Seven Chosen to Serve

6 Now in these days ^(A)when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists^[a] arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in ^(B)the daily distribution. ² And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. ^3 (C)Therefore, brothers,^[b] pick out from among you seven men ^(D)of good repute, ^(E)full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. ⁴ But ^(F)we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” ⁵ And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, ^(G)a man full of faith and ^(H)of the Holy Spirit, and ^(I)Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, ^(J)a proselyte of Antioch. ⁶ These they set before the apostles, and ^(K)they prayed and ^(L)laid their hands on them.

⁷ And ^(M)the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests ^(N)became obedient to ^(O)the faith.

¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so ^(A)that^[a] they may see your good works and ^(B)give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

^10 (A)As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, ^(B)as good stewards of God's varied grace:

⁹ But you are ^(A)a chosen race, ^(B)a royal ^(C)priesthood, ^(D)a holy nation, ^(E)a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you ^(F)out of darkness into ^(G)his marvelous light. ^10 (H)Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹ Beloved, I urge you ^(I)as sojourners and exiles ^(J)to abstain from the passions of the flesh, ^(K)which wage war against your soul. ^12 (L)Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, ^(M)they may see your good deeds and glorify God on ^(N)the day of visitation.

The Creation of the World

1 In the ^(A)beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was ^(B)without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

³ And God said, ^(C)“Let there be light,” and there was light.

⁹ But he said to me, ^(A)“My grace is sufficient for you, for ^(B)my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that ^(C)the power of Christ may rest upon me. ^10 (D)For the sake of Christ, then, ^(E)I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For ^(F)when I am weak, then I am strong.

¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and ^(A)kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

^37 (A)Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ therefore ^(B)pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to ^(C)send out laborers into his harvest.”