Now in those days, while the adisciples were bmultiplying in number, there was grumbling from the 1cHellenists against the dHebrews, because their ewidows were being overlooked in fthe daily serving of food.Jews who adopted the Gr language and much of Gr culture through acculturationActs 11:26Acts 2:47; 6:7Acts 9:29; 11:202 Cor 11:22; Phil 3:5Acts 9:39, 41; 1 Tim 5:3Acts 4:35; 11:29 2 So the twelve summoned the 1congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not pleasing to God for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.Lit multitude 3 Therefore, abrothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, bfull of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this need.John 21:23; Acts 1:15Acts 2:4 4 But we will adevote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.”Acts 1:14 5 And this word pleased the whole 1congregation, and they chose aStephen, a man bfull of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and cPhilip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a 2dproselyte from eAntioch.Lit multitudeA Gentile convert to JudaismActs 6:8ff; 11:19; 22:20Acts 6:3; 11:24Acts 8:5ff; 21:8Matt 23:15Acts 11:19 6 And these they stood before the apostles, and after apraying, they blaid their hands on them.Acts 1:24Num 8:10; 27:18; Deut 34:9; Mark 5:23; Acts 8:17ff; 9:17; 13:3; 19:6; 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6; Heb 6:2
7 aAnd the word of God kept on spreading, and bthe number of the disciples continued to multiply greatly in Jerusalem, and a great 1many of the priests were becoming obedient to cthe faith.Lit crowdActs 12:24; 19:20Acts 6:1Acts 13:8; 14:22; Gal 1:23; 6:10; Jude 3, 20
8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great awonders and 1signs among the people.Or attesting miraclesJohn 4:48 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 were arguing with Stephen.West coast province of Asia MinorMatt 27:32; Acts 2:10Acts 18:24Acts 15:23, 41; 21:39; 22:3; 23:34; 27:5; Gal 1:21Acts 16:6; 19:10; 21:27; 24:18 10 But they were unable to oppose the wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and they acame up to him, dragged him away, and brought him to bthe Sanhedrin.Luke 20:1; Acts 4:1Matt 5:22 13 And they put forward afalse witnesses who said, “This man never ceases speaking words against this bholy place and the Law;Matt 26:59-61; Acts 7:58Matt 24:15; Acts 21:28; 25:8 14 for we have heard him say that athis Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and alter bthe customs which Moses handed down to us.”Matt 26:61Acts 15:1; 21:21; 26:3; 28:17 15 And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the aSanhedrin saw his face like the face of an angel.Matt 5:22