Acts 6:7,8

THE INCREASE OF THE WORD OF GOD. Acts 6:7-8.

Acts 6:7

And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Acts 6:8

And Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought great wonders and signs among the people.

Acts 6:7 Each time the writer of the book of Acts mentions some difficulty that arose in the church he always concludes the incident with the heartening word that this difficulty was used by God to resound unto His glory, and that through it all there was even a greater turning to Christ. So it is here that after the murmuring ceased the Word of God increased i.e. the words of the apostles which were veritably the words of God made entrance into many hearts, this resulted in the multiplying of the disciples exceedingly.

200.

What two-fold task did the Apostles have in the Jerusalem church?

201.

Who was to select the seven? How was it to be done?

202.

What was the purpose of the laying on of hands?

203.

How is the love and wisdom of the believers shown in the selection?

204.

Would it be proper to call these men deacons?

205.

What is meant by the expression the Word of God increased?

We have often thought while reading the account of the association of the twelve with the Sanhedrin: Why was there not some among that group of intelligent, sincere men, who would come to a belief in Jesus as the Christ? So it is with great joy that we read here in Acts 6:7 that a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. We do not know it as a fact, but we like to think that at least some of these men were priests of the Sanhedrin. We must not overlook the expression obedient to the faith. There was something more to their faith than mere mental assent, there was something in it that demanded obedience.

We hold to the position that the faith spoken of was the same as the faith mentioned in Jude 1:3; i.e. that scheme of God for man's redemption. The apostles preached the faith and men became obedient to it. When we examine Acts 2:38 and Acts 3:19 we must conclude that their obedience entailed repentance and baptism for the blotting out of or remission of sins.

Acts 6:8 Associated with and a part of the spreading of the word was the work of this Jerusalem deacon, Stephen. When the hands of the apostles were placed upon his head, there must have coexisted with the act of setting him into the office, the impartation of one or more of the special spiritual gifts. (See the notes on the special study of the Holy Spirit.) This is suggested in the fact that Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought great wonders and signs among the people. These were performed to confirm the truthfulness of his words. This we can observe in the following verses.

206.

What in Acts 6:7 is suggestive of a victory for Christ in the Sanhedrin?

207.

What is the thought of obedient to the faith?

208.

What is the meaning of the term faith as it is used in Acts 6:7?

209.

What two purposes were involved in the laying on of the apostles-' hands?