A Service-Driven Church – Acts 6:1-7
Main Idea: Every person saved by grace, through faith, in Christ has a purpose to fulfill in the kingdom of God.
The Concern | Acts 6:1
In the first seven verses of chapter 6 in Acts, Luke introduces a new phase in the development of the church. The first five chapters of Acts present a picture of the early church as still closely bound to Jewish culture. For a while, the church had no clear breach with native Hebrews, and the temple was still the primary site for the church’s evangelistic efforts. However, the early church’s rapid growth led to an expansion that reached beyond Jerusalem, many of those areas dominated by Greek-speaking Jews. Since Pentecost, when Jews and proselytes from all over the Mediterranean world heard the Gospel in their own language and returned it to their hometowns, people began to gather in Christ’s name beyond the boundaries of Jerusalem. This is to show that the bride of Christ is not restricted to a specific ethnicity or culture but encompasses all kinds of people. The Greek-speaking world and its influence on culture, philosophy, and religion became known as Hellenism. In context, the “Hellenists” mentioned by Luke were ethnic Jews who had been influenced by Greek culture and attended Greek-speaking synagogues all around the Mediterranean shores. Although harmony and unity were the characteristics of the church, linguistic and cultural differences caused inevitable conflict, even amongst believers. The clashing of two different cultures and ways of thinking resulted in a series of complaints from the Hellenists against the Hebrews “because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution” (v.1). It was over a practical issue and not over a matter of theological importance, that conflict became acute in the early church.
Despite the church’s exponential growth, the twelve apostles were still the primary teachers, evangelists, counselors, and servants of all people. The responsibility of distributing the resources placed in their possession to alleviate the needs of the poor was laid on the twelve apostles. Not only did the rapid growth of the church create challenges, but it also left little time for the apostles to work on structure and organization. With the numbers in the tens of thousands, it was inevitable that someone’s needs would be overlooked. Contextually, widows formed a considerable proportion of the poorer members of the community. Care of widows was traditional in Jewish culture (Deut. 14:29; 24:19-21). Later in the epistles, Paul defined the care of widows as a responsibility of the church (1Tim.5:3), and James as the essence of “pure and undefiled religion” (James 1:27). Certainly, the fact that the Hellenists spoke of their widows collectively indicates they felt the negligence was deliberate. In other words, the complaint suggests that one group was not receiving the same level of care as the other. Nonetheless, the problem indicates a lack of organization rather than ethnic malice. The number of disciples was so great that the twelve apostles could no longer take care of all and still teach, pray, counsel, and fellowship with people in the community. Acts 6:1-7 clearly shows us that church growth requires more workers. It also confirms that sometimes conflict is needed to fix areas that are in need in the church. We must remember, however, that the only type of conflict permissible in the church is concern for the church’s spiritual growth rather than personal preference.
To Ponder:
Does the Gospel transcend culture/language? Have you ever faced any type of cross-cultural challenge as a believer?
How can church members address issues that they see in the church in a loving and biblical way?
What lessons can contemporary churches draw from the early church’s response to prevent burnout and promote spiritual health amongst believers?
II. The Care | Acts 6-2-5
Recognizing the legitimacy of the Hellenists’ complaint, “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, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty” (v.2-3). Note that the apostles did not say that it wouldn’t be right for them to serve tables; rather, that it wouldn’t be right for them to focus on anything that would take them away from their primary calling of nurturing the church through prayer and preaching the Word of God. The apostles understood that their primary call was to study and teach God’s word and dedicate their time to prayer. In other words, the apostles were asking the people to help them serve the tables so they could focus on shepherding the church without distraction. Many pastors today have left the emphasis of teaching the Word and prayer for different reasons. Some because of pure neglect of God’s calling to their lives. Others because the demands have led them to be responsible for everything in the church with little time left for intercession and study of the Word. Yet, pastors and elders are given to the church “for the edification of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Eph.4:12). The primary calling of a pastor is to mature believers so they can know God, share the Gospel and serve His church. By neglecting that calling, pastors doom the church to live in spiritual infancy. Programs and events are no substitute for the power of God and His Word. Therefore, those whom God has called to the ministry of the Word and prayer must prioritize it as their primary mission.
While the apostles had to remain faithful to their calling, the issue of distributing resources to those in need equitably remained. The important ministry of serving the church needed not only oversight but also spiritually qualified individuals to be found for such a task. Accordingly, the apostles asked the people to “pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom” (v.3). The members of the church were not passive but active in the process of selecting those to serve the church. Instead of doing it themselves, the apostles included the congregation in the process, showing that accountability in the church is not optional but essential. Additionally, the qualifications for candidates required the marks of a true disciple of Christ. Those who serve God in His church must be believers. A church committed to teaching and equipping its members will not have to look outside the church to find people to serve in different ministry areas. Handling God’s resources and ministries must be done with spiritual integrity.
To Ponder:
How do you know if a person is of good repute, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom?
How can church members/ministry leaders help pastors focus on teaching the Word, praying for all, visiting the sick, and fellowshipping with the members?
III. The Continued Growth | Acts 6:6-7
As seven names were presented to the apostles, the whole congregation was convinced that God was in approval of the decision. Since the Hellenists felt neglected, the decision was to appoint seven Hellenists (all seven names are of Greek origin), showing the loving unity of the church. Following the apostles’ approval, the seven men were prayed for as a sign of divine approval and affirmation following the OT practice of the laying of hands (Gen. 48:14; Numbers 27:18). Blessed is the church that lets God, through His servants, select, test, affirm, and appoint people to serve Him in His kingdom. The imposition of hands did not impart any gift of the Spirit (the seven were already full of the Spirit) but served as a symbol of divine approval and blessing from God. As a result of God’s approval, Luke tells us that, “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” (v.7). Luke closes by emphasizing the continued growth of the church as a direct result of the apostles’ primary ministry being carried out without additional burdens. As if it wasn’t enough, many priests who ministered in the temple and once used to follow the Sanhedrin’s orders now became obedient to Christ. A well-taught and organized church will be a powerful witness of Christ to the world.
To Ponder:
What are correct motives for serving in the church and how can believers guard their hearts against burnout?
Where do you see yourself serving at TCC?