Acts 6:5-7 5And the word was pleasing before the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6These they set before the apostles, and after praying, they laid their hands on them. 7And the word of God grew, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem greatly multiplied, and a great number of the priests became obedient to the faith.
God was at this meeting, providing wisdom to the apostles about what to do with the challenge of the neglected Hellenistic widows. It was crucial to keep the unity while also providing for the needy and continuing the discipling. Luke provides a quick list of the seven men chosen to help with the important ministry of distributing food and resources to the needy. From Luke’s account, it appears that the whole congregation made the choice of persons, perhaps through some type of vote or nomination process. Leaders are often decided by a group process, which tends to be more accepted and may also be (though no guarantee) a helpful way to discern God’s will.
Naming Stephen as the first on the list is significant and prepares for the rest of his story in the next two chapters. The two descriptions of him are highly indicative of his qualifications. Luke does not mention any leadership abilities but spiritual and character qualities. Full of faith implies that he was deeply spiritual and committed to Jesus Christ. Full of the Holy Spirit was one of the primary characteristics of the early believers (2:4; 4:8, 31). One might wonder why these two qualities were so important for waiting on tables and compassionate ministry. The early church recognized character and spiritual maturity as more important than anything else when it came to ministry. Next in the group was Philip, who encountered an Ethiopian eunuch, which Luke further describes in chapter 8. This was not the apostle Philip. Little is known of the other six persons. The Greek names of the seven suggest that they were all Hellenistic Jews, which would have made it easier for them to identify with and know the needs of the Hellenistic widows.
Verse 6 indicates an early form of ordination as the apostles prayed and laid hands on the seven new ministers of compassion and care. The apostles represented the authorities of the church who confirmed and recognized the choice and qualifications of the seven. Laying hands on someone had a long history in the Old Testament for passing on authority and responsibility (Numbers 27:16-23). The practice became more formal over time and is used today as a form of ordination. The church saw this ministry as highly important and more than being a burden to give to a few people. Serving people required the highest qualifications. The early believers could look to Jesus, who served by washing his disciples’ feet. The greatest ministry is not being first and standing in front but being humble and helping those in need.
Verse 7 gives the outcome of the situation with the word of God going out even more. The apostles could devote their time to preaching and teaching. The witness of the church grew through the acts of love evident to everyone. The sequence is significant. The word went out, resulting in people becoming obedient to the faith. Especially noteworthy is how many priests became believers. Another significant description is how disciples multiplied. God had directed and used the apostles and congregation to find a solution that increased their witness. Luke emphasizes prayer throughout his writings, as he does in verse 6. The sequence can be summarized as 1) having a need that could become a crisis, 2) seeking God’s will, 3) arriving at a consensus, 4) choosing spiritually qualified leaders to help in the ministry, 5) setting these leaders aside through prayer and commissioning, 6) resulting in growing ministry and stronger witness.
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