6:5 Stephen. Stephen was destined to become the first Christian martyr other than John the Baptist (Acts 7:59-60).

6:5 Philip. Philip, like Stephen, was a powerful evangelist (Acts 8:5-8, 26-40). The same was probably true, according to tradition at least, of the other five as well. It may be significant that all seven had Hellenistic names, suggesting the church was very sensitive to the charge recorded in Acts 6:1.

6:5 Nicolas. Nicolas was not a Jew at all, but evidently a Syrian from Antioch. Either he, or later followers of his, were suggested by some early writers to have founded the compromising sect of the Nicolaitanes (Revelation 2:6, 15). This is unlikely, however.