Stephen Seized

⁸ Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs^(A) among the people. ⁹ Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene^(B) and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia^(C) and Asia^(D)—who began to argue with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.^(E)

¹¹ Then they secretly^(F) persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”^(G)

¹² So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.^{(H) 13} They produced false witnesses,^(I) who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place^(J) and against the law. ¹⁴ For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place^(K) and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”^(L)

¹⁵ All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin^(M) looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”^(A)

²⁰ They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” ²¹ But the temple he had spoken of was his body.^{(B) 22} After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.^(C) Then they believed the scripture^(D) and the words that Jesus had spoken.

²³ Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,^(E) many people saw the signs^(F) he was performing and believed^(G) in his name.^{[a] 24} But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. ²⁵ He did not need any testimony about mankind,^(H) for he knew what was in each person.^(I)