⁸Stephen was full of God’s grace and power. He did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. ⁹But members of the group called the Synagogue of the Freedmen began to oppose him. Some of them were Jews from Cyrene and Alexandria. Others were Jews from Cilicia and Asia Minor. They all began to argue with Stephen. ¹⁰But he was too wise for them. They couldn’t stand up against the Holy Spirit who spoke through him.

¹¹Then in secret they talked some men into lying about Stephen. They said, “We heard Stephen speak evil things against Moses. He also spoke evil things against God.”

¹²So the people were stirred up. The elders and the teachers of the law were stirred up too. They arrested Stephen and brought him to the Sanhedrin. ¹³They found people who were willing to tell lies. The false witnesses said, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place. He also speaks against the law. ¹⁴We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place. He says Jesus will change the practices that Moses handed down to us.”

¹⁵All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked right at Stephen. They saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

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