The Seven Chosen to Serve

(1 Timothy 3:8-13)

1And in these days, the disciples multiplying, there came a murmuring of the Hellenists at the Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily ministration, 2and the twelve, having called near the multitude of the disciples, said, ‘It is not pleasing that we, having left the word of God, do minister at tables; 3look out, therefore, brethren, seven men of you who are well testified of, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may set over this necessity, 4and we to prayer, and to the ministration of the word, will give ourselves continually.’ 5And the thing was pleasing before all the multitude, and they did choose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch, 6whom they did set before the apostles, and they, having prayed, laid on them [their] hands.

7And the word of God did increase, and the number of the disciples did multiply in Jerusalem exceedingly; a great multitude also of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Stephen Arrested

8And Stephen, full of faith and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people, 9and there arose certain of those of the synagogue, called of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia, and Asia, disputing with Stephen, 10and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit with which he was speaking; 11then they suborned men, saying — ‘We have heard him speaking evil sayings in regard to Moses and God.’ 12They did stir up also the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and having come upon [him], they caught him, and brought [him] to the sanhedrim; 13they set up also false witnesses, saying, ‘This one doth not cease to speak evil sayings against this holy place and the law, 14for we have heard him saying, That this Jesus the Nazarean shall overthrow this place, and shall change the customs that Moses delivered to us;’ 15and gazing at him, all those sitting in the sanhedrim saw his face as it were the face of a messenger.