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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_6:1-6
1Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. 2So 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. 3Therefore, brethren, 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." 5The statement 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. 6And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
Act_6:1 "disciples" This is literally "learners" from the verb manthanô. It is important to realize that the NT emphasizes "becoming disciples" (cf. Mat_28:19; Act_14:21), not merely making a decision. This designation for believers is unique to the Gospels and Acts. In the Letters, the terms "brothers" and "saints" are used to designate the followers of Jesus.
▣ "were increasing in number" This is a present active participle. Growth always causes tension.
▣ "complaint" This term means "to speak privately in a low voice" (i.e., private conversations between individuals, Moulton, Analytical Lexicon, p. 81). It occurs several times in the LXX of Exodus describing the Wilderness Wandering Period (cf. Exo_16:7-8; Exo_17:3; also Num_11:1; Num_14:27). This same word is found in Luk_5:30 and several times in John (cf. Joh_6:41; Joh_6:43; Joh_6:61; Joh_7:12; Joh_7:32).
▣ "the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews" This refers to believing Jews, those who were from Palestine and spoke primarily Aramaic and those who grew up in the Diaspora and spoke primarily Koine Greek. There were certainly cultural and racial overtones in this situation.
▣ "the daily serving of food" The early church followed the patterns of the Synagogue. Every week funds (i.e., alms) were collected to feed the poor. This money was used to buy food, which was given out weekly by the Synagogue and daily by the early church. See Special Topic: Almsgiving at Act_3:2.
It seems from history that many Jewish families who lived and worked in other countries returned to Palestine in the father's later years so that he could be buried in the Promised Land. Therefore, there were many widows in Palestine, especially the Jerusalem area.
Judaism had an institutional (i.e., Mosaic Covenant) concern for the poor, alien, and widows (cf. Exo_22:21-24; Deu_10:18; Deu_24:17). Luke's writings show that Jesus, too, cared for widows (cf. Luk_7:11-15; Luk_18:7-8; Luk_21:1-4). It is, then, natural that the early church, patterning itself on both the Synagogue social services and the teachings of Jesus, would have an overt concern for church widows.
Act_6:2 "The twelve" This was the collective title for the Apostles in Acts. Those were the first specially chosen companions of Jesus during His earthly ministry, starting in Galilee.
▣ "summoned the congregation of the disciples" Exactly what is meant here is uncertain in this sense that the church was made up of several thousand people at this point, so no home or business was large enough to accommodate this gathering. This must have taken place in the Temple itself, probably Solomon's Portico (cf. Act_3:11; Act_5:12).
This is the first example of what came to be called congregational polity (cf. Act_6:3; Act_6:5; Act_15:22). This is one of three biblical ways the modern church organizes itself:
1. episcopal (i.e., one top leader)
2. presbyterian (i.e., a group of leaders)
3. congregational (i.e., the whole body of believers)
All are present in Acts 15.
▣ "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables" This is not a disparaging word about serving, but the beginning of the sensed need for a division of pastoral responsibilities among the people of God. These were not offices, but delegated functions. Gospel proclamation must take priority over some needed ministries. The Apostles were uniquely called and qualified for their task. Nothing should take away from that task. This was not an "either/or," but a "both/and" situation.
The word "serve" is the common Greek term for service, diakonia. Unfortunately many modern commentators, looking for guidelines for the later office of deacon (cf. Php_1:1; 1Ti_3:8-10; 1Ti_3:12-13), have used this text to define that ministry task. However, these are not "deacons"; they are lay ministers/preachers. Only eisegesis can find deacons in Acts 6.
It is interesting to me how this early church conducted its ministry without buildings.
1. When they all met together it must have been at the Temple.
2. On Sabbaths they surely met with their local synagogues and on Sundays probably in house churches.
3. During the week (daily) the Apostles moved from believer's home to believer's home (cf. Act_2:46).
Act_6:3
NASB, NRSV "select"
NKJV "seek out"
TEV "choose"
NJB "must select"
This is an aorist middle (deponent) imperative. Something had to be done to restore unity and the spirit of one accord. This pastoral issue had the potential to affect the furtherance of the gospel. The church had to organize for ministry. Every believer is a called, gifted, full-time minister (cf. Eph_4:11-16).
▣ "seven men" There is no reason for this number except that it was often the symbolic number of perfection in the OT because of its relation to the seven days of creation (cf. Genesis 1; Psalms 104). In the OT there is a precedent for this same process of developing a second-tier leadership (cf. Numbers 18). See Special Topic: Number Symbolism in Scripture at Act_1:3.
NASB, NJB "of good reputation"
NKJV "of good reputation"
NRSV "of good standing"
TEV "who are known to be"
The differences in these English translations reflect the two different usages of this term.
1. "to witness to" or provide information about (cf. TEV, NIV)
2. "to speak well of someone" (cf. Luk_4:22).
▣ "full of the Spirit" The filling of the Spirit has been mentioned several times in Acts, usually in connection with the Twelve and their preaching/teaching/reaching ministries. It denotes power for ministry. The presence of the Spirit in a person's life is detectible. There is evidence in attitude, actions, and effectiveness. Widows are important, but gospel proclamation is priority (cf. Act_6:4). See full note on "filling" at Act_5:17.
▣ "and of wisdom" There are two kinds of wisdom in the OT.
1. grasp of knowledge (academic)
2. wise living (practical)
These seven men had both!
▣ "whom we may put in charge of this task" They had a task-oriented assignment. This passage cannot be used to assert that deacons handle the business matters (KJV, "this business") of the church! The word "task" (chraomai) means "need," not "office" (Alfred Marshall, RSV Interlinear, p. 468).
Act_6:4 "devote ourselves" This Greek term is used in several senses.
1. to closely associate with someone, Act_8:13
2. to personally serve someone, Act_10:7
3. to be steadfastly committed to something or someone
a. the early disciples to each other and prayer, Act_1:14
b. the early disciples to the Apostles' teaching, Act_2:42
c. the early disciples to each other, Act_2:46
d. the Apostles to the ministry of prayer and the Word, Act_6:4 (Paul uses the same word to call believers to steadfastness in prayer, Rom_12:12; Col_4:2).
▣ "prayer and the ministry of the word" This phrase is fronted (i.e., placed first) in the Greek sentence for emphasis. Isn't it paradoxical that it was these "seven" who were the first to catch the vision of the world mission of the gospel, not the Apostles. It was "the seven" whose preaching forced the break with Judaism, not the Apostles.
It is so shocking that the Apostles were not the initiators of the Great commission, but these Greek-speaking Jews. Acts never records them fulfilling the task assigned to them by the Apostles but instead depicts them as gospel preachers. Their qualifications seem more in line with this task than the administration and pastoral care needed by the church in Jerusalem.
Instead of bringing peace, their ministries brought conflict and persecution!
Act_6:5 "Stephen" His name means "victor's crown." All of the "seven" had Greek names, but most Jews of the Diaspora had both a Hebrew name and a Greek name. Just the names themselves do not mean they were all Greek-speaking Jews. Reason says there may have been both groups present.
▣ "full of faith" The term faith came from an OT word (i.e., emeth) that originally meant a person whose feet were in a stable stance. It came to be used metaphorically for someone who was trustworthy, faithful, dependable, and loyal. In the NT this term is used for the believer's response to God's promise through Christ. We trust His trustworthiness! We faith His faithfulness. Stephen trusted in God's trustworthiness; therefore, he was characterized by God's character (i.e., full of faith, faithfulness).
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▣ "full of. . .the Holy Spirit" There are many different phrases which describe the ministry of the Spirit to believers:
1. the wooing of the Spirit (cf. Joh_6:44; Joh_6:65)
2. the baptism of the Spirit (cf. 1Co_12:13)
3. the fruit of the Spirit (cf. Gal_5:22-23)
4. the gifts of the Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 12)
5. the filling of the Spirit (cf. Eph_5:18).
To be full of the Spirit implies two things: (1) that the person is saved (cf. Rom_8:9) and (2) that the person is led by the Spirit (cf. Rom_8:14). It seems that one's "fullness" is related to one's continually being filled (present passive imperative of Eph_5:18). For "filled" see full note at Act_5:17.
▣ "Philip" There are several Philips in the NT. This one was one of the Seven. His name means "lover of horses." His ministry is told in Acts 8. He was instrumental in the revival in Samaria and a personal witness to a governmental official from Ethiopia. He is called "the evangelist" in Act_21:8 and his daughters were also active in ministry (i.e., prophetesses, cf. Act_21:9, see hyperlink at Act_2:17).
▣ "Prochorus" Little is known of this person. In The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. 4, James Orr (ed.) says he became bishop of Nicomedia and was martyred at Antioch (p. 2457).
▣ "Nicanor" Nothing is known about this person in church history. His name is Greek and means "conqueror."
▣ "Timon" Nothing is known about this person in church history. His name is Greek and means "honorable."
▣ "Parmenas" This is a shortened form of Parmenides. Church tradition says he was martyred at Philippi during the reign of Trajan (cf. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. 4, p. 2248).
▣ "Nicholas, a proselyte from Antioch" More information may have been given about this man because his city may have been Luke's home. Being a Jewish proselyte involved three ritual acts:
1. that the person baptized himself in the presence of witnesses
2. that the person, if a male, was circumcised
3. that the person, if they had opportunity, offered a sacrifice in the temple
There has been some confusion about this man in church history because there is a group of a similar name mentioned in Rev_2:14-15. Some early church fathers (i.e., Irenaeus and Hippolytus) thought he was the founder of this heretical group. Most of the church fathers who mention a connection at all think the group may have tried to use his name to assert their founder was a leader in the Jerusalem church.
Act_6:6 "they laid their hands on them" The grammar implies that the whole church laid hands on them (cf. Act_13:1-3), although the referent to the pronoun is ambiguous.
The Roman Catholic Church has used texts like this one to assert Apostolic Succession. In Baptist life we use texts like this to assert ordination (i.e., to dedicate people to a particular ministry). If it is true that all believers are called, gifted ministers (cf. Eph_4:11-12), then there is no distinction in the NT between "clergy" and "laity." The elitism set up and propagated by biblically unsupported ecclesiastical traditions needs to be reexamined in light of NT Scripture. Laying on of hands may denote function, but not special standing or authority. Many of our denominational traditions are historically or denominationaly-based and not a clear biblical teaching or mandate. Tradition is not a problem until it is raised to the level of Scriptural authority.
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