Now 1at this
time
while the adisciples
were bincreasing
in number, a complaint
arose
on the part of the 2 cHellenistic
Jews against
the native dHebrews
, because
their ewidows
were being overlooked
in fthe daily
serving
of food.
So the twelve
summoned
the 1congregation
of the disciples
and said
, "It is not desirable
for us to neglect
the word
of God
in order to serve
tables
.
"Therefore, abrethren
, select
from among
you seven
men
of good
reputation
, bfull
of the Spirit
and of wisdom
, whom
we may put
in charge
of this
task
.
"But we will adevote ourselves
to prayer
and to the 1ministry
of the word
."
The statement found
approval
with the whole
1congregation
; and they chose
aStephen
, a man
bfull
of faith
and of the Holy
Spirit
, and cPhilip
, Prochorus
, Nicanor
, Timon
, Parmenas
and 2Nicolas
, a 3 dproselyte
from eAntioch
.
And these they brought
before
the apostles
; and after apraying
, they blaid
their hands
on them.
aThe word of God
kept on spreading
; and bthe number
of the disciples
continued to increase
greatly
in Jerusalem
, and a great
many
of the priests
were becoming
obedient
to cthe faith
.
And Stephen, full
of grace
and power
, was performing
great
awonders
and 1signs
among
the people
.
But some men
from what was called
the Synagogue
of the Freedmen
, including both
aCyrenians
and bAlexandrians
, and some
from cCilicia
and 1 dAsia
, rose
up and argued
with Stephen
.
But they were unable to cope
with the wisdom
and the Spirit
with which
he was speaking
.
Then they secretly
induced
men
to say
, "We have heard
him speak
blasphemous
words
against
Moses
and against God
."
And they stirred up the people
, the elders
and the scribes
, and they acame
up to him and dragged
him away
and brought
him 1before
bthe 2Council
.
They put forward
afalse
witnesses
who said
, "This
man
incessantly
speaks
against
this
bholy
place
and the Law
;
for we have heard him say
that athis
Nazarene
, Jesus
, will destroy
this
place
and alter
bthe customs
which
Moses
handed
down
to us."
And fixing their gaze
on him, all
who were sitting
in the 1 aCouncil
saw
his face
like
the face
of an angel
.