Acts 6:10 kjv
And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
Acts 6:10 nkjv
And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.
Acts 6:10 niv
But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
Acts 6:10 esv
But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
Acts 6:10 nlt
None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.
Acts 6 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 19:7 | The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; | God's word makes one wise. |
| Prov 2:6 | For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; | God is the source of true wisdom. |
| Isa 55:11 | so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, | God's word is effective and accomplishes His will. |
| Dan 2:20 | "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might; | Wisdom and might belong to God. |
| Mt 10:19-20 | when they deliver you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour... for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. | The Holy Spirit empowers believers with words. |
| Mk 13:11 | And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. | The Spirit guides speech in trials. |
| Lk 12:11-12 | When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. | Spirit-taught speech for believers facing authority. |
| Lk 21:15 | for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. | Christ's promise of unstoppable wisdom. |
| Jn 7:46 | The officers answered, "No one ever spoke like this man!" | Recognition of unique, divine speech. |
| Acts 1:8 | But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." | Power to be witnesses comes from the Spirit. |
| Acts 2:4 | And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. | Speaking by the Spirit's power. |
| Acts 4:13 | Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. | Unlearned men speak with authority from Christ. |
| Acts 4:31 | And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. | Spirit-filled boldness in speaking God's Word. |
| Acts 6:3 | Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. | Stephen was already known for Spirit and wisdom. |
| Acts 6:8 | And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. | Stephen's initial display of God's power. |
| Acts 7:51 | "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you." | Stephen directly indicts their resistance to the Spirit. |
| 1 Cor 1:24 | but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. | Christ Himself is God's wisdom and power. |
| 1 Cor 2:4 | and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, | Paul's ministry relied on the Spirit, not human wisdom. |
| Eph 1:17 | that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, | A prayer for spiritual wisdom and revelation. |
| Jas 1:5 | If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. | God grants wisdom to those who ask. |
| Jas 3:17 | But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. | Characteristics of divine wisdom. |
| 2 Tim 3:8 | Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. | Opposition to truth by corrupted minds. |
Acts 6 verses
Acts 6 10 Meaning
Acts 6:10 conveys that Stephen's opponents, Jewish Hellenists from various synagogues, were utterly unable to counter or withstand the profound spiritual wisdom and the powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit that guided his speech. His arguments for the truth of the Gospel were so divinely enabled that they were intellectually unassailable and spiritually overwhelming, demonstrating God's own power speaking through him.
Acts 6 10 Context
The book of Acts describes the spread of the Gospel following Jesus' ascension, driven by the Holy Spirit through the apostles and early believers. Chapter 6 introduces a new administrative need within the rapidly growing early church: ensuring equitable distribution of food to Hellenistic (Greek-speaking) Jewish widows. To address this, the apostles instruct the community to select "seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom" for this service. Stephen is among these chosen men.
While appointed for practical service, Stephen immediately demonstrates extraordinary spiritual gifting. Acts 6:8 states he was "full of grace and power, and was doing great wonders and signs among the people." This leads him into public debate, particularly with members of the synagogues of the Freedmen (Jews who were once enslaved and now freed, perhaps from Roman territories), as well as Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia. These Hellenistic Jews were fervent in their faith, and accustomed to rabbinic discourse, sought to refute Stephen's teachings about Jesus. Acts 6:9 indicates they rose up "disputing with Stephen." Verse 10 reveals the immediate result of this confrontation: they were utterly outmatched. This inability to win the theological argument eventually led them to resort to false accusations and violence against Stephen, culminating in his martyrdom in Chapter 7.
Acts 6 10 Word analysis
- they: Refers to the specific opponents mentioned in Acts 6:9 – the members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (comprising Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia). These were presumably highly educated, zealous Hellenistic Jews from the Jewish diaspora.
- were not able: From the Greek
ouk iskhuon(οὐκ ἴσχυον).ischuo(ἰσχύω) means to be strong, able, or to have power. The negative particleouk(οὐκ) indicates an absolute inability. This signifies that their intellectual capacity, rhetorical skill, or arguments, no matter how earnest or clever, were rendered completely powerless against Stephen's message. - to resist: From the Greek
anthistamai(ἀνθίσταμαι), meaning "to stand against," "to oppose," or "to withstand." It conveys the idea of trying to set oneself in opposition, to defend against, or to rebut. Stephen's opponents found themselves unable to effectively counter or stand firm against the truth he presented. - the wisdom: From the Greek
tē sophia(τῇ σοφίᾳ). This is not mere human intellect or acquired knowledge, but divine wisdom—insight and understanding imparted by God (Prov 2:6; James 1:5). In Stephen's case, it meant a profound spiritual understanding of God's plan, particularly as it culminated in Jesus Christ, enabling him to articulate the Gospel with unassailable logic and depth. - and the Spirit: From the Greek
kai tō Pneumati(καὶ τῷ Πνεύματι). This explicitly refers to the Holy Spirit. The wisdom Stephen exhibited was not just intellectual, but infused with divine power and presence. The Holy Spirit was the driving force behind his speech, giving it an undeniable spiritual authority and conviction that human adversaries could not withstand. The "wisdom" and "Spirit" are intricately linked; the wisdom comes from the Spirit. - by which: Signifies the instrument or agency. It indicates that Stephen's ability to speak effectively stemmed directly from, and was enabled by, both divine wisdom and the active presence of the Holy Spirit.
- he spoke: From the Greek
elalei(ἐλάλει), the imperfect tense oflaleo(λαλέω), meaning "to speak" or "to talk." The imperfect tense suggests an ongoing action or repeated manner of speaking, implying that Stephen was consistently or characteristically speaking under this divine empowerment.
Words-group analysis:
- "were not able to resist": This phrase dramatically highlights the complete failure of Stephen's opponents. It's more than just losing a debate; it implies a divine force at play that rendered all human counter-arguments futile. It underscores the overwhelming nature of divine truth and power when opposed by human reasoning.
- "the wisdom and the Spirit": These two elements are presented as an indivisible unit, emphasizing that Stephen's powerful discourse was not merely intellectually superior (wisdom) but also supernaturally empowered (Spirit). This combination is what made his message unchallengeable by human means. It signifies the source of effective Christian ministry: divinely revealed truth empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit, enabling profound insight and compelling delivery.
Acts 6 10 Bonus section
- Stephen's experience serves as an early example of Jesus's promise in Luke 21:15 being fulfilled, where believers would be given "a mouth and wisdom, which none of [their] adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict." This verse vividly illustrates that promise in action.
- The profound inability of the opponents to resist the truth indicates that their resistance was not merely intellectual but deeply spiritual. They were not just disagreeing with a man; they were resisting the Holy Spirit Himself, a charge Stephen makes explicitly in Acts 7:51. This rejection of unassailable divine truth often hardens hearts, leading to intensified opposition.
- Stephen is presented as a paradigm of ministry that transcends purely administrative roles. His election for serving allowed his true spiritual giftedness, being "full of faith and the Holy Spirit," to shine forth in preaching and debate, showing that true spiritual leadership encompasses both practical service and powerful proclamation.
Acts 6 10 Commentary
Acts 6:10 marks a crucial turning point in the early church's interaction with the broader Jewish community, moving beyond administrative solutions to intense spiritual confrontation. Stephen, though chosen for serving tables, quickly emerges as a Spirit-filled evangelist and apologist. His engagement with the Hellenistic Jews was not a mere scholarly exchange but a profound encounter with God's truth. The "wisdom" he spoke with was not acquired human intellect, but a direct endowment from God, enabling him to articulate the mysteries of the Gospel with unparalleled clarity and insight. This wisdom was not detached but intimately intertwined with the "Spirit" – the very presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
This fusion of divine wisdom and Spirit-power meant that Stephen's arguments were logically sound, spiritually potent, and convicting. His opponents, despite their own theological training and zeal, found themselves completely silenced and unable to offer a counter-argument that held any weight. This frustration—the inability to intellectually or spiritually refute Stephen—is key to understanding their subsequent violent actions. When truth presented in the power of the Spirit cannot be logically defeated, opponents often resort to slander, coercion, or outright persecution (as seen in Acts 6:11-12 and Acts 7). Stephen's ministry, empowered by the Spirit as promised by Jesus (Lk 21:15), serves as a testament to the irresistible force of God's Word when proclaimed through a yielded vessel, emphasizing that the triumph of the Gospel is not through human cleverness but divine enablement.