The statementfound approvalwith the wholecongregation;and they choseStephen,a manfullof faithand of the HolySpirit,and Philip,Prochorus,Nicanor,Timon,Parmenasand Nicolas,a proselytefrom Antioch.
Now the proposalseemedgoodto Pharaohand to allhis servants.
A gentleanswerturnsawaywrath,But a harshwordstirsup anger.
A manhas joyin an aptanswer,And howdelightfulis a timelyword!
On the otherhandI am filledwith power--With the Spiritof the LORD--And with justiceand courageTo makeknownto Jacobhis rebelliousact,Even to Israelhis sin.
"Woeto you, scribesand Pharisees,hypocrites,becauseyou travel aroundon seaand landto makeoneproselyte;and whenhe becomesone, you makehim twice as mucha sonof hellas yourselves.
So thenthosewho were scatteredbecauseof the persecutionthat occurredin connectionwith Stephenmade their wayto Phoeniciaand Cyprusand Antioch,speakingthe wordto no oneexceptto Jewsalone.
But there were someof them, menof Cyprusand Cyrene,whocameto Antiochand [began] speakingto the Greeksalso,preachingthe LordJesus.
The newsaboutthem reachedthe earsof the churchat Jerusalem,and they sentBarnabasoffto Antioch.
for he was a goodman,and fullof the HolySpiritand of faith.And considerablenumberswere broughtto the Lord.
and when he had foundhim, he broughthim to Antioch.And for an entireyearthey metwith the churchand taughtconsiderablenumbers;and the discipleswere firstcalledChristiansin Antioch.
Nowat thistimesome prophetscame downfrom Jerusalemto Antioch.
Nowthere were at Antioch,in the churchthat was [there], prophetsand teachers:Barnabas,and Simeonwho was calledNiger,and Luciusof Cyrene,and Manaenwho had been broughtup with Herodthe tetrarch,and Saul.
Thenit seemed goodto the apostlesand the elders,with the wholechurch,to choosemenfrom amongthem to sendto Antiochwith Pauland Barnabas--JudascalledBarsabbas,and Silas,leadingmenamongthe brethren,
And they were allfilledwith the HolySpiritand beganto speakwith othertongues,as the Spiritwas givingthem utterance.
On the next daywe leftand cameto Caesarea,and enteringthe houseof Philipthe evangelist,who was one of the seven,we stayedwith him.
And whenthe bloodof Your witnessStephenwas being shed,I alsowas standingby approving,and watchingout for the coatsof thosewho were slayinghim.'
But they were unableto copewith the wisdomand the Spiritwith whichhe was speaking.
"Therefore,brethren,selectfrom amongyou sevenmenof good reputation,fullof the Spiritand of wisdom,whomwe may put in chargeof thistask.
And Stephen,fullof graceand power,was performinggreatwondersand signsamongthe people.
The high priestsaid,"Are these thingsso?"
Soyou alsohavesome who in the same wayholdthe teachingof the Nicolaitans.
Yetthisyou do have,that you hatethe deedsof the Nicolaitans,whichI alsohate.
