01 — Foundations
The historical and ecclesial ground on which the witness of St. Stephen the Protomartyr stands: the Hellenist (Greek-speaking) Jews of Jerusalem and the early community of Acts 1–6 into which Stephen is appointed and within which the first conflict over the Temple and the mission to the nations breaks out. Almost everything securely known of Stephen lies within Acts 6–8; these files establish the world the text presupposes and what can be said of it.
Tradition: Pan-Orthodox (Protomartyr)
Before Stephen is named, Acts shows us the community he serves: a Spirit-filled Jerusalem church holding all things in common, growing rapidly, and already containing two groups divided by language and culture — the Aramaic-speaking “Hebrews” and the Greek-speaking “Hellenists” (Acts 6:1). It is from among the Hellenists that the Seven are drawn, and it is a Hellenist, Stephen, who first carries the gospel into open and fatal conflict with the Temple establishment. This section sets that foundation: who the Hellenists were and why their presence mattered, and the shape of the early Church of Acts 1–6 — Pentecost, the common life, the apostolic leadership, and the first growth — into which Stephen steps.
Files in This Section
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| The Hellenists of Jerusalem | The Greek-speaking Jews of the Diaspora resident in Jerusalem, their synagogues (Acts 6:9), and the “Hellenists / Hebrews” distinction of Acts 6:1; why the Hellenist wing of the first community became the cutting edge of the Temple-critique and the mission beyond Judaism; the scholarly debate over who the Hellenists were. |
| The Early Church in Acts | The community of Acts 1–6: Pentecost and the first preaching, the common life and the breaking of bread (Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–35), the apostolic leadership of Peter and the Twelve, and the rapid growth that produces the administrative need answered by the appointment of the Seven. |
See Also
- The Appointment of the Seven — the Seven drawn from the Hellenist community
- Signs and Disputation — Stephen’s conflict with the Hellenist synagogues
- The Historical Questions — how the Hellenist conflict is weighed historically
- Holy Scripture — the reading of Acts in the Orthodox tradition
References
- The Holy Bible — the Acts of the Apostles, esp. Acts 1–6, cited by chapter and verse.
- Simon, Marcel. St. Stephen and the Hellenists in the Primitive Church. London: Longmans, Green, 1958.
- Hengel, Martin. Between Jesus and Paul: Studies in the Earliest History of Christianity. Trans. John Bowden. London: SCM Press, 1983.
- Barrett, C. K. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles. Vol. 1. ICC. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1994.