Act 6:10, 13:8 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 10. To resist . That is, they were not able to answer his arguments. The wisdom . This properly refers to his knowledge of the Scriptures; his skill in what the Jews esteemed to be wisdom--acquaintance with their sacred writings, opinions, etc. And the spirit . This has been commonly understood of the Holy Spirit, by which, he was aided; but it rather means the energy, power , or ardour of Stephen. He evinced a spirit of zeal and sincerity which they could not withstand; which served, more than mere argument could have done, to convince them that he was right. The evidence of sincerity, honesty, and zeal in a public speaker, will often go farther to convince the great mass of mankind, than the most able argument, if delivered in a cold and indifferent manner. (a) "able to resist"

Acts 6:10

Verse 10. To resist. That is, they were not able to answer his arguments.

The wisdom. This properly refers to his knowledge of the Scriptures; his skill in what the Jews esteemed to be wisdom--acquaintance with their sacred writings, opinions, etc.

And the spirit. This has been commonly understood of the Holy Spirit, by which, he was aided; but it rather means the energy, power, or ardour of Stephen. He evinced a spirit of zeal and sincerity which they could not withstand; which served, more than mere argument could have done, to convince them that he was right. The evidence of sincerity, honesty, and zeal in a public speaker, will often go farther to convince the great mass of mankind, than the most able argument, if delivered in a cold and indifferent manner.

(a) "able to resist" Lk 21:15

Acts 13:8

Verse 8. But Elymas the sorcerer, for so is his name by interpretation. Elymas the magician. Elymas is the interpretation, not of the name Bar-jesus, but of the word rendered the sorcerer. It is an Arabic word, and means the same as magus. It seems that he was better known by this foreign name than by his own.

Withstood them. Resisted them. He was sensible that if the influence of Saul and Barnabas should be extended over the proconsul, that he would be seen to be an impostor, and his power be at an end. His interest, therefore, led him to oppose the gospel, His own popularity was at stake; and being governed by this, he opposed the gospel of God. The love of popularity and power, the desire of retaining some political influence, is often a strong reason why men oppose the gospel.

To turn away the deputy from the faith. To prevent the influence of the truth on his mind; or to prevent his becoming the friend and patron of the Christians.

(a) "withstood" 2Ti 3:8