Scripture: Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 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. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 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.
Acts 6:1-7 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Luke chronicles the second arrest of Peter, John, and the other apostles. Filled with jealousy, the chief priests incarcerate them, but an angel of the Lord releases them from prison and commands them to go and stand in the temple and continue to proclaim life in Christ, which they do. Meanwhile, the chief priests learn the apostles’ prison cell is empty and that they are teaching in the temple. So they summon the temple guards to apprehend the apostles and bring them before the Sanhedrin for examination. The high priest questions why they disobeyed his orders to stop teaching in Jesus’ name and points out that their teachings are stirring animosity toward the council—implying the Sanhedrin instigated Jesus’ crucifixion, which they did. Peter and the others, as one voice, boldly contend that they must obey God over men.
Incensed, the chief priest expresses murderous intentions against the apostles. But a Pharisee held in high esteem, Gamaliel, intervenes and orders the apostles to be removed from their hearing and reminds the council of Theudus’ and Judas’ failed uprisings and how their men scattered when they died. Gamaliel cautions his peers to leave the apostles alone, for if this uprising is of man, it will fail. But if it is of God, the Sanhedrin will lose that battle. They concur, call the apostles before them, order the guards to beat them, sternly charge them to stop teaching in Jesus’ name, and then release them. Unintimidated, the apostles return to their homes, rejoicing for suffering dishonor for Christ’s honor. And they continued to teach from house to house and in the temple that Jesus is the Christ.
Today’s devotion marks an undetermined shift in time, likely several years later, to account for the many Hellenist Jewish-Christian widows joining their fellowship. These widows probably arrived in Jerusalem with their husbands from the diaspora, for it was a common practice among elderly Israelite men to return to their homeland for rest and burial. Luke tells us this rapidly growing young church struggled with growing pains revealed by the preferential treatment of daily food to the Hebrew widows. Naturally, the Hellenist men voiced their objection to this selfish favoritism. So the apostles summoned all the disciples and problem-solved. Noting they did not want to take away from their first calling to pray and preach God’s word, the apostles directed their fellow disciples to appoint seven men of “good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (v.3) to manage administrative matters about the fair distribution of food.
The apostles’ solution pleased all concerned. So they chose seven Hellenist men to fulfill these duties, most notably Stephen and Philip (whom we will read about in subsequent passages). So the disciples presented the Seven to the apostles, who then prayed and laid hands on them. Luke then concludes with a note that with the resolution, the word of God continued to flourish, many more joined the Jerusalem fellowship, and even priests submitted to the faith.
Of note: Priests, as Luke mentions in his concluding remarks, did not refer to the high priestly family, who remained adversarial to the Christian movement (as we will soon read), but to the Essene-type priests at Qumran and to the ordinary priests that functioned as administrators of the temple. That said, we can reasonably assume that a few from the Sanhedrin, like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea (see John 19:38-42), likely joined their fold.
Takeaway: The number selected, seven, may have symbolic implications as a sign of completion (as it often does in Scripture) or merely reflect the estimated number required. Either way, the Greek names of the Seven are not happenstance—the community wisely elected Hellenist Jewish-Christian men who would ensure fair distribution without further suspicion of favoritism. Moreover, Luke singles out Nicolaus as a Gentile proselyte—again, assuring that all the congregates are represented by these seven deacons. But how do we know they were deacons? Luke uses the Greek cognate noun diakonia in verse 1 for the daily “distribution,” the Greek verb diakoneō in verse 2 for “serve” tables, and the Greek noun diakonia in verse 4 for “ministry.” But the best evidence is in Paul’s first letter to Timothy, where he outlines the profile of a deacon (1 Timothy 3:8-13) that aligns with the role of the Seven.
So what can we learn from this early church conflict and its peaceful resolution as it applies to our church today? First, the church equally saw the importance of ministering to spiritual and material needs and concerns. As theologian Richard Longenecker notes, the church “stressed prayer and the proclamation of the Word, but never to the exclusion of helping the poor and correcting injustices” (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Acts, p.331). Indeed, they saw these functions of the church as one ministry.
Secondly, the early church modeled how to reorganize its leadership structure to address existing needs and ensure the continuation of the proclamation of the Gospel. Again, Longenecker observers, “Luke’s narrative here suggests that to be fully biblical is to be constantly engaged in adapting traditional methods and structures to meet existing situations, both for the sake of the welfare of the whole church and for the outreach of the gospel” (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Acts, p.331).
Lastly, regarding churchmanship, Luke reveals three examples of restrained egos:
- The apostles resisted blaming others when confronted with the problem.
- They objectively focused on a solution to ensure the correction of injustice and the continued efforts of prayer and proclamation.
- They delegated authority and empowered others to share the load.
Nothing will more quickly divide the congregation and spur a decline in church health than pride. Pride blames, subjectively focuses on leadership preferences, and opposes delegating. But when we resist blaming others and instead focus on the solution, when we value all aspects of ministry that uphold Christ and care for the needs of his church (as well as the least, the last, and the lost), and when we empower members to exercise their gifts, we labor where Christ is working, and he will add to our numbers.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who exhibited the godly leadership qualities of humility and servitude to address the needs of your children and empower his disciples to carry on the ministry of prayer and proclamation that has continued through each generation since, ensuring the worldwide expansion of his church. Still, we confess that elements of our church (sometimes us) have succumbed to pride that seeks to build oneself up rather than the body. So would you please help us follow the supreme example of your Son and this excellent illustration of the early church to grow your kingdom and glorify your name? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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