Bibelkommentare

Acts 6:1. There arose a murmuring of the Grecians, &c.— Or, the Hellenists. There is not all the light which some have wished for concerning the distinction of the Jews into Hebrews and Hellenists; but the following appears the most probable account. The Jews who inhabited Judea, and those of the eastern dispersions, generally retained the Syro-Chaldaic, which in the New Testament is called the Hebrew language; but those of the western dispersions generally made use of the Greek, the language which then prevailed very generally. The former were called Hebrews, and the latter Hellenists, or Graecising Jews; and of this sort were most of the Roman, Grecian, and Egyptian Jews, as well as the "Proselytes of righteousness" of the western dispersions. After the time of Ezra, the scriptures, of the Old Testament were read to the Jews in their synagogues in their original Hebrew, and interpreted in Chaldee, because the common people had forgotten the original Hebrew by living so long in Chaldea. But the Jews who were planted at Alexandria in Egypt, seemed generally in process of time to have forgot both the Hebrew and the Chaldee; and by conversing so much in a Grecian city, to have fallen into the use of the Greek language. Hence a translation of the scriptures for the use of the common people became necessary; and part of the version which goes under the name of the Septuagint, was made by some of the learned men among the Jews there; and is thought to have been first made use of in that city instead of the Chaldee interpretation: for we are to observe, that the Jews did not any where, at that time, publicly read the scriptures in any other language than the Hebrew. Hence then it is probable, that these Jews were called Hellenists, because of their using the Hellenistick, or Greek language; and by that name theycame to be distinguished from the Hebrew Jews, who used only the Hebrew tongue. These different customs are said to have made a sort of schism between them; inallusion to which, St. Paul seems to have mentioned it among the Jews, that he was an Hebrew of the Hebrews, (see Philippians 3:5.) that is, a descendant of that sort of Jews who were most highly esteemed upon the account of their using the Hebrew language, 2 Corinthians 11:22. The Syriac version has rendered 'Ελληνιστων, by the Jews who understood, or spoke Greek. That these Hellenists were not all of them proselytes of righteousness, as some aver, seems indisputable from St. Luke's observation, Act 6:5 that Nicolas was a proselyte of Antioch. It may possibly be hence inferred, that some of the Hellenists were proselytes of righteousness. But as he alone, of all the seven deacons, is said to have been a proselyte, it is very unlikely that all the Hellenists were such; for it is highly probable that others of the seven deacons were Hellenists, as well as Nicolas; whereas, by saying that Nicolas was a proselyte, St. Luke seems to have intimated that all the other six deacons were Jews by birth, as well as religion, though some of them might be Hellenists, and others Hebrews.

While Satan's kingdom fell before the preaching of the gospel like lightning from heaven, and the number of the Christians increased exceedingly, the Hellenists, or Graecising Jewish Christians, complained of the Hebrew Christians; because, in the daily distribution of the charity; their widows, who were poor or sick, or burdened with the care of children, were either wholly neglected, or at least not made equal with the widows of the Hebrews. It is highly probable, that they esteemed the widows of the Graecists, agreeably to their prejudices, less worthy and honourable; and perhaps no land had been sold out of Palestine to raise or support the fund, but what Barnabas had sold in the island of Cyprus; and therefore they might think that the Hellenists had not an equal claim, as the Hebrews had been the chief contributors. The apostles, undoubtedly, acted a very faithful part in the distribution of money raised by the sale of lands. But they could not do all things. Perhaps they intrusted some who had been proprietors of the estates sold, who would naturally have some peculiar regard to the necessity of their neighbours, as being best acquainted with them. And if any suspicions arose, as to the sincerity of their character, and the reasonableness of their pretensions, these strangers would naturally be least capable of giving satisfaction.

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Acts 6:2. The multitude of the disciples— That is, the whole body of Christian converts; they being the persons to whom satisfaction was then due. And serve tables, is in the Greek δικκονειν τραπεζαις, to minister to, or take care of the tables, that is, of the poor;—to attend to the distribution of charitable gifts among them.

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Acts 6:3. Of honest report,— Of good credit. Heylin.

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Acts 6:5. And they chose Stephen,— Some have thought that Stephen was one of the seventy; but it seems a precarious conjecture. The, termination of most of these names makes it probable that they were Hellenists;—a supposition which agrees very well with the occasion of their election. Nicolas was not a Jew born, but a proselyte of Antioch, whom they were the more willing to fix in this office, as his peculiar relation to the Grecians would make him especially careful to remedy any neglect of them which might have insensibly prevailed. Some ancient writers tell us, that he fell into great errors in the decline of life, and became the founder of the sect of the Nicolaitans, mentioned Revelation 6:15. But it seems much more probable, that the founder of this sect, considering how common the name was, might be some other person so called.

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Acts 6:7. And a great company of the priests— We learn from Ezr 2:36-39 that 4289 priests returned from the captivity; the number of whom was now probably very much increased. It is certainly wonderful that a great multitude of the priests should embrace the gospel, considering what peculiar resentments they must expect from their unbelieving brethren, and the great losses to which they must be exposed in consequence of being cast out of their office. But the grace of God was sufficient to animate and support them against every objection; and it is very probable, that the miracle of rending the veil of the temple, and the testimony of the guards to the truth of the resurrection, might contribute considerably towards their conversion, in concurrencewiththemiraculousgiftsandpowersoftheapostles;the most convincing proofs of which they saw before their eyes in their own temple.

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Acts 6:9. The synagogue of the Libertines,— These were Jews born at Rome, whose grandfathers had been in slavery there, and then made free. Great numbers of Jews taken captive by Pompey, and carried into Italy, were set at liberty, and obtained their freedom from their masters. Their children, therefore, would be libertini, in the proper sense of the word. Agreeably to this, the Jews banished from Rome by Tiberius are spoken of by Tacitus as of the libertine race, who might easily constitute one of the 480 synagogues, said to have been at Jerusalem.

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Acts 6:11. Blasphemous words against Moses, &c.— There is no reason to believe that Stephen knew the mystery of the abolition of the Mosaic law, which the apostles do not seem immediately to have understood: and it is much less probable, that he openly taught what St. Paul himself, many years after, insinuated with so much caution. See Galatians 2:2. This, therefore, seems to have been the inference which they drew from what he taught concerning the destruction that he denounced on the Jews, if they continued in their unbelief: but it was a very precarious inference, as the city and temple had been destroyed before without any repeal of the law, and therefore they were false witnesses. Compare Acts 6:13-14.

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