Chapter 9
The Seven Deacons
[This chapter is based on Acts 6:1-7.]
In those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there
arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their
widows were neglected in the daily ministration."
The early church was made up of many classes of people, of various
nationalities. At the time of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost, "there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out
of every nation under heaven." Acts 2:5. Among those of the Hebrew
faith who were gathered at Jerusalem were some commonly known as
Grecians, between whom and the Jews of Palestine there had long existed
distrust and even antagonism.
The hearts of those who had been converted under the labours of the
apostles, were softened and united by Christian love. Despite former
prejudices, all were in harmony with one another. Satan knew that so
long as this union continued to exist, he would be powerless to check
the progress of gospel truth; and he sought to take advantage of former
habits of thought, in the hope that thereby he might be able to
introduce into the church elements of disunion.
Thus it came to pass that as disciples were multiplied, the enemy
succeeded in arousing the suspicions of some who had formerly been in
the habit of looking with jealousy on their brethren in the faith and of
finding fault with their spiritual leaders, and so "there arose a
murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews." The cause of
complaint was an alleged neglect of the Greek widows in the daily
distribution of assistance. Any inequality would have been contrary to
the spirit of the gospel, yet Satan had succeeded in arousing suspicion.
Prompt measures must now be taken to remove all occasion for
dissatisfaction, lest the enemy triumph in his effort to bring about a
division among the believers.
The disciples of Jesus had reached a crisis in their experience.
Under the wise leadership of the apostles, who laboured unitedly in the
power of the Holy Spirit, the work committed to the gospel messengers
was developing rapidly. The church was continually enlarging, and this
growth in membership brought increasingly heavy burdens upon those in
charge. No one man, or even one set of men, could continue to bear these
burdens alone, without imperilling the future prosperity of the church.
There was necessity for a further distribution of the responsibilities
which had been borne so faithfully by a few during the earlier days of
the church. The apostles must now take an important step in the
perfecting of gospel order in the church by laying upon others some of
the burdens thus far borne by themselves.
Summoning a meeting of the believers, the apostles were led by the
Holy Spirit to outline a plan for the better organisation of all the
working forces of the church. The time had come, the apostles stated,
when the spiritual leaders having the oversight of the church should be
relieved from the task of distributing to the poor and from similar
burdens, so that they might be free to carry forward the work of
preaching the gospel. "Wherefore, brethren," they said,
"look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy
Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will
give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the
word." This advice was followed, and by prayer and the laying on of
hands, seven chosen men were solemnly set apart for their duties as
deacons.
The appointment of the seven to take the oversight of special lines
of work, proved a great blessing to the church. These officers gave
careful consideration to individual needs as well as to the general
financial interests of the church, and by their prudent management and
their godly example they were an important aid to their fellow officers
in binding together the various interests of the church into a united
whole.
That this step was in the order of God, is revealed in the immediate
results for good that were seen. "The word of God increased; and
the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great
company of the priests were obedient to the faith." This
ingathering of souls was due both to the greater freedom secured by the
apostles and to the zeal and power shown by the seven deacons. The fact
that these brethren had been ordained for the special work of looking
after the needs of the poor, did not exclude them from teaching the
faith. On the contrary, they were fully qualified to instruct others in
the truth, and they engaged in the work with great earnestness and
success.
To the early church had been entrusted a constantly enlarging
work--that of establishing centres of light and blessing wherever there
were honest souls willing to give themselves to the service of Christ.
The proclamation of the gospel was to be world-wide in its extent, and
the messengers of the cross could not hope to fulfil their important
mission unless they should remain united in the bonds of Christian
unity, and thus reveal to the world that they were one with Christ in
God. Had not their divine Leader prayed to the Father, "Keep
through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be
one, as We are"? And had He not declared of His disciples,
"The world hath hated them, because they are not of the
world"? Had He not pleaded with the Father that they might be
"made perfect in one," "that the world may believe that
Thou hast sent Me"? John 17:11, 14, 23, 21. Their spiritual life
and power was dependent on a close connection with the One by whom they
had been commissioned to preach the gospel.
Only as they were united with Christ could the disciples hope to have
the accompanying power of the Holy Spirit and the co-operation of angels
of heaven. With the help of these divine agencies they would present
before the world a united front and would be victorious in the conflict
they were compelled to wage unceasingly against the powers of darkness.
As they should continue to labour unitedly, heavenly messengers would go
before them, opening the way; hearts would be prepared for the reception
of truth, and many would be won to Christ. So long as they remained
united, the church would go forth "fair as the moon, clear as the
sun, and terrible as an army with banners." Song of Solomon 6:10.
Nothing could withstand her onward progress. The church would advance
from victory to victory, gloriously fulfilling her divine mission of
proclaiming the gospel to the world.
The organisation of the church at Jerusalem was to serve as a model
for the organisation of churches in every other place where messengers
of truth should win converts to the gospel. Those to whom was given the
responsibility of the general oversight of the church were not to lord
it over God's heritage, but, as wise shepherds, were to "feed the
flock of God,. . . being ensamples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:2, 3);
and the deacons were to be "men of honest report, full of the Holy
Ghost and wisdom." These men were to take their position unitedly
on the side of right and to maintain it with firmness and decision. Thus
they would have a uniting influence upon the entire flock.
Later in the history of the early church, when in various parts of
the world many groups of believers had been formed into churches, the
organisation of the church was further perfected, so that order and
harmonious action might be maintained. Every member was exhorted to act
well his part. Each was to make a wise use of the talents entrusted to
him. Some were endowed by the Holy Spirit with special gifts
--"first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after
that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities
of tongues." 1 Corinthians 12:28. But all these classes of workers
were to labour in harmony.
"There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there
are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are
diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in
all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit
withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another
the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same
Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another
the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of
spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the
interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the
selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will. For as the
body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one
body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ." 1 Corinthians
12:4-12.
Solemn are the responsibilities resting upon those who are called to
act as leaders in the church of God on earth. In the days of the
theocracy, when Moses was endeavouring to carry alone burdens so heavy
that he would soon have worn away under them, he was counselled by
Jethro to plan for a wise distribution of responsibilities. "Be
thou for the people to Godward," Jethro advised, "that thou
mayest bring the causes unto God: and thou shalt teach them ordinances
and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the
work that they must do." Jethro further advised that men be
appointed to act as "rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds,
rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens." These were to be "able
men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness." They
were to "judge the people at all seasons," thus relieving
Moses of the wearing responsibility of giving consideration to many
minor matters that could be dealt with wisely by consecrated helpers.
The time and strength of those who in the providence of God have been
placed in leading positions of responsibility in the church, should be
spent in dealing with the weightier matters demanding special wisdom and
largeness of heart. It is not in the order of God that such men should
be appealed to for the adjustment of minor matters that others are well
qualified to handle. "Every great matter they shall bring unto
thee," Jethro proposed to Moses, "but every small matter they
shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the
burden with thee. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so,
then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to
their place in peace."
In harmony with this plan, "Moses chose able men out of all
Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers
of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And they judged the
people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but
every small matter they judged themselves." Exodus 18:19-26.
Later, when choosing seventy elders to share with him the
responsibilities of leadership, Moses was careful to select, as his
helpers, men possessing dignity, sound judgement, and experience. In his
charge to these elders at the time of their ordination, he outlined some
of the qualifications that fit a man to be a wise ruler in the church.
"Hear the causes between your brethren," said Moses, "and
judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger
that is with him. Ye shall not respect persons in judgement; but ye
shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the
face of man; for the judgement is God's." Deuteronomy 1:16, 17.
King David, toward the close of his reign, delivered a solemn charge
to those bearing the burden of the work of God in his day. Summoning to
Jerusalem "all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes,
and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course,
and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and
the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of
his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the
valiant men," the aged king solemnly charged them, "in the
sight of all Israel the congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of
our God," to "keep and seek for all the commandments of the
Lord your God." I Chronicles 28:1, 8.
To Solomon, as one called to occupy a position of leading
responsibility, David gave a special charge: "Thou, Solomon my son,
know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and
with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and
understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He
will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off
forever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee: . . . be
strong." I Chronicles 28:9, 10.
The same principles of piety and justice that were to guide the
rulers among God's people in the time of Moses and of David, were also
to be followed by those given the oversight of the newly organised
church of God in the gospel dispensation. In the work of setting things
in order in all the churches, and ordaining suitable men to act as
officers, the apostles held to the high standards of leadership outlined
in the Old Testament Scriptures. They maintained that he who is called
to stand in a position of leading responsibility in the church
"must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not
soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy,
temperate; holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that
he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the
gainsayers." Titus 1:7-9.
The order that was maintained in the early Christian church made it
possible for them to move forward solidly as a well-disciplined army
clad with the armour of God. The companies of believers, though
scattered over a large territory, were all members of one body; all
moved in concert and in harmony with one another. When dissension arose
in a local church, as later it did arise in Antioch and elsewhere, and
the believers were unable to come to an agreement among themselves, such
matters were not permitted to create a division in the church, but were
referred to a general council of the entire body of believers, made up
of appointed delegates from the various local churches, with the
apostles and elders in positions of leading responsibility. Thus the
efforts of Satan to attack the church in isolated places were met by
concerted action on the part of all, and the plans of the enemy to
disrupt and destroy were thwarted.
"God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all
churches of the saints." I Corinthians 14:33. He requires that
order and system be observed in the conduct of church affairs today no
less than in the days of old. He desires His work to be carried forward
with thoroughness and exactness so that He may place upon it the seal of
His approval. Christian is to be united with Christian, church with
church, the human instrumentality co-operating with the divine, every
agency subordinate to the Holy Spirit, and all combined in giving to the
world the good tidings of the grace of God. |
