Acts 6:1 1Now in those days, when the disciples were increasing, the Hellenistic Jews began complaining against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily ministry.
The growth of the church brought new challenges that required careful administration to resolve. It is almost always the case that growth requires readjustment of strategy; otherwise, the growth will lead to conflict, which can result in a loss of momentum or division. The young church faced this kind of situation. Luke has recorded thus far how the church had grown in Jerusalem among the Jews, especially those who gathered for worship at the temple. Beginning in this chapter, the gospel begins to reach different groups of people.
The transition In those days introduces a new group as the church began to grow beyond the bounds of the Jews of Jerusalem. All the believers were called disciples, a term used in the Gospels for the followers of Jesus. A disciple is a follower who learns and imitates a master. There were two types of Jews present in Jerusalem: Hellenistic and Hebraic. These Jews were different linguistically and culturally. The Hellenistic Jews likely spoke Greek as their first language, though living in Jerusalem meant they also knew Aramaic to some degree. Perhaps even more significant was that these Jews came from the Diaspora and were culturally different than the native Jews of Jerusalem or Judea. Their thinking was influenced by Greco-Roman thinking prevalent throughout the Roman Empire of that time. Diaspora Jews likely migrated to various countries of the region before, during, or after the Babylonian exile. Like many Jews today, these Hellenistic Jews had returned to the homeland for some unstated reason, like Saul of Tarsus did.
The conflict came when the two cultures and ways of life collided in the church. Luke gives the reason for the conflict in verse 1: the Hellenistic widows were not receiving the daily ministry, which likely included needed food assistance. Being a widow in the first century was very difficult. Without family, and if a widow could not support herself, she had no way to support herself and could become destitute and starve. There appeared to be a preference developing, with the Hebraic widows of Jerusalem receiving priority.
This matter was serious and revealed an issue of inequality in the church. The sociological principle of limited goods applies in this situation. The money the church collected only went so far, and so the Hebraic widows received the assistance first. The text does not indicate this neglect was intentional, but a matter of priority and oversight. Even in a growing church and in ministry, there can be issues that develop that will need immediate attention lest they grow to become big problems to hinder continued growth.
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