Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 6]
but had come to the Jews from the Greek world).
6:6 {They laid their hands on them} (\epeth•kan autois tas
cheiras\). First aorist active indicative of \epitith•mi\.
Probably by the apostles who ratified the choice (verse 3). The
laying on of hands "was a symbol of the impartation of the gifts
and graces which they needed to qualify them for the office. It
was of the nature of a prayer that God would bestow the necessary
gifts, rather than a pledge that they were actually conferred"
(Hackett).
6:7 {Increased} (\•uxanen\). Imperfect active, kept on growing
all the more because the apostles were now relieved from the
daily ministration of the food. {Multiplied} (\epl•thuneto\).
Imperfect passive. The two imperfects kept pace with each other.
{Of the priests} (\t•n hier•n\). Who were usually Sadducees. It
was a sad day for Annas and Caiaphas and all the sect of the
Sadducees (5:17). {Were obedient to} (\hup•kouon\). Imperfect
active of \hupakou•\, repetition, one after another. {The faith}
(\t•i pistei\). Here meaning the gospel, the faith system as in
Ro 1:5; Ga 1:23; Jude 1:3, etc. Here the word means more than
individual trust in Christ.
6:8 {Wrought} (\epoiei\). Imperfect active, repeatedly wrought.
Evidently a man like Stephen would not confine his "ministry" to
"serving tables." He was called in verse 5 "full of faith and
the Holy Spirit." Here he is termed "full of grace (so the best
MSS., not faith) and power." The four words give a picture of
remarkable attractiveness. The grace of God gave him the power
and so "he kept on doing great wonders and signs among the
people." He was a sudden whirlwind of power in the very realm of
Peter and John and the rest.
6:9 {The synagogue of the Libertines} (\ek t•s sunag•g•s t•s
legomen•s Libertin•n\). The Libertines (Latin _libertinus_, a
freedman or the son of a freedman) were Jews, once slaves of Rome
(perhaps descendants of the Jews taken to Rome as captives by
Pompey), now set free and settled in Jerusalem and numerous
enough to have a synagogue of their own. Schuerer calls a
Talmudic myth the statement that there were 480 synagogues in
Jerusalem. There were many, no doubt, but how many no one knows.
These places of worship and study were in all the cities of the
later times where there were Jews enough to maintain one.
Apparently Luke here speaks of five such synagogues in Jerusalem
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