And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
They were not able to withstand, answer, overcome, or refute the wisdom and the Spirit by which Stephen spoke. That wisdom and power came from God, from on high, through the Holy Spirit giving power to his words, not merely from human learning. He was learned in the prophecies and the law, with firm knowledge of Scripture and its evidence, which enabled him to defend the truth and to defeat his opponents in public discussion. His opponents had expected to defeat him as ignorant, but his clear, calm reasoning from Scripture presented evidence they could not refute, so being unable to prevail against his words they arranged false accusations and hired false witnesses against him before the council. This fulfilled Christ's promise to give His disciples words and wisdom their adversaries could not gainsay, and the same irresistible wisdom belongs to Christ's appointed witnesses generally when the Spirit speaks through them.
Wisdom and Spirit Given
They were not able to withstand, answer, overcome, or refute the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. His opponents could not withstand his testimony, and the Sanhedrin could not overcome his wisdom as he spoke. That wisdom and power came from God, from on high, through the Holy Spirit giving power to his words, not merely from human learning. He spoke with wisdom and power from God, and his Spirit-given wisdom in debate came from the Spirit of God.
He was learned in the prophecies and the law, with firm knowledge of Scripture and the evidence of God's Word. That knowledge of prophecy and the law enabled him to defend the truths he taught and to defeat his opponents in public discussion and debate. They had expected to defeat him because they thought he was ignorant. His clear, calm wisdom and clear reasoning from Scripture presented evidence they could not refute or answer, and his wisdom and power in speaking came from that firm knowledge. The priests and rulers gained nothing against him despite fierce opposition, and his opponents could not overcome his arguments.
He met learned opposition with a full understanding of God's purpose in spreading the gospel to other nations. Even Saul's eloquence and rabbinical logic could not overcome him or controvert his reasoning, and his learning enabled him to answer their arguments. His Spirit-directed speech was marked by the faith and the power through which he did wonders among the people. He testified to the crucified and risen Christ and exalted Jesus as the great sacrifice, and his testimony displayed God's power through a servant brought to trial for his faith before the council. His words met resistance even though he spoke through the Holy Spirit's direction.
The setting in Acts 6 shows God's plan to entrust the business affairs of His work to wise, devoted people who understand heaven's principles and walk with God, so each worker can focus on the duties entrusted to them. The chapter shows the kind of men to be chosen for God's work are men filled with the Holy Spirit. Its example supports sharing important leadership among several qualified men rather than placing control in one person. The testimony was given in the face of opposition, and its meaning must be read with the occasion, time, and place of his speech in mind.
Opposition Turns to Falsehood
The priests and rulers opposed Stephen vehemently and fiercely, yet they prevailed nothing and gained nothing against his clear, calm wisdom. His wisdom and power came from the Spirit, so his testimony to the crucified and risen Christ could not be answered, withstood, refuted, or overcome. Rather than accept the evidence he presented, they responded with hatred like that directed against Jesus, with hatred and violence, and sought to silence him. His firm knowledge of Scripture and the evidence of God's Word made his arguments irrefutable, and his faith and power were shown in the wonders he did among the people.
Unable to prevail against his words, those disputing with him arranged false accusations and brought him before the council. In a most imposing manner they hired false witnesses and arranged false testimony against him. The witnesses testified they had heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, God, the temple, and the law, and the leaders accused him of exalting Jesus as the great sacrifice instead of accepting his message. The specific false charge was that Jesus of Nazareth would destroy the temple and change the customs Moses delivered.
They determined to make an example of him to satisfy revengeful hatred and to keep others through fear from adopting his belief. This irresistible wisdom fulfilled Christ's promise to give His disciples words and wisdom their adversaries could not refute or gainsay. It was a striking evidence of God's presence with Stephen.
His clear reasoning from Scripture could not be answered or controverted, and through it the Saviour spoke to Saul and pressed conviction upon him. His Christlike witness, bearing, patience, forbearance, and forgiveness toward his enemies, together with the faith of other sufferers for Christ, testified powerfully that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Saul saw Christ's glory reflected in Stephen and witnessed his patience and forgiveness.
Yet prejudice, pride, and respect for religious leaders led Saul to resist conscience and grace. He repeatedly resisted conviction even while pressed by this testimony, and he began to doubt the righteousness of his opposition to Jesus' followers. Paul, who had once disputed with Stephen, later proclaimed in the same synagogue that Jesus was the Son of God and used prophecy to defend the same cause Stephen had died for.
Pattern for Later Witness
The same irresistible wisdom that silenced Stephen's opponents belongs to Christ's appointed witnesses generally, whose adversaries are unable to gainsay the words they speak. At Pentecost the Spirit revealed the Father and the Son and enabled the disciples to speak with a wisdom their opponents could not refute. After Pentecost the testimony proclaimed by God's servants could not be resisted, and the truth they preached led souls to conversion. That experience applies to speaking with calm dignity and the grace of divine love, where sound arguments carry convincing power to overcome prejudice and spiritual blindness and serve the conversion of souls rather than mere victory in argument. The same kind of God-given wisdom and power that leaves opponents unable to gainsay or resist is to be prayed for in the church, as in the Battle Creek church, so that unbelievers cannot oppose its divine working.
They were not able to withstand, answer, overcome, or refute the wisdom and the Spirit by which Stephen spoke. That wisdom and power came from God, from on high, through the Holy Spirit giving power to his words, not merely from human learning. He was learned in the prophecies and the law, with firm knowledge of Scripture and its evidence, which enabled him to defend the truth and to defeat his opponents in public discussion. His opponents had expected to defeat him as ignorant, but his clear, calm reasoning from Scripture presented evidence they could not refute, so being unable to prevail against his words they arranged false accusations and hired false witnesses against him before the council. This fulfilled Christ's promise to give His disciples words and wisdom their adversaries could not gainsay, and the same irresistible wisdom belongs to Christ's appointed witnesses generally when the Spirit speaks through them.
Wisdom and Spirit Given
They were not able to withstand, answer, overcome, or refute the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. His opponents could not withstand his testimony, and the Sanhedrin could not overcome his wisdom as he spoke. That wisdom and power came from God, from on high, through the Holy Spirit giving power to his words, not merely from human learning. He spoke with wisdom and power from God, and his Spirit-given wisdom in debate came from the Spirit of God.
He was learned in the prophecies and the law, with firm knowledge of Scripture and the evidence of God's Word. That knowledge of prophecy and the law enabled him to defend the truths he taught and to defeat his opponents in public discussion and debate. They had expected to defeat him because they thought he was ignorant. His clear, calm wisdom and clear reasoning from Scripture presented evidence they could not refute or answer, and his wisdom and power in speaking came from that firm knowledge. The priests and rulers gained nothing against him despite fierce opposition, and his opponents could not overcome his arguments.
He met learned opposition with a full understanding of God's purpose in spreading the gospel to other nations. Even Saul's eloquence and rabbinical logic could not overcome him or controvert his reasoning, and his learning enabled him to answer their arguments. His Spirit-directed speech was marked by the faith and the power through which he did wonders among the people. He testified to the crucified and risen Christ and exalted Jesus as the great sacrifice, and his testimony displayed God's power through a servant brought to trial for his faith before the council. His words met resistance even though he spoke through the Holy Spirit's direction.
The setting in Acts 6 shows God's plan to entrust the business affairs of His work to wise, devoted people who understand heaven's principles and walk with God, so each worker can focus on the duties entrusted to them. The chapter shows the kind of men to be chosen for God's work are men filled with the Holy Spirit. Its example supports sharing important leadership among several qualified men rather than placing control in one person. The testimony was given in the face of opposition, and its meaning must be read with the occasion, time, and place of his speech in mind.
Opposition Turns to Falsehood
The priests and rulers opposed Stephen vehemently and fiercely, yet they prevailed nothing and gained nothing against his clear, calm wisdom. His wisdom and power came from the Spirit, so his testimony to the crucified and risen Christ could not be answered, withstood, refuted, or overcome. Rather than accept the evidence he presented, they responded with hatred like that directed against Jesus, with hatred and violence, and sought to silence him. His firm knowledge of Scripture and the evidence of God's Word made his arguments irrefutable, and his faith and power were shown in the wonders he did among the people.
Unable to prevail against his words, those disputing with him arranged false accusations and brought him before the council. In a most imposing manner they hired false witnesses and arranged false testimony against him. The witnesses testified they had heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, God, the temple, and the law, and the leaders accused him of exalting Jesus as the great sacrifice instead of accepting his message. The specific false charge was that Jesus of Nazareth would destroy the temple and change the customs Moses delivered.
They determined to make an example of him to satisfy revengeful hatred and to keep others through fear from adopting his belief. This irresistible wisdom fulfilled Christ's promise to give His disciples words and wisdom their adversaries could not refute or gainsay. It was a striking evidence of God's presence with Stephen.
His clear reasoning from Scripture could not be answered or controverted, and through it the Saviour spoke to Saul and pressed conviction upon him. His Christlike witness, bearing, patience, forbearance, and forgiveness toward his enemies, together with the faith of other sufferers for Christ, testified powerfully that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Saul saw Christ's glory reflected in Stephen and witnessed his patience and forgiveness.
Yet prejudice, pride, and respect for religious leaders led Saul to resist conscience and grace. He repeatedly resisted conviction even while pressed by this testimony, and he began to doubt the righteousness of his opposition to Jesus' followers. Paul, who had once disputed with Stephen, later proclaimed in the same synagogue that Jesus was the Son of God and used prophecy to defend the same cause Stephen had died for.
Pattern for Later Witness
The same irresistible wisdom that silenced Stephen's opponents belongs to Christ's appointed witnesses generally, whose adversaries are unable to gainsay the words they speak. At Pentecost the Spirit revealed the Father and the Son and enabled the disciples to speak with a wisdom their opponents could not refute. After Pentecost the testimony proclaimed by God's servants could not be resisted, and the truth they preached led souls to conversion. That experience applies to speaking with calm dignity and the grace of divine love, where sound arguments carry convincing power to overcome prejudice and spiritual blindness and serve the conversion of souls rather than mere victory in argument. The same kind of God-given wisdom and power that leaves opponents unable to gainsay or resist is to be prayed for in the church, as in the Battle Creek church, so that unbelievers cannot oppose its divine working.