Why couldn't opponents "stand up against" Stephen's wisdom in Acts 6:10? Anchoring Verse “but they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.” (Acts 6:10) Setting the Scene • Stephen had just been set apart as one of the seven (Acts 6:3–6). • Luke twice stresses that he was “full of the Holy Spirit” and “full of grace and power” (Acts 6:5, 8). • His challengers came from the “Synagogue of the Freedmen” and other Diaspora Jews (Acts 6:9). Where Stephen’s Wisdom Came From • Holy Spirit indwelling (Acts 6:5) • Scripture saturation—Stephen’s speech in chapter 7 strings together Genesis through the Prophets. • Fulfillment of Jesus’ promise: “I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” (Luke 21:15) • Christ-centered clarity: he interpreted Israel’s history through the finished work of Jesus. Why the Opponents Couldn’t Prevail 1. Spirit-empowered speech • Matthew 10:19-20: “it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” • Their purely human reasoning met divine revelation. 2. Authority of Scripture • Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active… discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” • Stephen reasoned from texts they claimed to revere, leaving them without footing. 3. Moral credibility • A life “full of grace” (Acts 6:8) backed up every word. Accusers had no observable hypocrisy to exploit. 4. Prophetic fulfillment • Jeremiah 23:29: “Is not My word like fire… and like a hammer that smashes a rock?” The hammer fell, and their arguments cracked. 5. Power, not eloquence alone • 1 Corinthians 2:4-5: Paul later echoes the same dynamic—faith rests “not on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” Stephen exemplified it first. Take-Home Reflections • Intellectual brilliance is no match for Spirit-given wisdom. • Knowing Scripture deeply equips believers to dismantle error lovingly yet conclusively. • Holiness of life lends irresistible weight to spoken truth. • Jesus keeps His promise to supply words and courage when the gospel is on trial. • Opposition may silence us by force (Acts 7:58), but it cannot refute truth empowered by the Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). |
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