Acts 6:1–7: The Ministries of Word and of Deed
Introduction
Sometimes believers lament how complicated churches become with their structure, officers, and organization. Occasionally, someone will suggest that we need to “get back” to the simplicity of the early church. While there is always wisdom in going back to studying the earliest period of the church under the leadership of the apostles, and while there are certainly ways that churches could and should simplify their organization, it would be misleading to suggest that all structure in the church is a mistake. The early church indeed started without too much structure; however, as the church grew, more problems arose. Further, to address those growth-related problems, the apostles themselves set in place structures that we still benefit from in the church today. In this passage, we learn that Jesus builds his church through ministries of word and of deed.
Discussion Questions
1. How were benevolent gifts administered early on in the church (Acts 4:34–37; 5:2)? What factors contribute to the breakdown of this system of administration (v. 1)? Who were the Hebrews? Who were the Hellenists? How did the apostles evaluate the legitimacy of the complaints raised by the Hellenists? What do we learn about godly church leadership from the way the apostles address the issues raised by these complaints?
2. What factors lead the apostles to suggest appointing other officers who can handle the church’s benevolent needs (v. 2)? How does this reflect on the apostles’ understanding of the varying level of priorities within the church? Why do you think that the apostles direct the congregation to select those who will serve as deacons (v. 3a)? Why do the apostles set such a high standard for gifting, character, and competency of those chosen for this task (v. 3b)?
3. What do we learn about those who are selected to this role (v. 5)? Why might we understand these officers to be deacons, when the word “deacon” does not appear in this passage? What significance does Stephen have in the following passage (Acts 6:8–7:60)? What significance does Philip have later on (Acts 21:8)? What role do the apostles have in approving and ordaining these new deacons (v. 6)? What is the overall result of this arrangement in the church (v. 7)?
4. What does Jesus teach us about the importance of ministries of word and ministries of deed? How are his gifts reflected in the various officers within the church? As you think of your own role in the church, do you feel a sense of gifting and calling to serve more in ministries of word or ministries of deed? How does that sense of your gifting and calling lead you to seek out ways to serve in the church?
