The Problem and the Solution

Brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.
–Acts 6:3

The early church had a problem–a problem that could have caused a major rift in the congregation. In Jewish society, widows were on the bottom rung of the economic ladder, so the church provided meals for widows. But the Hellenistic Jews–transplants from Gentile nations–complained that their widows were being overlooked.

How did the apostles handle this complaint? Acts 6:2 says, “The twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.’” They weren’t saying that ministering to widows is inferior or unimportant work. In fact, James 1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress.” The apostles were saying, “We can’t carry out our primary responsibility if we’re too busy taking care of practical needs.”

So they proposed a solution: “Brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task” (v. 3). This was the advent of the office of deacon. We get our English word deacon from the Greek diakonos, meaning servant or minister. Deacons take care of the practical needs of the church.

The apostles, as the leaders of the early church, proposed this idea. But notice who had the final say: “The statement found approval with the whole congregation” (v. 5). The congregation approved the idea of the deacons, and the congregation selected the deacons. Verse 6 says, “These they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.”

What was the result of solving this problem God’s way? Verse 7 says, “The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.” This problem, which could have split the church, ended up uniting the church and making it more effective in reaching unbelievers for Jesus Christ.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “How to Avoid a Church Fight,” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2021.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.