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Acts chapter 6

English Standard Version

1Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 5And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
7And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
8And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11Then they secretly instigated men who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." 12And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13and they set up false witnesses who said, "This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us." 15And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
New International Version

1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3Brothers and sisters, 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 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
5This 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. 6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
8Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9Opposition 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—who began to argue with Stephen. 10But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
11Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God."
12So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us."
15All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
New American Standard Bible

1Now at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. 2So 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. 3Instead, brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.' 5The announcement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. 6And they brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
7The word of God kept spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
8And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. 10But they were unable to cope with his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking. 11Then they secretly induced men to say, 'We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.' 12And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away, and brought him before the Council. 13They put forward false witnesses who said, 'This man does not stop speaking against this holy place and the Law; 14for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses handed down to us.' 15And all who were sitting in the Council stared at him, and they saw his face, which was like the face of an angel.
Christian Standard Bible

1In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. 2The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, "It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. 3Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. 4But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 5This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert from Antioch. 6They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.
8Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9Opposition arose, however, from some members of the Freedmen’s Synagogue, composed of both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, and they began to argue with Stephen. 10But they were unable to stand up against his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.
11Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God." 12They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; so they came, seized him, and took him to the Sanhedrin. 13They also presented false witnesses who said, "This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the law. 14For we heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us." 15And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
New Living Translation

1But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.
2So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, 'We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. 3And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. 4Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.'
5Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). 6These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.
7So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.
8Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. 9But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. 10None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.
11So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, 'We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.' 12This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.
13The lying witnesses said, 'This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. 14We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.'
15At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.
King James Version

1And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 2Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: 6Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
7And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
8And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. 9Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. 10And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. 11Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. 12And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, 13And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: 14For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. 15And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
New King James Version

1Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
5And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
7Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
8And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. 10And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. 11Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. 13They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; 14for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” 15And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

What does Acts chapter 6 mean?

Acts 6 is an introduction to the first Christian martyr and the start of real persecution against the church. Well over five thousand men, not to mention women and children, have chosen to follow Jesus (Acts 4:4; 5:14). The Jewish leadership take notice; they arrest the apostles, command they stop teaching in Jesus' name, and beat them (Acts 5:40). Their punishment has the opposite effect they'd hoped for; instead of intimidated, the apostles rejoice, knowing that if Jesus' enemies are persecuting them, they must be doing something right (Acts 5:41).

This chapter has two short sections. Acts 6:1–7 describes some of the growing pains of the early church and how the leadership responds. Jerusalem is in Judea; the residents speak Aramaic and some Hebrew. But many of the Jesus-followers in Jerusalem are not locals. Some came for a short trip but found Jesus, then stayed so they could learn more from the apostles (Acts 2:9–11, 42). Others followed the custom of returning to Jerusalem to die in the land of their people. The travelers do not have access to their assets back home, and the elderly may have had to leave their local synagogues that provided support. Local believers pool their resources to provide for everyone (Acts 2:44–45; 4:32–37).

Those Jews, and consequently those Jews who had become Jesus-followers, who lived in countries and territories with more Romans and Greeks were called "Hellenists." The prefix Helle- means "Greece," and Hellenist Jews spoke more Greek than Aramaic. There were so many Hellenist Jews in Jerusalem that people travelling from different territories had their own synagogues (Acts 6:9). The Jesus-followers from Judea naturally knew their own widows and provided for them, but they didn't necessarily know the widows from the other synagogues, so the Hellenist widows didn't always get what they needed. When the apostles learn this, they appoint seven men to take charge of dispersing the food fairly. One of these men is Stephen.

In the second section (Acts 6:8–15), Stephen proves to be more than just an honest man "full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5), he's also a great apologist who skillfully debates the Hellenist Jews who dispute the message of Jesus. These Jews cannot withstand his logic or the Holy Spirit working in his words, but they don't believe his message, so they incite men to falsely testify that Stephen speaks against Moses, God, and the temple. They accuse Stephen of the same charge of which the Sanhedrin accused Jesus: threatening to destroy the temple (Mark 14:58). Damaging a religious structure was against Roman law and punishable by death.

As we will see, Stephen's argument is much more subtle than his enemies accuse him of. He isn't saying he wants to destroy the temple. He's saying that the temple is not necessary to worship God. He's not wrong, but his unconventional way of looking at Jewish tradition leads to his status as the first Christian martyr (Acts 7).
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