Acts 6:1-7
1 Now at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.
2 So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.
3 Instead, brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.
4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
5 The announcement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.
6 And they brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
7 The word of God kept spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
Outbreak of Problem within the Church (1)
Introduction
The devil attacks in an attempt to destroy the church. First, the attacks come from outside. When that fails, internal problems arise. The first internal problem in the early church was the sin of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5). Here, the second internal problem of the church is addressed. Overcoming this problem leads to further growth of the church. In Acts 6, seven men are chosen to serve tables as a solution to the problem. The most important among them is Stephen. Stephen is a person who will change the course of the story of the Acts of the Apostles. After him, the main character shifts from Peter to Paul, and the mission field moves from the land of Israel to the ends of the earth.
Outbreak of a problem (verse 1)
“Now at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.” (1) As the number of people increased, factions arose within the church. (a) There were the Hellenistic Jews who spoke Greek, and (b) the native Hebrew-speaking Jews (Hebraists). The difference in language used reflected their different cultural backgrounds. Generally speaking, under Roman rule, many Jews could speak Greek, but it was a foreign language to them. For the Hellenistic Jews, Greek was their native language. (2) The Greek-speaking Jews were those who had returned to the land of Israel from the Diaspora. They had different cultural backgrounds from the native Jews (including education, views on life, worldviews, interests in art and philosophy, etc.). (3) There were many widows among the Hellenists because many Jews returned to the land of Israel in their later years. Jews believed that those buried in the Holy City would be the first to be resurrected. Thus, the church found itself taking care of a large number of Hellenist widows. (4) The Law and the Prophets command “consideration for widows and the poor” (ref. Deut. 10:17-19, Jer. 7:6). The early church distributed meals daily to the widows. Nevertheless, the Hellenists felt that they were being neglected. The problems we face include external and internal issues. Often, these problems come alternately. However, these problems provide opportunities for us to grow. When we overcome these problems, blessings await us. Patience is what we need.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father of Jesus Christ, please give us the discernment to recognize problems and the patience needed to overcome them. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.