The first deacons
- And in these days, with the disciples multiplying, a complaint arose from the Hellenistic believers against the Hebrew believers because their widows were being overlooked in the daily ministry of food.
- And having summoned the multitude of the disciples, the twelve said: “It isn’t fitting for us to abandon the word of God to serve tables.
- “And brothers, select seven well-attested men from among yourselves who are full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we will appoint over this need.
- “And we will steadfastly devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.”
- And the statement was pleasing in the sight of all the multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas, a convert to Judaism from Antioch,
- men whom they stood before the apostles. And having prayed, they laid hands on them.
Stephen is arrested
- And the word of God was increasing, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem was multiplying exceedingly, and a numerous multitude of priests were obeying the faith.
- And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great signs and wonders among the people.
- But some men from the synagogue called “Freedmen” (which also included Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from Cilicia and Asia) arose, arguing with Stephen.
- And they weren’t able to stand against the wisdom and the Spirit by which he was speaking.
- And they convinced men to perjure themselves by saying: “We *heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
- They stirred up both the people and the elders, and the scribes. And having ambushed him, they seized him and brought him into the Sanhedrin.
- They also set up lying witnesses who were saying: “This man doesn’t cease speaking words against this holy place and the law,
- “for we *heard him saying that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs that Moses handed down to us.
- And having fixed their eyes on him, all the men sitting in the Sanhedrin saw that his face was like an angel’s face.