We are used to the fact that in the Church, as in voluntary organizations, everyone who is ready to take responsibility ends up responsible for everything at once. People run to priests with every kind of question. Most Christian leaders deal with...
We are used to the fact that in the Church, as in voluntary organizations, everyone who is ready to take responsibility ends up responsible for everything at once. People run to priests with every kind of question. Most Christian leaders deal with all the problems that arise in communities. The responsible person is responsible for everything.
But the apostles frame the question in a completely different way. They know what the Lord has called them to do: to preach the Word of God. They understand that it is unrealistic for them to combine the ministry of the word with "administrative matters." Therefore they make a choice, and they choose what the Lord has called them to. At the same time, they do not ignore the problem. They simply say that people are needed to deal with this specific issue. The apostles pray for those whom the Church has chosen.
It is probably important for each of us to understand that there are tasks to which the Lord calls us and which we must do, and there are other tasks, also important and necessary, for which the Lord will choose someone else. The hardest thing is probably balance. Let us pray that the Lord gives us the wisdom not to do what He has not called us to do, and to do what He calls us to do, and of course not to demand from priests and leaders that they jump higher than their heads.
6
6:1 There arose a murmuring - Here was the first breach made on those who were before of one heart and of one soul. Partiality crept in unawares on some; and murmuring on others. Ah Lord!how short a time did pure, genuine, undefiled Christianity remain in the world! O the depth! How unsearchable are thy counsels! Marvellous are thy ways, O King of saints! The Hellenists were Jews born out of Palestine. They were so called, because they used the Greek as their in other tongue. In this partiality of the Hebrews, and murmuring of theHellenists, were the needs of a general persecution sown. Did God ever, in any age or country, withdraw his restraining providence, and let loose the world upon the Christians, till there was a cause among themselves? Is not an open, general persecution, always both penal and medicinal? A punishment of those that will not accept of milder reproofs, as well as a medicine to heal their sickness? And at the same time a means both of purifying and strengthening those whose heart is still right with God.
6:2 It is not right that we should leave the word of God and serve tables - In the first Church, the primary business of apostles, evangelists, and bishops, was to preach the word of God; the secondary, to take a kind of paternal care (the Church being then like a family,) for the food, especially of the poor, the strangers, and the widows. Afterward, the deacons of both sexes were constituted for this latter business. And whatever time they had to spare from this, they employed in works of spiritual mercy. But their proper office was, to take care of the poor.And when some of them afterward preached the Gospel, they did this not by virtue of their deaconship, but of another commission, that of evangelists, which they probably received, not before, but after they were appointed deacons. And it is not unlikely that others were chosen deacons, or stewards, in their room, when any of these commenced evangelists.
6:3 Of good report - That there may be no room to suspect them of partiality or injustice. Full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom - For it is not a light matter to dispense even the temporal goods of the Church. To do even this well, a large measure both of the gifts and grace of God is requisite. Whom we will set over this business - It would have been happy for the Church, had its ordinary ministers in every age taken the same care to act in concert with the people committed to their charge, which the apostles themselves, extraordinary as their office was, did on this and other occasions.
6:4 We will constantly attend to prayer, and to the ministry of the word - This is doubtless the proper business of a Christian bishop: to speak to God in prayer; to men in preaching his word, as an ambassador for Christ.
6:5 And they chose - It seems seven Hellenists, as their names show.And Nicholas a proselyte - To whom the proselytes would the more readily apply.
6:7 And the word of God grew - The hinderances being removed.
6:9 There arose certain of the synagogue which is called - It was one and the same synagogue which consisted of these several nations. Saul of Cilicia was doubtless a member of it; whence it is not at all improbable, that Gamaliel presided over it.Libertines - So they were styled, whose fathers were once slaves, and afterward made free. This was the ease of many Jews who had been taken captive by the Romans.
6:14 We have heard him say - So they might. But yet the consequence they drew would not follow.
6:15 As the face of an angel - Covered with supernatural lustre.They reckoned his preaching of Jesus to be the Christ was destroying Moses and the law; and God bears witness to him, with the same glory as he did to Moses, when he gave the law by him.