Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased 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. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Like pressure applied to levees during a flood, the early church experienced significant hindrances to its progress early on. The faithful proclamation of the gospel added many to the church; however, the resulting strain was so great that an entire group of widows “were being neglected in the daily distribution” of food, clothing, and financial resources (Acts 6:1), which, in turn, placed limitations on the preaching of the Word of God (Acts 6:2). These circumstances forced the leadership to make a decision: would they ignore the trouble, provide a Band-Aid solution, or try to get to the heart of the matter?
Not only were they able to resolve an issue that could have led to division, but by identifying the problem and being part of the solution, they set an example for future generations to follow (Acts 6:3, 5). The leaders learned to adapt: they removed the administrative burden from the apostles, which created an environment in which they could devote themselves to prayer and preaching (Acts 6:3–6).
God honored the church’s decision: “And the word of God continued to increase, the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7).
Questions
- Why was caring for widows so important for the early church? (See Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 14:29, 16:11; and James 1:27.)
- How did church leadership and the church body respond to this situation? What can we learn from their example?
- What does this passage teach us about church leadership? How can we best support those called to “prayer and the ministry of the word”?
- Do you consider yourself someone who is enabling or disabling the church’s mission? How are you currently serving your local church?
This devotion is adapted from the Acts Study Guide: Chapter 6–11. Pick up a copy today for only $9.99. The Study Guide includes an 11-week curriculum with small group studies, group inductive studies, as well as 55 daily devotions for your personal or family worship.
