NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 21
A cts 6 : 1 2
1977
6:2
b logos (3056)
Acts
7:22
6:3
1 Tim 3:78
6:4
Acts 1:14
c diakonia (1248)
Rom
12:7
6:5
Acts 21:8
6:6
Num 8:10
Acts 1:24; 13:3
1 Tim 4:14
6:7
Acts 12:24; 19:20;
21:20
6:9
Matt 27:32
6:10
Luke 21:15
6:11
Matt 26:5961
believers. They said, “We apostles should
spend our time teaching the b word of God,
not running a food program. 3 And so, broth
ers, select seven men who are well respected
and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We
will give them this responsibility. 4 Then we
apostles can spend our time in prayer and
c teaching the word.”
5 Everyone liked this idea, and they chose
the following: Stephen (a man full of faith
and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nica
nor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Anti
och (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith).
6 These seven were presented to the apostles,
who prayed for them as they laid their hands
on them.
7 So God’s message continued to spread.
The number of believers greatly increased
in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests
were converted, too.
Stephen Is Arrested
8 Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and
power, performed amazing miracles and
signs among the people. 9 But one day some
men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves,
as it was called, started to debate with him.
They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria,
Cilicia, and the province of Asia. 10 None of
them could stand against the wisdom and
the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.
11 So they persuaded some men to lie
about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blas
pheme Moses, and even God.” 12 This roused
the people, the elders, and the teachers of
Empowering Leadership
Acts 6:17
Exod 19:6
Isa 61:6
Matt 20:2528
1 Cor 12:411
Eph 4:1112
1 Pet 2:5, 9; 4:1011
Rev 1:6; 5:10; 20:6
In Acts 6:115 the new Christian community faced a crisis of leadership. The Hellenists, the
Greek-speaking Jews in Jerusalem, were upset because the needs of their widows were being
overlooked “in the daily distribution of food” (6:1). This disruption threatened the develop
ment of the church with “rumblings of discontent” (6:1) and had to be seriously addressed.
Wisely, the apostles recognized the problem (6:23) and called for the selection of seven men
to administer the food program (6:56). Many interpreters see the seven as the first deacons
(see note on 6:26).
The apostles provided empowering leadership by sensitively listening to genuine com
munity needs. This wise handling of the issue, with the united, responsible action of both
people and leaders, resulted in spiritual growth and increased the number of believers (6:7).
Different gifts were recognized in the church and put to work for the common good (see 1 Cor
12:411; 1 Pet 4:1011). A clear division of labor was agreed upon, with the apostles attend
ing to preaching and teaching, and the material needs of the people being handled by other
Spirit-filled leaders.
Every believer has the opportunity to exercise some kind of ministry. This usefulness of
every Christian in the service of God is sometimes called the “priesthood of all believers”
(1 Pet 2:5, 9; Rev 1:6; 5:10; see Exod 19:6; Isa 61:6; Rev 20:6). Not everyone has the same
role, but all have the same calling to use their gifts in God’s service.
God has given the church its leaders, not to “lord it over” other people, but to serve the
community (Matt 20:2528; Mark 10:42-45; Luke 22:25-27; 1 Pet 5:2). The leaders of the
church do well when they recognize both the needs of the community and those whom God
has prepared to meet those needs. Good leaders recognize gifted people and help them
develop, empowering the members of the body to use their G
od-given gifts (Eph 4:1112).
dispute. They recognized the seriousness
of the problem, as well as their own
priority of teaching the word of God.
The solution was to select wise and
Spirit-filled men to oversee the food dis
tribution. The community accepted the
apostles’ solution and chose good lead
ers from the ranks of the Greek-speaking
believers (all of their names are Greek).
These seven devoted themselves to this
special ministry, allowing the apostles to
spend their time in prayer and teaching
the word. • These seven men are some
times called the first deacons because of
PROPHETS OF ISRAEL
the similarity of their role to the office of
deacon (see 1 Tim 3:813). Although the
Greek term translated “deacon” (Greek
diakonos, “servant”) is not used here, a
related Greek word is translated running
a food program (6:2; Greek diakonein,
“to serve”).
6:7 The result of the apostles’ wise
handling of the issue was growth and
increase in the number of believers,
including many of the Jewish priests.
• This is the first of three places in Acts
where Luke notes that God’s message
continued to spread (see also 12:24;
GOSPELS & ACTS
19:20). When real difficulties arose,
God’s message could overcome the chal
lenges posed by internal strife, idolatry,
and paganism, and the result was
growth in the community. Acts is the
story of the “unhindered” message of
Good News (see 28:31).
6:815 The Jewish leaders did to Stephen as they had done to Jesus (cp. Matt
26:34, 5966): They got someone to lie
about him, accused him of blasphemy,
incited a riot, arrested him, and posted
false charges against him.
L E T T E R S O F PAU L
OTHER LET TERS
