[:en]The 12 apostles chose 7 – Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas from Antioch – and laid their hands on them, giving them the responsibility to look after the widows and in the daily distribution of food. So the word of God spread, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly.
Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Members of the Synagogue of Freedmen began to argue with Stephen but they could not stand up against his wisdom. So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law and produced false witnesses accusing him of blasphemy against God.[:]