Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 173:690 (Apr 2016)
Article: Diaspora Jewish Freedmen: Stephen’s Deadly Opponents
Author: Robin G. Thompson

BSac 173:690 (April-June 2016) p. 166

Diaspora Jewish Freedmen:
Stephen’s Deadly Opponents

Robin G. Thompson

Robin G. Thompson is a Ph.D. student at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Abstract

The question of who Stephen’s opponents are in Acts 6:9 involves matters of syntax, historicity, and cultural identity. Attention to these matters leads to the proposal that all of Stephen’s opponents were Diaspora Jewish freedmen who had relocated back to Jerusalem, which sheds light on why they so fiercely opposed Stephen.

In his second account to Theophilus, Luke traced the proclamation of the gospel and the establishment and growth of the new community of believers that followed in its wake. But almost from the beginning, those who proclaimed this gospel encountered opposition and persecution. And while the persecution began with the temple authorities opposing the apostles (Acts 4:1; 5:17), it turned deadly when Stephen encountered the wrath of his fellow Hellenistic Jews, at least some of whom were from the Synagogue of the Freedmen (6:9). These Jews argued with Stephen, and when they could not refute him, they created false charges, stirred up the crowd, and brought Stephen before the council of the Sanhedrin. Stephen’s speech in response to their allegations infuriated them and resulted in his stoning.

Who were these Jews and why were they so incensed by Stephen’s message? While Luke specifically identified these opponents in Acts 6:9, this verse is notoriously difficult to understand. Commentators see either Jews from one Synagogue of the Freedmen with members from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia, or multiple synagogues representing two or more of these groups. All scholars identify these people as Diaspora Jews. And while

BSac 173:690 (April-June 2016) p. 167

commentators explain that freedmen are freed slaves,1 the identity of this group is then left to the side, with the focus shifting back to the general category of Diaspora Jews. However, Diaspora Jews who had been enslaved and later manumitted by their owners experienced a significantly different life than their fellow Diaspora Jews.

Before manumission, these Jewish slaves would have been bought and sold as property, with no regard for their personhood. Seneca (ca. 4 BC–AD 65) commented, “When you buy a horse, you order its blanket to be removed; you pull off the garments from slaves that are advertised for sale, so ...