Dealing With Conflict

Imagine your family doubling or tripling overnight. To complicate matters, many of these new members do not speak English as their first language. It is just a matter of time before something goes wrong. Tension is inevitable and frustrations will eventually flair. Luke doesn’t want his readers to think church growth is easy. Rather, he implies church growth brings problems and these problems must be addressed accordingly.

THE PERFECT CHURCH

The opening verses of Acts 6 give an up-close look at the church during a period “when the number o f disciples was multiplying.” Church growth is great, right?

No church has ever been or will ever be perfect. The model Jerusalem church we read about in Acts had problems just as we do.

When a church’s shortcomings upset us, we need to ask ourselves: “If I found the perfect church, would they allow me to become a member?” (1 Tim. 1:13-17).

THE PERFECT STORM

Money, food, and thousands of new people presented new challenges and greater responsibility for the apostles. Former fisherman and tax collectors soon found themselves running a complex and intricate welfare system (cp. 4:35; 6:1).

Jews from the Greek-speaking world were trying to live and share resources with native-born Palestinian Jews. Pressure came to a head when those from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds felt treated as second-class citizens (6:1).

The church in Jerusalem faced the same category of problem that causes problems in the majority of churches today — neglect. Whether it is intentional or unintentional, nobody likes to be overlooked, disregarded, or discriminated against (Gal. 2:11-14).

THE PERFECT RESPONSE

The perfect response to what? A “complaint.” Forgiveness, reconciliation, repentance, and adjustments seldom occur unless we express our discontent with the proper individuals (1 Cor. 1:11; 5:1; Phil. 4:2). [Apostles/men could not read minds or take hints.] 

As wise leaders, the apostles did not take this issue lightly (6:2-4). Notice what they did. The called the “whole group” together (conversation). The took responsibility and owned up to the fact their operation had logistical problems (ownership) [it wasn’t that they were too good for the job, rather it was they were too bad at it - out of their league]. The set forth general guidelines and told the opposed parties to select qualified men to fix the problem (delegation). They refocused on their mission (boundaries).

What happened as a result of their response (6:5-7)? The people got to work and lifted some weight off their leaders. They selected people with a Greek background to pick up the slack. The apostles got back to doing what they were supposed to be doing. The church unified once again and “the disciples multiplied greatly.”