Deacons, Acts 6:1-7

This post concerns how the early church solved a problem by appointing Deacons.

Deacons discusses taking care of widows, Acts 6:1. “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.”

The Hellenists mainly spoke Greek. The Hebrew widows mainly spoke Aramaic and received more food in the distribution than the Hellenists’ widows. To solve this problem the apostles asked the congregation to find seven men among their number to take care of this matter,

Acts 6:2-4. “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.”

Thus, the congregation picked out men with these characteristics: 1. A good reputation, and 2. Exercising Christian characteristics with wisdom. The apostles then appointed them to take care of the distribution of food. The apostles continued to preach Christ and pray.

Note that the Grecian names for these men showed that Greeks cared for the Grecian and the Jewish widows.

Then, the apostles appointed these to this work . They also laid their hands on them to give them special Holy Spirit power to do their work.

The Jerusalem community saw this action favorably, Acts 6:7. “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.”

So, what did we learn?

1.The apostles chose men from those set forth by the congregation to serve in a work assignment.

2.The problem of feeding the needy widows was solved by appointing men to care for them.

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