06: Appointment of the Seven Deacons and Stephen’s Arrest (Acts 6)

Chapter 6 shows how the Jerusalem church dealt with multicultural conflict within the church. By allowing Greek-speaking Jews to participate in ministry, the church continued to grow well. However, persecution was triggered by Jews from outside Palestine. They did not want the church to emerge within the Jewish community, not even as a Jewish sect. Eventually, the center of missionary ministry would shift from the Jerusalem church to the Antioch church, where Jews and Gentiles formed a multi-ethnic church.

👉 Read Acts 6

Q1. What was the problem in the church?

Greek widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 

A similar problem could happen when a church grows, and people of different cultures and backgrounds join the church. At that time, we need the wisdom of good management. 

We should allow those who could represent each group of church members to participate in the church leadership. But we cannot ignore their qualification: of Spirit and of wisdom.

Q2. How did they resolve the problem? 

They installed deacons who would be responsible for the job. Mainly from Greek Jews.

Deacons were Greek-speaking Jews. Their names were Greek. Nicolas was a non-Jewish believer.

Q3. Stephen was one of the seven deacons. As he proclaimed the gospel of Jesus, what was his opponents' argument? (v11, 13-14)

Blasphemy against Moses and God

Saying against the holy place and the law (they heard that Jesus was going to change their customs from Moses)

Note that those who stirred up the people against Stephen were Jews associated with communities outside Judea. They included the Freedmen, probably former Jewish slaves or their descendants who had settled in Jerusalem, Jews from Cyrene and Alexandria on the North African coast, and Jews from Cilicia and Asia in Asia Minor (Paul’s hometown, Tarsus, was in Cilicia). Meanwhile, many Jews in Jerusalem seemed somewhat more favorable toward the growing Christian community, perhaps because they had witnessed Jesus’ miracles and the works of His followers. However, the religious leaders had already opposed the apostles. Interestingly, in Acts 21:27, Jews from Asia again stirred up the Jerusalem crowd, this time against Paul. Thus, Diaspora-associated Jews played a significant role in both persecutions.

For problems within the church, we need wisdom and good administration. Persecution from outside is beyond our control, but it is within God’s providential plan. Amid such pressure, Stephen did not lose his calmness and peace of heart, and his face appeared like that of an angel. This was evidence of his fullness of the Holy Spirit.