The Early Church

And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles unto them, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.

And every day, in the temple and at home, they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ.

Now in these days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

And the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not fit that we should forsake the word of God, and serve tables.

Look ye out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

But we will continue stedfastly in prayer, and in the ministry of the word.

And the saying pleased the whole multitude: 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 Nicolaüs a proselyte of Antioch;

whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands upon them.

And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

And Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought great wonders and signs among the people.

But there arose certain of them that were of the synagogue calledthe synagogueof the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen.

And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake.

Then they suborned men, who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and seized him, and brought him into the council,

and set up false witnesses, who said, This man ceaseth not to speak words against this holy place, and the law:

for we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered unto us.

And all that sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

And the high priest said, Are these things so?

And he said, Brethren and fathers, hearken: The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,

and said unto him, Get thee out of thy land, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee.

Then came he out of the land of the Chaldæans, and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, God removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell:

and he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: and he promised that he would give it to him in possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

And God spake on this wise, that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and that they should bring them into bondage, and treat them ill, four hundred years.

And the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.