Acts 6:1-7

Choosing of the Seven

1 Now at this time while the ¹disciples were ²increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the ³Hellenistic Jews against the native ⁴Hebrews, because their ⁵widows were being overlooked in ⁶the 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, ⁷brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, ⁸full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

4 "But we will ⁹devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

5 The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose ¹⁰Stephen, a man ¹¹full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and ¹²Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a ¹³proselyte from ¹⁴Antioch.

6 And these they brought before the apostles; and after ¹⁵praying, they ¹⁶laid their hands on them.

7 ¹⁷The word of God kept on spreading; and ¹⁸the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to ¹⁹the faith.

Cross References

• 1. Acts 11:26
• 2. Acts 2:47; Acts 6:7
• 3. Acts 9:29; Acts 11:20
• 4. 2 Corinthians 11:22; Philippians 3:5
• 5. Acts 9:39, 41; 1 Timothy 5:3
• 6. Acts 4:35; Acts 11:29
• 7. John 21:23; Acts 1:15
• 8. Acts 2:4
• 9. Acts 1:14
• 10. Acts 6:8f; Acts 11:19; Acts 22:20
• 11. Acts 6:3; Acts 11:24
• 12. Acts 8:5f; Acts 21:8
• 13. Matthew 23:15
• 14. Acts 11:19
• 15. Acts 1:24
• 16. Numbers 8:10; Numbers 27:18; Deuteronomy 34:9; Mark 5:23; Acts 8:17f; Acts 9:17; Acts 13:3; Acts 19:6; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6; Hebrews 6:2
• 17. Acts 12:24; Acts 19:20
• 18. Acts 6:1
• 19. Acts 13:8; Acts 14:22; Galatians 1:23; Galatians 6:10; Jude 3, 20

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "in these days"
• [b] Jews who adopted the Gr language and much of Gr culture through acculturation
• [c] Lit "multitude"
• [d] Or "service"
• [e] Lit "multitude"
• [f] Gr "Nikolaos"
• [g] I.e. a Gentile convert to Judaism