Acts 6 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Acts 6:1-7

1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.’

5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

A. Find Out:

1. Who complained against whom about what? v.1
2. Who took the initiative to solve the problem? v.2a
3. What did they say they shouldn’t do and would do? v.2b,3b
4. What characteristics were required of the servants? v.4a,5a
5. What did they do with them? v.6
6. What continued to happen? v.7

B. Think:

1. How was growth of the church now apparently causing a problem?
2. How did the twelve seek to maintain their ministry?
3. How would you summarise the qualities of the servants?

C. Comment:

Growth problems are good problems! May we have more of them! The church was looking after all the needy people among them, but as numbers increased that became increasingly difficult and was no longer being carried out effectively on an informal basis. It needed someone whose job it was to make sure it happened. Note several things.

First, the apostles did not just keep taking on greater and greater burdens. They recognised they had A DISTINCT MINISTRY. They were called first and foremost to pray and then teach the church. Without them maintaining their listening relationship with the Lord then life would cease to flow and growth and development would stop.

 Second, the required servants of the church had to have SPIRITUAL QUALIFICATIONS. Three qualifications are shown in the passage: being full of the Spirit, full of faith and full of wisdom. Serving in the church is no mere practical responsibility carried out by human intellect and endeavour. It is to be the work of Spirit led, Spirit filled, Spirit equipped men and women of God. Note they are SERVANTS not spiritual overseers. These are deacons (see 1 Tim 3:8-13 – see v.10,13, “serve”), who serve by looking after the practical matters in the church to release the spiritual leaders so they can maintain their ministry.

D. Application:

1. Deacons serve people to release the spiritual leaders in their ministry.
2. The service is to be Spirit led and Spirit equipped.

Passage: Acts 6:8-15

8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called) – Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia – who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, ‘We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.’

12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, ‘This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.’

15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

A. Find Out:

1. How was Stephen described and what did he do? v.8
2. From where did opposition come? v.9
3. Why couldn’t they overcome him? v.10
4. What three things did the opposition do? v.11,12
5. What did the false witnesses say? v.13,14
6. Yet how did Stephen appear? v.15

B. Think:

1. What have we learnt about the character or nature of Stephen?
2. What two things was he obviously doing now?
3. Why were the Jews opposing him?

C. Comment:

Stephen is a challenge to each of us. Consider what we are told about him. He is a man full of the Spirit (v.3,5), full of faith (v.5), full of wisdom (3,10), full of grace (v.8) and full of power (v.8). The result of all of this was that he:

•  was chosen to serve the whole church (v.5)
•  obviously preached the Gospel (v.11-14)
•  performed signs and wonders (v.8)
•  argued the Gospel with great wisdom (v.10)
•  received opposition (v.9-14)
•  yet glowed with the glory of God (v.15)

In complete contrast we have the petty religious Jews who felt totally threatened by the truth and who resorted to unrighteous behaviour which God hated (Prov 6:16 ,19). The sin of religious men is particularly unpleasant for we might expect religion to show the way, but these religious Jews simply show up their religiosity for what it is: godless self-centred unrighteousness! They had lied when they tried Jesus and they lied now. Anything which threatens their dead traditional orthodoxy must be destroyed – even if it comes from God! How terrible the warning. Being religious simply means we can be blinded to the truth.

D. Application:

1. Stephen is a wonderful example to be followed.
2. The religious Jews are a terrible example to be shunned.