Called to Serve

Book of Acts 6 | Sunday School Lesson, August 6, 2017

Administration in the church (6:1–7).
6:1. The Grecian Jews could not speak Aramaic, the native tongue of Jews living in Israel. They probably were reared outside the land and were bilingual, speaking both Greek and their native tongues (cf. 2:5–11). Probably Gentile proselytes to Judaism who later became Christians were also in this group. The native Jews were also bilingual in that they spoke Aramaic and Greek (cf. 21:40). In the Jewish world, tensions existed between the Grecian Jews and the Aramaic-speaking Jews; tragically these strains were brought into the church.

6:2. The tables (trapezais) may refer to tables used for serving food or to money tables, that is, banks. Probably it was used here to refer to the place where funds and supplies were administered for the widows.

The Twelve recognized their proper priorities in the ministry of the Word of God and prayer (cf. v. 4).

6:3–4. The apostles mentioned three qualifications for those who would be enlisted to serve: they must

(a) be full of the Spirit and

(b) be full of wisdom (cf. v. 10). In addition, they were to

(c) be known for these things, that is, the previous two qualifications were to be their reputations.

All three were necessary for the handling of finances. (Faith, v. 5, is not another qualification, for belief is simply the means of being filled with the Holy Spirit.)

Selecting seven men may go back to the tradition in Jewish communities where seven respected men managed the public business in an official council. By choosing these seven, the Twelve could give their attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word (cf. v. 2).

6:5. The suggestion of the Twelve pleased the whole group of the disciples. Significantly all seven men had Greek names, implying they were Hellenists. Nicolas, the last one named, was not even a Jew but was a convert to Judaism and then to Christianity. The early church evidently felt the problem of the unintentional neglect of Grecian Jewish widows would be best solved by the Hellenistic Jews; certainly, they would not neglect the Aramaic-speaking widows.

The introduction of these seven (cf. 21:8) prepares readers for the ministries of Stephen and Philip, the first two men listed. Furthermore, the reference to Grecian Jews looks ahead to the wider spread of the gospel outside the circle of Jerusalem and Judea. (Nothing else is known about the other four: Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas.)

6:6. Though the Christian community selected the Seven, they were commissioned by the apostles. This was done by prayer and the laying on of hands. The practice of laying hands on others was a gesture signifying commissioning and granting of authority (cf. 8:17–19; 13:3; 19:6; 1 Tim. 4:14; 5:22; Heb. 6:2).
Were these the first deacons? Which church office is in view here? Three answers are given to these questions.

(1) Some say these were the first deacons. Several factors are used to support this viewpoint. First, the office of deacon is assumed in Paul’s letters (cf. Phil. 1:1). If Acts 6:1–6 is not an account of their beginning, it is argued, when and where did deacons originate? Second, several words related to the deacon (diakonos) are found here: “distribution” (lit., “service”) in verse 1 is diakonia, and “to wait” in verse 2 is diakonein. However, these men were never called “deacons” (diakonoi) as such. Much later they were called “the Seven” (21:8). Furthermore, the words “distribution” and “wait” do not seem to have a technical sense here. These words in the Greek New Testament are commonly used in a nonspecialized sense.

(2) Others hold that these were precursors to the office of elder. This is not a common interpretation, but it gains its support from 11:30, which refers to relief money being given to the elders. If deacons handled these funds earlier (chap. 6), it is argued, they must have later become the elders (chap. 11). However, the office of the elder has its origin in the Jewish synagogue.

(3) A third view is that these seven men held a temporary position for the purpose of meeting a specific need. This seems to be the best approach for a couple of reasons. First, these men were chosen for a particular task, not an overall one. Second, they were in a temporary responsibility because of the communal nature of the church at Jerusalem. Even so, these men do illustrate the role and function of the office of deacons.

6:7. This verse contains another of Luke’s progress reports. The church was rapidly growing in numbers (cf. 2:41, 47; 4:4; 5:14; 6:1; 9:31), with even many Jewish priests becoming believers (obedient to the faith; cf. Rom. 1:5). With the appointment of these men, readers are prepared for the work of Stephen and Philip and the proclamation of the gospel outside Jerusalem.
II. The Witness in All Judea and Samaria (6:8–9:31).
A. The martyrdom of Stephen (6:8–8:1a).
1.  the arrest of Stephen (6:8–7:1). Stephen’s ministry, arrest, and trial are strikingly similar to the Lord’s.

6:8. Like Christ and the apostles, Stephen was full of God’s grace and power (cf. 4:33; Luke 2:40, 52). Interestingly Stephen was “full of” or controlled by five factors: the Spirit, wisdom, faith, grace, power (Acts 6:3, 5, 8). What an outstanding leader! Furthermore, he did great wonders and miraculous signs (cf. 2:22; Luke 24:19; also cf. Acts 2:43). This evidence of God’s grace was in addition to his responsibilities in the daily ministration to the widows.

[1] Toussaint, S. D. (1985). Acts. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 367–368). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Stephen the Servant (Acts 6:1–7)

Warren Wiersbe

The church was experiencing “growing pains” and this was making it difficult for the Apostles to minister to everybody. The “Grecians” were the Greek-speaking Jews who had come to Palestine from other nations, and therefore may not have spoken Aramaic, while the “Hebrews” were Jewish residents of the land who spoke both Aramaic and Greek. The fact that the “outsiders” were being neglected created a situation that could have divided the church. However, the Apostles handled the problem with great wisdom and did not give Satan any foothold in the fellowship.

When a church faces a serious problem, this presents the leaders and the members with a number of opportunities. For one thing, problems give us the opportunity to examine our ministry and discover what changes must be made. In times of success, it is easy for us to maintain the status quo, but this is dangerous. Henry Ward Beecher called success “a last-year’s nest from which the birds have flown.” Any ministry or organization that thinks its success will go on automatically is heading for failure. We must regularly examine our lives and our ministries lest we start taking things for granted.

The Apostles studied the situation and concluded that they were to blame: they were so busy serving tables that they were neglecting prayer and the ministry of the Word of God. They had created their own problem because they were trying to do too much. Even today, some pastors are so busy with secondary tasks that they fail to spend adequate time in study and in prayer. This creates a “spiritual deficiency” in the church that makes it easy for problems to develop.

This is not to suggest that serving tables is a menial task, because every ministry in the church is important. But it is a matter of priorities; the Apostles were doing jobs that others could do just as well. D.L. Moody used to say that it was better to put ten men to work than to try to do the work of ten men. Certainly it is better for you, for the workers you enlist, and for the church as a whole.

Church problems also give us an opportunity to exercise our faith, not only faith in the Lord, but also faith in each other. The leaders suggested a solution, and all the members agreed with it. The assembly selected seven qualified men, and the Apostles set them apart for ministry. The church was not afraid to adjust their structure in order to make room for a growing ministry.

When structure and ministry conflict, this gives us an opportunity to trust God for the solution. It is tragic when churches destroy ministry because they refuse to modify their structure. The Apostles were not afraid to share their authority and ministry with others.
Problems also give us the opportunity to express our love. The Hebrew leaders and the predominantly Hebrew members selected six men who were Hellenists and one man who was both a Gentile and a proselyte! What an illustration of Romans 12:10 and Philippians 2:1–4! When we solve church problems, we must think of others and not of ourselves only.

We commonly call these seven men of Acts 6 “deacons” because the Greek noun diakonos is used in Acts 6:1 (“ministration”), and the verb diakoneo (“serve”) is used in Acts 6:2. However, this title is not given to them in this chapter, although you find deacons mentioned in Philippians 1:1 and their qualifications given in 1 Timothy 3:8–13. The word simply means “a servant.” These seven men were humble servants of the church, men whose work made it possible for the Apostles to carry on their important ministries among the people.

Stephen was one of these men. The emphasis in Stephen’s life is on fullness: he was full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3, 10), full of faith (Acts 6:5), and full of power (Acts 6:8). In Scripture, to be “full of” means “to be controlled by.” This man was controlled by the Spirit, faith, wisdom, and power. He was a God-controlled man yielded to the Holy Spirit, a man who sought to lead people to Christ.

What was the result? The blessing of God continued and increased! The church was still unified (Acts 6:5), multiplied (Acts 6:7), and magnified (Acts 6:8). Acts 6:7 is one of several “summaries” found in the book, statements that let us know that the story has reached an important juncture (see Acts 2:41; 4:4; 5:12–16; 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; and 28:31). In Acts 6:7, Dr. Luke describes the climax of the ministry in Jerusalem, for the persecution following Stephen’s death will take the Gospel to the Samaritans and then to the Gentiles. It has been estimated that there were 8,000 Jewish priests attached to the temple ministry in Jerusalem, and “a great company” of them trusted Jesus Christ as Saviour!

Stephen the Witness (Acts 6:8–15)
This Spirit-filled man did not limit his ministry to the serving of tables; he also won the lost and even did miracles. Up to this point, it was the Apostles who performed the miracles (Acts 2:43; 5:12), but now God gave this power to Stephen also. This was part of His plan to use Stephen to bear witness to the leaders of Israel. Stephen’s powerful testimony would be the climax of the church’s witness to the Jews. Then the message would go out to the Samaritans and then to the Gentiles.

Jews from many nations resided in Jerusalem in their own “quarters,” and some of these ethnic groups had their own synagogues. The freedmen (“libertines”) were the descendants of Jews who had previously been in bondage but had won their freedom from Rome. Since Paul came from Tarsus in Cilicia (Acts 21:39), it is possible that he heard Stephen in the synagogue and may have debated with him. However, nobody could match or resist Stephen’s wisdom and power (see Luke 21:15). Their only alternative was to destroy him.

Their treatment of Stephen parallels the way the Jewish leaders treated Jesus. First, they hired false witnesses to testify against him. Then, they stirred up the people who accused him of attacking the Law of Moses and the temple. Finally, after listening to his witness, they executed him (see Matt. 26:59–62; John 2:19–22).

The Jews were jealous over their Law and could not understand how Christ had come to fulfill the Law and to bring in the new age. They were proud of their temple and refused to believe that God would permit it to be destroyed. Stephen faced the same spiritual blindness that Jeremiah faced in his ministry (see Jer. 7). The church faced the opposition of Jewish tradition for many years to come, from within its own ranks (Acts 15) and from false teachers coming in from the outside (Gal. 2:4).

The enemy surprised Stephen and arrested him while he was ministering (“having came upon him suddenly” is Wuest’s translation of Acts 6:12); and they took him before the same council that had tried Jesus and the Apostles. It was not even necessary for Stephen to speak in order to give witness, for the very glow on his face told everybody that he was a servant of God. Certainly the members of the Sanhedrin would recall Moses’ shining face (Ex. 34:29–30). It was as though God was saying, “This man is not against Moses! He is like Moses—he is My faithful servant!”[1]

I.   The Selection of the Seven Deacons (6:1–7)
A. The complaint to the church leaders (6:1) : The Greek-speaking widows feel that the Hebrew-speaking widows are being favored in the daily distribution of food.

B. The conference of the church leaders (6:2–4)
1.  Their dilemma (6:2) : They want to help but feel they have no time.
2.  Their decision (6:3) : They determine to select seven men and assign them this task.
3.  Their duties (6:4) : The leaders believe their ministry should consist of praying, teaching, and preaching.

C. The choice by the church leaders (6:5–7)
1.  The individuals (6:5) : The men chosen for this task are Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas.
2.  The installation (6:6) : The apostles lay hands on the seven and pray for them.
3.  The increase (6:7) : Soon the number of believers increases, including the conversion of many Jewish priests!

II. The Slander against the One Deacon (6:8–15)
A. The miracles by Stephen (6:8) : He performs great wonders among the people through the power of God.
B. The malice against Stephen (6:9–14)
1.  Who (6:9) : A group of Jews from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves begins debating with Stephen.
2.  Why (6:10) : They hate Stephen because they are unable to stand against his Spirit-anointed wisdom.
3.  What (6:11–14): They charge Stephen with teaching a twofold blasphemy.
a.  That Jesus will destroy the Temple of God (6:13a)
b.  That Jesus will destroy the law of God (6:11–12, 13b–14)

C. The meekness of Stephen (6:15) : The council members see that Stephen’s face has become as bright as an angel’s![2]


[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 429–430). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] Willmington, H. L. (1999). The Outline Bible (Ac 6). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.