Page 15 - Florida Sentinel 8-4-17

The Church Appoints 7 To Help Acts 6:1-8
complaint was reality. Hel- lenistic Jews (those Jews who had been influenced by Greek language and culture) felt over- looked in the “meals on wheels” program of the church. Did the Hebraic Jews get spe- cial treatment or extra food? (Side note: This complaint would never have arisen had the church not taken its min- istry to widows seriously; that is a compliment to their service [1 Timothy 5:3-16; James 1:27].)
This issue might seem puny compared to other issues in Acts (such as the resurrection of Jesus or the missionary en- terprise of the church). But ac- tually treating all people with dignity, overcoming prejudice and racism, and taking good care of one another all lay at the heart of the gospel.
The problem in our text is that this was derailing the spe- cific ministry of the apostles. It was not that waiting on tables was below the ministry of the apostles; it was just that Jesus had called them to pray and preach. Others could be se- lected to use their spiritual gift- edness to take care of this
benevolent need. The church always has to relearn this les-
son.
So the 12 called a church
meeting (perhaps just a por- tion of the large church) to de- vise a plan. The twelve are the 11 original disciples and Matthias, who was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot (1:26).
First, they admitted real- ity—their ministry was being neglected. Second, they set forth qualifications for those to whom this responsibility could be delegated. Third, they em- powered those selected to do the job. Praying and preaching (the ministry of the word of God) took time, and not just anyone was chosen to serve— only those who were qualified (full of the Spirit and wisdom).
Were these the first dea- cons of the early church?
Perhaps. But maybe this text is a template on how to solve potential problems that derail the witness of the church more than a rigid blueprint on how to select church leaders.
The Witness Ensured Acts 6:5-8
There are few things as wonderful as a happy church.
This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose (elected) 7 men. Seven is a number of completeness, and there seems to be some evi- dence that this followed the Jewish practice of appointing 7 men to handle any issue that arose for a community.
The wisdom of this can be easily seen. Jewish men who had been “Hellenized” would be sure to take care of “their” people. The apostles affirmed the decision of the church and empowered the seven with prayer and ordination (laying on of hands, symbolizing the commissioning of the men to this task).
The result of such a deci- sive act and harmonious method ensured the ongoing witness of the gospel.
The Word of God spread to such an extent that even priests (Sadducees) became believers.
The witness and wonder- working ministries of 2 of the 7 men selected will be featured in the following chapters: Stephen (Acts 6, 7) and Philip (Acts 8). God has called the church to witness, and nothing should derail that.
All Christians have been commissioned to witness (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20). Dis- ciples have been called out of the world only to be sent back into it.
God may have called judges to save Israel (June’s lessons), and he may have called prophets to correct Israel (July’s lessons), but he has called his entire church to bear witness to his glory. The les- sons for August will all come from the book of witness of the early church—Acts.
The Witness Derailed Acts 6:1-4
God poured out the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 2:1- 4), and the church was off and running (Acts 3–5). The 12 became 120, that became 3,000, then 5,000, then multi- tudes, and some estimate that
by Acts 6 the church could have been 20,000 strong.
But where two or three are gathered together, problems develop. There arose a com- plaint (murmuring, like Israel did in the wilderness; many of us have heard that at church). The problem that threatened to derail the church’s witness here in Acts was ethnic, eco- nomic, pastoral, and perhaps even political.
The early church seemed perfect at first, but in reality, they had problems just as we do today. No church has ever been or will ever be perfect until Christ and his followers are united at his Second Com- ing. A church does not have to be perfect to be faithful.
It matters little whether the widows being neglected (over- looked) was reality or was per- ceived as prejudice. The
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