Acts 6
1 During that time, many more people were becoming believers. [Some of them were from other countries and spoke only the Greek language, but most of them had always lived in Israel and spoke the Hebrew language]. Those who spoke Greek began to complain about those who spoke Hebrew. They were saying. “When [you Hebrew-speaking believers] distribute [food or money] to widows every day, you are not giving fair amounts to the widows who speak Greek!”
Now in those days, as the disciples were multiplying, a complaint arose from the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.
2 So, [after the] twelve [apostles had heard what they were complaining about], they summoned all the [other] believers [in Jerusalem to meet] together. Then the apostles said [to those other believers], “We [(exc)] would not be doing right if we stopped [preaching and teaching] God’s message [about Jesus] in order to distribute food [MTY] [and money to the widows]!
So summoning the multitude of the disciples the twelve said: “It is not advantageous that we should forsake the Word of God to serve at tables.
3 So, fellow believers, carefully choose seven men from among you, men whom [you] know that the Spirit [of God] controls completely and who are very wise. Then we [(exc)] will appoint them to do this work,
Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we will appoint over this need.
4 and we [(exc)] will devote our time to pray and to preach and teach the message [about Jesus].”
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.”
5 What the apostles recommended pleased all of the [other] believers. So they group chose Stephen. He was a man who strongly believed [in God] and whom the Holy Spirit controlled completely. [They also chose] Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas who was from Antioch [city]. Nicolas had accepted the Jewish religion [before he had believed in Jesus].
The statement pleased the whole multitude; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and Holy Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicholas, a proselyte from Antioch,
6 They brought these [seven] men to the apostles. Then after the apostles prayed [for those men], they placed their hands on [the heads of each one of] them [to appoint them to do that work].
whom they set before the Apostles; and after praying they laid hands on them.
7 So [the believers] continued to tell many people the message from God. (The number of people in Jerusalem who believed [in Jesus] was increasing greatly./More and more people in Jerusalem were believing in Jesus.) [Among them] were many [Jewish] priests who were believing the message [about Jesus].
Well the Word of God kept spreading, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem kept multiplying at a great rate, and a large company of the priests were obeying the faith.
8 God was enabling Stephen to do many things by God’s power. He was doing many amazing miracles among the [Jewish] people.
While Stephen, full of faith and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.
9 However, some people opposed Stephen. They were Jews from a group [that regularly met together in a Jewish meeting place that was] {[that people]} called the Freedmen’s Meeting Place. [Those people were from] Cyrene and Alexandria [cities] and [also] from Cilicia and Asia [provinces]. They all began to argue with Stephen.
Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen.
10 But they were not able (to refute [what he said/to prove that what he said was wrong]), [because God’s] Spirit enabled him to speak very wisely.
And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
11 Then that group secretly persuaded [some] men to [falsely accuse Stephen. saying], “We [(exc)] heard him say bad things about Moses and God.”
Then they instigated men to say, “We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
12 So, [by saying that], they made the [other Jewish] people angry [at Stephen, including] the elders and the teachers of the [Jewish] laws. Then [they all] seized Stephen and took him to the Jewish Council.
And they stirred up the people, and the elders and the scribes; and coming upon him they seized him, and brought him in to the Sanhedrin;
13 They [also] brought in some other men who accused Stephen falsely [about several things]. They said, “This fellow continually says bad things about this holy Temple and about the laws [that Moses received from God].
and they put forward false witnesses who said: “This man never stops speaking blasphemous words against the holy place and the law;
14 Specifically, we [(exc)] have heard him say that this Jesus from Nazareth [town] will destroy this Temple and will tell us to obey different customs than Moses [taught our ancestors].”
for we have heard him saying that this Jesus the Natsorean will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”
15 When all [the people] who were sitting in the Council [room heard that, and as they] all stared at Stephen, they saw that his face was [shining] [SIM] like the face of an angel.
All who sat in the council, looking intently at him, saw his face like the face of an angel.
