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The believers choose seven men

6 At that time, more and more people became disciples of Jesus. Among the believers, some were Jews who spoke the Greek language. Others were Jews who spoke the Aramaic language. The Jews who spoke Greek had a problem with the other Jews. They said, ‘The widows in our group do not receive the right help. Each day, when you give out the food and money, our widows receive less than they should get.’ ^{[ a ]}

² The 12 apostles heard about the problem. They told all the believers to meet together with them. The apostles said, ‘Our work is to teach people God's message about Jesus. We do not have time to give out the food and money to people as well. ³ So, friends, please choose seven men from among you. You must know that each of them is full of the Holy Spirit. They must also be very wise. We will ask these seven men to do this work for us. ⁴ Then we will have more time to pray. We will also have more time to teach people God's message.’

⁵ The whole group of believers was happy with the apostles' words. So first they chose a man called Stephen. Stephen believed strongly in God and he was full of the Holy Spirit. The believers also chose six other men: Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas. Nicolas was from Antioch. He was not born as a Jew, but he had joined the Jews later. ⁶ The group of believers put these seven men in front of the apostles. The apostles prayed for each man and they put their hands on them. They gave them authority to do this special work.

⁷ So more and more people heard the message from God. The number of people in Jerusalem who believed in Jesus grew more and more. Many of the Jewish priests also believed the message about Jesus. ^{[ b ]}

The important Jews take hold of Stephen

⁸ God helped Stephen in many special ways. God's power was with him. He did many miracles among the people which showed that God was with him. ⁹ But some men spoke against Stephen. They did not agree with what he taught people. These men were from one of the Jewish meeting places in Jerusalem. People called them, ‘The Group of Free Men’. These men were Jews from the cities called Cyrene and Alexandria. Some of them were from towns in Cilicia and Asia. They began to argue with Stephen. ¹⁰ But the Holy Spirit helped Stephen to be very wise when he spoke. So these men could not say that he was wrong.

¹¹ Then those men secretly gave money to some bad men. They told them to say to the Jewish leaders, ‘We heard this man, Stephen, say bad things against Moses and against God.’

¹² This made the people become angry against Stephen. The important Jews and the teachers of God's Law also became very angry. So they took hold of Stephen. They took him to stand in front of the group of Jewish leaders. ¹³ Then they brought in some men to say bad things about Stephen. The things that these men said were not true. They said about Stephen, ‘This man is always saying bad things about the temple. He says bad things against God's Law. ¹⁴ We also heard him talk about Jesus, the man who comes from Nazareth. He said that Jesus will destroy this place. He also said that Jesus will change the way that Moses taught us to live.’

¹⁵ All the Jewish leaders who sat there in the meeting looked carefully at Stephen. They saw that his face was very bright, like the face of an angel.

Footnotes

6:1 Greek was the language that people spoke in Greece. The Jews who were born in Israel spoke the Aramaic language.
6:7 A very large number of priests lived in Jerusalem and they worked in the temple.

Seven Men Chosen for a Special Work

6 More and more people were becoming followers of Jesus. But during this same time, the Greek-speaking followers began to complain against the other Jewish followers. They said that their widows were not getting their share of what the followers received every day. ² The twelve apostles called the whole group of followers together.

The apostles said to them, “It would not be right for us to give up our work of teaching God’s word in order to be in charge of getting food to people. ³ So, brothers and sisters, choose seven of your men who have a good reputation. They must be full of wisdom and the Spirit. We will give them this work to do. ⁴ Then we can use all our time to pray and to teach the word of God.”

⁵ The whole group liked the idea. So they chose these seven men: Stephen (a man with great faith and full of the Holy Spirit), Philip, ^{[ a ]} Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus (a man from Antioch who had become a Jew). ⁶ Then they put these men before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. ^{[ b ]}

⁷ The word of God was reaching more and more people. The group of followers in Jerusalem became larger and larger. Even a big group of Jewish priests believed and obeyed.

Some Jews Against Stephen

⁸ Stephen received a great blessing. God gave him power to do great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. ⁹ But some of the Jews there were from the synagogue of Free Men, as it was called. The group included Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia. They started arguing with Stephen. ¹⁰ But the Spirit was helping him speak with wisdom. His words were so strong that these Jews could not argue with him.

¹¹ So they told some men to say, “We heard Stephen say bad things against Moses and against God!” ¹² By doing this, these Jews upset the people, the older Jewish leaders, and the teachers of the law. They became so angry that they came and grabbed Stephen and took him to a meeting of the high council.

¹³ The Jews brought some men into the meeting to tell lies about Stephen. These men said, “This man is always saying things against this holy place and against the Law of Moses. ¹⁴ We heard him say that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and change what Moses told us to do.” ¹⁵ Everyone there in the council meeting was staring at Stephen. They saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.

Footnotes

Acts 6:5 Philip Not the apostle named Philip.
Acts 6:6 laid their hands on them This act was a way of asking God to bless people in a special way—to heal them, to cause the Holy Spirit to come into them, or to give them power for a special work.

6 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

² Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

³ Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

⁴ But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

⁵ And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

⁶ Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

⁷ And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

⁸ And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

⁹ Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

¹⁰ And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

¹¹ Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

¹² And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,

¹³ And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

¹⁴ For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.

¹⁵ And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

The Choosing of the Seven

6 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, ^{( A )} the Hellenistic Jews ^{[ a ]} ^{( B )} among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows ^{( C )} were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. ^{( D )} ² So the Twelve gathered all the disciples ^{( E )} together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God ^{( F )} in order to wait on tables. ³ Brothers and sisters, ^{( G )} choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit ^{( H )} and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them ^{( I )} ⁴ and will give our attention to prayer ^{( J )} and the ministry of the word.”

⁵ This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, ^{( K )} a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; ^{( L )} also Philip, ^{( M )} Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. ⁶ They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed ^{( N )} and laid their hands on them. ^{( O )}

⁷ So the word of God spread. ^{( P )} The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, ^{( Q )} and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Stephen Seized

⁸ Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs ^{( R )} among the people. ⁹ Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene ^{( S )} and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia ^{( T )} and Asia ^{( U )} —who began to argue with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke. ^{( V )}

¹¹ Then they secretly ^{( W )} persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” ^{( X )}

¹² So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. ^{( Y )} ¹³ They produced false witnesses, ^{( Z )} who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place ^{( AA )} and against the law. ¹⁴ For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place ^{( AB )} and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” ^{( AC )}

¹⁵ All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin ^{( AD )} looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Footnotes

Acts 6:1 That is, Jews who had adopted the Greek language and culture

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Table of Contents

The believers choose seven men

The important Jews take hold of Stephen

Footnotes

Seven Men Chosen for a Special Work

Some Jews Against Stephen

Footnotes

Choosing of the Seven

Footnotes

Cross references

The Choosing of the Seven

Stephen Seized

Footnotes

Cross references

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The believers choose seven men

The important Jews take hold of Stephen

Footnotes

Seven Men Chosen for a Special Work

Some Jews Against Stephen

Footnotes

Choosing of the Seven

Footnotes

Cross references

The Choosing of the Seven

Stephen Seized

Footnotes

Cross references

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