Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 6]
eis M•us•n kai ton theon\). The punishment for blasphemy was
stoning to death. See Mt 12:31 for discussion of the word
\blasph•mia, blasph•me•, blasph•mos\, all in the N.T. from
\blapt•\, to harm, and \ph•m•\, speech, harmful speech, or
\blax\, stupid, and \ph•m•\. But the charge against Stephen was
untrue. Please note that Moses is here placed before God and
practically on a par with God in the matter of blasphemy. The
purpose of this charge is to stir the prejudices of the people in
the matter of Jewish rights and privileges. It is the Pharisees
who are conducting this attack on Stephen while the Sadducees had
led them against Peter and John. The position of Stephen is
critical in the extreme for the Sadducees will not help him as
Gamaliel did the apostles.
6:12 {They stirred up the people} (\sunekin•san ton laon\). They
shook the people together like an earthquake. First aorist active
indicative of \sunkine•\, to throw into commotion. Old verb, but
here only in the N.T. The elders and the scribes (Pharisees) are
reached, but no word about the Sadducees. This is the first
record of the hostility of the masses against the disciples
(Vincent). {Came upon him} (\epistantes\). Second aorist
(ingressive) active participle of \ephist•mi\. Rushed at him.
{Seized} (\sun•rpasan\). Effective aorist active of \sunarpaz•\
as if they caught him after pursuit.
6:13 {False witnesses} (\marturas pseudeis\). Just as Caiaphas
did with Jesus. {Ceaseth not} (\ou pauetai\). Wild charge just
like a false witness that Stephen talks in the synagogues against
the law and the holy temple.
6:14 {We have heard him say} (\ak•koamen autou legontos\). The
only direct testimony and evidently wrong. Curiously like the
charge brought against Jesus before Caiaphas that he would
destroy the temple and build it again in three days. Undoubtedly
Stephen had said something about Christianity before as meant for
others besides Jews. He had caught the spirit of Jesus about
worship as shown to the woman at Sychar in Joh 4 that God is
spirit and to be worshipped by men anywhere and everywhere
without having to come to the temple in Jerusalem. It was
inflammable material surely and it was easy to misrepresent and
hard to clear up. {This Jesus of Nazareth} (\I•sous ho Naz•raios
houtos\). With contempt.
6:15 {As if the face of an angel} (\h•sei pros•pon aggelou\).
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC6.RWP.html (5 of 6) [28/08/2004 09:06:30 a.m.]