Eighteenth Saturday after Pentecost

First, I ask for prayers for a full and fast recovery for President Trump, Senator Tillis, and others affected this week by Coronovirus.

Second, congratulations to regular blog reader Pat Shanower on her becoming a member of University United Methodist Church last Sunday.

Today we return to our Acts Bible Study. Please read Acts 6:2-7.

This is an example of Luke's tendency to minimize conflicts within the church. Conflicts with Jews, Greeks, and Romans can be fierce, but conflicts within the church are quickly and amicably resolved. In our last Bible study we explored the conflict between the Hebrews and the Hellenists in 6:1. In 6:2-7 we see that the Apostles, who are all Hebrews (Aramaic speakers), are clearly the men in charge of the Jerusalem Christian community. They call together the whole church. Their statement to the church hits me, and a lot of other people the wrong way, "It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables."They then ask the group to choose seven men for that task. 

The seven chosen are Stephen, Philip (a different Philip from the one who is one of the twelve), Prochorus, Nicanor,Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus. All of these have Greek names and were presumably among the Hellenists (Greeks speakers) in the Jerusalem Christian community. I should note that all these people, Hebrews and Hellenists, were Jewish Christians. 

 

Although Luke sees this conflict as quickly and amicably resolved, I can't help but notice that the Hellenists appear to be put in a lower position than the Hebrews, both in terms of  the daily distribution and in terms of the tasks assigned. We can certainly argue that waiting on tables is just as important as preaching the Word of God, but that's not the way it appears in this chapter of Acts. 

We might also notice that no women are mentioned. Women will figure much more prominently when the gospel preaching turns to the gentiles in a couple of more chapters. 

The consecration of the seven Hellenist men is done by the laying on of hands. This will become the standard means of consecration and ordination from that time until the present. I hope that coronavirus does not force us to change this ancient practice. 

Luke ends this section with a summary statement that many of the priests became Christians. Perhaps, but we don't see any of these priests playing a role in the rest of Acts. 

We do not find in Acts the church order of Bishops, Elders, and Deacons. That will come only in the later books of the NT. Order will come with development. Organizations that start small tend not to have elaborate organizational structure at the beginning. As an organization grows in size, it tends to create structural hierarchy, rules, and norms. Throughout Acts the church is growing but still small. We'll watch how it develops.

Faithfully,

Christian