Acts 6:1–10

Choosing of the Seven

1 Now 1at this time while the adisciples were bincreasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the 2cHellenistic Jews against the native dHebrews, because their ewidows were being overlooked in fthe daily serving of food.

2 So the twelve summoned the 1congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.

3 “Therefore, abrethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, bfull of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

4 “But we will adevote ourselves to prayer and to the 1ministry of the word.”

5 The statement found approval with the whole 1congregation; and they chose aStephen, a man bfull of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and cPhilip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and 2Nicolas, a 3dproselyte from eAntioch.

6 And these they brought before the apostles; and after apraying, they blaid their hands on them.

7 aThe word of God kept on spreading; and bthe number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to cthe faith.

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great awonders and 1signs among the people.

9 But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both aCyrenians and bAlexandrians, and some from cCilicia and 1dAsia, rose up and argued with Stephen.

10 But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.