Acts 6

Seven Men Chosen to Serve

6But as the believers

rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.G1161G1722G5025G2250G4129G3101G4129G1096G1112G1675G4314G1445G3754G846G5503G3865G1722G2522G1248 2So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, "We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program.G1161G1427G4341G4128G3101G2036G2076G3756G701G2248G2641G3056G2316G1247G5132 3And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.G3767G80G1980G1537G5216G2033G435G3140G4134G40G4151G2532G4678G3739G2525G1909G5026G5532 4Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word."G1161G2249G4342G4335G2532G1248G3056 5Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith).G2532G3056G700G1799G3956G4128G2532G1586G4736G435G4134G4102G2532G40G4151G2532G5376G2532G4402G2532G3527G2532G5096G2532G3937G2532G3532G4339G491 6These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.G3739G2476G1799G652G2532G4336G2007G5495G2007G846 7So God's message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.G2532G3056G2316G837G2532G706G3101G4129G1722G2419G4970G5037G4183G3793G2409G5219G4102

Stephen Is Arrested

8Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.G1161G4736G4134G4102G2532G1411G4160G3173G5059G2532G4592G1722G2992 9But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia.G1161G450G5100G1537G4864G3588G3004G3032G2532G2956G2532G221G2532G575G2791G2532G773G4802G4736 10None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.G2532G2480G3756G2480G436G4678G2532G4151G3739G2980 11So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, "We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God."G5119G5260G435G3004G3754G191G846G2980G989G4487G1519G3475G2532G2316 12This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council

.G5037G4787G2992G2532G4245G2532G1122G2532G2186G4884G846G2532G71G1519G4892 13The lying witnesses said, "This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses.G5037G2476G5571G3144G3004G5127G444G3973G3756G2980G989G4487G2596G3778G40G5117G2532G3551 14We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth

will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us."G1063G191G846G3004G3754G5126G2424G3480G2647G3778G5117G2532G236G1485G3739G3475G3860G2254 15At this point everyone in the high council

stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel's.G2532G537G2516G1722G4892G816G1519G846G1492G846G4383G5616G4383G32