The Word Of God Spread

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.

Acts 6:1-7

Misunderstandings and disagreements occur everywhere we find people. Churches are no exception. If we don’t handle our differences in a healthy way, they can harden into divisions.

The early Church in Jerusalem was growing when a dispute arose that broke along a cultural fault line. The Geek-speaking Jews (the Hellenists) had a complaint against those Jews who spoke Aramaic. The Hellenist widows “were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. ”So the apostles said, “Choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.” The seven chose all had Greek names. In other words, they were Hellenists, members of the group being neglected. They best understood the problem. The apostles prayed over them and the church thrived.

Growth brings challenges, in part because it increases interactions across traditional barriers. But as we seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we’ll find creative solutions as potential problems turns into opportunities for more growth.

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.

Our Daily Bread – February 11, 2018