Acts 6 12

Acts 6:12 kjv

And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,

Acts 6:12 nkjv

And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.

Acts 6:12 niv

So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.

Acts 6:12 esv

And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council,

Acts 6:12 nlt

This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.

Acts 6 verses

Acts 6 12 Meaning

Acts chapter 6, verse 12 describes the culmination of opposition against Stephen. It details how the adversaries of Stephen deliberately incited the Jewish populace, influential elders, and scribes to rise against him. Following this manipulation, these groups physically seized Stephen and brought him to the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish religious court, for formal accusation and trial.

Acts 6 12 Context

Acts chapter 6 opens with a structural issue in the early Jerusalem church: a dispute between Hellenistic and Hebraic Jewish believers regarding the daily distribution to widows. To address this, the apostles ordained seven men, "full of the Spirit and of wisdom," to serve the tables, allowing the apostles to focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word. Stephen was one of these chosen deacons, and he quickly became prominent. Not only did he serve, but he also performed "great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 6:8) and powerfully proclaimed the Word. His Spirit-filled wisdom and power were unanswerable by those who rose against him from various synagogues (Acts 6:9-10). These opponents, unable to intellectually counter his arguments, resorted to orchestrating a more forceful form of opposition, setting the stage for his arrest and the false accusations outlined in the subsequent verses. This period marks a shift from internal church growth challenges to external religious and political persecution, echoing the persecution Jesus faced from the very same religious leadership.

Acts 6 12 Word analysis

• And they stirred up (συνεκίνησαν, synekínēsan): This Greek verb implies a deliberate and coordinated act of agitation. It suggests that the adversaries actively incited and mobilized various segments of society, rather than a spontaneous public outcry. It denotes instigation, a calculated move to manipulate opinion against Stephen.
• the people (τὸν λαὸν, ton laón): Refers to the common Jewish populace in Jerusalem. The manipulation of public sentiment was crucial for the leaders to gain perceived legitimacy for their actions against Stephen, similar to how crowds were incited against Jesus.
• and the elders (πρεσβυτέρους, presbytérūs): These were respected leaders in Jewish society, members of the Sanhedrin, often distinguished from priests. Their involvement indicates institutional opposition and a high-level conspiracy against Stephen.
• and the scribes (γραμματεῖς, grammateîs): Scholars and interpreters of Jewish law, they held significant influence among the people and were also typically members of the Sanhedrin. Their presence points to a religiously-driven accusation, implying a violation of the Mosaic Law.
• and came upon him (ἐπιστάντες, epistántes): Suggests a sudden appearance or forceful confrontation. It implies an aggressive, authoritative act of apprehension.
• and caught him (συνήρπασαν, synḗrpasan): Means to seize, snatch, or carry away forcefully. This signifies a swift and possibly violent arrest, indicating Stephen was forcibly apprehended rather than willingly accompanying them.
• and brought him (ἤγαγον, ḗgagon): This indicates that Stephen was led away as a captive, not as a willing participant in the journey to the council.
• to the council (εἰς τὸ συνέδριον, eis to synédrion): Refers to the Sanhedrin, the supreme judicial and legislative body of the Jews in Jerusalem, consisting of seventy or seventy-one members including the high priest, elders, and scribes. Being brought before this body indicates a formal legal process initiated by religious authorities, with potential capital punishment as the outcome, similar to the trials of Jesus and the apostles.

Words-Group by Words-Group Analysis:

• "And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes": This phrase reveals the organized and comprehensive nature of the opposition. It was not a single individual or a spontaneous crowd, but a strategic alliance of various influential Jewish groups – the common folk (swayed by instigation), and the key religious-political leaders (elders and scribes) – uniting against Stephen. This coalition ensured widespread support and legitimacy for the arrest, reminiscent of the methods used against Jesus.
• "and came upon him, and caught him": This emphasizes the suddenness, authority, and forceful nature of Stephen's arrest. It was an overwhelming show of force, reflecting the determination of his opponents to silence his powerful testimony.
• "and brought him to the council": This indicates the immediate escalation of the conflict to the highest religious judicial authority, signifying a serious charge with far-reaching consequences. It frames the impending confrontation as a formal religious trial.

Acts 6 12 Bonus section

The active "stirring up" highlights the depth of human resistance to divine truth when it challenges cherished traditions or established power structures. The Sanhedrin's involvement was not just legal but profoundly religious, viewing Stephen's message about Jesus and the new understanding of the Temple and Law as blasphemous heresy that threatened their religious and social order. This resistance foreshadows the ongoing clash between those who cling to external religious forms and those who embrace the spiritual reality brought by Christ. The event underscores a core Christian truth: those who speak God's truth may face opposition from various sources, including unexpected or seemingly devout religious figures, just as the prophets of old experienced.

Acts 6 12 Commentary

Acts 6:12 serves as a pivotal point, escalating the conflict between the nascent Christian community and the established Jewish religious authorities from theological debates to physical apprehension and formal legal proceedings. Unable to counter Stephen's wisdom and Spirit-led arguments (Acts 6:10), his opponents resorted to a pre-meditated campaign of incitement, leveraging their influence over the populace and their positions as elders and scribes within the Sanhedrin. This strategic move ensured not only the physical capture of Stephen but also the legal machinery of the highest court being deployed against him.

The methods employed against Stephen parallel those used against Jesus (Matt 26:59; Mark 14:1) and later against Paul (Acts 21:27), illustrating a consistent pattern of resistance to God's New Covenant. The "stirring up" indicates malice and calculated manipulation, exposing the hardened hearts of those who prioritized tradition and institutional power over divine revelation. Stephen's appearance before the Sanhedrin was not merely a trial of a man but a direct confrontation between the Kingdom of God, active through Stephen's testimony, and the spiritual blindness of those who refused to accept God's new work in Christ. This verse initiates the climactic events leading to Stephen's powerful sermon and martyrdom, solidifying his role as the first Christian martyr and demonstrating that faithfulness to Christ can lead to severe persecution.