[:en]SCRIPTURE: ACTS 6
Bible Verses:
“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 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:3-4)
“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. 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.” (Acts: 6-5-7)
THE CHOOSING OF THE SEVEN (vs. 1-7)
As the number of disciples increased, the Grecian Jews complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the 12 gathered all the disciples and chose 7 men to take this responsibility so that the 12 apostles can give their attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. Those being chosen were: Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas. So the word of God spread and the number of disciples increased rapidly.
STEPHEN SEIZED (vs. 8-15)
The name “Stephen” means “Victor’s crown”. Stephen was a man full of God’s grace and power. He had a good reputation among the believers, spirit filled and with practical wisdom. The opposition from the members of the synagogue of the Freedmen (Jews of Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia and Asia) persuaded men to accuse Stephen of blasphemy against Moses and God. They stirred up the people, the elders and teachers of the law to seize and bring him before the Sanhedrin. When they looked intently at Stephen, they saw his face like the face of an angel.
THOUGHTS:
- The primary ministry of the apostles was prayer and the Word of God. The deacons main task is to take care of the material needs of the believers. So, do not make the pastor a sanctified “errand boy” and boss him around. Let him focus on preaching and teaching the word of God.
- Deacons must be well respected and full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We must choose spiritually matured men and women with wisdom to lead our church.
- By the power of the Holy Spirit, Stephen was a wise servant (v. 3), miracle worker (v. 8) and an evangelist (v. 10). The most important prerequisite for any kind of Christian service is to have faith and be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit can give us the power to exercise the gifts that God has given us.
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