The Acts of the Apostles

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- Kapitel 6 -

(1 Timothy 3:8–13)

During that time, many more people were becoming believers. The non-native Jews began to complain about the native born Israelites, because the widows among them were not receiving their fair share of food every day.

So, after the twelve apostles had heard what they were saying, they summoned all the other believers in Jerusalem to meet together. Then the apostles said to them, “We would not be doing right if we stopped preaching and teaching God’s message in order to distribute food to people!

So, fellow believers, carefully choose seven men from among you, men whom you know that the Spirit of God directs and who are very wise. Then we will instruct them to do this work.

As for us, we will keep on using our time to pray and to preach and teach the message about Jesus.”

What the apostles recommended pleased all of the other believers. So they chose Stephen, a man who strongly believed in God and whom the Holy Spirit controlled completely. They also chose Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, who was from the city of Antioch. Nicolas had accepted the Jewish religion before he had believed in Jesus.

The believers brought these seven men to the apostles. Then the apostles prayed for those men and placed their hands on the heads of each one of them to cause them to do that work.

So the believers continued to tell many people the message from God. The number of people in Jerusalem who believed in Jesus was increasing greatly. Among them were many Jewish priests who were following the message about how they should trust in Jesus.

The Arrest of Stephen

God was giving Stephen power to do many amazing miracles among the people that showed that the message about Jesus was true.

However, some people opposed Stephen. They were Jews from a group that regularly met together in a synagogue that was called the Freedmen’s Synagogue, and also people from the cities of Cyrene and Alexandria and from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They all began to argue with Stephen.

But they were not able to prove that what he said was wrong, because God’s Spirit enabled him to speak very wisely.

So they secretly persuaded some men to falsely accuse Stephen. Those men said, “We heard him say bad things about Moses and God.”

So they made the other Jewish people angry at Stephen, including the elders and the teachers of the Jewish laws. Then they all seized Stephen and took him to the Jewish council.

They also brought in some men and paid them money so they would give false testimony. They said, “This fellow keeps saying bad things about this holy temple and about the laws that Moses received from God.

What we mean is that we have heard him say that this Jesus from the town of Nazareth will destroy this temple and will tell us to obey different customs than Moses taught our ancestors.”

All the people in the council room stared at Stephen and saw that his face resembled the face of an angel.

(1 Timothy 3:8–13)

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, a complaint arose from the Hellenists(a) against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily service.

The twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not appropriate for us to forsake the word of God and serve tables.

Therefore, select from among you, brothers, seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.”

These words pleased the whole multitude. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch,

whom they set before the apostles. When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

The word of God increased and the number of the disciples greatly multiplied in Jerusalem. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

The Arrest of Stephen

Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.

But some of those who were of the synagogue called “The Libertines”, and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen.

They weren’t able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”

They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and came against him and seized him, then brought him in to the council,

and set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.

For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”

All who sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face like it was the face of an angel.

Fußnoten

(a)6:1 The Hellenists used Greek language and culture, even though they were also of Hebrew descent.