“And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.”
But they could not stand up against the wisdom he spoke or the Spirit by whom he spoke - the 'wisdom' (sophia) and 'Spirit' (pneuma) of Stephen's words are irresistible (ou ischysan antistēnai, they were not strong enough to withstand). Luke echoes Jesus's promise that the Spirit will give words to his witnesses (Luke 21:15). Stephen's rhetoric operates at a level beyond human argumentation; it is the Spirit's own power deployed through human speech.
Church Fathers on Acts 6:10
Then there arose certain of them of the synagogue. Acts 6:9 Again he uses the phrase of rising up (ἀ νάστασιν, Hom. xiii. p. 81), to denote their exasperation and wrath. Here we have a great multitude. And observe the difference in the form of accusation: for since Gamaliel had stopped them from finding fault on the former plea, they bring in another charge. And there rose up, it says, certain of them of the synagogue of those who are called (τὥν λεγομένων. Edd. τἥς…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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