Atos 6

Atos 6

Ellicott - Like the Areopagus at Athens, it took cognizance—as in the case of our Lord (Mt 26:65) and Stephen (Acts 6:13)—of blasphemy and other like offences, and its peculiar prerogative was that it could order death by stoning. (Ellicott) Horton writes that the comparison of Stephen's face to an angel may be an allusion to the face "of Jesus when He was transfigured and the inner glory showed through (Luke 9:29+ = "the appearance of His face became different"). "So full of the Spirit, so full of wisdom, faith, grace, and power is Stephen that the glory of God shines from his face." (Quoting Larkin) (Acts: A Logion Press Commentary) Utley on face like the face of an angel - This may have been similar to (1) Moses’ face glowing after visiting with YHWH (cf. Exod. 34:29–35, 2 Cor. 3:7); (2) Jesus’ face and body glowing during His transfiguration (cf. Matt. 17:2; Luke 9:29+); or (3) the messenger angel of Daniel 10:5–6+. This was a way of metaphorically denoting one who had been in the presence of God. Saw his face like the face of an angel - Is this not a touch of divine irony? Think about this for a moment -- before whom is Stephen being arraigned? The Sanhedrin. And who composes a majority of the Sanhedrin? The Sadducees who do not believe in angels! Does not our great God have a sense of humor! NET Note says "This narrative description of Stephen's face adds to the mood of the passage. He had the appearance of a supernatural, heavenly messenger." Marshall writes that Stephen's face was "“The description is of a person who is close to God and reflects some of His glory as a result of being in his presence (Ex 34:29ff).” (TNTC-Acts) Guzik on Stephen's face like an angel - Stephen was at perfect peace. His face was not filled with fear or terror, because he knew his life was in God’s hands and that Jesus never forsakes His people. Brian Bell - In a commencement address at Harvard University, Alexander Solzhenitsyn tried to summarize the root problem facing Capitalism & Marxism. He said that the trouble w/both systems is that men have forgotten God. One system does it by its materialistic philosophy; the other system by its materialist economy. But “the sin of forgetting God” is not just the sin of economics & governments. It can be the sin of religion as well! Religious people forget God by setting up a religious system in His place!!! 1.3.1.2. Stephen was up against such a system! (Sermon) Face (4383)(prosopon from pros = towards + ops = eye, the part around the eye and so the face) means literally toward the eye or face. All of Luke's use of prosopon in Acts - Acts 2:28; Acts 3:13; Acts 3:19; Acts 5:41; Acts 6:15; Acts 7:45; Acts 13:24; Acts 17:26; Acts 20:25; Acts 20:38; Acts 25:16 Henry Varley said, “The world has yet to see what God can do with & for & through & in a man, who is fully & wholly consecrated to Him.” Stephen comes about as close as anyone in Scripture for he was: full of faith (6:5); full of Grace (6:8); full of Power (6:8); full of Light (6:15); full of Scripture (ch.7); full of Wisdom (6:3,10); full of courage (7:51-56); full of Love (7:60) Angel (32)(aggelos/angelos) literally means a messenger (one who bears a message - Lk 1:11, 2:9, etc or does an errand). Most of the NT uses refer to heavenly angels (messengers) who are supernatural, transcendent beings with power to carry out various tasks. In this context Stephen is compared to an angel in appearance, but he will soon carry out the function of an aggelos literally delivering a message in the form of a sermon that will take into the presence of literal angels in Heaven!