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Choosing of the Seven

¹ Now about this time, when the number of ^(C1)disciples was ^(C2)increasing, a complaint was made by the ^(F1)(C3)Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) against the ^(F2)native ^(C4)Hebrews, because their ^(C5)widows were being overlooked in ^(C6)the daily serving of food.² So the ^(F1)Twelve called the disciples together and said, "It is not appropriate for us to neglect teaching the word of God in order to serve tables and manage the distribution of food.³ "Therefore, ^(C1)brothers, choose from among you seven men with good reputations men of godly character and moral integrity, ^(C2)full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.⁴ "But we will continue to ^(C1)devote ourselves steadfastly to prayer and to the ministry of the word."⁵ The suggestion pleased the whole congregation; and they selected ^(F1)(C1)Stephen, a man ^(C2)full of faith in Christ Jesus, and filled with and led by the Holy Spirit, and ^(C3)Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (Nikolaos), a ^(C4)proselyte (Gentile convert) from ^(C5)Antioch.⁶ They brought these men before the apostles; and after ^(C1)praying, they ^(C2)laid their hands on them to dedicate and commission them for this service.

⁷ And ^(C1)the message of God kept on growing and spreading, and ^(C2)the number of disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem; and a large number of the priests were becoming obedient to ^(C3)the faith accepting Jesus as Messiah and acknowledging Him as the Source of eternal salvation.

⁸ Now Stephen, full of grace (divine blessing, favor) and power, was doing great ^(C1)wonders and signs (attesting miracles) among the people.⁹ However, some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (freed Jewish slaves), both ^(C1)Cyrenians and ^(C2)Alexandrians, and some from ^(C3)Cilicia and the province of ^(C4)Asia, rose up and questioned and argued with Stephen.¹⁰ But they were not able to successfully withstand and cope with the wisdom and the intelligence and the power and inspiration of the Spirit by whom he was speaking.¹¹ Then to attack him another way they secretly instructed men to say, "We have heard this man Stephen speak blasphemous (slanderous, sacrilegious, abusive) words against Moses and against God."¹² And they provoked and incited the people, as well as the elders and the scribes, and they ^(C1)came up to Stephen and seized him and brought him before ^(C2)the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court).¹³ They presented ^(C1)false witnesses who said, "This man never stops speaking against this ^(C2)holy place and the Law of Moses;¹⁴ for we have heard him say that ^(C1)this Jesus the Nazarene will tear down this place and will change the ^(C2)traditions and customs which Moses handed down to us."¹⁵ Then all those who were sitting in the ^(C1)Council, stared intently at him, and they saw that Stephen's face was like the face of an angel.