Teaching Text

Acts 6:1–7

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Sermon Recap

This Sunday, guest teacher, Annie F. Downs continued our sermon series through the Book of Acts, The Fifth Act, with a teaching from Acts 6:1–7, a passage centered around a pivotal moment in the Early Church when administrative changes were needed to keep up with the rapidly growing needs of the community.

As the Early Church grew, the Hellenistic Jews raised the legitimate concern that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The apostles, knowing their primary calling was to prayer and the ministry of the Word, responded by empowering and raising up new leaders. They asked the Church to choose seven men of good reputation, who were known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom to lead the way in solving these strains on their community. This administrative shift was a Spirit-led commissioning that allowed the Church to meet real needs in real time so the needy were helped and the Gospel could go further. As a result, the Word of God continued to spread, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly.

Annie emphasized that the qualifications for leadership in this passage weren’t about status, ethnicity, or anything external, but rather about character. She noted that the men chosen to serve were known first and foremost by the presence of the Spirit in their lives and their wisdom. Their lives bore the fruit of the Spirit—a sign of maturity that every believer is called to pursue no matter how or where they are serving in the church.

Annie then invited us to actively cultivate the fruits of the Spirit in our ordinary lives, from loving people by looking them in the eyes, to practicing patience by how we wait in line at Trader Joe’s. She reminded us we have to choose to listen to the voice of wisdom, and if are in need of more wisdom, we can always ask for it from the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, we are called to what Eugene Peterson described as “a long obedience in the same direction”, allowing our reputations to build slowly over time, as we walk closely with the Spirit and allow the fruit of our lives to build up and strengthen the Body of Christ.