Acts 6:2-7

The Apostles' Solution

The apostles said it was not appropriate for them to cease devoting their full energies to the word in order to serve tables. Instead, the apostles directed the members of the congregation to look among their own number to find seven men qualified to carry out this important task. It is always good for men who will manage monetary affairs or hold positions of authority to be selected by the people they will serve. The men chosen had to be men who were known among the brethren as good men. They had to be full of the Holy Spirit, which may have meant they had to possess miraculous gifts or it may simply have referred to their fully displaying the fruits of the Spirit. This writer believes the latter was intended. Of course, they also would need "skill in the management of affairs," which Thayer says is the definition of "wisdom." The apostles planned to appoint the seven selected to attend to this important matter. Meanwhile, they planned to continue to focus on prayer and ministering to others with the word of God (Acts 6:2-4; Galatians 5:22-26).

Since that solution sounded good to all concerned, the whole multitude of believers set about the task of selecting men so qualified. They chose Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, who, Luke tells us, was a proselyte from Antioch. The seven were then brought before the apostles who laid their hands on them after going to God in prayer. It is always good to approach God about any matter Christians are about to undertake and especially when church problems are involved. The laying on of the apostles hands surely placed the seven officially in office, much like swearing in a new president, and may have actually involved bestowing on them miraculous gifts. Handling the problem in such a way resulted in further growth in the church through the spreading of the word of God. In fact, the number of Christ's followers was multiplied. Luke even told Theophilus that a large number of priests obeyed the faith (Acts 6:5-7).