选立执事

那时,门徒的人数与日俱增。当中有些讲希腊话的犹太人埋怨讲希伯来话的犹太人,说对方在日常分配食物的事上怠慢了他们的寡妇。 于是,十二使徒召集所有的门徒,对他们说:“我们不应该忽略传上帝的道,去管理膳食。 弟兄姊妹,请从你们中间选出七位声誉良好、被圣灵充满、有智慧的人来负责膳食, 而我们要专心祈祷和传道。”

大家一致同意,便选出充满信心、被圣灵充满的司提凡,此外还有腓利、伯罗哥罗、尼迦挪、提门、巴米拿,以及曾信过犹太教、来自安提阿的外族人尼哥拉。 大家将这七个人带到使徒面前。使徒把手按在他们身上,为他们祷告。

上帝的道兴旺起来,耶路撒冷的门徒大大增多,连许多祭司也皈信了。

司提凡被捕

司提凡得到极大的恩典和能力,在百姓中间行了惊人的神迹奇事。 但有些来自古利奈、亚历山大、基利迦和亚细亚、属于“自由人[a]会堂”的犹太人联合起来与司提凡辩论。 10 他们无法驳倒司提凡,因为他靠着智慧和圣灵说话。

11 于是,他们暗中唆使一些人诬告司提凡说:“我们听见他说亵渎摩西和上帝的话!” 12 又煽动百姓、长老和律法教师抓住司提凡,把他押到公会。 13 他们还派人作伪证说:“司提凡常常讲侮辱圣地[b]和律法的话。 14 我们听见他说那个拿撒勒人耶稣要毁坏圣殿,还要摒弃摩西传给我们的规矩。” 15 在场的人都盯着司提凡,只见他的容貌好像天使一样。

Footnotes

  1. 6:9 自由人”指的是原为奴隶,后来获得自由的人。
  2. 6:13 圣地”指“圣殿”。

選出七位執事

門徒不斷增加的時候,講希臘話的猶太人,埋怨本地的希伯來人,因為在日常的供給上,忽略了他們的寡婦。 於是十二使徒召集了眾門徒,說:“要我們放下 神的道,去管理伙食,是不合適的。 所以弟兄們,應當從你們中間選出七個有好見證、滿有聖靈和智慧的人,我們就派他們負責這事。 至於我們,我們要專心祈禱、傳道。” 這個意見全會眾都很滿意,於是選出司提反,他是一位滿有信心和聖靈的人,還有腓利、伯羅哥羅、尼加挪、提門、巴米拿,以及歸信猶太教的安提阿人尼哥拉, 叫他們站在使徒面前。使徒禱告後,就為他們按手。  神的道傳開了;在耶路撒冷,門徒人數大大增加,有很多祭司也信從了真道。

司提反被捕

司提反滿有恩惠能力,在民間施行大奇事和神蹟。 當時有幾個稱為“自由人”會堂的人,就是從古利奈和亞歷山太來的人,另外還有基利家人和亞西亞人,他們出面與司提反辯論, 10 但司提反靠著聖靈和智慧說話,他們就抵擋不住。 11 於是他們唆使眾人,說:“我們聽過他說謗瀆摩西和 神的話。” 12 又煽動民眾、長老、經學家,這些人就來捉拿他,把他帶到公議會, 13 並且造了假的證供說:“這人不斷抨擊聖地和律法。 14 我們聽他說過:‘這拿撒勒人耶穌要毀壞這地方,改變摩西傳給我們的規例。’” 15 當時,坐在公議會裡的人,都注視他,見他的面貌像天使一樣。

The First Seven Deacons Appointed

Now in these days, as[a] the disciples were increasing in number,[b] a complaint arose by the Greek-speaking Jews[c] against the Hebraic Jews[d] because[e] their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.[f] So the twelve summoned the community of disciples and[g] said, “It is not desirable that we neglect the word of God to serve tables. So, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation,[h] full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we will put in charge of this need. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And the statement pleased the whole group, 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 convert from Antioch), whom they stood before the apostles. And they prayed and[i] placed their[j] hands on them.

And the word of God kept spreading, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem was increasing greatly, and a large number of priests began obeying[k] the faith.

Stephen Arrested

Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. But some of those from the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called),[l] both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia,[m] stood up and[n] disputed with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God!” 12 And they incited the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came up and[o] seized him and brought him[p] to the Sanhedrin.[q] 13 And they put forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop speaking words against the holy place[r] and the law! 14 For we have heard him saying that this Nazarene Jesus will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” 15 And as they[s] looked intently at him, all those who were sitting in the Sanhedrin[t] saw his face was like the face of an angel.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 6:1 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“were increasing”)
  2. Acts 6:1 *The words “in number” are not in the Greek text but are implied
  3. Acts 6:1 Literally “Hellenists”
  4. Acts 6:1 Literally “Hebrews”
  5. Acts 6:1 Or “that”
  6. Acts 6:1 *The words “of food” are not in the Greek text but are implied
  7. Acts 6:2 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“summoned”) has been translated as a finite verb
  8. Acts 6:3 Literally “well spoken of”
  9. Acts 6:6 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“prayed”) has been translated as a finite verb
  10. Acts 6:6 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  11. Acts 6:7 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began obeying”)
  12. Acts 6:9 Literally “called”
  13. Acts 6:9 A reference to the Roman province of Asia (modern Asia Minor)
  14. Acts 6:9 Here “and” is supplied because the participle (“disputed”) has been translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style
  15. Acts 6:12 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came up”) has been translated as a finite verb
  16. Acts 6:12 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  17. Acts 6:12 Or “council”
  18. Acts 6:13 Some manuscripts have “this holy place”
  19. Acts 6:15 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“looked intently”) which is understood as temporal
  20. Acts 6:15 Or “council”