Stephen Accused of Blasphemy

⁸ And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great ^(A)wonders and ^[a]signs among the people. ⁹ But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both ^(B)Cyrenians and ^(C)Alexandrians, and some from ^(D)Cilicia and ^[b](E)Asia, rose up and were arguing with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they were unable to oppose the wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking. ¹¹ Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” ¹² And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and they ^(F)came up to him, dragged him away, and brought him to ^(G)the Sanhedrin. ¹³ And they put forward ^(H)false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases speaking words against this ^(I)holy place and the Law; ¹⁴ for we have heard him say that ^(J)this Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and alter ^(K)the customs which Moses handed down to us.” ¹⁵ And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the ^(L)Sanhedrin saw his face like the face of an angel.

The Church in Antioch

^19 (A)So then those who were scattered because of the ^[a]persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way ^[b]to ^(B)Phoenicia and ^(C)Cyprus and ^(D)Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.

²⁰ And ^(A)when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and guarding the garments of those who were slaying him.’