Acts 6

New American Standard Bible

Choosing of the Seven

6 Now ^[a]at this time, as the ^(A)disciples were ^(B)increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the ^[b]^(C)Hellenistic Jews against the native ^(D)Hebrews, because their ^(E)widows were being overlooked in ^(F)the daily serving of food. ²So the twelve summoned the ^[c]congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. ³Instead, ^(G)brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, ^(H)full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. ⁴But we will ^(I)devote ourselves to prayer and to the ^[d]ministry of the word.” ⁵The ^[e]announcement found approval with the whole ^[f]congregation; and they chose ^(J)Stephen, a man ^(K)full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and ^(L)Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and ^[g]Nicolas, a ^[h]^(M)proselyte from ^(N)Antioch. ⁶And they brought these men before the apostles; and after ^(O)praying, they ^(P)laid their hands on them.

⁷^(Q)The word of God kept spreading; and ^(R)the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to ^(S)the faith.

⁸And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great ^(T)wonders and ^[i]signs among the people. ⁹But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both ^(U)Cyrenians and ^(V)Alexandrians, and some from ^(W)Cilicia and ^[j]^(X)Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. ¹⁰But they were unable to ^[k]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 ^(Y)came up to him and dragged him away, and brought him ^[l]before ^(Z)the ^[m]Council. ¹³They put forward ^(AA)false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop ^[n]speaking against this ^(AB)holy place and the Law; ¹⁴for we have heard him say that ^(AC)this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and change ^(AD)the customs which Moses handed down to us.” ¹⁵And all who were sitting in the ^[o]^(AE)Council stared at him, and they saw his face, which was like the face of an angel.

Footnotes

Acts 6:1 Lit in these days
Acts 6:1 Jews who adopted the Gr language and much of Gr culture through acculturation
Acts 6:2 Lit multitude
Acts 6:4 Or service
Acts 6:5 Lit word
Acts 6:5 Lit multitude
Acts 6:5 Gr Nikolaos
Acts 6:5 I.e., a Gentile convert to Judaism
Acts 6:8 I.e., confirming miracles
Acts 6:9 I.e., west coast province of Asia Minor
Acts 6:10 Lit oppose
Acts 6:12 Lit into
Acts 6:12 Or Sanhedrin
Acts 6:13 Lit speaking words
Acts 6:15 Or Sanhedrin

1 Timothy 3

New American Standard Bible

Overseers and Deacons

3 ^(A)It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the ^(B)office of ^[a]overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. ²^[b]^(C)An overseer, then, must be above reproach, ^(D)the husband of one wife, ^[c]^(E)temperate, self-controlled, respectable, ^(F)hospitable, ^(G)skillful in teaching, ³^(H)not overindulging in wine, not ^[d]a bully, but gentle, not contentious, ^(I)free from the love of money. ⁴He must be one who ^(J)manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity ⁵(but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of ^(K)the church of God?), ⁶and not a new convert, so that he will not become ^(L)conceited and fall into ^(M)condemnation ^[e]incurred by the devil. ⁷And he must ^(N)have a good reputation with ^(O)those outside the church, so that he will not fall into ^[f]disgrace and ^(P)the snare of the devil.

⁸^(Q)Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not ^[g]insincere, ^(R)not prone to drink much wine, ^(S)not greedy for money, ⁹^(T)but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. ¹⁰^(U)These men must also first be tested; then have them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. ¹¹^[h]Women must likewise be dignified, ^(V)not malicious gossips, but ^[i]^(W)temperate, faithful in all things. ¹²^(X)Deacons must be ^(Y)husbands of one wife, and ^[j]^(Z)good managers of their children and their own households. ¹³For those who have served well as deacons ^(AA)obtain for themselves a ^[k]high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; ¹⁵but ^[l]in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one should act in ^(AB)the household of God, which is the ^(AC)church of ^(AD)the living God, the ^(AE)pillar and support of the truth. ¹⁶Beyond question, great is ^(AF)the mystery of godliness:

He who was ^(AG)revealed in the flesh,
Was ^[m]^(AH)vindicated ^[n]in the Spirit,
^(AI)Seen by angels,
^(AJ)Proclaimed among the nations,
^(AK)Believed on in the world,
^(AL)Taken up in glory.