V.
Did you notice,

“… they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.”

Hold that thought in mind as your return to this passage and read it once again.

V.
Acts 6:7-15 (NRSVue)

The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. They set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.” And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

VI.
It is interesting to me that we are not told Stephen was good at debate. We are not told he could convince anyone to change their mind. We are not told he wouldn’t stop arguing until he won the argument.

What we are told is he spoke with “… wisdom and the Spirit.”

How do you understand that? What would it be like to be in the presence of someone who spoke with “… wisdom and the Spirit”?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}