Acts 6 & 7: Faithful Deacons have a Powerful Effect in the Lord’s Churches
ACTS 6:1-7 & 7:54-60
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH FOUNDED IN JERUSALEM WAS EXPERIENCING SEVERAL ISSUES.
THERE WAS STRONG OUTSIDE PERSECUTION FROM THE TEMPLE MASTERS WHO HAD COMMANDED TWICE TO THE APOSTLES THAT THEY PREACH OR TEACH NO MORE IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.
THE APOSTLES HAD BEEN BEATEN TO INSURE THEY HAD GOTTEN THE MESSAGE AND HAD IGNORED THOSE WARNINGS.
THE EVIL WORK OF THE ENEMY OF THE LORD AND HIS CHURCH SOUGHT TO DISRUPT THE CHURCH FROM WITHIN.
ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA HAD DECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HAD PAID FOR THAT SIN WITH THEIR LIVES AS GOD STRUCK BOTH DEAD.
THE CONSEQUENCE OF LYING AND HYPOCRISY HAD BEEN SEEN BY MANY AND BROUGHT FEAR TO THE MEMBERS AND ANOTHER INTERNAL ISSUE HAD BECOME EVIDENT.
VERSE 6:1 BRINGS THIS ISSUE QUICKLY TO OUR ATTENTION:
“…there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.”
THERE HAD BEEN FOR A SHORT WHILE IN THE NEW CHURCH AN ATTEMPT AT COMMUNAL LIVING AND IT WAS SUCCESSFUL TEMPORARILY.
THE ISSUE WAS NOT AN ISSUE OF RACES OR A MATTER OF ANTI-SEMITISM. GREEK SPEAKING JEWS TENDED TO FOLLOW THEIR GREEK CULTURE AND HEBREW SPEAKING JEWS TENDED TOWARD THE LAW OF MOSES.
THE POPULATION OF THE CHURCH AT THAT TIME WAS MANY THOUSANDS AS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HAD CALLED AND CONVERTED MANY TO JOIN THE CHURCH.
EVEN THOUGH THE CHURCH WAS STILL YOUNG, IT APPEARS IT WAS NOT PERFECT, BECAUSE, OF COURSE, MAN WAS INVOLVED.
THE GREEKS WISHED THEIR WIDOWS TO BE TREATED WITH EQUAL CARE TO THE WIDOWS OF THE HEBREWS. THE CONFLICT WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE APOSTLES IN VERSE 2:
“… 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.”
A SOLUTION WAS FOUND IN WHICH SEVEN MEN WERE SOUGHT TO CARRY THE BURDEN OF SERVICE, MEN WHO WERE OF A GOOD REPORT AND FULL OF THE HOLY GHOST, AND WISDOM.
THE APOSTLES WOULD CONTINUE IN LEADERSHIP OF PRAYER AND MINISTRY. THUS WAS THE OFFICE OF CHURCH DEACON FOUNDED.
A SPECIAL POINT WAS ORIGINALLY FORMED IN THIS OFFICE WHICH IS THAT THEIR DUTIES WERE PHYSICAL AND WERE WITHIN THE CHURCH BUT THOSE DUTIES WERE TO BE VIEWED FROM A SPIRITUAL BASIS.
ONE WHO WAS IMMEDIATELY CHOSEN WAS STEPHEN.
VERSE 10 TEACHES THAT NO ONE COULD RESIST WHEN HE SPOKE WITH WISDOM AND SPIRIT, MEANING HE WAS FULL OF FAITH, NOT ONLY SERVING FAITH BUT WITNESSING FAITH AS WELL.
THE FIRST TWO MEN LISTED, STEPHEN AND PHILLIP WERE TO BE SEEN LATER IN ACTS BY THEIR MANY DEEDS AND THERE WERE FIVE MORE WHO SERVED BUT ARE NOT LATER MENTIONED:
PROCHORUS, NICANOR, TIMON, PARMENAS, & NICHOLAS WHO WAS A BELIEVER FROM ANTIOCH.
THESE WERE PRESENTED TO THE APOSTLES AND APPROVED BY THEM BY THE LAYING ON OF THEIR HANDS UPON THEM.
WE REMEMBER OUR STUDY OF LEVITICUS WHERE SINNERS LAID HANDS ON A GOAT TO CARRY AWAY THEIR SIN SUCH THAT THE GOAT TOOK THE PLACE OF THE SINNER IN SACRIFICE.
THIS MOMENT OF THE LAYING ON OF HANDS MEANT THE DEACONS WERE PARTNERS WITH THE APOSTLES AND WERE TO CARRY AWAY A PORTION OF THE BURDENS OF THE APOSTLES.
IN VERSE 7 WE ARE GIVEN IMMEDIATE RESULTS SHOWN BY THIS IMPORTANT DECISION:
“… the Word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of priests were obedient to the faith.”
HERE WAS AN IMPORTANT CHANGE NOT TO BE IGNORED. CERTAIN PRIESTS HAD SEEN THE RENTING OF THE VEIL IN THE TEMPLE AND HAD COME TO BELIEVE AND NOW WERE WITHIN THE CHURCH SERVING ITS NEEDS.
OUR STUDY STOP IN CHAPTER SIX NOW TURNS OUR ATTENTION TO STEPHEN, ONE OF THE GREAT MEN OF THE EARLY CHURCH.
VERSE 8:
“And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.”
HERE WE SEE THAT THE DEACONS APPOINTED WERE ONE WITH THE APOSTLES IN HAVING THE GIFT OF SIGNS,
BECAUSE STEPHEN WAS SO GIFTED AND BEING SUCH A STRONG WITNESS OF THE GOSPEL CAUSED HIM TO INCUR THE HATRED OF THE SADDUCCES, WHO BROUGHT FALSE WITNESSES AGAINST HIM TO THE SANHEDRIN COUNCIL.
IN VERSES 9-15 WERE SEE THAT CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE SYNAGOGUE OF THE LIBERTINES AND OTHERS FOUND THEMSELVES UNABLE TO RESIST THE WISDOM OF STEPHEN AND HIS SPIRIT WHEN HE SPOKE.
THE FALSE WITNESSES WHO WERE PERSUADED TO LIE TESTIFIED THAT STEPHENWAS IN BLASPHEMY AGAINST MOSES AND GOD.
THEY STIRRED UP THE COUNCIL AND SCRIBES AND ELDERS WERE SENT TO CAPTURE STEPHEN AND BRING HIM TO THE COUNCIL.
THE FALSE WITNESSES TESTIFIED FALSELY AND TWISTED THE GOSPEL THAT STEPHEN PREACHED AGAINST HIM.
THEY SAID THAT STEPHEN PREACHED THAT THE TEMPLE WOULD BE DESTROYED AND REBUILT BY JESUS IN THREE DAYS, NOT MENTIONING JESUS SPOKE OF HIS BODY, NOT THE TEMPLE MADE OF STONE.
THEY CLAIMED THAT THE INTENT OF THE GOSPEL WAS TO CHANGE THE CUSTOMS OF MOSES CONSIDERED BY THEM TO BE HOLY.
AS THESE LIES WERE SPOKEN, THOSE OF THE COUNCIL LOOKED UPON STEPHEN SAW HIS FACE THAT APPEARED TO THEM TO BE THE FACE OF AN ANGEL. REMEMBER THE SADDUCCES NEVER BELIEVED IN ANGELS OR THE RESURRECTION.
THE FALSE WITNESSES FURTHER SAID THAT STEPHEN HAD SAID THE TEMPLE WOULD BE DESOLATE WHICH ACTUALLY WAS TRUE BECAUSE THE TEMPLE MASTERS WHO CONTROLLED THE TEMPLE HAD REJECTED THE SON OF GOD THEREBY BRINGING ON THEIR OWN DESOLATION.
CHAPTER 7 BRINGS THE WORDS OF STEPHEN BEFORE THE COUNCIL, WHICH ARE NOT ACTUALLY A DEFENSE BUT ARE RECITING THE REBELLION OF ISRAEL AGAINST GOD.
HE CHARGES THE COUNCIL OF BEING BETRAYERS AND MURDERERS OF CHRIST.
SUCH WORDS BRING EVEN MORE HATRED UPON STEPHEN AND WILL LEAD TO HIS CERTAIN DEATH SOON AFTER.
IN VERSES 7:1-2 STEPHEN CALLED THE COUNCIL BRETHREN AND THE OLDER MEN FATHERS SHOWING RESPECT TO ALL THE COUNCIL AND DOES NOT EVEN MENTION THE CHARGES AGAINST HIM.
STEPHEN REVIEWS ALL THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL BEGINNING WITH ABRAHAM, WHO WAS NOT CHOSEN BECAUSE HE BELIEVED, HAVING COME FROM AN IDOL WORSHIPPING FAMILY BUT DID COME TO BELIEVE GOD(GENESIS 15).
STEPHEN MOVES FROM ABRAHAM TO THE PERIOD OF THE PATRIARCHS SPEAKING OF GOD’S SAVING OF JOSEPH AND DELIVERING HIM FROM ALL HIS TRIALS AND AFFLICTIONS.
HE THEN MOVES ONWARD TO DISCUSS WHY GOD PROVIDED MOSES TO HIS PEOPLE TO LEAD THEM AWAY FROM BONDAGE, BUT ALSO MENTIONING HOW MOSES TREMBLED BEFORE GOD.
GOD SENT HIS ANGEL TO TROUBLE PHARAOH WITH PLAGUES TO DELIVER HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE.
STEPHEN SPEAKS OF THE WILDERNESS YEARS AND OF THE GREAT SIN OF AARON WHEN THE PEOPLE REJECTED BOTH MOSES AND GOD.
HERE STEPHEN IS CLEARLY TEACHING THAT ISRAEL HAS ALWAYS BEEN REBELLIOUS AGAINST GOD.
HE SAYS THE HEBREWS TOOK UP THE WORSHIP OF IDOLS, EVEN ACCEPTING MOLECH TO WORSHIP RATHER THAN THE GOD OF THE TABERNACLE, WHICH CAUSED THEM TO SACRFICE THEIR OWN CHILDREN BY FIRE.
HE SPEAKS OF JOSHUA WHOM GOD USED TO DRIVE OUT THE GENTILE PAGANS FROM THE PROMISED LAND.
HE SPEAKS OF KING DAVID WHO WANTED TO BUILD THE TEMPLE BUT GOD REFUSED ONLY ALLOWING SOLOMON TO DO SO.
AFTER THESE LESSONS, STEPHEN COMES TO THE CONDEMNATION OF THE RELIGIOUS RULERS OF HIS DAY WHO ARE THE TEMPLE MASTERS.
VERSES 51-53:
“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
WHILE THE COUNCIL WOULD ALL HAVE BEEN CIRCUMCISED IN THE FLESH, THEY WERE NOT CIRCUMCISED IN THE HEART.
THE CONDEMNATION OF STEPHEN CUT THEM TO THEIR UNCIRCUMCISED HEARTS AND THEY CLINCHED AND GROUND THEIR TEETH TOWARD HIM, SAID TO BE GNASHING THEIR TEETH.
THEIR ANGER AND RAGE BECAME GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE.
STEPHEN SPEAKS OF NOW SEEING THE GLORY OF GOD ABOVE AND JESUS STANDING AT GOD’S RIGHT HAND.
WE REMEMBER IN OUR STUDY OF HEBREWS WE WERE TAUGHT IN CHAPTER 1 VERSE 3 THAT JESUS AFTER HE HAD PURGED OUR SINS SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.
WHILE JESUS WAS IN GLORY AND HAD SAT AT GOD’S RIGHT HAND, HE WAS STILL WORKING ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO ARE HIS, FOR NOW HE IS STANDING AGAIN AT GOD’S RIGHT HAND.
WHEN STEPHEN SPOKE THOSE WORDS, THE COUNCIL STOPPED UP THEIR EARS, RUSHED AT STEPHEN, CAST HIM OUT OF THE CITY AND STONED HIM TO DEATH.
THOSE WHO CAST STONES LAID THEIR OUTER CLOTHING AT THE FEET OF A YOUNG MAN NAMED SAUL.
STEPHEN CALLED OUT TO JESUS ASKING HIM NOT TO LAY THIS SIN AGAINST THESE UNBELIEVERS AND ASKED JESUS TO RECEIVE HIS SPIRIT AND THEN DIED.
HERE TWO YOUNG MEN, STEPHEN AND SAUL (LATER PAUL) ARE TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE ONLY TIME ON EARTH.
THEY ARE ENEMIES AND STAND ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CROSS.
WE SHALL SEE IN 8:1 THAT IN THIS MOMENT SAUL WAS CONSENTING TO THE DEATH OF STEPHEN.
THEY WILL MEET AGAIN YEARS LATER WHEN PAUL ALSO BECOMES A MARTYR FOR CHRIST AND HOPEFULLY WAS GREETED BY STEPHEN AS HE ENTERED THE GATES OF HEAVEN.
STEPHEN IN THIS MOMENT WAS A GREAT WITNESS TO SAUL, WITH SAUL LIKELY LOOKING UPWARD AND UNDERSTANDING THAT STEPHEN SEES SOMETHING HE COULD NOT SEE WITH HIS OWN MORTAL EYES.
PAUL WILL SEE HIS OWN SIMILAR VISION OF THE RISEN JESUS IN CHAPTER NINE AT HIS RADICAL SALVATION.
BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS IMPORTANT STUDY STOP WE MUST ASK SOME STRONG QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT STEPHEN’S DEATH DID TO THE CHURCH.
FIRST, IT RAISED PROFOUND QUESTIONS.
WHAT WAS THE LORD DOING?
HOW COULD HE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN TO ONE SO FAITHFUL?
WHY DIDN’T HE STOP IT?
STEPHEN WAS AT THE HEIGHT OF HIS POWER AS A WITNESS.
WHY SNUFF OUT SO BRIGHT A FLAME FOR THE LORD?
THE LORD WAS NOT FINISHED.
THROUGH STEPHEN’S DEATH THE CHRISTIANS OF THE EARLY CHURCH SCATTERED AND TOOK THEIR FAITH WITH THEM.
THEY WERE TO BE PART OF THE FINAL COMMAND OF THE GREAT COMMISSION TAKING THE WORD TO THE UTTERMOST PARTS KNOWN AT THAT TIME.
THEY WOULD NEVER HAVE LEFT JERUSALEM WITHOUT THE PERSECUTION AND PUNISHMENT INFLICTED ON THEM.
THE DEATH OF STEPHEN LIT THE FIRE OF THE PENT UP HATRED OF THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS.
THE FIRE EXPLODED WITH FURY. THEY HAD TO LEAVE.
IN THEIR SCATTERING, MANY WENT TO OTHER CITIES AROUND THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA AND PLANTED THE SEED WHICH WOULD LATER SPROUT INTO EARLY CHURCHES.
THE SAYING OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IS PROVEN TRUE IN THIS MOMENT WHICH IS THAT THE BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS IS THE SEED OF THE CHURCH.
THIS WAS NEVER MORE TRUE THAN WITH THE FIRST BLOOD OF THE FIRST MARTYR, STEPHEN.
HE WORE A NATURAL CROWN OF HUMAN ABILITY GIFTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO FILLED HIM AND HE WORE HIS OWN CROWN OF THORNS WITH GRACE AND HUMILITY, EVEN PRAYING FOR HIS OWN MURDERERS.
STEPHEN WAS THE TURNING POINT AND EVENTUALLY THE CAUSE OF THE BEGINNING OF THE HEART OF SAUL OF TARSUS TURNING LATER ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD, WHO IN HIS OWN CONVERSION MOMENT ASKED “WHO ARE YOU LORD?”
SURELY IN THAT MOMENT WHEN HE SAW THE GREAT LIGHT, HE THOUGHT OF THE MOMENT WHEN HE CONSENTED TO THE DEATH OF STEPHEN, AND FINALLY HEARD AND ACCEPTED THE TRUTH.
