03 — The Disputation
No sooner is Stephen appointed than Acts shows him “full of grace and power,” doing great wonders and signs, and disputing with members of the Hellenist synagogues, who “could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking” (Acts 6:8–10). Unable to defeat him in argument, his opponents suborn false witnesses, stir up the people and the Sanhedrin, and seize him on the charge of blaspheming the Temple and the Law (Acts 6:11–14). These files follow that swift movement from wonder-working preacher to accused prisoner.
Tradition: Pan-Orthodox (Protomartyr)
The disputation is the hinge of Stephen’s story: it shows that the man appointed to serve tables is in fact a preacher and wonder-worker whose witness provokes the first lethal conflict between the new community and the Temple authorities. The charges laid against him — speaking against “this holy place and the law,” and saying that Jesus “will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us” (Acts 6:13–14) — set the agenda for the great speech that answers them. This section examines the signs and the disputation, and then the arrest, the suborned witnesses, and the precise wording of the charges.
Files in This Section
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| Signs and Disputation | Stephen “full of grace and power” working “great wonders and signs” (Acts 6:8); the disputation with the synagogue of the Freedmen, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those of Cilicia and Asia (Acts 6:9); their inability to withstand “the wisdom and the Spirit” (Acts 6:10); the patristic reading of the wonder-working deacon. |
| The Arrest and the Charges | The suborning of false witnesses (Acts 6:11); the stirring up of the people, elders, and scribes, and the seizure before the council (Acts 6:12); the charges of speaking against “this holy place and the law” and the saying about Jesus destroying the Temple and changing Moses’ customs (Acts 6:13–14); the face “like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15). |
See Also
- The Appointment of the Seven — Stephen at once shown to be more than a server
- The Great Speech — the answer Stephen gives to the charges
- The Temple and the Law — the substance of what is at stake in the charges
- Holy Scripture — the reading of Acts
References
- The Holy Bible — Acts 6:8–15. Cited by chapter and verse.
- John Chrysostom. Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles 15. Trans. in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series I, Vol. 11.
- Barrett, C. K. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles. Vol. 1. ICC. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1994.
- Fitzmyer, Joseph A. The Acts of the Apostles. Anchor Bible 31. New York: Doubleday, 1998.