Acts: The Kingdom Advances - Week 11 (6:1-7)
Acts 6:1-7
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Acts 6:1-7 〰️
This week’s passage in Acts continues in chapter six. We’re now in week 11 of the first volume of our slow walk through of Acts. Something we’ve frequently seen in the first five chapters is the early church's logistical organization. This can be fun for us to read as we’ve grown as a young church, navigating the practicalities of serving a community and caring for God’s people. As a community group leader, no matter how long you’ve served in this position, you’ve likely felt this and seen some growth and change! What’s especially encouraging for us here is reading and knowing that the early church, some of whom had direct, face-to-face time with Jesus, also experienced growing pains in learning how to serve Jesus and His church well.
This week’s passage begins (again) with a statement about the growing number of people in their community. Up to this point, all of the growth that we’ve read has followed an event or proclamation of the Gospel, and unsurprisingly, chapter five ends with v42, which says, “Every day in the temple, and in various homes, tey continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” We then arrive here in Ch6, where more growth is reported, but then we hit our first interpersonal snag within the church. “…there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.” (v1b)
What’s important for us to note here is that the complaint in no way appears to be an accusation of favoritism or malice, but rather an oversight and a lack of administration and organization. The early church has grown so rapidly that it seems barely able to keep up with the people's increasing needs. In v1 specifically, we read that the Hellenistic Jews felt they were being “overlooked in the daily distribution.” The two groups mentioned in this passage are essentially two major demographics of this early church: Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews. It’s never mentioned that one is larger or more significant than the other. The only detail we have is that the Hellenistic Jews saw that the widows in their sub-community were not having their needs met. Again, this is not at all believed to be a preferential treatment, but likely a cultural barrier, as the Hellenistic Jews spoke Greek while the Hebraic Jews spoke Aramaic.¹ The geographical and linguistic background is especially helpful here, as it offers insight into why division in the Church of Jesus arose. John Stott is helpful in expanding on this issue as well, stating:
“Since Paul called himself Hebraios, in spite of the fact that he came from Tarsus and spoke Greek, the distinction must go beyond origin and language to culture. In this case the Hellēnistai not only spoke Greek but thought and behaved like Greeks, while the Hebraioi not only spoke Aramaic but were deeply immersed in Hebrew culture. This being so, Grecian Jews is a good rendering, while the Aramaic-speaking community is not, since it refers to language only and not culture. ‘What is needed here’, writes Richard Longenecker, ‘is some such translation as “Grecian Jews” and “Hebraic Jews”.’ There had always, of course, been rivalry between these groups in Jewish culture; the tragedy is that it was perpetuated within the new community of Jesus who by his death had abolished such distinctions.”²
While the cultural tension was certainly one that needed handling, the greater need (and the reason this tension arose in the first place) was to address the organization and logistics of caring for people. Often, we undervalue the necessity of organizational structures and processes, but the long-term health and harmony of a community require them. We’ve often talked about the vine and trellis at King’s Tabl Church, where the vine is the organic plant, the people, community, and ministries where fruit is produced, and people are cared for. But without a trellis, the vine cannot grow in a healthy manner that maximizes growth and health.
As we continue on to v3-6, we read that the disciples saw the need and sought to find seven righteous individuals who would be able to lead in this way. Verse 2a and 4 can give us brief pause if we read it in a vacuum, as folks will often think that the disciples merely wanted to delegate the responsibility because they had more important matters (prayer and ministry of the word), but if we backtrack to v3, we get a picture of the importance with which the disciples viewed this position. “Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.” They knew the importance of caring for the community and knew that the role would be greater than what they could handle on their own alongside leading the church is prayer and teaching. The key takeaway here is the vast value and importance of the entire church and the diversity of gifts and calling. Paul later talks about this as well in his letter to the Corinthian church as well.
“For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink. “(1 Corinthians 12:12–13)
No matter the role, visible or invisible, glamorous (in our eyes) or in secret, we are all in Christ. The unique roles everyone plays in the church is incredibly vital to the wellbeing and thriving of a community and are part of the trellis that keeps the vine healthy and fruitful.
Discussion Questions
Could someone read Acts 5:12-42 for us?
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
What was the complaint that came up in v1?
How did the twelve disciples respond to the complaint?
What are some common issues or complaints that can cause division in the church today? How can we respond to them in a way that promotes unity, following the example set by the disciples in this passage?
The disciples responded to this complaint by finding a solution to meet the need. What does this tell us about the necessity of a variety of gifts in the church?
1. John R. W. Stott, The Message of Acts: The Spirit, the Church & the World, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 120.
2. Ibid., 120-121.