Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.
Then the Jews said to one another, “Where is this man about to go that we will not find him? Is he about to go to the Jews who are scattered among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?
But there were some Cypriot and Cyrenian men among them who went to Antioch and began speaking to the Hellenists, preaching the good news about the Lord Jesus.
Now at the church in Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon (who was called Niger), Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul.
But Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly, saying, “It was necessary for the word of God to be spoken first to you. But since you are rejecting it and do not judge yourselves to be worthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
Then it seemed good to the apostles and to the elders, together with the whole church, to send men chosen from among them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, leading men among the brothers,
After being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria and brought great joy to all the brothers when they described in detail the conversion of the Gentiles.
This proposal pleased the whole multitude, so they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, an Antiochean convert to Judaism.