1In those days, as the number of disciples continued to grow, the Greek-speaking believers began complaining against the Aramaic-speaking believers because their widows were being overlooked in the daily food distribution.
2So the twelve apostles called together all the disciples and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of God's word in order to wait on tables.
3Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will put them in charge of this responsibility,
4while we devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
5This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, along with Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a convert to Judaism from Antioch.
6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem grew rapidly, and a large number of priests came to faith.
8Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
9But some men from the Synagogue of the Freedmen — as it was called — including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and people from Cilicia and Asia, began arguing with Stephen.
10But they could not stand up against the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.
11So they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God."
12They stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
13They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the law.
14We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us."
15All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.