Acts 6-7 - Prayer Tents

Acts 6

Seven Men Chosen to Serve

6But 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.G1161G1722G5025G2250G4129G3101G4129G1096G1112G1675G4314G1445G3754G846G5503G3865G1722G2522G1248 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.G1161G1427G4341G4128G3101G2036G2076G3756G701G2248G2641G3056G2316G1247G5132 3And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.G3767G80G1980G1537G5216G2033G435G3140G4134G40G4151G2532G4678G3739G2525G1909G5026G5532 4Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word."G1161G2249G4342G4335G2532G1248G3056 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).G2532G3056G700G1799G3956G4128G2532G1586G4736G435G4134G4102G2532G40G4151G2532G5376G2532G4402G2532G3527G2532G5096G2532G3937G2532G3532G4339G491 6These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.G3739G2476G1799G652G2532G4336G2007G5495G2007G846 7So God's message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.G2532G3056G2316G837G2532G706G3101G4129G1722G2419G4970G5037G4183G3793G2409G5219G4102

Stephen Is Arrested

8Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.G1161G4736G4134G4102G2532G1411G4160G3173G5059G2532G4592G1722G2992 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.G1161G450G5100G1537G4864G3588G3004G3032G2532G2956G2532G221G2532G575G2791G2532G773G4802G4736 10None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.G2532G2480G3756G2480G436G4678G2532G4151G3739G2980 11So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, "We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God."G5119G5260G435G3004G3754G191G846G2980G989G4487G1519G3475G2532G2316 12This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.G5037G4787G2992G2532G4245G2532G1122G2532G2186G4884G846G2532G71G1519G4892 13The lying witnesses said, "This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses.G5037G2476G5571G3144G3004G5127G444G3973G3756G2980G989G4487G2596G3778G40G5117G2532G3551 14We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us."G1063G191G846G3004G3754G5126G2424G3480G2647G3778G5117G2532G236G1485G3739G3475G3860G2254 15At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel's.G2532G537G2516G1722G4892G816G1519G846G1492G846G4383G5616G4383G32

Acts 7

Stephen Addresses the Council

7Then the high priest asked Stephen, "Are these accusations true?"G1161G2036G749G1487G686G2192G5023G37792This was Stephen's reply: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran.G1161G5346G435G80G2532G3962G191G2316G1391G3700G2257G3962G11G5607G1722G3318G4250G2228G846G2730G1722G54883God told him, 'Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.'G2532G2036G4314G846G1831G1537G4675G1093G2532G1537G4675G4772G2532G1204G1519G1093G3739G302G1166G46714So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live.G5119G1831G1537G1093G5466G2730G1722G5488G2547G3326G846G3962G599G3351G846G1519G5026G1093G1519G3739G5210G3568G27305"But God gave him no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the whole land would belong to Abraham and his descendants—even though he had no children yet.G2532G1325G846G3756G2817G1722G846G3761G968G4228G968G2532G1861G1325G846G846G1519G2697G2532G846G4690G3326G846G846G5607G3756G50436God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign land, where they would be oppressed as slaves for 400 years.G1161G2316G2980G3779G3754G846G4690G2071G3941G1722G245G1093G2532G1402G846G1402G2532G2559G5071G20947'But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,' God said, 'and in the end they will come out and worship me here in this place.'G2532G1484G3739G1437G1398G2919G1473G2919G2036G2316G2532G3326G5023G1831G2532G3000G3427G1722G5129G51178"God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time. So when Abraham became the father of Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day. And the practice was continued when Isaac became the father of Jacob, and when Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite nation.G2532G1325G846G1242G4061G2532G3779G1080G2464G2532G4059G846G3590G2250G2532G2464G2384G2532G2384G1427G39669"These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with himG2532G3966G2206G591G2501G1519G125G2532G2316G2258G3326G84610and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.G2532G1807G846G1537G3956G846G2347G2532G1325G846G5485G2532G4678G1726G5328G935G125G2532G2525G846G2233G1909G125G2532G3650G846G362411"But a famine came upon Egypt and Canaan. There was great misery, and our ancestors ran out of food.G1161G2064G3042G1909G3650G1093G125G2532G5477G2532G3173G2347G2532G2257G3962G2147G3756G552712Jacob heard that there was still grain in Egypt, so he sent his sons—our ancestors—to buy some.G1161G2384G191G5607G4621G1722G125G1821G2257G3962G441213The second time they went, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and they were introduced to Pharaoh.G2532G1722G1208G2501G319G846G80G2532G2501G1085G1096G5318G532814Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and all his relatives to come to Egypt, seventy-five persons in all.G1161G649G2501G3333G846G3962G2384G2532G3956G846G4772G1722G1440G4002G559015So Jacob went to Egypt. He died there, as did our ancestors.G1161G2384G2597G1519G125G2532G5053G846G2532G2257G396216Their bodies were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb Abraham had bought for a certain price from Hamor's sons in Shechem.G2532G3346G1519G4966G2532G5087G1722G3418G3739G11G5608G5092G694G3844G5207G1697G3588G496617"As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased.G1161G2531G5550G1860G1448G3739G2316G3660G11G2992G837G2532G4129G1722G12518But then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.G891G3739G2087G935G450G3739G1492G3756G250119This king exploited our people and oppressed them, forcing parents to abandon their newborn babies so they would die.G3778G2686G2257G1085G2559G2257G3962G4160G1570G846G1025G1519G2225G3361G222520"At that time Moses was born—a beautiful child in God's eyes. His parents cared for him at home for three months.G1722G3739G2540G3475G1080G2532G2258G2316G791G3739G397G1722G846G3962G3624G5140G337621When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son.G1161G846G1620G5328G2364G337G846G337G2532G397G846G1519G1438G520722Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.G2532G3475G3811G3956G4678G124G1161G2258G1415G1722G3056G2532G1722G204123"One day when Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel.G1161G5613G846G4137G5063G5550G305G1909G846G2588G1980G846G80G5207G247424He saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite. So Moses came to the man's defense and avenged him, killing the Egyptian.G2532G1492G5100G91G292G2532G1557G4160G2669G3960G12425Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn't.G1161G3543G846G80G4920G3754G2316G1223G846G5495G1325G4991G846G1161G4920G375626"The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker. 'Men,' he said, 'you are brothers. Why are you fighting each other?'G5037G1966G2250G3700G846G3164G2532G4900G846G1519G1515G2036G435G5210G2075G80G2444G91G24027"But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' he asked.G1161G91G4139G91G683G846G683G2036G5101G2525G4571G758G2532G1348G1909G224828'Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?'G3361G2309G4771G337G3165G3739G5158G337G124G550429When Moses heard that, he fled the country and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian. There his two sons were born.G1161G5343G3475G1722G5129G3056G2532G1096G3941G1722G1093G3099G3757G1080G1417G520730"Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush.G2532G5062G2094G4137G3700G846G1722G2048G3735G4614G32G2962G1722G5395G4442G94231When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he went to take a closer look, the voice of the LORD called out to him,G1161G3475G1492G2296G3705G1161G846G4334G2657G5456G2962G1096G4314G84632'I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses shook with terror and did not dare to look.G1473G2316G4675G3962G2316G11G2532G2316G2464G2532G2316G2384G1161G3475G1096G1790G5111G3756G265733"Then the LORD said to him, 'Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.G1161G2036G2962G846G3089G5266G4675G4228G1063G5117G1722G3739G2476G2076G40G109334I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.'G1492G1492G2561G3450G2992G3588G1722G125G2532G191G846G4726G2532G2597G1807G846G2532G3568G1204G649G4571G1519G12535"So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior.G5126G3475G3739G720G2036G5101G2525G4571G758G2532G1348G5126G2316G649G758G2532G3086G1722G5495G32G3588G3700G846G1722G94236And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.G3778G1806G846G1806G4160G5059G2532G4592G1722G1093G125G2532G1722G2063G2281G2532G1722G2048G5062G209437"Moses himself told the people of Israel, 'God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people.'G3778G2076G3475G3588G2036G5207G2474G4396G450G2962G5216G2316G450G5213G1537G5216G80G5613G1691G846G19138Moses was with our ancestors, the assembly of God's people in the wilderness, when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai. And there Moses received life-giving words to pass on to us.G3778G2076G1096G1722G1577G1722G2048G3326G32G3588G2980G846G1722G3735G4614G2532G2257G3962G3739G1209G2198G3051G1325G225439"But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt.G3739G2257G3962G2309G3756G1096G5255G235G683G2532G846G2588G4762G1519G12540They told Aaron, 'Make us some gods who can lead us, for we don't know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.'G2036G2G4160G2254G2316G3739G4313G2257G1063G3778G3475G3739G1806G2248G1537G1093G125G1492G3756G5101G1096G84641So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made.G2532G3447G1722G1565G2250G2532G321G2378G1497G2532G2165G1722G2041G846G549542Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods! In the book of the prophets it is written, 'Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during those forty years in the wilderness, Israel?G1161G2316G4762G2532G3860G846G3860G3000G4756G3772G2531G1125G1722G976G4396G3624G2474G3361G4374G3427G4968G2532G2378G5062G2094G1722G204843No, you carried your pagan gods—the shrine of Molech, the star of your god Rephan, and the images you made to worship them. So I will send you into exile as far away as Babylon.'G2532G353G4633G3434G2532G798G5216G2316G4481G5179G3739G4160G4352G846G2532G3351G5209G3351G1900G89744"Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle with them through the wilderness. It was constructed according to the plan God had shown to Moses.G2257G3962G2258G4633G3142G1722G1722G2048G2531G1299G2980G3475G4160G846G2596G5179G3739G370845Years later, when Joshua led our ancestors in battle against the nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory. And it stayed there until the time of King David.G3739G2532G2257G3962G1237G1521G3326G2424G1722G2697G1484G3739G2316G1856G575G4383G2257G3962G2193G2250G113846"David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob.G3739G2147G5485G1799G2316G2532G154G2147G4638G2316G238447But it was Solomon who actually built it.G1161G4672G3618G846G362448However, the Most High doesn't live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,G235G5310G2730G3756G1722G3485G5499G2531G3004G439649'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that?' asks the LORD. 'Could you build me such a resting place?G3772G3427G2362G1161G1093G3450G4228G5286G4169G3624G3618G3427G3004G2962G2228G5101G5117G3450G266350Didn't my hands make both heaven and earth?'G4160G3780G3450G5495G4160G3956G502351"You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That's what your ancestors did, and so do you!G4644G2532G564G2588G2532G3775G5210G496G104G496G40G4151G5613G5216G3962G2532G521052Name one prophet your ancestors didn't persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered.G5101G4396G1377G3756G5216G3962G1377G2532G615G3588G4293G4012G1660G1342G3739G5210G1096G3568G4273G2532G540653You deliberately disobeyed God's law, even though you received it from the hands of angels."G3748G2983G3551G1519G1296G32G2532G5442G3756G544254The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen's accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.G1161G191G5023G1282G2588G846G2532G1031G1909G846G359955But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand.G1161G5225G4134G40G4151G816G1519G3772G1492G1391G2316G2532G2424G2476G1537G1188G231656And he told them, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand!"G2532G2036G2400G2334G3772G455G2532G5207G444G2476G1537G1188G231657Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at himG1161G2896G3173G5456G4912G846G3775G2532G3729G1909G846G366158and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.G2532G1544G1854G4172G3036G2532G3144G659G846G2440G3844G3494G4228G2564G456959As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."G2532G3036G4736G1941G2532G3004G2962G2424G1209G3450G415160He fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" And with that, he died.G1161G5087G1119G2896G3173G5456G2962G2476G3361G5026G266G846G2532G2036G5124G2837