Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 6:8

"And Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought great wonders and signs among the people." — Acts 6:8 (ASV)

Stephen has earlier been described as being “full of the Spirit and wisdom” (6:3) and “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (6:5). Now Luke says he was “full of God’s grace and power.” The three descriptions are complementary. The word “grace” was previously used by Luke to characterize both Jesus and the early church (Acts 4:33) and connotes “spiritual charm” or “winsomeness.” “Power” has already appeared in Acts in conjunction with “wonders and signs” (2:22) and “grace” (4:33) and connotes divine power expressed in mighty works.

Like Jesus and the apostles (cf. 2:22, 43; 5:12), Stephen is portrayed as having done “great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.” Just what these were, Luke does not say, though we are undoubtedly to think of them as being of the same nature as those done by Jesus and the apostles. Nor does Luke tell us just when these manifestations of divine power began in Stephen’s ministry. Perhaps they were a direct result of the laying on of the apostles’ hands (cf. 6:6).