Now when the commander of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were greatly puzzled concerning it, wondering what this could be.

But a Pharisee whose name was Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the council and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time.

and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.

So the twelve called the whole group of the disciples together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables.

But carefully select from among you, brothers, seven men who are well-attested, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this necessary task.

But some men from the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, as well as some from Cilicia and the province of Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen.

But God spoke as follows: ‘Your descendants will be foreigners in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years.

Then a famine occurred throughout Egypt and Canaan, causing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food.

“But as the time drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had declared to Abraham, the people increased greatly in number in Egypt,

But when he was about forty years old, it entered his mind to visit his fellow countrymen the Israelites.

When the man said this, Moses fled and became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

‘I am the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look more closely.

But the Lord said to him, ‘Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Then he fell to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he died.

But Saul was trying to destroy the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the miraculous signs he was performing.

For unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, were coming out of many who were possessed, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed.

Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.

But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they began to be baptized, both men and women.