Choosing of the Seven

6 Now ^[a]at this time, as the ^(A)disciples were ^(B)increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the ^[b](C)Hellenistic Jews against the native ^(D)Hebrews, because their ^(E)widows were being overlooked in ^(F)the daily serving of food. ² So the twelve summoned the ^[c]congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. ³ Instead, ^(G)brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, ^(H)full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. ⁴ But we will ^(I)devote ourselves to prayer and to the ^[d]ministry of the word.” ⁵ The ^[e]announcement found approval with the whole ^[f]congregation; and they chose ^(J)Stephen, a man ^(K)full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and ^(L)Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and ^[g]Nicolas, a ^[h](M)proselyte from ^(N)Antioch. ⁶ And they brought these men before the apostles; and after ^(O)praying, they ^(P)laid their hands on them.

^7 (Q)The word of God kept spreading; and ^(R)the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to ^(S)the faith.

⁸ And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great ^(T)wonders and ^[i]signs among the people. ⁹ But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both ^(U)Cyrenians and ^(V)Alexandrians, and some from ^(W)Cilicia and ^[j](X)Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they were unable to ^[k]cope with his 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 ^(Y)came up to him and dragged him away, and brought him ^[l]before ^(Z)the ^[m]Council. ¹³ They put forward ^(AA)false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop ^[n]speaking against this ^(AB)holy place and the Law; ¹⁴ for we have heard him say that ^(AC)this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and change ^(AD)the customs which Moses handed down to us.” ¹⁵ And all who were sitting in the ^[o](AE)Council stared at him, and they saw his face, which was like the face of an angel.

Acceptance and Opposition

14 In ^(A)Iconium ^(B)they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a way ^(C)that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of ^(D)Greeks. ² But ^(E)the ^[a](F)unbelieving Jews stirred up the ^[b]minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against ^(G)the brothers. ³ Therefore they spent a long time there ^(H)speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that ^[c](I)signs and wonders be performed by their hands. ^4 (J)But the ^[d]people of the city were divided; and some ^[e]sided with ^(K)the Jews, while others, with ^(L)the apostles. ⁵ And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and ^(M)the Jews with their rulers, to treat them abusively and to ^(N)stone them, ⁶ they became aware of it and fled to the cities of ^(O)Lycaonia, ^(P)Lystra and ^(Q)Derbe, and the surrounding region; ⁷ and there they continued to ^(R)preach the gospel.

⁸ In ^(S)Lystra ^(T)a man was sitting whose feet were incapacitated. He had been disabled from his mother’s womb, and had never walked. ⁹ This man was listening to Paul as he spoke. Paul ^(U)looked at him intently and saw that he had ^(V)faith to be ^[f]made well, ¹⁰ and he said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” ^(W)And the man leaped up and began to walk. ¹¹ When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the ^(X)Lycaonian language, “^(Y)The gods have become like men and have come down to us!” ¹² And they began calling Barnabas, ^[g]Zeus, and Paul, ^[h]Hermes, since he was ^[i]the chief speaker. ¹³ Moreover, the priest of Zeus, whose temple was ^[j]just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and ^(Z)wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. ¹⁴ But when ^(AA)the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they ^(AB)tore their ^[k]robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out ¹⁵ and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also ^(AC)men, of the same nature as you, ^(AD)preaching the gospel to you, to turn from these ^[l](AE)useless things to a ^(AF)living God, who ^(AG)made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything that is in them. ^16 [m]In past generations He ^(AH)permitted all the ^[n]nations to ^(AI)go their own ways; ¹⁷ yet ^(AJ)He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and ^(AK)gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, ^[o]satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” ¹⁸ And even by saying these things, only with difficulty did they restrain the crowds from offering sacrifices to them.

¹⁹ But ^(AL)Jews came from ^(AM)Antioch and ^(AN)Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they ^(AO)stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking that he was dead. ²⁰ But while ^(AP)the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for ^(AQ)Derbe. ²¹ And after they had ^(AR)preached the gospel to that city and had ^(AS)made a good number of disciples, they returned to ^(AT)Lystra, to ^(AU)Iconium, and to ^(AV)Antioch, ²² strengthening the souls of ^(AW)the disciples, encouraging them to continue in ^(AX)the faith, and saying, “^(AY)It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God.” ²³ When ^(AZ)they had appointed ^(BA)elders for them in every church, having ^(BB)prayed with fasting, they ^(BC)entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

²⁴ They passed through ^(BD)Pisidia and came into ^(BE)Pamphylia. ²⁵ When they had spoken the word in ^(BF)Perga, they went down to Attalia. ²⁶ From there they sailed to ^(BG)Antioch, ^(BH)where they had been ^(BI)entrusted to the grace of God for the work that they had ^[p]accomplished. ²⁷ When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to ^(BJ)report all the things that God had done with them and ^[q]how He had opened a ^(BK)door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they spent ^[r]a long time with ^(BL)the disciples.