Acts 6 · Verse 8

Acts 6:8

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
Acts 6:8, King James Version

Acts 6:8 in other translations

BSBNow Stephen, who was full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.
WEBStephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
ASVAnd Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought great wonders and signs among the people.
YLTAnd Stephen, full of faith and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people,
DARBYAnd Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought wonders and great signs among the people.
BBEAnd Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
WebsterAnd Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and miracles among the people.

What does Acts 6:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Ac 6:8-15. Stephen Arraigned before the Sanhedrin.

8. And Stephen, &c.--The foregoing narrative seems to be only an introduction to what follows. full of faith--rather, "of grace," as the best manuscripts read.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 8. And Stephen. The remarkable death of this first Christian martyr, which soon occurred, gave occasion to the sacred writer to give a detailed account of his character, and of the causes which led to his death. Hitherto the opposition of the Jews had been confined to threats and imprisonment; but it was now to burst forth with furious rage and madness, that could be satisfied only with blood. This was the first in a series of persecutions against Christians that filled the church with blood, and that closed the lives of thousands, perhaps millions, in the great work of establishing the gospel on the earth.

Full of faith. Full of confidence in God; or trusting entirely to his promises. Mk 16:16.

And power. The power which was evinced in working miracles.

Wonders. This is one of the words commonly used in the New Testament to denote miracles.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 Stephen, full of faith and power - Instead of πιϚεως, faith, χαριτος, grace, is the reading of ABD, several others, the Syriac of Erpen, the Coptic, Armenian, Vulgate, and some of the fathers. This reading Griesbach has admitted into the text. Some MSS. join both readings. Stephen was full of faith - gave unlimited credence to the promises of his Lord; he was full of grace - receiving the fulfillment of those promises, he enjoyed much of the unction of the Divine Spirit, and much of the favor of his God; and, in consequence, he was full of power, δυναμεως, of the Divine energy by which he was enabled to work great wonders and miracles among the people.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 6:8-15
When they could not answer Stephen's arguments as a disputant, they prosecuted him as a criminal, and brought false witnesses against him. And it is next to a miracle of providence, that no greater number of religious persons have been murdered in the world, by the way of perjury and pretence of law, when so many thousands hate them, who make no conscience of false oaths. Wisdom and holiness make a man's face to shine, yet will not secure men from being treated badly. What shall we say of man, a rational being, yet attempting to uphold a religious system by false witness and murder! And this has been done in numberless instances. But the blame rests not so much upon the understanding, as upon the heart of a fallen creature, which is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Yet the servant of the Lord, possessing a clear conscience, cheerful hope, and Divine consolations, may smile in the midst of danger and death.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Acts 6:8 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΣτέφανοςStephanosStephenG4736
δὲdenowG1161
πλήρηςplērēsfullG4134
χάριτοςcharitosof graceG5485
καὶkaiandG2532
δυνάμεωςdunameōspowerG1411
ἐποίειepoieiwas performingG4160
τέραταteratawondersG5059
καὶkaiandG2532
σημεῖαsēmeiasignsG4592
μεγάλαmegalagreatG3173
ἐνenamongG1722
τῷtōtheG3588
λαῷ.¶laōpeople.G2992

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Acts 6:8

  • Acts 4:29-30

    And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

  • Acts 6:5

    And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

  • Acts 7:55

    But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

  • 1 Timothy 3:13

    For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

  • Acts 6:10

    And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

  • Acts 6:15

    And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

  • Acts 2:17-18

    And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

  • Acts 8:6

    And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

  • Acts 6:3

    Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

  • John 4:48

    Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

  • Ephesians 4:11

    And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
full.
3,5,10,15; 7:55; Eph 4:11; 1Ti 3:13
did.
2:17,18; 4:29,30; 8:6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Acts 6:7

    And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

  • Acts 6:8

    And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

  • Acts 6:9

    Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

Read all of Acts 6

Acts 6:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Empero Esteban, lleno de gracia y de potencia, hacía prodigios y milagros grandes en el pueblo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Or Étienne, plein de grâce et de puissance, faisait parmi le peuple des prodiges et de grands miracles.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Stephanus aber, voll Gnade und Kraft, tat Wunder und große Zeichen unter dem Volke.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Stephanus autem plenus gratia et fortitudine, faciebat prodigia et signa magna in populo.