1 Now in these dayskch. 2:41, 47; 4:4; 5:14; [ver. 7] when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected inl[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 m[Deut. 1:13] Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven menn[1 Tim. 3:7] of good repute,over. 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 ButpSee ch. 1:14 we 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,qch. 11:24 a man full of faith andrver. 3 of the Holy Spirit, andsch. 8:5; 21:8 Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus,tch. 2:11; 13:43; Matt. 23:15 a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, anduch. 1:24; 13:3 they prayed andv1 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 Andwch. 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 priestsxSee Rom. 1:5 became obedient toych. 13:8; 14:22; 16:5 the faith.
8 And Stephen, full of grace andzSee ch. 1:8 power, 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 ButaSee Luke 21:14, 15 they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Thenb[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 theycver. 11 set up falsedch. 7:58 witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words againste[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 Nazarethf[Dan. 9:26; Matt. 26:61] will destroy this place and willg[Matt. 5:17] changehch. 15:1; 21:21 the customs that Moses delivered to us. ” 15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his facei[Judg. 13:6; Eccles. 8:1] was like the face of an angel.