To Prayer And To The Word

Acts 6:1-5

1 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. 2 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. 3 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; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

Continuing from our last study we break in on the aftermath of the apostles counting it all joy for suffering for the name of Jesus Christ, who has done marvelous wonders in the midst of Jerusalem. The body of Christ was united and working powerful miracles for the oppressed of Israel. The apostles preached on sin and salvation boldly before their government leaders, and their followers were behind them in prayer and suffering. But because of the rapid growth of the body, disunity began to slow down the work of the apostles. Therefore they begin the work of organizing and structuring the body of Christ.

Now in those days, . . .

Luke is referring to the days of the early church and its rapid growth. This gives me the inclination that Luke wrote this in the latter days of the apostles. Probably before Paul’s second imprisonment because Luke doesn’t make mention of Paul’s death in Rome, or the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, or the persecution from Nero. Luke is looking back and giving an account to the noble Theophilus describing the early days of the church and her struggles. These are the days in which the church has to make drastic changes to their form of worship. As noted in an eariler study, the believers may have still been offering sacrifices in the temple as worship. Christ’s first coming makes it no longer necessary to observe ceremonial and sacrificial laws of the Old Covenant. In these days the apostles are laboring to formulate a mode of worship in the church, having only what Jesus Christ has personally taught them, the Holy Spirit to help them remember, and the Holy Scriptures. They had met several times to construct a statement of faith that would unite the native Jews with the Hellenist Jews. (Acts 11; 15:1-21; 21:15-25; Gal. 2:11-22)

. . . when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, . . .

Again, because of the increasing number of converts, division begins to occur in the church between the Jewish and the Hellenist disciples of Christ. Because the number of disciples was being increased, the burden of care increased. The church was headquartered in Jerusalem and the needs of the mother church were probably favored first causing the Hellenists to complain. The Hellenists were Jews born in foreign lands who spoke Greek and mingled the customs of the Jews with the Gentile customs. They would also have to travel to Jerusalem for the yearly sacrificial festivals. Some of these were converted to Christ at Pentecost and throughout Christ’s missionary journeys. The Hellenists were often not treated as equals to those Jews born in native Israel, being citizens of Roman and foreign countries, and their loyalty may have been constantly in question. Nevertheless the apostles labor to deal with the disputes.

. . . because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

The widows in Jerusalem were getting favored over the Hellenist Jews for the daily rations of food that were being dispersed. John MacArthur points out in his commentary that the Hellenists, using the term “their widows,” indicates that this was deliberate neglect. Even though these believers were given a new nature, habits of sin still cleaved to them; one of which was the way they viewed the Gentiles. A deep history of despising Israel’s neighbors separated them from opportunities of love because of all that the Jews suffered from their hands over rights to the land. The circumcision often see themselves as superior to others because God chose them as a special nation, which is true, but they were to be the conduit that God worked through to reach those other nations. This form of racism may have been the reason the Hellenist widows were purposefully neglected. The church “in those days” was by no means fully sanctified nor is she today. The church having grown to around twenty thousand increased the need for organizational structure. They needed to have some order in the church. At this point the whole church recognized the need to structure an authority over those participating in the body of Christ. If the church did not implement a change, the division would have likely split the church in half and grieve the Holy Spirit.

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.

The apostles, who the Lord Jesus appointed over the church, most likely prayed and sought wisdom from the Word to prevent discord among the faithful. The apostles had no intention of allowing the devil to get a foothold in what the Lord has accomplished to this point in the history of the church. To make sure that all the necessary work got done, the apostles understood the need to sanctify themselves from serving on the ground level, and appoint worthy men to handle the financial ends of the church and distribute the daily means of grace to the widows and orphans.

Exodus 18:11-27

11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them." 12 Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God. 13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?" 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws." 17 So Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good. 18 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself. 19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace." 24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 26 So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.

The apostles may have remembered the need for Moses to appoint judges in every town and city in Israel because of the danger of being burned out with fatigue. Jethro who gave Moses godly counsel has given us a principle of administrative structure to put in place. The church was to mimic the nation of Israel in the Spirit of the law. Even though the church is subordinate to whatever government it is established under, Jethro points out with a faithful expression that, “the Lord is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behave proudly, He is above them.” Moses was on the verge of behaving proudly if he did not delegate some of his authority. Interestingly, we also know how the term "gods" was used in the days of Moses. Jethro is equating the term 'they' with the term 'gods'. These gods were mere men who ruled nations, but in their own ignorant pride they exalted themselves as deities under the powerful influence of Satan and his angels. Therefore, it was important to appoint leaders who would humble themselves under the control of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures.

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;

Notice that the apostles referred to the multitude as “brethren.” They did not see themselves as above the church except in polity. They considered themselves as equals to all the men in the church and did not even seek out men of their own choosing. They made the people responsible to pick out “men” of good reputation, who have been given gifts of wisdom in the Holy Spirit. In other words the people were responsible for who instructed them, and for who were to handle the financial business of the church, and for the welfare of the widows and orphans they promised to care for. The apostles most likely accessed that seven men would be enough to serve the body of twenty thousand in caring for the needs and the buying and/or selling of goods to operate the organization of the church. The financial business of the church was to make sure the apostles were able to travel back forth from the various churches, to continue the work of evangelization, and build up the body of Christ for both the Jew and the Gentile churches, and also to care for widows who were truly widows and orphans. These seven men were not the first deacons as some may assume nor were they elders. Later we will see that these men were more like prophets of the apostles. The church was only beginning to organize itself; and these men were chosen for this specific crisis because of the divisions between the Hellenists and the native Hebrews; and the church began to structure how they were going to worship.

. . . but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

This was the purpose of the apostles, to equip the body of Christ, and feed her with the spiritual food and drink that would give life to her body, and prosper her Husband -- the Lord Jesus Christ. Some of the divisions that come in are over the ceremonial and sacrificial laws of Israel. The apostles were to bring in the understanding of the New Covenant from the Old Covenant. Stephan, who is later accused of blaspheming for teaching that the temple will be destroyed, and the customs of Moses will be changed, may have increased the division in the church (vs. 11-14). Throughout the book of Acts we will see that the apostles have to convene multiple times to state that the keeping of the ceremonial or sacrificial laws were not necessary for Gentiles to be included in their number, as noted earlier. In spite of their differences the church body was unified on the need to structure the church government, so that the divisions could be dealt with in an orderly manner. This will take careful study and a period of time for the apostles to succeed in this task. Over this period of time there will be many false converts exposed who depart from their number.

Therefore the need to separate themselves from the controversies to pray and study the Word was absolutely necessary to keep unity in the body of Christ. Of those who truly were united to Christ by the gospel, the Father promised to lose none. (Jn.10:31 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.) The means by which God appointed to “keep” those whom He called out of spiritual death and into eternal life with Him is through the apostles and elders, that God has appointed over the body of Christ; to preach the Word and pray over their spiritual condition. The apostles and elders were to work together to examine the body’s condition and labor to keep her fruitful for their Master, the Lord Jesus, when He returns. Therefore, it is also our responsibility to pray for our elders because they will give an account for our souls. Who you appoint to rule over you may be to your own destruction. God has designed it this way so that we all would be accountable to each other and for own sinful choices. We are to be like the noble Bereans who also studied to see if the teachings of the apostles were true. (Acts 17:11) The apostles and future elders were responsible to be “continually” given to those two means of grace, but you are not under the same burden. You are given other graces to serve the body of Christ. You are not required to carry the same yoke as the elders and deacons of your church body, but you are to be daily in the Word and prayer as helpers (1Cor.12:28) to those over you in Christ, as a wife is a helper to her husband (Gen. 2:18).