Call to Commitment

Daily food distribution

      1.      Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.   

      2.      Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 

      3.      Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 

      4.      but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 

5.      And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 

6.      whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. 

7.      Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.  

We have studied the phenomenal success and growth of the church, the first and only church at this time, as it forms in Jerusalem. The number grew to at least 5,000, which some would count to be over 8,000, depending how we interpret Acts 4:4. Was five thousand the total number of Christians or were 5,000 added to the original 120 disciples and the 3,000 converted and baptized on the day of Pentecost? I will leave it for every reader to decide for himself, although the language use of the text seems to me to favor that five thousand was the total number.

 The last verse of chapter 2 declares that “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved,” to the point that “believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (5:14). It is no wonder that the Jerusalem council was greatly disturbed (4:2) and attempted to oppose it, “so that it spreads no further among the people” (4:17). They made no attempt to believe the Galilean leaders, although miracles from heaven accompanied the preaching of the gospel. They, unanimously and violently, opposed the movement until in this chapter that we are studying, we will see that many of the priests relented and came into faith. 

 Along with the great success, for the first time, we see problems emerging from the inside, adding to the opposition from the outside. Up until now, we read of unity, of the disciples being of one heart and one mind. This not only happened in Jerusalem; it is a common occurrence in the church throughout the ages to the present day. It gives us a principle that determines that it is harder to live with success than with humble beginnings. John Wesley comments: “Ah Lord, how short a time did pure, genuine, undefiled Christianity remain in the world!”

 You will remember that we considered that there were Jews, present in Jerusalem before Pentecost, who were from outlying provinces and, upon believing in Christ, remained in Jerusalem to receive instruction from the apostles. In the Greeks own language, the name for their own country was and is Hellas, so literally speaking, a Hellenist is a Greek. The Jews, living in Greek-speaking countries, were also called Hellenists, as they became a part of the Jerusalem church. This party was complaining of treatment given their widows by the resident Jewish people, called Hebrews. The Israelite citizens were ignoring the foreign widows in the daily distribution of food (v. 1).

 Satan is involved in the situation, working from within to cause division. Before this can develop, the twelve apostles intervene. They call for an assembly of the entire church and declare one situation that they will definitely not allow to take place. They will not leave preaching and teaching, in order to minister to this need. Instead, they proceed to delegate authority and from this situation, an office forms in the early church… that of deacons (v. 2).

 Here we have a case of congregational government, as all the believers search throughout their number for men with certain qualifications. The apostles present the first qualification, and it is that those chosen must be men with an honest reputation. It is necessary in every office of the church that the leadership be good examples to the general body in the church and a good testimony to those outside. The second qualification is that the candidates be filled with the Holy Spirit; nothing can be of any use in the church that is merely humanly inspired. Divine anointing must rest upon them, so they may exercise, especially, divine wisdom. It is the evidence that they are filled with the Spirit. Here again, wisdom cannot be of human origin, even in the task of food distribution in the church (v. 3).

 As in verse 2, the apostles insist on continuous involvement in prayer, preaching and teaching in verse 4. This is the example that we receive from the model church, the first church, in the book of Acts. We must follow this example! We must have men in every local church, who wait on God in prayer for his guidance in leading the church in spiritual fashion. They must impart the word with the anointing of God. Peter said it this way in his first letter: “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 P. 4:11).

 Let me offer a few comments on Peter’s command, which he saw put into practice in this portion. Certainly, as we have already commented in chapter 2, the apostles, who are setting the groundwork for doctrine in the church, to be followed by all future generations, must speak as the oracles of God. Not only the apostles, but every preacher or teacher, and also, everyone who operates the gift of prophecy must speak, as the oracles of God. That phrase signifies that his ministry, to the church and to the world, must not be his own words, but they must be divinely inspired. This was required of the Old Testament prophets and those, who spoke humanly, were considered false prophets. One example of many is Jeremiah 23:16: “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the LORD.’” 

 Then, consider what Peter councils those, who serve in the church, such as the deacons. They must serve with ability that God supplies, not according to human ability. I will not tire of insisting that the church is not an earthly entity; it is supernatural, heavenly and spiritual. There is nothing on this earth that can prepare for service in the church. All must serve, I repeat Peter’s words, with the ability that God supplies, with heavenly anointing.

  When human kind serves with its own ability, it receives the glory. There is no alternative way apart from divine anointing, that is capable for service in the Lord’s body; but also notice this all-important principle: “That in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” Only when God supplies the ability, can God be glorified and it is essential that He must be glorified in all that we do. Peter’s statement ends with an amen, as Christ often used the word to give maximum authority to His statements… i.e. “Amen, I say unto you!” I think, translators inadequately offer… “Verily” or “most assuredly,” “truly”, etc.

 The entire congregation see the need and heed the advice of the apostles. Consequently, they proceed to choose seven servants, full of faith and the Holy Spirit: Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte. Commentators teach me that all seven names are Greek, probably signifying that all the deacons are Hellenists (v. 5).  They bring them to the apostles, who pray and lay hands on them. The biblical laying on of hands, generally takes place for ordination of some official standing in the church, but always signifies an impartation of something that the one, who imparts, already possesses (v. 6).

 Now, Luke reports, this disturbance resolved and set aside, the ministry of the church continues. The word of God is designed to spread, beginning in Jerusalem. Its number greatly increasing now, beyond 5,000 or 8,000, whichever is the correct count. Priests were all offspring of Aaron, less common than Levites, and if a great many of the priests became believers, it is probable that some of them were of the Sanhedrin. Christianity is becoming more prominent and victorious (v. 7). 

Hellenists maneuvered to bring Stephen before the Sanhedrin

8.      And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 

9.      Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. 

10.  And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. 

11.  Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." 

12.  And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. 

13.  They also set up false witnesses who said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; 

14.  for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us." 

15.  And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.  

As I was contemplating the apostles insisting that the candidates as deacons were to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, I wonder if it meant that all seven were men with the gift of the Holy Spirit, listed by Paul as the word of wisdom, in 1 Corinthians 12. In verse 5, Stephen is described as full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and I wonder if that means that he had the gift of faith, also one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, in 1 Corinthians 12.

Now, as Luke focuses on Stephen, he adds power to faith in Stephen’s life and ministry. I have mentioned previously that the power in the early disciples is the power of the Holy Spirit. As I contemplate this power, it is astounding to me that the Holy Spirit, as the Father and the Son, is omnipotent. Dwelling in human flesh and blood is unlimited power, to be used, as needed, by the Holy Spirit, to advance the gospel and the building of the church on this earth. Peter writes of precious faith in both his epistles, indicating the unique, priceless worth of this heavenly attribute in all believers.

 We will see faith and power come alive, as Stephen carries out his ministry before the people of Jerusalem, making him a threat to the enemy. Accompanied by the power of God, he was evangelizing in Jerusalem. He was not an apostle, but a deacon and a Hellenist Jew, who spoke Greek. This book is full of miraculous acts, great wonders and signs, attesting to the truth of the gospel, not only by the apostles, but all who preached the gospel.  I will constantly repeat, there is no indication in Scripture that they have ever ceased to be, but that they are part of the gospel and accompany it, wherever and whenever and by whomever, it is preached (v. 8).

 I confess that when a subject comes before us, as in verse 9, I do something, which I do not ordinarily do in subjects of doctrine. I resort to commentators for an explanation, having no other way to explore this type of matter. Such is the case with the Synagogue of the Freedmen or, as some versions translate, the Libertines. There are two opinions, regarding the source of the Freedmen or Libertines, which we will not try to resolve, but simply mention them. One opinion was that, because there were many Jewish slaves under Roman mastery, who were later freed, therefore their sect was called Freedmen or Libertines. The other opinion is that these were Jewish people, who had settled in Liberta, a city in Libya.

 It is interesting that there were almost 500 synagogues in Jerusalem, some of them representing Greek-speaking Jews of the diaspora, whom we already have learned were called Hellenist Jews. Because these were despised by the Israelite Jews for being foreigners, speaking Greek, they formed their own synagogues, much as foreign people form their own churches today, when they settle in different lands, so that they can freely speak their native languages and follow their customs. We may have more than one synagogue, represented in verse 9, because they originated from places distant to one another. Jewish writers speak of the Synagogue of the Cyrenians and Alexandrians in Africa. If this synagogue was named from Liberta. Libya, it was in Northern Africa, as was Cyrene and Alexandria, therefore it was understandable that they would form a synagogue.  Others that are mentioned here, however, were from Asia Minor and Cilicia, in which province is Tarsus, where Saul was born.

 These Jews, being disliked by the natives of Israel and Jerusalem, and having traveled from great distances to come to Jerusalem, tended to be more dogmatic and even belligerent in their various beliefs. Saul was a Hellenist Jew, who came to Jerusalem to study under Gamaliel, and was probably part of this synagogue or synagogues and was involved in the dispute with Stephen.

 The Hellenist Jews were skilled in debate, having the Greek language to support their arguments, but Stephen had truth on his side and was filled with the Spirit of Truth. The foreign Jews were no match for inspired anointing from heaven (v. 10). They resorted to untruthful deception, as losing parties will often do, when their case has suffered defeat. Behind the public’s back, and probably using money to convince certain men, they induced them to lie, saying that Stephen had blasphemed God and Moses. The method is freely used in society, with the mainstream TV networks, social media, and street protesting, in this 21^st Century (v. 11).

 They stirred up the general populace, brought in the scribes and elders and, roughly escorted Stephen to the council of the 70 (v. 12). (I believe that the disciples in the boat, tossed by wind and waves, illustrate the opposition of the wind of evil spirits and waves of men stirred up against them.) Wind and spirit are the same original word, and the waves of the sea represent the multitudes of the world’s population in Bible symbolism. This is what is happening in the city of Jerusalem. More false witnesses are brought in, rooted in the idea that numbers will support their assertions, attempting to make them more credible, which is another tactic of the enemy. The accusation is like the first, only adding the lie that Stephen pronounced blasphemy against the law and the temple. Christianity, at that time, did prophesy as Jesus did, the destruction of the temple and a change in the law. Lies can contain some truth, making them more effective. Diabolical methods always insert some truth into their deceitful message. (v. 13).

 Faithful to the world’s mentality, the second wave of liars, present Jesus of Nazareth as a revolutionary, physically upsetting the establishment, and overtaking biblical structure (v. 14). During this untruthful outburst, we see the subject of their accusations, Stephen, clothed with heavenly, angelic glory, to the degree that it was physically visible on his face. The Paraclete, the Attorney for the defense, is at Stephen’s side with superhuman testimony, greater than that, which men can bring, and the Sanhedrin takes notice.  (v. 15).