Divide And Conquer

This section deals with the third problem that burdened the disciples to preach. i. The Problem Of Neglected Widows 6:1-7. This passage of Scripture also sets up 6:8-7:60 where Luke records the sermon and martyrdom of Stephen. In the solving of this problem we are also introduced to the concept of elders and deacons. All in all, it is a very important passage. PRAY

This passage of Scripture sets up 6:8-7:60 where Luke records the sermon and martyrdom of Stephen.

How many here have ever made a puzzle? Good. Now, let me ask another question. How useful is a puzzle piece all by itself? Not very. If I were to hold a single puzzle piece, would any amount of time spent studying it give me the whole picture? No. In order to see the whole picture, I need the rest of the puzzle. In this picture, the church is seen as a puzzle (S). You and I are the pieces that make up that puzzle. Each piece is different and has a different place, role, and function. On our own we are not the church. We cannot give people a clear picture of what the church is to be if we are all the same or if I am the only puzzle piece they see. For a puzzle to work, all the pieces must be in the position designed for them by the creator of the puzzle. Christ is the head of the church. For the church to work the pieces, us, need to be where Christ has called us to be! If a piece of the puzzle tries to fit somewhere it wasn’t designed to be, the whole puzzle will have problems.

10/22/17; Grace Church of Lockeford; 374; #26

[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 405.

How many here have ever made a puzzle? Good. Now, let me ask another question. How useful is a puzzle piece all by itself? Not very. If I were to hold a single puzzle piece, would any amount of time spent studying it give me the whole picture? No. In order to see the whole picture, I need the rest of the puzzle. In this picture, the church is seen as a puzzle. You and I are the pieces that make up that puzzle. On our own we are not the church. We cannot give people a clear picture of what the church is to be if we are all the same or if I am the only puzzle piece they see. For a puzzle to work, all the pieces must be in the position designed for them by the creator of the puzzle. Christ is the head of the church. For the church to work the pieces, us, need to be where Christ has called us to be! If a piece of the puzzle tries to fit somewhere it wasn’t designed to be, the whole puzzle will have problems.

This passage reveals the design of the creator. How He wants the church to function. As pieces of His puzzle it is not our place to tell Him where we should go. We must discover the design of the creator and place ourselves as He has determined.

A healthy church is one where the pieces function together.

It is my prayer and desire that Grace Church be healthy.

Today we will be challenged to serve where God has placed us.

Only as we function according to His placement will the church resemble Christ.

Our title is “divide and conquer”. When a problem arises in the church it is determined that only dividing the responsibilities will enable the church to effectively carry out its task. There are three keys to understanding the divided responsibility in the early church. The first is…

Acts 6:1–7 NKJV

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. 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. 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; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 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, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. 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.

1. The Need For Divided Responsibility vv. 1-4

Up until this point in Acts the impression we are given is that the apostles are doing everything themselves. It reminds me a little bit of Moses in when he is judging every matter of the people and his father-in-law Jethro gives him a better way to handle it. Appointing other men to hear matters enabled Moses to focus on what God had called him to do. This passage is similar. As we discover the need for divided responsibility we learn of the…

a. Neglected widows v. 1

Ch. 5 hits some high notes. In v. 12 there are wonders and signs being done through the apostles. In v. 14 multitudes of believers are continually being added to the church. In v. 42 the apostles preach Christ daily in the temple and from house to house. Satan had attached the church from outside in ch. 4 with the arrest of Peter and John. He then attacked from inside in ch. 5 with the deception and death of Ananias and Sapphira. He again attacked from outside with the arrest of the apostles in the end of ch. 5. Now in the beginning of ch. 6 we have another attack from the inside. Make no mistake, this is an attack by the enemy! He is the source of discord and fighting among believers.

The beginning of v. 1 starts off well. The church is growing. Disciples are being added. Then a complaint arises. “Complaint” is the Greek word γογγυσμός (gongysmos) meaning complaining; grumbling; murmuring. A complaint uttered in a low and indistinct tone.

Complaint – γογγυσμός (gongysmos)

Have any of you ever told a son or daughter or an employee to do something and as they walk away you hear muttering? That is what’s being described here. Everything is going well in the church when suddenly, there is a muttering. What are they muttering about? Neglect. There were two groups of Jews in Jerusalem at this time. Those who spoke Greek, and those who spoke Hebrew. While both groups retained many Jewish practices and customs, the Hellenists, those who spoke Greek, adopted some Greco-Roman culture as well. As a result there was tension and mistrust between the two groups. This tension has crept into the church and the result is that the Hellenist widows are being neglected in the daily distribution. This is referencing the daily care that the church took of their widows. They provided an allotment of either food or money for food to the widows on a daily basis. But the widows who were of the Greek speaking Jews were being neglected.

This is referencing the daily care that the church took of their widows. They provided an allotment of either food or money for food to the widows on a daily basis. But the widows who were of the Greek speaking Jews were being neglected.

We are susceptible to these same kind of thing! It is a part of our sin nature to allow prejudice and bias get in the way of our God-given responsibility. How we care for the most vulnerable among us indicates a lot about who we are. James placed caring for widows on the same level as personal sanctification in (S).

James 1:27 NKJV

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

It is a big deal to God how we treat the vulnerable. Let me broaden our focus for a moment. When there is murmuring in the body of Christ, it indicates that there is a problem. In Paul connects complaining to our ability to be lights and witnesses for Christ (S)!

Philippians 2:14–16 NKJV

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

Complaining, murmuring, is to have no place in the church.

This means, if there is a problem, take it to the source! If you have a problem with me, bring it to me! If you have a problem with a brother or sister in Christ, bring it to them! Don’t talk about it with others!

The problem that has arisen in the early church is that the Greek speaking Jewish widows are being neglected. This is highlighting the reality that there needs to be a change in how the leadership of the early church functions. That brings us to the reality of…

b. Necessary ministries vv. 2-4

This problem is brought to the attention of the twelve disciples. To their credit, they immediately act to rectify the situation. The difficulty of the situation lies in the fact that they are confronted with two necessary ministries. The first is the need to provide assistance to these widows. In v. 2 the disciples present the problem with this needed service.

i. Necessary assistance vv. 2-3

They call the disciples together and present that though this service is necessary. It’s not for them. The wording here is interesting. “Desirable” is the Greek word ἀρεστός (arestos) meaning desirable; pleasing. Acceptable, worthy of acceptance or satisfactory.

Desirable – ἀρεστός (arestos)

KJV has “reason”. It is not reason that we should quit doing what we are doing. The word translated “word” is logos and it literally means “message”. They should not leave the message of God to wait on tables. Notice what He is not saying. He is not saying that it is bad to serve tables. In fact they lay down some high qualifications for performing this task. What he is saying is that they have a different calling! We will get to what they are called to in v. 4.

“Serve” is the Greek word διακονέω (diakoneō) meaning serve; minister to. To attend to the wants and needs of others.

Logos literally means “message” so he is saying they should leave the message of God to wait on tables. Notice what He is not saying. He is not saying that it is bad to serve tables. In fact they lay down some qualifications for that. What he is saying is that they have a different calling! He reveals what they are called to in v. 4.

Serve – διακονέω (diakoneō)

This same word is translated “deacon” in . What we are going to learn is that this is where the roles of elders and deacons come from. There are two roles distinguished here. The Word of God, and serving tables. The specifications of who is qualified to serve, to be a deacon, is laid out in v. 3.

Because it is not acceptable for the disciples to leave the Word, they need men to put over the distribution. Notice, the apostles don’t choose the deacons, the other disciples do. They are appointed or confirmed by the apostles, but chosen by those who know them best. This is model seems to hold true as the early church grows. In we will see them being appointed by Paul and Barnabas. In Paul calls him to appoint elders. My point is simply that the rest of the church is involved in the process.

The apostles direct the rest of the disciples to find seven men among them. Here we need to pause and mention something a little bit controversial. I want to talk about this as delicately as possible, but it is very necessary in our culture today. I want us to first think about who these deacons will be ministering to. Widows. Women whose husbands have died. They will also be working to ensure these women are properly cared for, especially that they are fed. Many would look at these responsibilities and assume that women should be doing them. I mean, they are caring for women and feeding them. But what we see very clearly is that the one who serves in this capacity must be a man. The mixed multitude of believers is called to appoint seven men. We already saw that Apostles were men in 1:21. The word used here for “men” is the Greek word ἀνήρ (anēr) meaning man or husband. An adult person who is male, as opposed to a woman; sometimes referred to collectively as men.

Men – ἀνήρ (anēr)

It is made very clear here that those selected to fill the office of deacon must be men. This same word is used in in the qualifications of an elder. We live in the midst of a very confused culture when it comes to the roles of men and women. This confusion has been born out of a rejection of God and His Word by society in general and this attitude has in turn made its way into many churches. If you would turn with me to .

It is made very clear here that those selected to fill the office of deacon must be men. This same word is used in in the qualifications of an elder. We live in the midst of a very confused culture when it comes to the roles of men and women. This confusion has been born out of a rejection of God and His Word by socitey in general and this attitude has in turn made its way into many churches. If you would turn with me to .

1 Timothy 3:1–13 NKJV

This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

The wording of these passages is clear. The offices of deacon and elder are reserved for Biblically qualified men. Since the pastor is also an elder, this would include the pastoral role as well. This is not because men are superior. Scripture is very clear that men and women are equal in Christ. However, Scripture is also clear that equality of position in Christ does not demand equality of role and function in the church. This does not mean that women have no role. Turn with me now to .

Titus 2:1–5 NKJV

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Elsewhere in Paul’s epistles he gives the order of creation and the fall in as reasons for the distinctive roles of men and women. I have used this illustration before but allow me to do so once again. Men and women are like a cheese grater (S) and a can opener (S). If I were to ask you which is better the answer would depend on what you wanted to accomplish! God has designed men and women differently. These differences are by design. This is a difficult topic. For that reason we are going to take our Sunday School hour for a few Sunday’s in November and discuss the roles of men and women in the church. I want all of us to be equipped to answer questions about this topic. It is a controversial issue and we need to be grounded in Biblical truth.

6:1-7 – Mixed multitude called to appoint 7 men. Already saw that Apostles were men in 1:21. Some would argue that women should be over widows and food. Not according to this! The role of women in the church.

That was a little bit of a rabbit trail, but it was a planned and necessary one. The disciples who would become deacons and perform this necessary service were Biblically qualified men. This would then free the apostles (elders) to give attention to the second necessary ministry seen in v. 4. Notice the distinction here. The elders are committed to prayer and the ministry of the Word. The deacons care for the physical necessities of the people of God.

ii. Necessary attention v. 4

The responsibilities of Deacons and Elders are vital to the health of the church.

ii. Necessary attention v. 4

The apostles are going to “give themselves continually” to prayer and the Word. “Give ourselves continually” is the Greek word προσκαρτερέω (proskartereō) meaning be devoted to. To persevere devotedly in some activity or cause.

Give ourselves continually – προσκαρτερέω (proskartereō)

This is a commitment to be absolutely devoted to prayer and the Word of God. They are going to appoint the deacons, then leave the care of these widows in their hands. The apostles will do what is necessary to care for the spiritual needs of the church. In order to accomplish that they must spend time in prayer and the Word of God. These are the pillars of a church. Prayer and Scripture are the foundations upon which the church stands or falls. It is essential that they be a part of every believers life, not just the elders. Warren Wiersbe put it this way.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: The Faith of the First Christians (Acts 1)

The Lord Jesus was no longer with them to give them personal directions, but they were not without the leading of the Lord, for they had the Word of God and prayer. In fact, the Word of God and prayer formed the foundation for the ministry of the church as recorded in the Book of Acts (Acts 6:4).

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 405.

Are the Word of God and prayer an essential part of our lives? Are they as necessary to us as food and drink? The need for divided responsibility is the neglected widows and the necessary ministries. What we find next is…

The need for divided responsibility is the neglected widows and the necessary ministries. What we find next is…

2. The Organization Of Divided Responsibility vv. 5-6

The apostles have determined that a division of responsibility is needed. They have a responsibility to pray and teach the Word, but these widows still need to be cared for. The church has been asked to pick out seven men who are full of the holy Spirit and wisdom. These men will serve alongside the apostles but in a different capacity. They will serve as…

a. The deacons v. 5

The entire church is behind this decision of the apostles. All of these men met the requirements of v. 3. Here is where we are introduced to Stephen. He is going to have the primary role in chs. 6-7. It is his eventual martyrdom and the persecution surrounding it that pushes the gospel out of Jerusalem and into Judea. Of the seven men listed, we receive additional information for only two. Stephen, the first listed, and Nicolas, the last listed.

Stephen is described as full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Being full of the Holy Spirit was one of the requirements given by the apostles. Full of faith, was not. Stephen is full of faith. The idea here is that faith is what characterizes his life. According to , faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen. It is that invisible quality that enables men and women to endure trial and hardship with their eyes fixed on eternity. That is the kind of man Stephen was! He was also full of the Holy Spirit. This means that he was a man of integrity and character who did not allow sin to linger and fester in his life. He dealt with it as soon as he was aware of it. What description would be used of you and me?

Here is where we are introduced to Stephen. He is going to have the primary role in chs. 6-7. It is his eventual martyrdom and the persecution surrounding it that pushes the gospel out of Jerusalem and into Judea.

Stephen is joined by Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas who was a proselyte from Antioch. Back in v. 1 we were informed that it was the Greek speaking Jewish Widows, the Hellenists, who were being neglected. What is interesting is that all seven of these men have Greek names. Nicolas was even a Greek who converted to Judaism before he became a Christian! It is probable that these men are all Hellenists. They are chosen because they will better care for their own. It might seem like a simple thing. But it reveals a depth of care. It is my prayer and desire that we would show this same depth of care for those God has entrusted to us.

The deacons are responsible for the physical care of the church.

Back in v. 1 we were informed that it was the Greek speaking Jewish Widows who were being neglected. What is interesting is that all seven men have Greek names. It’s a simple thing. But it reveals a depth of care.

These are the deacons, the ones who have been chosen to serve in the meeting of physical needs within the body of Christ. These men are then set before…

b. The elders v. 6

I want to take special notice of the order of events here. The apostles are made aware of a problem. They determine that a division of responsibility is needed. They delegate the finding of qualified men to the body of believers. Once these men have been found, the first thing the disciples do is pray. I love this! This is the body of Christ functioning together to meet needs and make a difference in people’s lives. The apostles are functioning as elders here. They pray and lay hands on the men, commissioning them for the responsibility of caring for these widows.

The elders are responsible for the spiritual care of the church.

Prayer is a recognition of God’s authority over the body. It represents a desire for His direction, leading, and blessing on this decision. Once that has been gained, the men are commissioned. Laying on of hands is almost a transfer of authority. It is a special recognition of these men. A setting them apart for a particular service. We are only in the sixth chapter of this book and already we have seen how prayer plays a major role. Every major event in the early church was covered with prayer. This trend will continue throughout the book. Our lives should be as filled with prayer as theirs were. Pray about decisions, big or small. Pray when you have questions. Prayer when there are trials. Pray without ceasing because our need of God is unceasing!

We’ve seen the need and organization. Lastly we learn of…

3. The Result Of Divided Responsibility v. 7

Here in v. 7 we have another of Luke’s “status reports” for the church. This one introduces the results of what the apostles had done in dividing the responsibility. Three results are listed for us in v. 7. The first result of the newly divided responsibility is…

The first result of the newly divided responsibility is…

[1] Stanley D. Toussaint, “Acts,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 360.

a. Expansion v. 7

Speaking very simply, Luke records that the Word of God spread. This refers to the expanding message of the gospel. The deacons ensure that the widows are no longer neglected enabling the apostles to better focus on the preaching aspect of ministry. It is important to understand that elders and deacons both minister. They simply minister in different spheres. The work done by the deacons in the physical aspects of ministry enables the elders to work in the spiritual aspects. One is not more important than the other. They are interdependent. Them working together enabled the spread of the gospel.

Expanding message

This past week one of my children spilled some water (S). The cup didn’t seem like it had much in it, but when it was spilled it covered quite a large area! It spread out. That is the image conveyed here. “Spread” is the Greek word αὐξάνω (auxanō) meaning increase; grow. To circulate more, to be or become more widespread or well-known (as of messages); conceived of as becoming physically larger.

Spread – αὐξάνω (auxanō)

Like spilled water spreads out so the message of the gospel grew! I would submit that the division of responsibility is what enabled this growth! This teaches us a valuable lesson.

Properly functioning deacons and elders enable a church to grow.

It is therefore essential for us to have deacons and elders that function in the Biblically defined way. As we do we will be better able to spread the gospel and see it expand. In addition to this expansion, the second result is…

b. Enlargement v. 7b

At this point “disciples” is used to classify the church. This is men and women who have trusted Christ and are growing in their faith. The number of these individuals “multiplied greatly”. The point of these words is that the church grew or increased to an extreme degree. As physical needs are being met and the gospel is spreading there is an enlarging multitude of believers. This growth is only possible as the church functions how God has designed it to function! When each part of the body fulfills its role, the body is strengthened and grows. We could state this conclusion in a slightly different way.

Enlarging multitude

When each part of the body fulfills its role, the body is strengthened and grows.

A church grows when it

The church grows when the body serves.

It is worth noting that at this point the church is still pretty much confined to Jerusalem. That is where the growth is taking place. Every part of the body must function as God has created it to in order for the church to grow. Are each of us serving where God has placed us? God has given us the people necessary to meet the needs that we have. As we serve here at Grace church, God will enlarge the body.

The result of divided responsibility is expansion, enlargement, and finally…

c. Engagement v. 7c

As the apostles are preaching the gospel and people are being saved they begin engaging priests in gospel conversations. A great many of these priests begin to come to Christ! “Great” here is literally a crowd or multitude. “many” is an above average number. Let me illustrate it using marbles. If I say, “I have a few marbles” I would mean something like this (S). However, If I were to say “I have a great many marbles” I would mean something like this (S).

Engaging priests

When it says that a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith, the idea is that a multitude believed! This would be another mark against them as far as the Sanhedrin are concerned. These spiritual men are connecting the dots. Seeing who Jesus us through their knowledge of the Scriptures.

These spiritual men are connecting the dots. Seeing who Jesus us through their knowledge of the Scriptures.

This also emphasizes the continued boldness of the apostles. Romans tells us that people are saved as the hear the Word and believe. This means that the apostles are preaching the gospel to priests! That’s how they are getting saved! They are preaching Christ to the leaders of another religion! Through the apostles willingness to engage with these priests, many of them are being saved. How many of us would be willing to attempt this? Most would be too intimidated by the priests to ever witness to them. Our common excuse is “what if they ask a question I can’t answer”? The apostles are not worried about that. Though never Rabbinically trained, they are engaging with the priests and leading them to Christ. This teaches us another valuable lesson.

To bring people to Christ, engage in gospel conversations.

This is not possible if we are not around people and meeting people who need Christ! Engage those who are without Christ! Draw them toward the Savior!

Conclusion

I believe the big challenge in these verses is to function where God has placed you. You and I are valuable pieces of this puzzle called the church. When we are not serving, are not fulfilling the role God has called us to, the puzzle is incomplete. No matter who you are or what your background, God has a place for you to serve. He has a puzzle piece niche He wants you to fill. Will we serve where He has placed us?

Our heavenly Father is making a beautiful picture of Himself through the church. But this picture is unfinished when we refuse to serve.

May we be like Stephen, full of faith and the Holy Spirit, that we might be used by God for His glory.

Serve where Christ has placed you.

#363 “More Love To Thee”

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