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Acts 13:45
But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

Acts 17:17,18
Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him…

the synagogue.

Acts 22:19
And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

Acts 26:11
And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelledthem to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecutedthem even unto strange cities.

Matthew 10:17
But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

Cyrenians.

Acts 2:10
Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

Acts 11:20
And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.

Acts 13:1
Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Alexandrians.

Acts 18:24
And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man,and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.

Acts 27:6
And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.

Cilicia.

Acts 15:23,41
And they wroteletters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethrensend greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: …

Acts 21:39
But Paul said, I am a manwhich am a Jew of Tarsus,a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

Acts 22:3
I am verily a manwhich am a Jew, born in Tarsus,a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel,and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

Asia.

Acts 2:9
Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen
The Synagogue of the Freedmen likely consisted of Jews who were once slaves but had gained their freedom. These individuals may have been particularly zealous in their adherence to Jewish law, as they had a strong sense of identity and heritage to preserve. This synagogue was one of many in Jerusalem, serving as a place of worship and community for Jews from various regions.

including Cyrenians, Alexandrians
Cyrene was a city in North Africa, and Alexandria was a major city in Egypt. Both cities had significant Jewish populations. The mention of these groups highlights the diverse backgrounds of Jews in Jerusalem, reflecting the widespread dispersion of Jews throughout the Roman Empire. This diversity sometimes led to differing interpretations and practices within Judaism.

and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia
Cilicia and Asia were regions in what is now modern-day Turkey. The inclusion of these areas suggests that the synagogue was a gathering place for Hellenistic Jews, who were Greek-speaking and often more influenced by Greek culture. This cultural blend could lead to tensions with Hebraic Jews, who were more traditional.

They disputed with Stephen
Stephen was one of the seven deacons chosen to serve the early church, known for his wisdom and filled with the Holy Spirit. The disputes likely centered around theological issues, such as the interpretation of the Law and the role of Jesus as the Messiah. Stephen's teachings, which emphasized Jesus' fulfillment of the Law and the prophets, would have been controversial to those who held strictly to traditional Jewish beliefs. This confrontation foreshadows Stephen's eventual martyrdom, as recorded later in Acts.

Acts 6:9 opens with a word that signals conflict: “But.” Up to this point the church is growing (Acts 6:7), yet sudden pushback appears. Scripture consistently presents such tension as the normal backdrop of faithful witness (John 15:18–20;2 Timothy 3:12).

• Opposition does not surprise the Lord; He foretold it (Luke 21:12–15).

• The clash is spiritual at its core (Ephesians 6:12), even though it shows up through human voices.

A specific gathering of Hellenistic Jews—descendants of slaves once captured by Rome and later emancipated—steps forward. Their synagogue identity matters:

• Synagogues were centers for Scripture reading and theological debate (Luke 4:16;Acts 13:14–16).

• Freedmen valued both their Jewish heritage and their Roman status; Stephen’s proclamation of Jesus challenged their deeply held views of law and temple (Acts 6:13–14).

• The text reminds us that opposition can spring from religious settings that feel threatened by the grace of the gospel (Matthew 23:13;Galatians 4:29).

Luke lists regions stretching across North Africa and Asia Minor, highlighting the international flavor of the dispute.

• Many of these Jews had heard the gospel in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2:10–11) yet remained unconvinced.

• The mention of Cilicia likely places Saul of Tarsus (Acts 21:39) in the audience, foreshadowing his later role (Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–2).

• The gospel confronts every culture (Romans 1:16); geographic diversity does not dilute the singular need to respond to Christ.

The conversation becomes a formal debate. Stephen, “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5), stands firm.

• Though many voices rise against him, “they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke” (Acts 6:10), fulfilling Jesus’ promise (Luke 21:15).

• Stephen’s example models1 Peter 3:15—gentle yet uncompromising defense of the hope within.

• The confrontation escalates to false accusations (Acts 6:13) and ultimately martyrdom (Acts 7:58–60), illustrating the cost of bearing witness (Revelation 12:11).

Acts 6:9 records the first organized intellectual assault on the infant church. A cosmopolitan synagogue, proud of heritage and reason, rises against Stephen’s Christ-centered message. Yet even united cultural, religious, and regional forces cannot silence the Spirit’s wisdom flowing through a faithful servant. Opposition is inevitable, but the truth of Jesus remains unassailable, and God uses both resistance and testimony to advance His unstoppable kingdom (Acts 8:4;Philippians 1:12).

Cyrenians.--At Cyrene, also, on the north coast of Africa, lying between Egypt and Carthage, there was a large Jewish population. Strabo, quoted by Josephus, describes them as a fourth of the whole (Jos.Ant. xiv. 7, ? 2). They were conspicuous for the offerings they sent to the Temple, and had appealed to Augustus for protection against the irregular taxes by which the provincial governors sought to intercept their gifts (Jos.Ant. xvi. 6, ? 5). In Simon of Cyrene we have had a conspicuous member, probably a conspicuous convert, of this community. (See Note onMatthew 27:32.) Later on, clearly as the result of Stephen's teaching, they are prominent in preaching the gospel to the Gentiles of Antioch. We may think of Simon himself, and his two sons Alexander and Rufus (Mark 15:21), as probably members of this society.

Alexandrians.--Next to Jerusalem and Rome, there was, perhaps, no city in which the Jewish population was so numerous and influential as at Alexandria. Here, too, they had their own quarter, assigned to them by Ptolemy Philadelphus, and were governed, as if they were a free republic, by an ethnarch of their own (Jos.Ant. xiv. 7, ? 2). They were recognised as citizens by their Roman rulers (Ibid. xiv. 10, ? 1). From Alexandria had come the Greek version of the Old Testament, known from the legend of the seventy translators who had all been led to a supernatural agreement, as that of the Septuagint, or LXX., which was then in use among all the Hellenistic Jews throughout the empire, and largely read even in Palestine itself. There, at this time, living in fame and honour, was the great teacher Philo, the probable master of Apollos, training him, all unconsciously, to be the preacher of a wisdom higher than his own. The knowledge, or want of knowledge, with which Apollos appears on the scene, knowing only the baptism of John, forbids the assumption that he had been at Jerusalem after the Day of Pentecost (Acts 18:25), but echoes of the teaching of Stephen are found in that of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and it is not improbable that thoughts had been carried back to Alexandria by those who had thus been brought under his influence.

Of them of Cilicia.--Here we feel at once the interest of the name. The young Jew of Tarsus, the disciple of Gamaliel, could not fail to be among the leading members of this section of the second synagogue, exercising, in the fiery energy of his zeal, a dominant influence even over the others. . . .