Scripture Reading: Acts 6:1-7

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.

Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. and the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles. And when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Opening Prayer

Gracious God and heaven, we do again praise you and thank you for the gift that your word is to us. And as we come to this passage this evening, we pray that your spirit would lead us and guide us into understanding and giving us insight and that your word truly would go forth and bless our hearts, drawing us all closer to yourself. We pray, Father, for your blessing now upon your holy word. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Introduction: Problems in the Early Church

Well, most of the problems that the early church faced came from outside, namely the persecution from the Jewish rulers. And we saw this at the end of chapter 5, where Peter and the apostles were about to be killed, but remember the influential Pharisee Gamaliel intervened, and the disciples, after being beaten, were allowed to go free.

But there were also other problems that came from within the church. And again, if you remember earlier in chapter five, there was the account of Ananias and Sapphira who were struck down by the Lord because they lied about the property that they had sold and the amount of money that they were giving to the church.

Well, in chapter six, we see another problem arises.

The Complaint: Neglect of Hellenistic Widows

And here we have a complaint on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews. Now the native Hebrews were the Jews of Palestine and they were the ones who studied the scriptures in the original Hebrew language. And the Hellenistic Jews were the Jews of the dispersion. There’s those whose ancestors had been scattered about the Mediterranean region by the Assyrians and the Babylonians over 500 years earlier. They were called Hellenists because though they still sought to be faithful to the Jewish religion, they were influenced by the Greeks and studied the scriptures using the Septuagint, which was the Greek translation of the Old Testament.

And though both groups were truly Jewish, there was a sort of rivalry and a mistrust between these two groups. This old sentiment was now spilling over here into the fellowship of believers, as the Hellenists were concerned that their widows were being overlooked in the daily provisions while the native Jewish widows were apparently having their needs met.

Well the root of this problem was basically prejudice and a lack of trust. And it could have easily destroyed the infant church at the time. Because the church is made up of sinners, we know that we must be on guard against all the kinds of attitudes of prejudice and distrust in the body of Christ that will ultimately disrupt the peace and unity that we share in Him.

Positive Aspects of the Situation

If we could put a positive spin on this discontent in this situation that we see presented here, we see some very valuable points that brought it about, actually.

1. Growth and Multiplication of Disciples

First is, we note that this problem arose in the church because of what we read in verse 1, that the numbers of the disciples was multiplying. and as the church was experiencing growing pains.

And so when the believers first gathered together, remember on the day of Pentecost, awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit, there were 120 of them, at least, that were gathered there at that place. There were probably more disciples, but kind of effectively we begin with this 120. Well, then by the end of the day, You remember that 3,000 had been added to their number. And then later, of course, more were added, I think up to 2,000. And then we read that as the gospel is preached, that the Lord continued to add to the church daily those who were being saved. And so we can imagine such dramatic increase in membership. Well, that is bound to stir up some kind of trouble and dissension at some point. But growth in the church is a good thing.

2. Gospel Spreading to All Nations

Secondly, we note that because this was a dissension between the Hellenist Jews and the native Jews, it meant that already the gospel was being spread to people of all nations.

Remember Jesus, before he ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father, he charges his disciples to go and to make disciples of the nations. That of course was the great commission that Jesus gave to his church that remains even to this day. Now on the day of Pentecost, when traveling Hellenist Jews were in Jerusalem there to celebrate the feast, they heard the disciples speaking and praising God in their own native languages. Certainly, though this and through through this and through the preaching of Peter was how many of them first heard and believed in the gospel. Well, eventually these Hellenists who Jews who were there in town in Jerusalem visiting heard these things were converted and baptized on that day when Peter preached the gospel to them. Well, they eventually returned home. and they took with them the gospel. And the gospel then began to spread throughout the world, even before Paul and the others went out on their various missionary journeys.

And so we see here that the command of Christ is being fulfilled.

3. Care for Widows and the Needy

A third positive spin is that we can note from this is that the early church was concerned about and caring for the widows and for the needy. We know that the care of the fatherless and the widow had long been the concern of God, and by extension, the concern of His people. In Exodus 22, you shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. But we remember because of man’s sinful heart that the scribes and Pharisees were condemned by Jesus because they took advantage of widows and thus they violated God’s commands. And so it’s encouraging to see that the early church sought to be faithful to God’s commands in this way.

The Church of Jesus Christ has a special charge in the care of widows and orphans. And if you remember, later James would write that pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their trouble. And so we certainly would do well to remember this important charge.

4. Establishment of the Office of Deacon

Well, final, a positive spin that we can put on this dissension that arises from it is the one that we will especially focus on this evening, and that is a new office in the church comes about because of this problem that came up in the church.

The Division of Labor: Elders and Deacons

And we see this in verses two to four. We see that there is laid out a division of labor between the office of elder and that of a deacon.

We see that the Twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.

And so the apostles and those whom they would later appoint to take their place, the elders, we know have the ruling authority in the church. They’re responsible for the teaching and the preaching in the church and for meeting the spiritual needs of the people.

And again, we see this in verse two. And again, in verse four, the apostles then didn’t think it wise that they should take away time from ministering the word to serve tables and to give these daily provisions to the widows. They rightly saw their chief purpose as devoting themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.

I do want to note, though, that the Apostles certainly didn’t find such service as beneath themselves.

We remember that when they were disciples under Jesus, during his ministry, that they twice were responsible for serving the people, the bread and the fish, first to the 5,000 and later to the 4,000. But Jesus was no longer among them, teaching, and he had left that responsibility to them by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Now, with the church swelled to well over 5,000 members and growing, the apostles couldn’t meet both the spiritual needs and the physical needs of the people. There was too much to be done and not enough hands to get it done, and so they needed helpers. Helpers who would work with them and seek to minister to the physical needs of the people. And so they sought to solve this problem and restore peace and unity to the church by delegating this ministry of service and mercy to others.

And so it’s here that we see the origin and the purpose, really, of the office of deacon. Indeed, the seven who would be chosen would be put in charge of the daily distribution to the widows and to the poor. And these seven would be the prototypes of the office of deacon.

I say prototype because it’s interesting enough that in this whole account, the noun deacon or diakonos is nowhere to be found. But the word deacon means one who waits tables. What is the concern of the apostles here? We can’t leave our study of the word and our time in prayer to wait on tables, basically.

So the implication of a deacon is implied. Whereas the elders seek to minister to the spiritual needs of the people, the deacons minister to the physical needs of the people. But again, this doesn’t mean that the deacons has no spiritual significance.

Certainly quite to the contrary, as oftentimes administering to the physical needs will open the door for the ministering of spiritual needs. And so again, James says in James chapter 2, that if a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, Depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does a prophet? And so James is challenging us to not just have faith, but to have faith, to have works that give evidence of that faith. And so it’s not just giving them a coat and sending them on their way, but also providing some spiritual comfort as well. And so the church then, by extension, can’t just minister in word, but must minister in word and in deed. And truly, this is what Christ has called his church to do.

Notable Features of the Office of Deacon

Well, there are a few other notable things to mention in this passage that we should mention about this office.

Qualifications for Deacons

First, we see that the seven men chosen must be qualified. And there are two qualifications that are mentioned here, but we know later the Apostle Paul would flesh this out a little bit more, and there will be more qualifications in 1 Timothy 3.

But really, Luke here in Acts chapter 6 does a pretty good summary.

• The qualified Deacon candidates must be men of good reputation. That is, they must be men of solid character, both in the community of faith as well as in the community of the world.

And again, considering the responsibilities of the deacon will entail both the handling of the collection of the alms and the distribution of the funds equally to the widows and others in need, well then it would certainly be necessary that they would be men of good character and good reputation.

• Secondly, they’re being full of the Spirit and of wisdom. And this is likely really just really one qualification because it’s the Spirit of God is the source of wisdom. And so if they’re filled with the Spirit, then they have that wisdom at the ready. And so this could be a way to summarize, to say a way to summarize, to say that the qualified deacon is one who truly professes the truth of Christ. and who gives evidence of the spirit in him by demonstrating godly wisdom and judgment.

Selection Process

Another point we note is that these seven men were chosen by the whole congregation. In verse 3, the apostles say, seek out from among you. And then in verse 5, they say, they, that is the whole congregation, chose. And then it lists the men whom they chose.

And so the deacons are selected by the members of the congregation. And so we know it is the duty of the congregation then to be the ones to assess and evaluate those among them who may be qualified to serve as deacons. And though a person may sense a call from the Lord to serve as a deacon, well, this call is ultimately confirmed by the Lord through not their desire to serve, but really through the vote of the congregation. And so one elected by the congregation to serve as deacons then ought not to easily dismiss that that calling. If a congregation elects someone to be a deacon, they ought to seriously consider it, because again, we know that God works through His people in this way.

Appointment and Ordination

Thirdly, we note that though the deacons are chosen by the congregation, They’re appointed and they’re ordained by to this office by the elders. And we see this here in verse three, that those chosen by the congregation are appointed over this business by the apostles. And this appointment is confirmed by the act of ordination, which is signified by the laying of hands that we see in verse six.

Now, this is important to understand for two reasons, because first, it shows that the diaconate ultimately under the authority of the Session of Elders.

The deacons are their own entity. They make their own decisions and they conduct their own business, but they are directly accountable to the elders of the church. And second, through the act of ordination, we see that the office of deacon is an office that does have authority, because ordination, by its very nature, implies authority. And the authority of the diaconate, however, though, isn’t a ruling authority, as is common in some churches, but the authority of the diaconate is a ministering authority, again, delegated to them by the elders, who alone have the authority to rule in the church.

Wisdom in the Choice of the Seven

Well, final notable thing that we’re going to consider here is really the great wisdom of the congregation in choosing these particular seven men to this office. And we see the wisdom is drawn out in two instances.

First, in the plan presented by the apostles, they say, seek out from among you. That is, since the problem arose from among the people, the apostles saw that the best solution would also come from among the people, rather than a top-down appointment, which may have further just widened the divide. So then if the apostles themselves would have just selected a bunch of men to serve in this capacity, Well, there could have been issues with that and it could have added into the division that was beginning to make its appearance here. And so it was wise for the elders, for the apostles to say to the congregation, choose from among you. And so that it was the people themselves who were choosing.

Secondly, we see the wisdom here in that the congregation in who they actually chose.

They chose Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas. Now, it may not be clearly evident when we read these names, but these are all Greek names rather than Hebrew names. In fact, we’re told even Nicholas was a proselyte. That is, he was a Gentile believer who had become a Jew and now had become a Christian.

And so the wisdom demonstrated here is that since the complaint came from the Hellenist Jews, the Greek Jews, well the entire congregation, both again, the congregation was filled with Hellenists and natives, but the entire congregation in order to seek the peace and unity of the church, chooses seven Hellenists to be the first deacons so that there would be no further cause for reason for division.

Blessing and Result of the Resolution

Well in this choice we see again the great blessing that does now come upon the church. Peace and unity is restored among the people of God and prejudice has been put aside and snuffed out And the people strive to be one body of one accord and one mind.

And far from stunning the growth of the church, well, the resolution of this potentially divisive issue leads even to more growth. In verse 7, as the word of God kept spreading and the number of disciples greatly increased because the apostles were now free to devote themselves fully to prayer and to the Word, knowing that the physical needs of the people were being cared for by these seven faithful men.

And of course, the impact of this was great, as even many of the priests, even some of those who likely had put Christ to death and consented to His death, had now become obedient to the faith.

And when the church as one body, as the people, as the deacons and the elders all strive to serve and minister, each one faithfully doing their part, we see that it is God alone who receives the praise and the glory for the many blessings that follow.

And this becomes then a great challenge for us, that surely we would be challenged as a congregation of God’s people, even today, that we would be challenged by this example, that we would indeed faithfully strive to serve the Lord in both word and deed, all to the praise and glory of God alone.

Closing Prayer

Let’s pray. Gracious God in heaven, we do praise you and thank you for this Important truth is of this passage in this This office that you established through your apostles in the church of the office of deacon and we just rejoice and give thanks That you are so mindful of your people And not only do we have an office in the church the elder who is to lead guide rule to teach and instruct but we also have the office of deacon to serve and to minister even to the material needs of the people in their midst and to those outside as a great witness of our love for you and our love for one another and our love for the lost. And so we just praise you and thank you O God for this and the wisdom that we see here and how you have designed these things and we rejoice in your thanks that you continue to bless your church.

And Father, as we think about our own congregation here, we think about our own elders and our one lone deacon, and we rejoice and give thanks for how you have so richly and abundantly blessed us. And that you even give us opportunities to serve the poor and the needy. And we look forward to that in a couple weeks when we have the clothing giveaway.

We pray, Lord, that you even now would be preparing us and preparing those who come for that time. We pray, Lord, that we might have opportunities for a good gospel conversations with those who come through our doors here. who will have needs and that we would be able to pray with them and to share the gospel with them to encourage them to build them up and to provide some comfort for their souls as well as for their bodies and so we just praise you and thank you oh lord for these opportunities that you give to us and we pray that you might lead us and guide us and give us many more opportunities to serve and glorify you and especially as we now As we prepare ourselves to go into the week that lies ahead, may we truly remember what we have considered on this, the Lord’s Day. As we have been instructed, encouraged, and built up as the body of Christ, we pray that you would equip us to go forth now into the world to be those faithful witnesses that you call us to be, all to the praise of your glorious name. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.