Acts 6

₁Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. ₂And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. ₃Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. ₄But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” ₅And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. ₆These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

₇And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

₈And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. ₉Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. ₁₀But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. ₁₁Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” ₁₂And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, ₁₃and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, ₁₄for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” ₁₅And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.