Acts 6:1-6

ON SOLOMON'S PORCH. Acts 6:1-6.

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Now in these days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

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And the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not fit that we should forsake the word of God, and serve tables.

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Look ye out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

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But we will continue stedfastly in prayer, and in the ministry of the word.

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And the saying pleased the whole multitude: 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 Nicolaüs a proselyte of Antioch;

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whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands upon them.

a. The murmuring of the Grecian Jews. Acts 6:1.

Acts 6:1 While Luke gives us the glad news that the number of disciples was multiplying exceedingly, he wants us to see something of the personal life and the working of the called out body. So he records here the problem and incident out of which grew the work of the deacon. Luke has already told us of the distribution of goods so it is not at all strange to read of this same action again here in the sixth chapter. It might be well to point out that this distribution was a daily ministration, not just once or twice a year as we are so wont to do. The church was progressing wonderfully until someone was neglected. Somehow in the feeding and caring for the many widows of this church, some of the women of the Grecian Jews were overlooked. These Jews were those who were either born and reared in Greece or had come under the sway of Grecian culture. No one carried the news of this neglect to the apostles, no word was spoken directly of the trouble, they just murmured. How murmuring can and has stopped the progress of the children of God through the centuries.

196.

What is the difference between the ministration of the church today and that of the Jerusalem church?

197.

What is meant by Grecian Jews?

b. The action of the twelve and the church. Acts 6:2-6.

Acts 6:2-6 The murmuring had not continued long until it reached the ears of the apostles. They did the only wise thing that could be done; they called together all those concerned, and by this time the whole church knew about the trouble, and presented to them a plan of action that would alleviate the difficulty. First they presented the thought that although they were the leaders in the church, yet this work was not theirs to do, for they had been called to prayer and the ministry of the word, not to serving tables. If the apostles were to take up this added responsibility it would cause them to neglect their God-given work. The solution lay in selecting seven men from among the church who would be qualified according to the divinely given qualifications, i.e. (1) of good report, (2) full of the Spirit and (3) of wisdom.

Having done this, the disciples were to bring these men before the apostles who were then to set them aside to this work by the laying on of hands. If this would be done, the need would be met, and the twelve could go on unhampered in giving themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.
This saying pleased the whole multitude and they chose seven men who met the qualifications. It is interesting to note that all of the seven bear Grecian names, In this selection we see both the wisdom and love of the believers in the Jerusalem church. These men were set into this work by the laying on of the apostles-' hands. Since these men were to care for the daily diaconia or ministrations (the word from which deacon is derived), we could say that they were indeed deacons of the church. We then also know the formal setting apart was the placing of these men into this office.

198.

Why were the seven appointed?

199.

How was this difficulty alleviated?