Chapter 6

¹In those days, as the number of the disciples was increasing, complaints were made by the Greek-speaking Jews against the native Jews that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. ²So the Twelve called in the whole body of disciples and said to them,

“It is not desirable that we should give up preaching the word of God to keep accounts. ³You, brothers, must pick out from your number seven men of good standing, who are wise and full of the Spirit, and we will put them in charge of this matter, ⁴while we devote ourselves to prayer and to delivering the message.”

⁵This plan met the approval of the whole body, and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the holy Spirit, with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, who had been a convert to Judaism. ⁶They brought these men before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them.

⁷So God’s message continued to spread; the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a great many priests accepted the faith.

⁸Stephen, greatly strengthened by God’s favor, did remarkable signs and wonders among the people. ⁹But members of the synagogue known as that of the Libyans, Cyreneans, and Alexandrians, and men from Cilicia and Asia undertook to debate with Stephen, ¹⁰but they could not meet his wisdom and the inspiration with which he spoke. ¹¹So they instigated people to say,

“We have heard him use abusive language about Moses and about God.”

¹²They aroused the people, the elders, and the scribes, and they set upon him and seized him, and brought him before the council. ¹³Then they brought forward false witnesses, who said,

“This man is constantly saying things against this holy place and against the Law, ¹⁴for we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will tear this place down and change the customs that have been handed down to us by Moses.”

¹⁵Everyone who sat in the council fixed his eyes on him, and they saw that his face was like that of an angel.