STEPHEN


Taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (C) 1978 by the New 
York Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

ACT 6:3  Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full 
of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them

5  This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of 
faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, 
Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

6  They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their 
hands on them.

8  Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and 
miraculous signs among the people.

9  Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen 
(as it was called)--Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces 
of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen,

10  but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he 
spoke.

11  Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen 
speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God."

12  So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the 
law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.

13  They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops 
speaking against this holy place and against the law.

14  For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this 
place and change the customs Moses handed down to us."

15  All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and 
they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

7:1  Then the high priest asked him, "Are these charges true?"

2  To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of 
glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, 
before he lived in Haran.

51  "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are 
just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!

52  Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even 
killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you 
have betrayed and murdered him--

53  you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels 
but have not obeyed it."

54  When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.

55  But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the 
glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

56  "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the 
right hand of God."

57  At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their 
voices, they all rushed at him,

58  dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the 
witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59  While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my 
spirit."

60  Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin 
against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.

8:1  And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great 
persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the 
apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

2  Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.

22:20  And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there 
giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.'

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