Acts 6:5-10 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen as it was called, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
In the original Deacon Draft, Stephen was the number one choice. The evidence of the Holy Spirit in his life was obvious. He becomes one of the few side trips from the apostles in the book of Acts. His life and ministry was outstanding - almost irresistible - not because of his personal characteristics, but because he allows the Holy Spirit to flow through him. If we want to see God do the most He can in and through us, the starting point is submission to the Holy Spirit to take full control.
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