Acts
Chapter 6
1 During that time, as the number of followers grew, the Greek-speaking followers complained against the Hebrew-speaking followers because their widows were not being helped every day.
2 The twelve gathered all the disciples and said, it isn’t right for us to stop teaching God’s word to help with meals.
3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be honest, filled with the Holy Spirit and wise, so we can put them in charge of this task.
4 We will keep praying and serving the message of God.
5 Everyone liked the idea, so they picked Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, who had converted to their faith.
6 They presented these men to the apostles, and after praying, the apostles placed their hands on them.
7 God’s message spread; the group of followers grew a lot in Jerusalem; and many priests started to follow the faith.
8 Stephen, full of trust and strength, performed amazing deeds and miracles among the people.
9 Some people from the synagogue called the synagogue of the Freedmen, along with Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia, started to argue with Stephen.
10 They could not argue against the wisdom and spirit he spoke with.
11 They influenced some people to lie, who said, “We heard him say disrespectful things about Moses and about God.”
12 They roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of the law, then they attacked him, seized him, and took him to the council.
13 They found lying witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the law.”
14 We heard him claim that this Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and will alter the traditions that Moses gave us.
15 Everyone in the council stared at him and saw his face shining like an angel’s.