Church Leadership Roles Expand

Acts 6

In those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, a complaint arose from the culturally Greek Jews against the culturally Hebraic Jews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily deacon-work. The Twelve called together whole group of disciples and said, “It is not appropriate for us to forsake the word of God to minister at tables. Therefore, siblings, select seven men from among y’all who have a reputation of being full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and whom we may appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the deacon-work of the word.”

This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert to Judaism from Antioch. They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

So the word of God spread, the number of the disciples increased rapidly in Jerusalem, and a large group of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Persecution Intensifies with Stephen

Now Stephen, full of grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. However, some members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and began to argue with Stephen. Yet they weren’t able to stand up against the wisdom and the Spirit by whom he spoke. Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God,” which incited the people, the elders, and the scribes. Then they came up to him, seized him, and took him to the Sanhedrin. They also put forward false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the Law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.