of the passage. He had the appearance of a supernatural, heavenly messenger.
  45. Acts 7:1 tn Grk “If it is so concerning these things” (see BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.a for this use).
  46. Acts 7:2 tn Grk “said.”
  47. Acts 7:2 tn Or “ancestor”; Grk “father.”
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Acts 7:44-60
New English Translation

44 Our ancestors[a] had the tabernacle[b] of testimony in the wilderness,[c] just as God[d] who spoke to Moses ordered him[e] to make it according to the design he had seen. 45 Our[f] ancestors[g] received possession of it and brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors,[h] until the time[i] of David. 46 He[j] found favor[k] with[l] God and asked that he could[m] find a dwelling place[n] for the house[o] of Jacob. 47 But Solomon built a house[p] for him. 48 Yet the Most High[q] does not live in houses made by human hands,[r] as the prophet says,

49 ‘Heaven is my throne,
and earth is the footstool for my feet.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is my resting place?[s]
50 Did my hand[t] not make all these things?’[u]

51 “You stubborn[v] people, with uncircumcised[w] hearts and ears![x] You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors[y] did! 52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors[z] not persecute?[aa] They[ab] killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One,[ac] whose betrayers and murderers you have now become![ad] 53 You[ae] received the law by decrees given by angels,[af] but you did not obey[ag] it.”

Stephen is Killed

54 When they heard these things, they became furious[ah] and ground their teeth[ai] at him. 55 But Stephen,[aj] full[ak] of the Holy Spirit, looked intently[al] toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing[am] at the right hand of God. 56 “Look!” he said.[an] “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 But they covered their ears,[ao] shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. 58 When[ap] they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him,[aq] and the witnesses laid their cloaks[ar] at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They[as] continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then he fell[at] to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!”[au] When[av] he had said this, he died.[aw]

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 7:44 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
  2. Acts 7:44 tn Or “tent.”sn The tabernacle was the tent used to house the ark of the covenant before the construction of Solomon’s temple. This is where God was believed to reside, yet the people were still unfaithful.
  3. Acts 7:44 tn Or “desert.”
  4. Acts 7:44 tn Grk “the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  5. Acts 7:44 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
  6. Acts 7:45 tn Grk “And.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  7. Acts 7:45 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
  8. Acts 7:45 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”sn Before our ancestors. Stephen has backtracked here to point out how faithful God had been before the constant move to idolatry just noted.
  9. Acts 7:45 tn Grk “In those days.”
  10. Acts 7:46 tn Grk “David, who” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.
  11. Acts 7:46 tn Or “grace.”
  12. Acts 7:46 tn Grk “before,” “in the presence of.”
  13. Acts 7:46 tn The words “that he could” are not in the Greek text, but are implied as the (understood) subject of the infinitive εὑρεῖν (heurein). This understands David’s request as asking that he might find the dwelling place. The other possibility would be to supply “that God” as the subject of the infinitive: “and asked that God find a dwelling place.” Unfortunately this problem is complicated by the extremely difficult problem with the Greek text in the following phrase (“house of Jacob” vs. “God of Jacob”).
  14. Acts 7:46 tn On this term see BDAG 929 s.v. σκήνωμα a (Ps 132:5).
  15. Acts 7:46 tc Some mss read θεῷ (theō, “God”) here, a variant much easier to understand in the context. The reading “God” is supported by א2 A C E Ψ 33 1739 M lat sy co. The more difficult οἴκῳ (oikō, “house”) is supported by P74 א* B D H 049. Thus the second reading is preferred both externally because of better ms evidence and internally because it is hard to see how a copyist finding the reading “God” would change it to “house,” while it is easy to see how (given the LXX of Ps 132:5) a copyist might assimilate the reading and change “house” to “God.” However, some scholars think the reading “house” is so difficult as to be unacceptable. Others (like Lachmann and Hort) resorted to conjectural emendation at this point. Others (Ropes) sought an answer in an underlying Aramaic expression. Not everyone thinks the reading “house” is too difficult to be accepted as original (see Lake and Cadbury). A. F. J. Klijn, “Stephen’s Speech—Acts vii.2-53, ” NTS 4 (1957): 25-31, compared the idea of a “house within the house of Israel” with the Manual of Discipline from Qumran, a possible parallel that seems to support the reading “house” as authentic. (For the more detailed discussion from which this note was derived, see TCGNT 308-9.)
  16. Acts 7:47 sn See 1 Kgs 8:1-21.
  17. Acts 7:48 sn The title the Most High points to God’s majesty (Heb 7:1; Luke 1:32, 35; Acts 16:7).
  18. Acts 7:48 sn The phrase made by human hands is negative in the NT: Mark 14:58; Acts 17:24; Eph 2:11; Heb 9:11, 24. It suggests “man-made” or “impermanent.” The rebuke is like parts of the Hebrew scripture where the rebuke is not of the temple, but for making too much of it (1 Kgs 8:27; Isa 57:15; 1 Chr 6:8; Jer 7:1-34).
  19. Acts 7:49 sn What kind…resting place? The rhetorical questions suggest mere human beings cannot build a house to contain God.
  20. Acts 7:50 tn Or “Did I.” The phrase “my hand” is ultimately a metaphor for God himself.
  21. Acts 7:50 tn The question in Greek introduced with οὐχί (ouchi) expects a positive reply.sn A quotation from Isa 66:1-2. If God made the heavens, how can a human building contain him?
  22. Acts 7:51 sn Traditionally, “stiff-necked people.” Now the critique begins in earnest.
  23. Acts 7:51 tn The term ἀπερίτμητοι (aperitmētoi, “uncircumcised”) is a NT hapax legomenon (occurs only once). See BDAG 101-2 s.v. ἀπερίτμητος and Isa 52:1.
  24. Acts 7:51 tn Or “You stubborn and obstinate people!” (The phrase “uncircumcised hearts and ears” is another figure for stubbornness.)
  25. Acts 7:51 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
  26. Acts 7:52 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
  27. Acts 7:52 sn Which…persecute. The rhetorical question suggests they persecuted them all.
  28. Acts 7:52 tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  29. Acts 7:52 sn The Righteous One is a reference to Jesus Christ.
  30. Acts 7:52 sn Whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. The harsh critique has OT precedent (1 Kgs 19:10-14; Neh 9:26; 2 Chr 36:16).
  31. Acts 7:53 tn Grk “whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, who received the law” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the pronoun “You” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.
  32. Acts 7:53 tn Traditionally, “as ordained by angels,” but εἰς (eis) with the accusative here should be understood as instrumental (a substitute for ἐν [en]); so BDAG 291 s.v. εἰς 9, BDF §206. Thus the phrase literally means “received the law by the decrees [orders] of angels” with the genitive understood as a subjective genitive, that is, the angels gave the decrees.sn Decrees given by angels. According to Jewish traditions in the first century, the law of Moses was mediated through angels. See also the note on “angel” in 7:35.
  33. Acts 7:53 tn The Greek word φυλάσσω (phulassō, traditionally translated “keep”) in this context connotes preservation of and devotion to an object as well as obedience.
  34. Acts 7:54 tn This verb, which also occurs in Acts 5:33, means “cut to the quick” or “deeply infuriated” (BDAG 235 s.v. διαπρίω).
  35. Acts 7:54 tn Or “they gnashed their teeth.” This idiom is a picture of violent rage (BDAG 184 s.v. βρύχω). See also Ps 35:16.
  36. Acts 7:55 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  37. Acts 7:55 tn Grk “being full,” but the participle ὑπάρχων (huparchōn) has not been translated since it would be redundant in English.
  38. Acts 7:55 tn Grk “looking intently toward heaven, saw.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  39. Acts 7:55 sn The picture of Jesus standing (rather than seated) probably indicates his rising to receive his child. By announcing his vision, Stephen thoroughly offended his audience, who believed no one could share God’s place in heaven. The phrase is a variation on Ps 110:1.
  40. Acts 7:56 tn Grk “And he said, ‘Look!’” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
  41. Acts 7:57 sn They covered their ears to avoid hearing what they considered to be blasphemy.
  42. Acts 7:58 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
  43. Acts 7:58 sn They began to stone him. The irony of the scene is that the people do exactly what the speech complains about in v. 52.
  44. Acts 7:58 tn Or “outer garments.”sn Laid their cloaks. The outer garment, or cloak, was taken off and laid aside to leave the arms free (in this case for throwing stones).
  45. Acts 7:59 tn Grk “And they.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
  46. Acts 7:60 tn Grk “Then falling to his knees he cried out.” The participle θείς (theis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  47. Acts 7:60 sn The remarks Lord Jesus, receive my spirit and Lord, do not hold this sin against them recall statements Jesus made on the cross (Luke 23:34, 46).
  48. Acts 7:60 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
  49. Acts 7:60 tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaō) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for the death of a believer.
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