(From: ACTS #9 - 6:1-7)

VII. ACTS 6:1-7 APOSTOLIC RULING TO PRESERVE INCREASE OF WORD

A. 6:1-6 REASON FOR FIRST DEACONS

a. 6:1 A PROBLEM IN THE EARLY CHURCH

En de tais heMErais TAUtais, plethuNONton [4129]ton ma-theTON [3101],

Now in those :days, the disciples multiplying,

eGEne-to gog-gusMOS [1112 ton Hel-le-niSTON [1675]pros tous E-BRAIous [1445],

a murmuring arose of the Hellenists against the Hebrews,

HOti pa-re-the-oROUNto [3865]en te di-a-koNIa teka-the-me-riNE[2522]hai CHErai [5503]auTON.

because their :widows were neglected in the daily :ministration.

b. 6:2 THE APOSTLES RECOGNIZED TWO TYPES OF MINISTRY

pro-ska-leSAme-noi [4341] de hoi DOde-ka to PLEthos [4128]ton ma-theTON,

And the twelve called the multitude of the disciples to them,

EIpan, Ouk a-reSTON [701] es-tin heMAS ka-taLEIpsan-tas [2641]ton LOgon [3056]tou TheOU,

andsaid, It is not pleasing God that we should forsake the word of :God,

di-a-koNEIN [1247] traPEzais [5132].

and minister to tables.

c. 6:3 A WORD OF WISDOM

e-piSKEpsas-the [1980] de, a-delPHOI, ANdras ex huMON mar-tu-rouMEnous [3140]hepTA,

But brethren, look out from among you seven men of good report,

PLEreis [4134]PNEUma-tos [4151]kai soPHIas [4878], hous ka-taSTEsomen ePI tes CHREIas TAUtes.

full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint over this :business.

d. 6:4 But WE will continue steadfastly in :prayer, and in the ministry of the word.

heMEIS de te pro-seuCHE[4335], kai tedi-a-koNIa [1248]tou LOgou pro-skar-teREso-men [4342].

e. 6:5-6 THE CHOICE OF THE MULTITUDE OF DISCIPLES

kai Ere-sen [700]ho LOgos eNOpi-on panTOS tou PLEthous:

And the saying pleased the whole :multitude:

kai e-xeLExan-to[1586] STEpha-non, ANdra PLErePIste-os [4102]kai PNEUma-tos HaGIou,

and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and theHoly Spirit,

kai PHIlip-pon, kai PROcho-ron, kai NiKAno-ra, kai TImo-na,

and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon,

kai Par-meNAN, kai NiKOla-on proSElu-ton [4339]An-ti-oCHEa;

and Parmenas, and Nicolaos an Antioch proselyte;

hous Este-san [2476]eNOpi-on ton a-poSTOlon:

6whom they set before the apostles:

kai pro-seuXAme-noi [4336], ePEthe-kan [2007]auTOIS tas CHEIras [5495].

and when they had prayed, they laid theirhands upon them.

B. 6:7 RESULTS FROM APPOINTMENT OF DEACONS

Kai ho LOgos tou TheOU EUxa-nen [837]; kai

And the word of :God increased; and the number

e-pleTHUne-to [4129]ho a-rithMOS [706]ton ma-theTON en Ie-rou-saLEM SPHOdra [2970];

of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly;

poLUS te OCHlos ton hi-eREon huPEkou-on [5219]te PIstei.

and a great crowd of the priests were obedient to the faith.

NOTE: It is interesting to see that it took but 7 men as deacons to serve the entire city church of Jerusalem, probably numbering at least 300 local churches meeting in homes. 8000 men plus wives and children were now present here.

I served as associate pastor in a local Baptist Church of some 500 members. We had 24 deacons and deaconesses, 7 trustees, 7 elders, 20 committee chairmen with their committee members, and a Christian School with staff and teachers. It started nearly 2000 years ago much simpler.

Stephen and Philip didn't last as deacons too long, but both moved into the field of evangelists.

By freeing the apostles for prayer and ministry of the word, the Kingdom of God exploded. The Holy

Spirit is still available today through the spiritual Urim and Thummim, to give wisdom to the 21^stCentury churches in guidance of simplicity. J.A.W.