The first to die for the name

The church's first internal conflict is about food: Greek-speaking widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution. The apostles do not dismiss it; they appoint seven men to handle it, and every one of the seven has a Greek name — the complaining group is put in charge. One of them is Stephen. He turns out to be a formidable preacher, is arrested on false charges, and gives a long speech tracing Israel's history of resisting God. The council is enraged. As they stone him he sees heaven opened, and his last words echo his master's: Lord, do not hold this sin against them. Luke adds one detail that will matter enormously later. The witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul, who approved of his killing.