SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:7
Y crecía la palabra del Seor, y el nmero de los discípulos se multiplicaba mucho en Jerusaln; tambin mucha compaía de los sacerdotes obedecía a la fe.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 6:7
Verse 7. The word of God increased] By such preachers as the apostles and these deacons, no wonder the doctrine of God increased-became widely diffused and generally known; in consequence of which, the number of the disciples must be greatly multiplied: for God will ever bless his own word, when ministered by those whom he has qualified to proclaim it. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.] This was one of the greatest miracles wrought by the grace of Christ: that persons so intent on the destruction of Christ, his apostles, and his doctrine, should at last espouse that doctrine, is astonishing; and that they who had withstood the evidence of the miracles of Christ should have yielded to the doctrine of his death and resurrection, is worthy of note. And from this we may learn that it is not by miracles that sinners are to be converted unto God, but by the preaching of Christ dying for their offenses, and rising again for their justification.
Instead of lerewn, priests, a few MSS., and the Syriac, read ioudaiwn, Jews; for the copyists seem to be struck here with two difficulties: 1. That such persons as these priests could be converted. 2. That the word oxlov, company, or multitude, could with propriety be applied to this class, which must have been inconsiderable in their numbers, when compared with the rest of the Jews. To preserve the ancient reading, which is undoubtedly genuine, some have altered the text by conjecture; and, by putting a comma after oclov, and a kai before twn ierewn, make the text read thus: And a great multitude, and some of the priests, were obedient to the faith. This conjecture is unnecessary, as there is no such difficulty here as to require so desperate an expedient, which is not recommended by the evidence of a single MS. or version. 1. The grace of Christ Jesus can save even a murderous Jewish priest: his death is a grand atonement for all crimes and for the worst of sinners. 2. In the twenty- four courses of priests, there was not a multitude merely, but multitudes: indeed the number of ecclesiastics at Jerusalem was enormous. A great company out of these might be converted, and yet multitudes be left behind.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 7. And the word of God increased , etc.] This stratagem of Satan did not succeed to divide the church, but issued in the better decorum and discipline of it, and in the spread and success of the Gospel; God thus making all things to work together for good; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly ; where Christ was crucified, the apostles were scourged, and treated with the utmost contempt, the sanhedrim and rulers of the Jews dwelt, who used all their power and craft to crush the Gospel, and hinder the progress of it, but in vain, there the word increased; which it may be said to do, when saints are edified by it, and sinners are converted under it; and in this last sense it is chiefly to be understood here: the instances of conversion were very numerous; how large must this church now be! and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith ; that is, to the Gospel, which contains things to be believed, articles of faith; proposes Christ the great object of faith; and is the means of producing faith, and which is of no profit, unless it is mixed with faith: and to obey this is cordially to embrace the doctrines of the Gospel, and cheerfully to submit to the ordinances of it. And that the priests, and a large number of them, should do this, is very marvellous; since they were the most inveterate enemies of the Gospel, and persecutors of the saints; but what is it that efficacious grace cannot do? the Syriac version instead of priests reads Jews, but unsupported by any copy.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - Hitherto the disciples had been of one accord; this often had bee noticed to their honour; but now they were multiplied, they began to murmur. The word of God was enough to take up all the thoughts, cares and time of the apostles. The persons chosen to serve tables must be duly qualified. They must be filled with gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, necessary to rightly managing this trust; men of truth, an hating covetousness. All who are employed in the service of the church ought to be commended to the Divine grace by the prayers of the church They blessed them in the name of the Lord. The word and grace of God are greatly magnified, when those are wrought upon by it, who wer least likely.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM λογος 3056 N-NSM του 3588 T-GSM θεου 2316 N-GSM ηυξανεν 837 5707 V-IAI-3S και 2532 CONJ επληθυνετο 4129 5712 V-IPI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM αριθμος 706 N-NSM των 3588 T-GPM μαθητων 3101 N-GPM εν 1722 PREP ιερουσαλημ 2419 N-PRI σφοδρα 4970 ADV πολυς 4183 A-NSM τε 5037 PRT οχλος 3793 N-NSM των 3588 T-GPM ιερεων 2409 N-GPM υπηκουον 5219 5707 V-IAI-3P τη 3588 T-DSF πιστει 4102 N-DSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
7. To the faith (th pistei). Opinions differ greatly as to whether this is to be taken as meaning faith in Jesus Christ, or faith considered as Christian doctrine - the Gospel; the faith in the ecclesiastical sense. This passage and Gal. i. 23 are the strong passages in favor of the latter view; but the general usage of the New Testament, added to the fact that in both these passages the former meaning gives a good, intelligible, and perfectly consistent sense, go to confirm the former interpretation. 1. In the great majority of New Testament passages faith is clearly used in the sense of faith in Jesus Christ: "the conviction and confidence regarding Jesus Christ as the only and perfect mediator of the divine grace and of eternal life, through his work of atonement" (Meyer).
2. This interpretation is according to the analogy of such expressions as obedience of Christ (2 Cor. x. 5), where the meaning is, clearly, obedience to Christ: obedience of the truth (1 Pet. i. 22). Accordingly, faith, though it becomes in man the subjective moral power of the new life, regenerated through the power of the Spirit, is regarded objectively as a power - the authority which commands submission.
3. This interpretation is according to the analogy of the expression hearing of faith (Gal. iii. 2), which is to be rendered, not as equivalent to the reception of the Gospel, but as the report or message of faith; i.e., which treats of faith, ajkoh, hearing being always used in the New Testament in a passive sense, and often rendered fame, rumor, report (see Matt. iv. 24; xiv. 1; Mark i. 28; John xii. 38; Rom. x. 16). Compare, also, obedience of faith (Rom. i. 5; xvi. 26), where faith is to be taken as the object, and not as the source, of the obedience; and hence is not to be explained as the obedience which springs from faith, but as the obedience rendered to faith as the authoritative impulse of the new life in Christ.
The great majority of the best modern commentators hold that faith is to be taken as the subjective principle of Christian life (though often regarded objectively as a spiritual power), and not as Christian doctrine.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
6:7 {Increased} (euxanen). Imperfect active, kept on growing all the more because the apostles were now relieved from the daily ministration of the food. {Multiplied} (eplequneto). Imperfect passive. The two imperfects kept pace with each other. {Of the priests} (twn hierwn). Who were usually Sadducees. It was a sad day for Annas and Caiaphas and all the sect of the Sadducees (#5:17). {Were obedient to} (hupekouon). Imperfect active of hupakouw, repetition, one after another. {The faith} (tei pistei). Here meaning the gospel, the faith system as in #Ro 1:5; Ga 1:23; Jude 1:3, etc. Here the word means more than individual trust in Christ.
