Join us as we read the scriptures and a daily devotion written by Don Crisp. We pray these messages will bless us all at this time.
Monday 28 September: Acts 6: 1-4
Categories: Don’s Daily Devotions
Monday 28 September: Acts 6: 1-4
V1: The first potential division in the church – Satan loves to disrupt if he can – the believers were now both Hebrew speaking Jews and Greek speaking Jews ( Hellenists) – not actual Gentiles as yet. The Hellenists complain that their widows are being neglected in favour of the Hebrew widows. ( We have no way of knowing if this was actually so.) Note, however, that the care of widows was already seen as a Christian responsibility. ( See 1 Timothy 5:3 ; James 1:27.)
V2: The Apostles summon the body of believers – now a very substantial number – to say that they must give their full attention to the spiritual and teaching ministry to which they are called, rather than deal with matters like this.
V3: So they tell the body of believers to select 7 men, well-regarded and clearly full of the Holy Spirit, with gifts of wisdom, to be appointed to this practical ministry. This is widely regarded as the appointment of the first Deacons, though the word is not used. Note, they were to be men of spiritual as well as practical gifts.
V4: So the Apostles will be free to give themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word ( still the OT Scriptures, of course – but remembering they are full of Jesus. ( Luke 24:27 ; John 5:39.) Certainly, then, the continuing two-fold offices of Elders and Deacons in the church are prefigured here, if not yet called by those names.