Lessons From Acts – Lesson 7
The book of Acts is unique in many ways. It records a transitional period as the New Testament is being written. And many times we see that God did amazing things before they preached that showed to all that they were God’s men preaching God’s message. The miracle done right before the preaching validated the message.
Once the New Testament was written that was no longer needed. What validates our message today is the completed Bible.
The book of Acts is also a book of firsts. Belief in a resurrected Saviour is new. All of the Old Testament looked forward to the cross but the view was often in shadow. With types and figures and prophecies and promises.
Now for the first time all is revealed. They know His name and can look back at the cross, and the resurrection, and His ascension. This clarity of this revealed truth is new.
And the New Testament church is a new thing. And never before has the Holy Spirit came and permanently indwelt believers at salvation. So in the book of Acts we will see a lot of firsts. We have looked at serval firsts already. The first time some of the Apostles go out and preach, the first time indwelt believers lied to God, the first time men get thrown in jail for preaching Jesus.
And their response teaches us how we should look at, think about and react to suffering for Jesus’ name.
This is something that is consistent throughout the entire Bible. The first time something is mentioned there are fundamental truths about it presented that we can learn from.
This morning we are going to look at the first time there is trouble between two groups inside the church body. We have already seen the first time there is trouble with two individuals lying. What we are about to look at is the first time there is trouble between two groups.
We have already seen the first trouble from the lost outside world and seen a great example of how to handle that with faith and boldness and how we are to hold to the truth of God’s Word over the word of man.
The entire account is only 7 verses but there is much we can learn. And I have seen this section of scripture miss used many times, so it is important that we have a clear understanding of what these verses say and what they do not say.
Acts 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
We know that God has told them to preach to everyone and go everywhere but they have not started doing that yet. And God has not yet sent Peter to visit and preach to and see Gentiles saved for the first time. So we don’t have a bunch of Gentiles getting saved yet.
So who are the Grecians? I believe that they are Jewish people who have accepted the Greek culture. The word Grecians means from Greece. So they are Jewish people who were born in Greece. They have some of the Greek way of thinking in them and mannerisms and probably have an accent.
Jews came from all over for the feast where Peter first preached and 3,000 got saved. People that got saved that day were from all over the known world. Many of them returned to their homelands and went on with life.
Others moved and joined the church. There could have also been Jews from Greece that had moved to Jerusalem some time before, maybe even years before. And it could be a mix of those things. No way to know, but we do know that we have two groups in this infant church. Jews who were Hebrew all the way. And we have Jews who are from Greece or the Greek world.
And there was a problem. And this is the first thing we learn. There can be problems.
Verse 1 says because their widows were neglected. That is stated as a fact. It was not that they thought they were neglected, they actually were being neglected.
Real issues can happen, things that hurt people’s feelings. The second thing we learn is don’t ignore the problem.
Admit that there is an issue. And third thing we learn is that after you admit there is a problem then find a solution. Do not let the issue fester.
Acts 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
Acts 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
Acts 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
The 4th thing we learn it is ok to delegate. The Apostles could not be everywhere and they could not physically do all God wanted them to do and deal with all the widows.
It was not that they did not love these widows or think that they were not important. They realized there was an issue and they wanted it fixed. They did not want the widows neglected.
The 5th thing we learn is that it is good and right to have standards for the men who are to solve this problem. Don’t give this job to someone who is a backslidden worldly Christian. You need to be able to count on this important job being done. Regularly, on time, and done well.
The qualifications were honesty, and full of wisdom, and men who were being led by the Holy Spirit. So men who were listening to God and willing to follow. These men were not to run the entire outfit, they were not to boss people around in all matters. They were given a specific area of responsibility.
The 6th thing we learn is that this was such an important decision that all the congregation was involved in choosing these men. This is a principal that I have seen abused many times. The Bible is teaching here that what the people in the church think matters. This is teaching that people in the pew are to have a say.
The spirituality of the church members is to be respected. Each church member has the same Holy Spirit indwelling them as the preachers do. The members chose the men and they chose well. The Apostles did not have to reject any of the ones they chose.
Acts 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
Acts 6:6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
Acts 6:7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
The other thing that I have seen abused in this section of scripture is the leaving out and or flat out changing the last half of verse 4.
Acts 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
I have seen more than one preacher come with it is not my job. I am to be continually in prayer and Bible study and then use the situation with the widows and verse 4 as proof.
And so they don’t do hospital visits but send others. Or they don’t go put out tracts but send others. And of course they are not continually in prayer and Bible study.
Question? Does verse 4 say Bible study?
No it says to the ministry of the word.
Ministry of the word would include soul winning. And we have seen that already in the book of Acts. Peter and John were out soul winning and preaching to the lost when they healed that lame man and then Peter preached and 3,000 got saved.
When they got thrown in jail what were the apostles doing. Out soul winning. Preaching the word to the lost.
So the context of the chapters around this clearly show that you cannot change verse 4 from ministry of the word to Bible study. Verse 4 does not mean hiding in your study.
It means getting the word of God to people. Yes both to the lost and to the saved. Going to the hospital and sharing hope from the Bible to a sick Christian is also ministry of the word.
I have even seen preachers use this excuse and quote this section of scripture who do not even have any widows who are being neglected. I call it hiding behind widows that you don’t even have so that you don’t have to do what God wants you to do.
And we have seen in Acts chapter 2 how they went house to house in breaking of bread. That would be the Lord ’s Supper. So the leaders did go visit people in their homes, but to teach and to have the Lord ’s Supper.
So the Apostles here are in no way teaching against visiting their widows. They would do that to minister the word. But as far as going every day to make sure they have the food they need. That would have took all of their time so they found qualified spirit filled men to handle the groceries.
This way they would have the time to pray and to preach and to visit and teach and to go out soul winning and have the time to get thrown in jail for preaching Jesus.
So a real issue came up, it was acknowledged, a solution found. A solution that provided a quality resolution. A solution that the people had a say in and were all happy with. And it was a solution that provided for and prioritized the Work of God getting done with the ministering of the word.
This was not in any way teaching hiding in your office. God is not happy when men misuse this scripture to get out of putting out tracts or hospital visits or other opportunities to share God’s precious Word.