1 Now at this time while the adisciples were bincreasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the cHellenistic Jews against the native dHebrews, because their ewidows were being overlooked in fthe daily serving of food. 2 So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3 "Therefore, abrethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, bfull of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4 "But we will adevote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 5 The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose aStephen, a man bfull of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and cPhilip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a dproselyte from eAntioch. 6 And these they brought before the apostles; and after apraying, they blaid their hands on them. 7 aThe word of God kept on spreading; and bthe number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to cthe faith. 8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great awonders and signs among the people. 9 But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both aCyrenians and bAlexandrians, and some from cCilicia and dAsia, rose up and argued with Stephen. 10 But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God." 12 And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they acame up to him and dragged him away and brought him before bthe Council. 13 They put forward afalse witnesses who said, "This man incessantly speaks against this bholy place and the Law; 14 for we have heard him say that athis Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter bthe customs which Moses handed down to us." 15 And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the aCouncil saw his face like the face of an angel.