Acts 6 (GNV)

Chapter Text

6:1 And in those dayes, as the nomber of ye disciples grewe, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians towards ye Hebrewes, because their widowes were neglected in the dayly ministring.

6:2 Then the twelue called the multitude of the disciples together, and sayd, It is not meete that we should leaue the worde of God to serue the tables.

6:3 Wherefore brethren, looke ye out among you seuen men of honest report, and full of the holy Ghost, and of wisedome, which we may appoint to this busines.

6:4 And we will giue our selues continually to prayer, and to the ministration of the worde.

6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Steuen a man full of fayth and of the holy Ghost, and Philippe, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a Proselyte of Antiochia,

6:6 Which they set before the Apostles: and they prayed, and layed their hands on them.

6:7 And the worde of God increased, and the nomber of the disciples was multipled in Hierusalem greatly, and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith.

6:8 Now Steuen full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

6:9 Then there arose certaine of the Synagogue, which are called Libertines, and Cyrenians, and of Alexandria, and of them of Cilicia, and of Asia, and disputed with Steuen.

6:10 But they were not able to resist the wisdome, and the Spirit by the which he spake.

6:11 Then they suborned men, which saide, We haue heard him speake blasphemous wordes against Moses, and God.

6:12 Thus they mooued the people and the Elders, and the Scribes: and running vpon him, caught him, and brought him to the Councill,

6:13 And set forth false witnesses, which sayd, This man ceasseth not to speake blasphemous wordes against this holy place, and the Law.

6:14 For we haue heard him say, that this Iesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the ordinances, which Moses gaue vs.

6:15 And as all that sate in the Councill, looked stedfastly on him, they saw his face as it had bene the face of an Angel.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "Spirit", "faith", "dayes", "nomber", "disciples", "grewe", and "arose". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "Spirit", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local GNV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "called" and "Spirit" carries the first interpretive weight. In Acts context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "called" and "Spirit" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.