Acts 6

Acts 6:1

6:1 If the devil cannot destroy by attacks from without, he will seek to overthrow by dissension within. This is illustrated in these verses. In the early days of the church, it was customary to make daily disbursements to the poor widows of the church who had no other means of support. Some of the believers who had been Greek-speaking Jews complained because their widows were not receiving the same treatment as the widows of Hebrews (those from Jerusalem and Judea). 6:2, 3 The twelve apostles realized that with the increasing growth of the church, some provision would have to be made for handling these business matters. They themselves did not want to forsake the ministry of the word of God in order to handle financial matters, so they counseled that the church should designate seven spiritual men to handle the temporal affairs of the church. Although these men are not designated deacons in the Bible, it is not unreasonable to think of them as such. In the expression, serve tables, the word serve is the verb form of the noun from which we get the English word deacon, so their function literally was to deacon tables.

1. Of good reputationReputable2. Full of the Holy SpiritSpiritual3. Full of wisdomPracticalMore detailed qualifications are given in 1Ti_3:8-13. 6:4 The apostles would give themselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. The order here is significantfirst prayer, then the ministry of the word. They made it a point to speak to God about men before speaking to men about God. 6:5, 6 Judging from the names of the seven men who were chosen, most of them were Greek-speaking Jews before their conversion. This was certainly a most gracious concession to the very group that had made the complaint. Hereafter there could be no charge of favoritism from that quarter. When the love of God fills men’s hearts, it triumphs over pettiness and selfishness. Only two of the deacons are well-known to usStephen, who became the first martyr of the church; and Philip, the evangelist who later carried the gospel to Samaria, won the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ, and entertained Paul at Caesarea. After praying, the apostles expressed their fellowship with the choice of the church by laying hands on the seven. 6:7 If verse 7 is read with the preceding verses, it seems to indicate that the provision of deacons to care for business affairs resulted in a great forward thrust for the gospel. As the word of God spread, many disciples were added to the fellowship in Jerusalem, and a great many of the Jewish priests became followers of the Lord Jesus. 6:8 The narrative now centers on one of the deacons, Stephen, who was mightily used by God in performing miracles and in preaching the word. He is the first man other than an apostle who is said to have performed miracles in the Book of Acts. Was this promotion to higher service a result of his faithfulness as a deacon? Or was it simply an additional ministry which he carried on at the same time? It is impossible to decide from the text. 6:9 Opposition to Stephen’s powerful ministry arose from the synagogue. These were places where Jews gathered together on the Sabbath for instruction in the law. The synagogues were named according to the people who met there. The Freedmen were perhaps Jews who had been freed from slavery by the Romans. Cyrene was a city in Africa, some of whose Jews had apparently settled in Jerusalem. The Alexandrian Jews had come from the seaport of Egypt by that name. Cilicia was the southeastern province of Asia Minor, and Asia was a province of Asia Minor made up of three territories. Apparently communities of Jews from all of these places had synagogues in or near Jerusalem. 6:10-14 These zealous Jews proved no match for Stephen as they disputed with him. The words which he spoke and the power with which he spoke them were irresistible. In a desperate move to silence them, they secretly induced false witnesses to accuse Stephen of blasphemy against Moses and God. Soon he was standing before the Sanhedrin, charged with speaking against the temple and the law. They falsely quoted him as saying that Jesus would destroy the temple and change the whole system which Moses delivered to Israel. 6:15 The Sanhedrin heard the charges, but as they looked at Stephen, they saw not the face of a demon, but the face of an angel. They saw the mysterious beauty of a life that is fully surrendered to the Lord, determined to proclaim the Truth, and more concerned with what God thinks than with what men may say. They saw something of the glory of Christ reflected in the radiant face of His devoted follower. In chapter 7 we have Stephen’s masterful defense. It begins quietly with what seems to be a review of Jewish history. As it progresses, it concentrates on two individuals, Joseph and Moses, who were raised up by God, rejected by Israel, then exalted as deliverers and saviors. Though Stephen does not compare their experiences directly with Christ’s, the analogy is unmistakable. Then at length, Stephen launches into a scathing attack on Israel’s leaders, charging them with resisting the Holy Spirit, murdering the Righteous One, and failing to keep the law of God. Stephen must have known that his life was at stake. To spare himself, all he had to do was deliver a compromising, placating speech. But he would rather die than betray his sacred trust. Admire his courage!