6:1 Now ①at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the ②Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.
▷ ①Lit in these days ②Jews who adopted the Gr language and much of Gr culture through acculturation
6:2 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.
▷ ①Lit multitude
6:3 Instead, brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.
6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ①ministry of the word.”
▷ ①Or service
6:5 The ①announcement found approval with the whole ②congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and ③Nicolas, a ④proselyte from Antioch.
▷ ①Lit word ②Lit multitude ③Gr Nikolaos ④I.e., a Gentile convert to Judaism
6:6 And they brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
6:7 The word of God kept spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
6:8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and ①signs among the people.
▷ ①I.e., confirming miracles
6:9 But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and ①Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen.
▷ ①I.e., west coast province of Asia Minor
6:10 But they were unable to ①cope with his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.
▷ ①Lit oppose
6:11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
6:12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away, and brought him ①before the ②Council.
▷ ①Lit into ②Or Sanhedrin
6:13 They put forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop ①speaking against this holy place and the Law;
▷ ①Lit speaking words
6:14 for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses handed down to us.”
6:15 And all who were sitting in the ①Council stared at him, and they saw his face, which was like the face of an angel.
▷ ①Or Sanhedrin