Seven Chosen to Serve
1 Now in these days ch. 2:41,47;4:4;5:14;[ver. 7] when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists6:1 That is, Greek-speaking Jews arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in [ch. 4:35]the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 [Deut. 1:13] Therefore, brothers,6:3 Or brothers and sisters pick out from among you seven men [1 Tim. 3:7] of good repute, ver. 5;ch. 7:55;11:24;[Luke 1:15;4:1]full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But See ch. 1:14we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, ch. 11:24a man full of faith and ver. 3of the Holy Spirit, and ch. 8:5;21:8Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, ch. 2:11;13:43;Matt. 23:15a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and ch. 1:24;13:3they prayed and 1 Tim. 4:14;5:22;2 Tim. 1:6;[ch. 8:17;9:17;19:6; Heb. 6:2]laid their hands on them.
7 And ch. 12:24;19:20;[Col. 1:5,6] the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests See Rom. 1:5became obedient to ch. 13:8;14:22;16:5the faith.
Stephen Is Seized
8 And Stephen, full of grace and See ch. 1:8power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But See Luke 21:14,15they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then [1 Kgs. 21:10,13;Matt. 26:59,60]they secretly instigated men who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they ver. 11set up false ch. 7:58witnesses who said, "This man never ceases to speak words against [ch. 21:28;25:8;Matt. 24:15]this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth [Dan. 9:26;Matt. 26:61] will destroy this place and will [Matt. 5:17] change ch. 15:1;21:21the customs that Moses delivered to us." 15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face [Judg. 13:6;Eccles. 8:1]was like the face of an angel.