independentparticipialrelativecausecontentphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
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The appointment of the Seven: daily distribution and the word of God 6:1–7
v. 1 — the murmuring: the Hellenists' widows overlooked
1
Now in those days, as the disciples were multiplying,participial — temporal frame + genitive absolute — growth as the setting of the first internal crisis; leans on ἐγένετο
there arose a complaint from the Hellenists against the Hebrews,independent — γογγυσμός — the wilderness murmuring word (Exod 16 LXX); Hellenists read as Greek-speaking Jewish believers
because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.cause — παρεθεωροῦντο — NT hapax; progressive imperfect, an ongoing neglect, not one incident
vv. 2–4 — the Twelve's speech: not tables but the word
2
And the Twelve, summoning the full number of the disciples,participial — preposed attendant circumstance — the whole assembly convened; leans on εἶπαν
said:independent — the speech-frame for vv. 2b–4
'It is not right that we, abandoning the word of God, should serve tables.content — the principle — καταλείψαντας is abandonment; both word and tables are διακονία (vv. 1, 4)
3
Select therefore, brothers, from among you seven men of attested repute,content — the directive — μαρτυρουμένους, community attestation the first criterion; seven echoing Israel's elders
full of the Spirit and of wisdom,phrase modifier — the second criterion — Spirit and wisdom together (Deut 34:9); proved of Stephen at v. 10
whom we will appoint over this need;relative — the congregation chooses, the apostles appoint — χρεία left deliberately untitled
4
but we ourselves will devote to prayer and to the ministry of the word.'content — emphatic ἡμεῖς — the apostolic reservation; προσκαρτερέω as at 1:14; 2:42
vv. 5–6 — the Seven chosen and commissioned
5
And the proposal pleased the whole gathering,independent — ἤρεσεν echoes ἀρεστόν (v. 2) — the community ratifies the fittingness
and they chose Stephen,independent — middle ἐξελέξαντο — the congregation's own choice; Stephen heads the list
a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit,phrase modifier — verbless apposition — the v. 3 criteria personally certified, with faith added
and Philip,phrase modifier — coordinate object — the evangelist of Acts 8, Samaria and the Ethiopian
and Prochorus,phrase modifier — coordinate object — otherwise unknown; all seven bear Greek names
and Nicanor,phrase modifier — coordinate object
and Timon,phrase modifier — coordinate object
and Parmenas,phrase modifier — coordinate object
and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.phrase modifier — the one proselyte — his Antioch anticipates the Gentile-mission base (11:19–26)
6
These they set before the apostles,independent — connective relative οὕς — the formal presentation for appointment (v. 3)
and having prayed,participial — preposed — the commissioning grounded in prayer (v. 4); leans on ἐπέθηκαν
they laid their hands on them.independent — the laying on of hands — Acts' commissioning gesture (13:3; cf. 1 Tim 4:14)
v. 7 — the growth summary: even priests obey
7
And the word of God kept increasing,independent — progressive imperfect — the word personified as growing (exact parallel 12:24)
and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem kept multiplying greatly,independent — πληθύνω resumes v. 1 — the crisis resolved into more growth
and a great company of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.independent — the climactic third — priests, the erstwhile opposition (4:1; 5:17); plural ὑπήκουον ad sensum
Stephen's signs, the framed charges, and the angel-face 6:8–15
vv. 8–10 — Stephen's signs and the irresistible wisdom
8
And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.independent — the ministry summary — πλήρης now 'of grace and power'; iterative imperfect ἐποίει
9
But there rose up some of those from the synagogue called that of the Freedmen —independent — the opposition — Λιβερτῖνοι, descendants of freed slaves of the diaspora
both of Cyrenians and Alexandrians and of those from Cilicia and Asia —phrase modifier — the membership roll — one synagogue or several is debated; taken here as one
disputing with Stephen.participial — the participle of hostile engagement — diaspora Jews against a fellow Hellenist
10
And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spiritindependent — the v. 3 criteria proved in combat — Luke 21:15 fulfilled
with which he was speaking.relative — dative ᾧ — wisdom and Spirit as the instrument of his speech
vv. 11–12 — the suborned charge and the arrest
11
Then they secretly instigated men who said,independent — ὑπέβαλον — suborning, NT hapax; recitative ὅτι introducing the planted words
'We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.'content — the planted testimony — perfect Ἀκηκόαμεν, a standing claim; blasphemy the capital charge
12
And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes,independent — the people now turned — the first time Jerusalem's λαός joins the opposition
and coming upon him,participial — preposed — the sudden descent; leans on συνήρπασαν
they seized himindependent — συναρπάζω — violent arrest
and led him into the Sanhedrin,independent — before the same council that tried Jesus and the apostles (4:15; 5:27)
vv. 13–14 — the false witnesses: temple, law, and the Nazarene
13
and they set up false witnesses who said:independent — μάρτυρες ψευδεῖς — as at Jesus' trial (Mark 14:56–57)
'This man never stops speaking words against this holy place and the law;content — the double charge — temple ('this holy place') and Torah; contemptuous οὗτος
14
for we have heard him say thatcause — the grounds inside the testimony — the same perfect ἀκηκόαμεν as v. 11; recitative ὅτι
this Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this placecontent — speech within speech — the alleged saying, a distortion (cf. Mark 14:58; John 2:19)
and will change the customscontent — the second limb — the Mosaic ἔθη, the whole received way of life
which Moses handed down to us.'relative — the chapter's deepest line — Moses invoked inside fabricated testimony
v. 15 — the angel-face
15
And gazing intently at him,participial — preposed — Luke's ἀτενίζω of the fixed gaze; leans on εἶδον
all who sat in the Sanhedrin saw his face as if the face of an angel.independent — the proleptic vindication — Moses' shining face (Exod 34:29) before the speech about Moses
Analysis. Acts 6 is two panels of Lukan narrative, and the layout shows both. In vv. 1–7 the mainline runs flush left in coordinate aorists and imperfects — a complaint arose, the Twelve said, the proposal pleased, they chose, they set, they laid on hands — with Luke's preposed circumstantial participles and the opening genitive absolute leaning forward, anchor-less, on the verbs below them (πληθυνόντων τῶν μαθητῶν, προσκαλεσάμενοι, προσευξάμενοι, ἐπιστάντες, ἀτενίσαντες). The Twelve's speech hangs blue under εἶπαν across three verses (vv. 2b–4), its inner qualifications (πλήρεις πνεύματος καὶ σοφίας, οὓς καταστήσομεν) nesting one level deeper; the seven-name roster of v. 5 is laid out as coordinate verbless mod lines under ἐξελέξαντο, with Stephen's full-of-faith commendation apposed beneath his name; and v. 7 closes the panel as three flat coordinate growth lines, the priests' obedience the climactic third. In vv. 8–15 the charge-building runs the same flush-left way, but the depths map the testimony: the suborned men's charge is a cnt under λέγοντας (recitative ὅτι folded into the frame), the false witnesses' charge likewise, and v. 14's γάρ-grounds nests a quotation within the quotation — the alleged saying of 'Jesus the Nazarene' hangs two levels inside the witnesses' own speech, with the Moses-relative one deeper still, so the chapter's deepest line sits inside fabricated testimony. Cruxes taken: Ἑλληνισταί are read as Greek-speaking Jewish believers over against the Ἑβραῖοι; the ὅτι of v. 1 is causal, those of vv. 11 and 14 recitative; the Freedmen-genitives of v. 9 are taken as one synagogue's membership roll, not several synagogues; οὓς at v. 6 is the connective relative ('these they set'), with the congregation presenting and the apostles praying and laying on hands; and πολύς ὄχλος with plural ὑπήκουον (v. 7) is construed ad sensum.