Acts 6:1-7
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
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There are some very practical aspects to this passage but also some great theological insights. Following the death, the resurrection, and the ascension of Jesus Christ, the Church under the leadership of the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit were increasing in number. This was not simply a matter of good marketing but took place because of the transition out of the Old Covenant and into the New Covenant where mankind had been freed from the power of sin and death and given the freedom to think, speak, and act based on love and maturity, not childish rules.
Practically speaking there will always be issues and struggles regardless of the time or the place or the people involved. As the Church was growing and spreading, it was initially seen as another odd sect of Judaism, with favoritism still being shown to the Jews, which was the complaint of non-Jews within the Church. The apostles recognized that there was more work to be done than they could do, so instead of setting aside the preaching of the gospel, they gathered and sought out wise, godly men to assist in helping those in need.
The central concern was upon finding men of good reputation, who were full of wisdom and who were directed by the Holy Spirit. This was not simply a matter of finding just anyone who was willing to do hard work but of finding genuinely godly men who could handle and complete the necessary work. The goal here was to find good men to do good work so that the apostles could, with their evangelistic skills, continue their work of prayer and ministry.
Great effort was put into the task of finding men like this in order to help the church flourish and continue to grow. When the right men were identified, they were brought before the apostles for approval and the apostles laid hands on them to fulfill this role. This is the pattern that is seen all throughout Church history. When someone is chosen for a role within the Church, those in authority go through the God appointed ritual of appointment. This is a great example of why those who desire to be part of church leadership cannot do so simply because they want to but should only do so when recognized by Church authority.
Someone simply starting a church on their own accord, based on their own desires, and acting, thinking, and speaking independently is not what is seen in Church history. Churches were established, and leaders were placed by the apostolic Church, not by someone simply having an idea. A gathering of people is not a church simply because someone wants it to be so. A church is a church when it has been formed and established by and within the apostolic faith. This is exactly why the Apostle Paul puts great stress on the importance of not doing private interpretation. That which is taught, believed, and practiced must be according to the historic, apostolic faith, otherwise it is something else altogether.
This passage closes by showing the connection between church growth and the faithfulness of the priests. It is when a priest is appointed and anointed and lives according to the apostolic faith that the Church will grow and flourish. There is one holy, apostolic faith that is built on that which Jesus taught the apostles and what the apostles handed down to the next generation, continuing to this day.
OrthrosGnosis 